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Roland Hemond Passes Away

By Anthony Franco | December 13, 2021 at 5:01pm CDT

Longtime major league executive Roland Hemond passed away last night at age 92, the league announced. Hemond served as a big league general manager for more than two decades between 1970 and 1995, leading the White Sox’s and Orioles’ baseball operations departments over that time.

“Roland Hemond was one of the most respected executives that our game has ever known,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He served the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles as general manager, was a staple of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ front office throughout their history, and also worked for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, the California Angels, the Commissioner’s Office and USA Baseball during his exemplary career.  Roland was a pivotal figure in the formation and growth of the Arizona Fall League.  Most importantly, he mentored countless people in our sport and found ways to make our game stronger.  Roland Hemond was a great gentleman whose contributions to our National Pastime will never be forgotten.”

In addition to his time in Chicago and Baltimore, Hemond worked in various scouting and advisory capacities throughout his career. He began his front office time with the Braves in 1951, collecting a World Series ring five years later for his role as the team’s assistant scouting director. He held that role in Milwaukee (where the Braves played from 1953-66) through 1960, then spent the next decade as the Angels’ scouting director.

By 1970, Hemond was leading the charge with the White Sox, a stint that partially overlapped with Tony La Russa’s first run as Chicago manager. His clubs won one division title over that stretch, a 1983 season that saw Chicago win 99 games but drop a four-game AL Championship Series against the Orioles. In 1986, Hemond made the jump to the commissioner’s office, a position he held for a bit more than a year before taking over baseball ops in Baltimore.

Hemond ran the O’s from 1988-95. Baltimore didn’t make a postseason appearance during Hemond’s tenure, but a few players whom his front office group had acquired (i.e. Rafael Palmeiro, Brady Anderson and Mike Mussina) played key roles on the ’96 squad that went to the ALCS. Hemond spent 1996-2000 as an executive with the D-Backs, then spent the better part of the next two decades in advisory capacities with the White Sox and Arizona before retiring in 2017.

In 2011, the Baseball Hall of Fame presented Hemond with the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s one of five all time honorees (joining O’Neil himself, Joe Garagiola, Rachel Robinson and David Montgomery). Hemond was twice named the league’s Executive of the Year, winning the award in 1972 and 1989. Unsurprisingly, given his decades of experience in high-level front office positions, Hemond had personal ties to many key front office execs and coaches who continue to hold influence today — including La Russa and Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who got his start in professional baseball with the White Sox during Hemond’s tenure as Chicago GM.

MLBTR joins countless others around the game in expressing our condolences to Hemond’s family, friends and loved ones.

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View Comments (18)
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18 Comments

  1. bbcalmc

    4 years ago

    RIP

    10
    Reply
  2. Samuel

    4 years ago

    Hemond hired and trained Dombrowski,. Which was interesting as Dombrowski’s education and background was in accounting.

    4
    Reply
  3. baseballguy_128

    4 years ago

    RIP Hemomd

    2
    Reply
    • PeteWard8

      4 years ago

      God bless the Hemond family.
      Thank you Mr. Hemond for everything.

      5
      Reply
  4. ChiSox_Fan

    4 years ago

    RIP, Roland Hemond!

    Wow, 92. Good for you!

    Condolences to the Hemond family.

    5
    Reply
  5. User 2079935927

    4 years ago

    RIP Mr. Hemond. One of the original Angels in the front office.

    4
    Reply
    • slider32

      4 years ago

      Great man, I had many contacts with him when I was drafted by the Angels. Gene Autry’s right hand man in 67-68. Always a true professional!

      2
      Reply
  6. Dorothy_Mantooth

    4 years ago

    What an amazing career this guy had. l bet he had some amazing stories/ personal MLB experiences which he shared with family and friends over the decades. I would have loved hearing some of those myself. RIP Mr. Hemond and thank you for all your positive contributions to Major League Baseball.

    10
    Reply
    • Ducky Buckin Fent

      4 years ago

      Yeah, @Mantooth.
      He’d’ve been a blast to talk to over some suds, uh? Haven’t heard his name in a pretty long time. Also: retired at…87!? Mercy. A true baseball lifer.

      Of course: prayers for his family & friends.

      10
      Reply
  7. Berischa

    4 years ago

    As an lifetime Orioles fan and first and foremost, as a human being, R.I.P Mr Hemond, my condolamces to his family

    4
    Reply
  8. whyhayzee

    4 years ago

    The man who helped changed the color of Carlton Fisk’s Sox because Haywood Sullivan was an idiot. I wish the Chisox had won a championship when Hemond was there. He was a good guy. Baseball will miss him.

    3
    Reply
    • kwolf68

      4 years ago

      Almost did in 83, some serious bass running blunders prevented the ALCS from going to a deciding game 5 and a virtually unbeatable Lamar Hoyt on the mound. Britt Burns was simply brilliant in game 4 but the Sox offense blew it.

      2
      Reply
  9. ottoc 2

    4 years ago

    I knew him for several years as a SABR member. He was a tremendously friendly person, always willing to take time to talk with people. The last time I saw him he told me if I was planning on going to Arizona for the Fall League to let him know and he would provide a pass.

    RIP Rollie and thanks.

    5
    Reply
  10. Dumpster Divin Theo

    4 years ago

    Add to the chorus of those expressing sympathy, a baseball lifer who demonstrated a genuine passion for the game at multiple levels and reveled in the opportunity to engage with fans, taking time to greet families and young kids at the park. He’ll be missed. Looking forward to the in season tributes.

    2
    Reply
  11. fisk72

    4 years ago

    I was a dopey college kid wandering the outfield bowels of Comiskey Park before a game in 1982 when I bumped in to Rollie. When I acknowledged that I knew who he was, he beamed and shook my hand. We chatted for a few minutes and he made my day. What a kind man. Rest in peace sir.

    2
    Reply
  12. stuarthunky

    4 years ago

    A true Prince!

    2
    Reply
  13. msqboxer

    4 years ago

    Just think of the stories he was able to tell being a GM for both Bill Veeck and Jerry Reinsdorf.

    2
    Reply
  14. ChrisKay

    4 years ago

    As an Arizona State University Senior in the early 1980s and doing a project on “Sports and Business”, I sent out a survey and followups to every major league sports franchise at the time. While many returned the results anonymously, White Sox GM Roland Hemond was the ONLY one to respond personally.

    1
    Reply

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