"Ralston Burdette Hemsley comes from Charleston, W. Va., and was born June 24, 1907. He will coach the pitchers and the catchers and will take over as chief of the bullpen.
Rollie began a 20-year major league career in 1927 when he came up with the Pittsburgh Pirates- he closed it with the Phillies in 1947. He played in three World Series and five All-Star games in his heyday. He played in the 1932 Series with the Cubs and in the 1942 and '43 Series with the current World Champion New York Yankees. His All-Star years were 1935, '36,'39, '40 and '44.
Rollie was considered one of the best handlers of pitchers ever to catch in the major leagues. He was a successful minor league manager from 1949 to 1952, having won a Southern Association pennant and a Dixie Series at Nashville. He piloted Columbus to the American Association playoffs and the Little World Series that followed. He also managed at Toledo and Charleston in the Association and at Texas City in the Gulf Coast League."
-1954 Philadelphia Athletics official yearbook
One of the top receivers of his day, he hit .309 for the Browns in 1934 and led American League catchers in fielding with a .994 mark for the Indians in 1942. He holds the distinction of having played in the All-Star Game for both the American and National Leagues.
They call him 'Rollicking Rollie' because of his antics. When he was a manager, no manager could keep him from cutting up. With all his comic capers, he was still catching and managing at the age of 45!"
-1954 Topps No. 143
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