Major League Baseball Player. For eight seasons (1952 and 1954 to 1959), he was a pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. During World War II, he was assigned to the South Pacific, while serving with the United States Air Corps and upon his return home, he enrolled at Hope College (Michigan), where he played collegiate baseball. Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1946, he marked his Major League debut with Cleveland on April 21, 1951. During the later part of his career, he became an effective reliever and the American League twice in games-pitched (1956 with 62 and 1956 with 56). In 1956, he led the American League with 16 saves and produced a career-high 10 wins while with Baltimore in 1957. In 265 regular season games, he compiled a 32 win 36 loss record with a 3.54 ERA in 642 innings-pitched. After retiring from baseball, he worked in the insurance industry in addition to umpiring high school and collegiate baseball. He died of complications from a broken hip he suffered earlier in the year.
Major League Baseball Player. For eight seasons (1952 and 1954 to 1959), he was a pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. During World War II, he was assigned to the South Pacific, while serving with the United States Air Corps and upon his return home, he enrolled at Hope College (Michigan), where he played collegiate baseball. Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1946, he marked his Major League debut with Cleveland on April 21, 1951. During the later part of his career, he became an effective reliever and the American League twice in games-pitched (1956 with 62 and 1956 with 56). In 1956, he led the American League with 16 saves and produced a career-high 10 wins while with Baltimore in 1957. In 265 regular season games, he compiled a 32 win 36 loss record with a 3.54 ERA in 642 innings-pitched. After retiring from baseball, he worked in the insurance industry in addition to umpiring high school and collegiate baseball. He died of complications from a broken hip he suffered earlier in the year.
Bio by: C.S.
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