Longtime MLB executive Roland Hemond died on Sunday at the age of 92.
Hemond, who spent well over 60 years of his life around professional baseball, passed away of natural causes. He is survived by his wife, Margo; five children, Susan, Tere, Robert, Jay, and Ryan, and grandchildren.
A two-time Sporting News Executive of the year, Hemond spent time in MLB as scout, an executive and as a general manager for the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. He also won a World Series as a member of the scouting department with the Milwaukee Brewers and spent time with the California Angels and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Hemond was an exceptional advocate for the game of baseball and had a major impact on the communities that he was a part of during his life. In 2011, he was the second-ever recipient of the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievment Award, recognizing “the profound impact he has had on the game, for his baseball intelligence as a keen talent evaluator and in building winning teams, to the universal respect he has earned for mentoring generations of baseball executives, past and present.”
RIP Roland Hemond, 92, longtime #SABR member, scout, GM for @Orioles and @WhiteSox who also helped build the expansion @Angels and @Dbacks from scratch, founder of @MLBazFallLeague, and friend and mentor to countless people in baseball: https://t.co/ChKva3rXOm pic.twitter.com/rqHnTduJyr
— SABR (@sabr) December 13, 2021
Roland Hemond, beloved baseball executive with White Sox, Orioles, Braves, Angels and Diamondbacks, RIP. 92.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 13, 2021
RIP Roland Hemond. Covered him when he was GM of the Orioles. One of my favorite people in baseball. He loved the game and everyone in it. Had a wonderful family. Just a joy to be around, for all 92 of his years.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2021
RIP the great and beloved Roland Hemond. What a beautiful man who impacted the lives of so many. Roland, 92, died in his sleep last night.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 13, 2021
Hemond started his career in MLB with the Brewers in 1952 and had already risen to the rank of assisting scouting director when the organization won the World Series in 1957. He then took over the head scouting job with the California Angeles from 1961-1970.
Hemond’s first major executive job came when he made way for the Windy City to become the general manager for the Chicago White Sox. He led the club to a number of strong seasons, including a 90-win year in 1977.
After resigning from the White Sox in 1986, Hemond was back as a general manager two years later with the Baltimore Orioles. He held that role until 1995 before he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as an executive advisor. He eventually returned to the White Sox in 2001.
Hemond, who is credited with the idea for the Arizona Fall League, ended his career as an executive in 2017 with the Diamondbacks.
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