Set National League record
Tommy Holmes, 91, who hit in 37 consecutive games in 1945 to set a modern National League record that stood until it was broken by Pete Rose, died Monday of natural causes at an assisted-living facility in Boca Raton, Fla., said his daughter, Patricia Stone.
Holmes’ hitting streak came while he played for the Boston Braves and is the ninth-longest in major league history. Rose hit in 44 in a row in 1978 while playing with the Cincinnati Reds. Rose turned 67 on Monday.
A native of Brooklyn, Holmes was signed by the New York Yankees but couldn’t break into their talented outfield. Traded to the Braves in February 1942, he batted .300 for five consecutive seasons from 1944-48. In 1948, he batted .325 in 139 games to help the Braves win the National League pennant.
He served as a player manager for the Braves in 1951-52 and played his final game for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1952 season.
In 11 years in the majors with the Braves and Dodgers, he had a .302 batting average, 88 home runs and 581 RBIs.
From 1973 to 2003, Holmes worked for the New York Mets as director of amateur baseball relations.
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