 Lou
Limmer, One of Baseball’s Nice Guys
By Max Silberman
One of the reunion regulars who always greets fans and fellow players
alike with a big smile is former A’s first baseman Lou Limmer.
Limmer came from a large, athletic family in the Bronx and was a
star athlete at Manhattan Aviation High School, also attended by
Whitey Ford a few years later. Upon graduation, Limmer joined the
Army Air Corps where he served until 1946.
His professional career began at Lexington, NC in 1946 and he used
his home run power to climb to Lincoln NE. in 1948. At Lincoln in
1948, he hit 28 home runs and batted in 93 runs as a team-mate of
Bobby Shantz, Nellie Fox, Earle Brucker Jr. and Bob Wellman who
were also future Athletics. That year while sliding into third base,
a freak accident took place. Limmer suffered a head injury resulting
in blindness fo a few days. He recovered to have an outstanding
season, returning to Lincoln in 1949 to hit 15 home runs. 1950 was
a banner year for Limmer at St .Paul, MN. of the American Association.
His 29 home runs and 111 runs batted in earned him “Rookie
of the Year” honors and a promotion to the Philadelphia Athletics
for 1951 A’s fans remember that Ferris Fain played first and
won the batting titles for 1951 & 1952. so Lou Limmer didn't
get much of a chance to display his talent. He spent the 1952 and
1953 seasons at the A’s triple A club at Ottawa hitting 23
home runs and 15 home runs to earn another shot at the big club.
Once more in 1954,first base proved to be a crowded spot.With the
addition of Don Bollweg and Vic Power, Limmer had 316 at bats and
managed to hit 14 home runs.Unfortunately,1954 was a difficult year
for the Athletics with financial problems ,injuries to key players
and the uncertainty about a possible move to Kansas City.When the
team moved west, Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau took over as manager
and informed the players that sweeping changes were about to occur.
Within a few years,only Joe DeMaestri was left and Lou Limmer was
among those headed back to the minor leagues. 1955 produced 28 home
runs, 16 in 1956, 18 in 1957 and 30 in 1958 for a total of 265 home
runs in his professional career. One of the highlights of his stay
with the Athletics came very early in his major league career. On
April 23 1951, the young first baseman from the Bronx realized a
dream held by just about every boy who ever played baseball.There
he was at Yankee Stadium, standing in the left handed hitter’s
batter’s box where Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig once stood.Lou
was pinch hitting in the 9th inning for Joe Tipton with a runner
on base. On the mound stood Vic Raschi who just a few months earlier
won game one of the 1950 World Series against the Phillies. Imagine
the thrill when the rookie hit a home run in his home town ball
park off of one of baseball’s great hurlers.
Limmer now spends his summers in New Jersey and winters in Florida
but always finds time for events of the Philadelphia Athletics Historical
Society. He and his wife Pearl look forward to each reunion. Lou
Limmer also takes time to visit schools and tell children about
life in the big leagues and answers all their questions. Because
of his contributions as a veteran ,an athlete for his community
service ,he was nominated for the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall
of Fame. Lou Limmer is the answer to two A’s trivia questions
as he hit the last home run for the Philadelphia Athletics and had
the last base hit for the team in their final game.He was one of
the many fine players who were competing for the 400 major league
jobs which today number 750.A left handed power hitting first baseman
with a decent glove would be a welcome addition to many present
major league teams.
 
Lou Limmer and Spook Jacobs make
minor league history. Later they became teammates on the 1954 A's.
 
 
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