Hemus was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and raised in San Diego, where he graduated from Saint Augustine High School.

He served in the United States Navy during World War II,[2] and began his professional playing career in the Cardinals' farm system as a 23-year-old in 1946.

[3] Hemus compiled a lifetime batting average of .273 in 961 games and collected 736 hits, with 137 doubles, 41 triples, 51 home runs and 263 RBI.

[1] The Redbirds followed with a mediocre start in 1961 and were mired in sixth place on July 5 (at 33–41), when Hemus was replaced by one of his coaches, Johnny Keane.

[7][8][9][10] He managed the Mets' top farm club, the Jacksonville Suns of the Triple-A International League,[11] in 1966, before leaving baseball and entering the oil business in his adopted home city of Houston, Texas.