John Hagemann, Sr

Major league baseball scout, retired from NYFD Native Staten Islander and Pleasant Plains resident John Hagemann Sr. died on June 17, 2017, of complications from a respiratory infection after a short stay at Staten Island University Hospital South. John was 80 years old, born Aug. 15, 1936, on Staten Island. He graduated from Augustinian Academy in 1954, where he was a star athlete in baseball and basketball. He attended Villanova University and started a brief minor league baseball career with the San Francisco Giants in 1955. John subsequently became a New York City police officer and was a member of the department's first tactical patrol force. He transferred to the New York City Fire Department, where he retired due to injury in 1973. He began his major league scouting career with the assistance of scouts he knew from his minor league days. His career spanned five phases: five years with the Montreal Expos, eight years with the Major League Scouting Bureau, three years with the Baltimore Orioles, 17 years with Atlanta Braves as a supervisor and special assistant, and the past 16 years with the Philadelphia Phillies. John was honored with three World Series rings with the Baltimore Orioles, the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies, as well as four National League Championship rings with the Atlanta Braves. One only receives a championship ring if the team you are with wins and recognizes your contribution to the championship season. John was inducted into the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame in April of 2017 after a 49-year career as a major league baseball scout. He was inducted into the Middle Atlantic Major League Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame with a plaque at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., in November 2013. John was also honored by the New York Yankees with a Yankee Hall of Fame Induction for Service to Major League Baseball and a plaque was placed at the Staten Island Yankee ballpark in June 2011. John received numerous other awards, including Scout of the Year by the Major League Baseball Hot Stove League and the Ralph DiLullo Memorial Award in 2011. Major highlights of his career included his discovery of a pitcher by the name of John Smoltz in 1987. John recommended him to Bobby Cox as a probable Major League Hall of Fame prospect at the time of signing. In fact, John Smoltz was inducted into the Major League Hall of Fame in 2016. John attended the ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y., at the invitation of Mr. Smoltz. Another major scouting accomplishment included his reports on Chipper Jones, when Jones was in high school. Jones played his entire career with the Atlanta Braves and was considered to be a sure shot Hall of Famer. (Chipper Jones is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2018). John's scouting reports are laminated and on display at the original Turner Field in Atlanta, Ga. During his career he promoted local athletes who were signed or drafted over the years. Most notable is Jason Marquis from Tottenville High School, who started his career with the Atlanta Braves. Four other local players went on to have careers in the major leagues and 11 became minor league players. John's other interests included hunting and frequent trips to his cabins in Minerva, N.Y. John is survived by his wife, Patricia, of Staten Island, N.Y.; children, John (Deb), Jeannine (Frank), Kenneth (Lori); stepchildren, Jack (Annie) and Pat; siblings, James, Mary, Raymond, and Constance, many nieces and nephews; grandchildren, Christopher, Regina, Patrick, Helen, Dylan, Zach, Allison, Jane, Caroline, Linda, Shannon, Casey and Jackson; and great-granddaughter, Charlotte. John was predeceased by his first wife, Yvonne; sister, Angela; stepdaughter, Wendy; and parents, Raymond and Ruth. Visitation is today from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home in Tottenville. Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home 7447 Amboy Rd Staten Island, NY 10307

Services: Holy Child RC Church Tuesday, June 20, 2017 10:00AM

Visitation: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home Monday, June 19, 2017 2-4 & 7-9PM

Cemetery: Resurrection Cemetery (Staten Island)

Location: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home

Church: Holy Child R.C. Church