Former Twins shortstop Jackie Hernandez losses his battle with cancer

Jackie Hernandez

Jackie Hernandez (Jacinto Hernández Zulueta) was born on September 11, 1940 in Central Tinguaro, Cuba and passed away on October 12, 2019 in Miami, Florida after a short battle with lung cancer. His given name (Hyacinth in English) was difficult for many people in the U.S. to pronounce, leading to his Anglicized nickname; he was also called simply “Jack or Jackie.” 

Hernandez played pro ball from 1961 through 1974 and then spent some time playing ball in Mexico from 1975-1976 before retiring as an active player.

Hernandez was originally signed as a catcher by the Cleveland Indians in 1960 but switched to shortstop on a full-time basis after the 1964 season because of his size and his arm. Hernandez was promised a raise if he made the Indians 1965 AAA Portland roster but the Indians reneged and in mid-May Hernandez asked for a ticket home. The California Angels purchased his contract and he played for the Angels AAA team in Seattle for the remainder of the 1965 season. Hernandez got his first bite out of the big league apple when he was called up for a September cup of coffee by the Angels late in 1965.

Hernandez made his big league debut for the California Angels at their home ballpark of Dodger Stadium against the Chicago White Sox as a pinch-runner and promptly stole second and advanced to third on the throwing error and eventually scored in a 7-1 Angels win over the White Sox. Hernandez, not knowing for his hitting didn’t get to bat until his third big league game when he entered the game in the sixth inning as a replacement for shortstop Jim Fregosi with the Angels trailing the Baltimore Orioles 9-2. In his first at bat Hernandez singled off Wally Bunker in the eighth inning and then doubled off Dick Hall in the ninth inning. As it turned out, those were the only two hits Hernandez had in six AB’s in 1965.

On December 2, 1966 the Twins and Angels hooked up in a blockbuster trade, the California Angels sent Dean Chance and a  player to be named later to the Minnesota Twins for Pete CiminoJimmie Hall and Don Mincher. On April 10, 1967 the two teams agreed on the PTBNL and it was Jackie Hernandez. The Twins had a fellow Cuban at shortstop, Zoilo Versalles, who had won the AL batting title and MVP award in 1965. Hernández thus went back to Triple-A to play for Minnesota’s affiliate in Denver. With the Bears, he played 112 games at short and regained his hitting stroke, with a .269 average. The Twins called Hernández back up in early August, along with Hank Izquierdo. Originally supposed to be around for only two weeks while Rod Carew did his Marine reserve training, Hernández stayed for the rest of the season. He got into 29 games during the exciting 1967 AL pennant race, playing at both short and third base.

After the 1967 season, Versalles was traded to Los Angeles Dodgers. The Twins expected that Hernandez would take over the shortstop role and he won the starting job at shortstop in the spring of 1968. However, he struggled with both bat (.176 in 199 at-bats) and glove (25 errors in 79 games at short) and was sent back to AAA Denver from late July through early September. After the 1968 season ended, Minnesota made Hernández available in the expansion draft that October, and the Kansas City Royals selected him with the 43rd pick overall. Hernandez was the Royals starting shortstop in 1969 and appeared in a career high 145 games but he committed 33 errors. Hernandez lost his starting gig in 1970 and in December 1970 was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

When the Pirates regular shortstop Gene Alley broke his hand in the spring of 1971, Hernandez filled in. According to his SABR Bio, another notable moment during Hernández’s first year in Pittsburgh came on September 1, 1971.

Manager Danny Murtaugh happened to write out an all-black lineup, the first ever in the majors. In addition to Hernández, batting eighth, the lineup consisted of Rennie Stennett (2B), Gene Clines (CF), Clemente (RF), Willie Stargell (LF), Manny Sanguillen (C), Dave Cash (3B), Al Oliver (1B), and Dock Ellis (P). Hernández remembered that Murtaugh faced questions afterward, inquiries he and other players thought inappropriate. However, the manager said that he was simply playing those he felt gave the Pirates the best chance to win. “We were all Pirate ballplayers,” remembered Hernández in 2016, “and the response by Murtaugh that we were going to win with that lineup was outstanding.” The Pirates did indeed win that night, 10-7.

The united and inspired Pittsburgh team won the National League pennant in 1971. In their victorious four-game National League Championship Series with San Francisco, Hernández played all but three innings. Pittsburgh then defeated Baltimore to become world champions.

Hernandez finished out his big league career as a utility player for he Pirates in 1972-1973. The Pirates traded Hernandez to the Phillies after the 1973 season but the Phillies released him the following spring and he resigned as a free agent with the Pirates but spent the entire 1974 season in AAA. Jackie went on to play in Mexico in 1975 and 1976. 

Hernandez spent all or parts of 9 seasons as a big league player for the Angels, Twins, Royals and Pirates and appeared in 618 games. In 1990, his mother passed away, and he was thus able to return to Cuba for the first and only time. He was there five days to pay his respects and visit with the family he had last seen in 1961.

St. Paul Saints coach (2003-2006) Jackie Hernandez

Hernández returned to pro ball in 1997 when his longtime friend and fellow Cuban big-leaguer approached him. That was former Oriole pitcher Mike Cuéllar, who had become pitching coach for the Duluth-Superior Dukes in the independent Northern League. Soon after, Jackie joined the Dukes, working with them through 1998. He then went on to coach with three other indie-league teams: Waterbury (Connecticut) Spirit — Northeast League (1999-2000), New Jersey Jackals — Northern League (2001-02) and the St. Paul Saints — Northern League (2003-06). 

Obituary: Jackie Hernandez (1940-2019)