| Ben Geraghty | |
|---|---|
 Geraghty as manager of the Jacksonville Braves in 1953 | |
| Infielder | |
| Born: July 19, 1912 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| Died: June 18, 1963 (aged 50) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1936, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 14, 1944, for the Boston Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .199 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 9 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Non-MLB stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Benjamin Raymond Geraghty (July 19, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and one of the most successful and respected minor league managers of the 1950s.
A Jersey City native, Geraghty went right from Villanova University to the 1936 Brooklyn Dodgers, appearing in 51 games with the team in his rookie season. He appeared in 19 more games with the Boston Braves over the 1943 and 1944 seasons, compiling a batting average of .199 in 146 at bats with 29 hits in 71 career games. In 1946, he survived a horrific bus crash that killed nine of his Spokane Indians teammates.
As he wound up his playing career, Geraghty started managing. He was part of the Milwaukee Braves system for nine years from 1953 through 1961, during which time Hank Aaron played for him. Aaron considered Geraghty the best manager he ever had. In his 18-year managing career, Geraghty won 1,432 games and lost 1,154 (.554). He won five pennants in seven years (1953–59) while piloting Braves affiliates. In the ten seasons of 1953 through 1962, a Geraghty-managed team never finished lower than second place. He was managing the Jacksonville Suns in 1963 when he suffered a fatal heart attack on June 18, just shy of his 51st birthday.