Herschel Bennett

Herschel Emmett Bennett (September 21, 1896 – September 9, 1964) was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for five seasons. He played for the St. Louis Browns from 1923 to 1927.

Minor leagues Bennett began playing baseball with local semi-pro teams during the late 1910s, then he started his professional career in the minor leagues, playing for the Springfield Merchants in 1920. He played with the Tulsa Oilers of the Western League from 1921 to 1923. In 1922, he hit .370 in 161 games, and hit 13 triples and 24 home runs as well that season. At the conclusion of the 1922 season, the St. Louis Browns purchased his contract for $10,000. In 1924, Bennett played in 41 games for the Browns with a batting average of .330.

The next three seasons saw Bennett splitting time between left field and right field, backing up Ken Williams and Harry Rice. During the 1925 St. Louis Browns season, Bennett played in 93 games and had a career high six triples with a batting average of .279. When a federal judge ruled in Landis' favor on this issue, claiming interference in private property, judge Walter Lindley also ruled that the farm system in baseball was legitimate, which is what Landis tried to avoid with this ruling on Bennett.

After baseball, Bennett went on to become the Commissioner of Revenue in Springfield, Missouri. He died on September 9, 1964.

Personal life

Bennett was married to Gladys Gertrude Bennett (Cloud) (1899–1974). They later divorced, remarried, and divorced again. They had three children, twins Robert C. Bennett (1919–2009) and William Bennett, and Herschel Bennett (1930–2012).