Bob Hazle

Infobox MLB retired
name=Bob Hazle
position=Outfielder


bgcolor1=#af0039
bgcolor2=#0f437c
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
bats=Left
throws=Right
birthdate=September 9, 1930
deathdate=death date and age|1992|4|25|1930|9|9
debutdate= September 8
debutyear= 1955
debutteam= Cincinnati Reds
finaldate=September 28
finalyear=1958
finalteam=Detroit Tigers
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.310
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=9
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=37
teams=
* Cincinnati Reds (1955)
* Milwaukee Braves (1957-1958)
* Detroit Tigers (1958)
highlights=
* World Series champion: 1957

Robert Sydney "Hurricane" Hazle (December 9, 1930 - April 25, 1992) is a former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder over parts of 3 seasons (1955, 1957-1958) with the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Braves and Detroit Tigers. Hazle was a member of the 1957 World Series champion Braves. For his career he hit .310 with 9 home runs and 37 runs batted in in 110 games played.

Hazle debuted with the Reds late in the 1955 season, but made no impression. He was traded with Corky Valentine to the Milwaukee Braves in return for George Crowe the following spring, but did not appear in the big leagues. Playing for Wichita, he was hurt and reportedly considered quitting the sport.

Hazle is best remembered for his meteoric 1957 performance. He was promoted from Wichita only after outfielder Bill Bruton suffered a season-ending knee injury, and did not play until the Braves' 100th game.

In less than three weeks, from August 9 through August 25, Hazle bat .473 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI in 14 games, a sudden burst of unexpected offense that earned him the nickname "Hurricane." The original Hurricane Hazel had struck the coast of Hazle's home state, South Carolina, in 1954.

The first-place Braves swept the second-place Cardinals on August 9-11, which went a long way towards sealing the National League pennant for Milwaukee; the first two games of the series were blowouts, and Hazle had seven hits and five RBI. He bat a torrid .556 in his first dozen games. For the season, Hazle bat .403 in 41 games, with 7 home runs and 27 RBI. On the next-to-last day of the season, Hazle broke up a no-hit bid by Cincinnati's Johnny Klippstein with a two-out, eighth inning single.

Hazle appeared in four of seven World Series games that year, hitting an ineffective .154 for the champion Braves. However, both of his Series hits came in the seventh and deciding game; Hazle scored the first run in a 5-0 victory. Despite having had just 134 at-bats, Hazle finished fourth in the 1957 NL Rookie of the Year voting.

After a bad start in 1958, he was traded to Detroit. After a stint in the minors, he retired in 1959.

Hazle was born in Laurens, South Carolina and died in Columbia, South Carolina at the age of 61.

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