This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt Michael Frederick
to remember
Marine LtCol Gerald Coleman (Jerry).
If you knew or served with this Marine and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
Contact Info
Home Town San Jose
Last Address San Diego
Date of Passing Jan 05, 2014
Location of Interment Miramar National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
Recently published autobiography, "An American Journey."
Other Comments:
Jerry Coleman's baseball career was interrupted by service in the Marine Corps during two wars. His philosophy was, "When you're country calls, you go. That's it."
In 1949, Jerry Coleman became a member of the New York Yankees. He played second base, and was awarded Rookie of the Year with a batting average of .275, 2 home runs, and 42 runs batted in. The following season, he was an American League All-Star, and was the Most Valuable Player in the 1950 World Series, when the Yankees swept the Philadelphia Phillies in four games. He played in six World Series, winning four World Series with the New York Yankees. He was one of the best defensive second basemen of all time, having committed only 89 errors in 3,168 fielding opportunities, and turned 532 double plays. He played in 402 games before the 1952 season. He was called up for active duty in the Korean War. After finishing his combat tour in Korea, he rejoined the Yankees and played in 321 games. He retired from playing baseball in 1957, and has a .263 lifetime batting average with 16 home runs.
After retiring from baseball, Lt. Colonel Coleman began his distinguished career as a sports announcer with the New York Yankees (1963 - 1969), the California Angels (1970 - 1971), CBS Radio's Network Game of the Week (22 seasons), and he currently is the radio voice of the San Diego Padres baseball team (1972 - 1979, 1981 - present). He is famous for his phrase, "Oh doctor, you can hang a star on that baby!" In 1980, he left the radio booth to manage the San Diego Padres for one season, and returned back to the booth, continuing his long association with the Padres, which includes working with many charitable events. He was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2001. On February 22, 2005, he was named the winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence and will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Other Memories He arrived at Guadalcanal in August, 1944, and was assigned to VMSB-341, known as "The Torrid Turtles". He flew 57 combat missions, flying close air support, which VMSB-341 was the first squadron in the Marine Corps specifically designated to do, and flew missions in the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. In July, 1945, his squadron, along with other Marine Corps squadrons, were called back from the Pacific to form carrier-based squadrons in anticipation of the amphibious assault on Japan.
