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Bert Shepard

 

 
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Robert Earl "Bert" Shepard (June 28 1920 - June 16 2008) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 left-handed pitcher
Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a base on balls....
 in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between them since 1903 ....
 who pitched in one game for the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The Twins are a member of the American League Central of Major League Baseball's American League....
 in 1945 after having had his right leg amputated
Amputation

Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by Physical trauma or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer or gangrene....
 after his fighter plane was shot down in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 while he was serving as a pilot in the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The direct precursor to the United States Air Force, its peak size was over 2.4 million men and women in service and nearly 80,000 aircraft in 1944, and 783 domestic bases in December 1943....
.

in Dana, Indiana
Dana, Indiana

Dana is a town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, Vermillion County, Indiana, Indiana, United States. The population was 662 at the 2000 census....
, the 5"11", 185 lb. left-hander taught himself to walk and then to pitch with an artificial leg while confined in a German POW camp.






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Robert Earl "Bert" Shepard (June 28 1920 - June 16 2008) was an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 left-handed pitcher
Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a base on balls....
 in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between them since 1903 ....
 who pitched in one game for the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The Twins are a member of the American League Central of Major League Baseball's American League....
 in 1945 after having had his right leg amputated
Amputation

Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by Physical trauma or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer or gangrene....
 after his fighter plane was shot down in Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 during World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 while he was serving as a pilot in the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II. The direct precursor to the United States Air Force, its peak size was over 2.4 million men and women in service and nearly 80,000 aircraft in 1944, and 783 domestic bases in December 1943....
.

Biography

Born in Dana, Indiana
Dana, Indiana

Dana is a town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, Vermillion County, Indiana, Indiana, United States. The population was 662 at the 2000 census....
, the 5"11", 185 lb. left-hander taught himself to walk and then to pitch with an artificial leg while confined in a German POW camp. He had been gunned down near Berlin
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
 on his 34th mission as a P-38 fighter pilot, left unconscious for days.

In 1945 Shepard was back in the United States and hoping to resume his pitching career. Prior to the war, he had pitched for minor leagues all across the country. During spring training
Spring training

In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to audition for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play....
 in 1945, he impressed Senators owner Clark Griffith
Clark Griffith

Clark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner.Griffith entered the American Association in 1891, pitching 226 ? innings and winning 14 games for the St....
 enough to be hired as a pitching coach
Coach (baseball)

In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager , or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game....
. He pitched exhibition games and batting practice, and one regulation game, making him the first man with an artificial leg to pitch in a major league baseball game.

On August 4, 1945 Shepard got the call to enter in the fourth inning of a home game in which the Senators were well behind the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in . The Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball?s American League East. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park....
. It was Game Two of the fourth consecutive doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)

Doubleheader is the term used to describe two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day. Today, a doubleheader is generally the result of a prior game between the same two teams being postponed due to inclement weather or other factors....
 in which Washington was playing, with a fifth scheduled the next day as well. Shepard made headlines, not only for being in the game itself, but also with 5? innings
Innings

An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring....
 of impressive relief, allowing only three hits
Hit (baseball)

In baseball statistics, a hit , sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batting when the batter safely reaches First baseman after hitting the ball into fair ball territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
 and one run
Run (baseball)

In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third baseball field and returns out to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three out are recorded....
. He struck out his first batter. The final score was Red Sox 15, Senators 4.

In between games of a doubleheader on August 31, Shepard received the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

File:Odierno presents DFCs army mil-2007-11-14-093424.jpgThe Distinguished Flying Cross is a Inter-service decorations of the United States military awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while particip...
 for his service in WWII. He later went on to be a player/manager in the minor leagues until 1954. He was a key participant on the National Amps baseball teams of former servicemen with amputations secondary to war injuries. After retiring from baseball, Shepard worked for IBM
IBM

International Business Machines Corporation, abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue" , is a multinational corporation computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, New York, United States....
 and Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft

Hughes Aircraft Company was a major aerospace and defense company founded by Howard Hughes. The group was based near Ballona Creek, in Culver City, California....
 as a safety engineer
Safety engineer

Scope of a Safety EngineerTo perform their professional functions, safety engineering professionals must have education, training and experience in a common body of knowledge....
. Shepard won the U.S. amputee golf
Golf

Golf is a sport in which players using many types of Golf club including wood , iron , and putter , attempt to hit golf ball into each hole on a golf course in the lowest possible number of strokes....
 championship in 1968 and 1971.

Shepard died at age 87 in Highland, California
Highland, California

Highland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, California, United States. The population was 44,605 at the 2000 census. It also refers to a geographical area of the City of San Bernardino , and parts of unincorporated San Bernardino County....
.

Trivia

  • The game of August 4, 1945 was notable for two other events as well. Shepard came in to relieve teammate Joe Cleary
    Joe Cleary

    Joseph Christopher Cleary was a Major League Baseball pitcher for one game in 1945. The right-hander was born in Cork , and he was the last native of Ireland to appear in a MLB game....
    , who would be the last native of Ireland
    Ireland

    Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
     to pitch in a major league game. Also, outfielder
    Outfielder

    Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder....
     Tom McBride
    Tom McBride (baseball)

    Thomas Raymond McBride was a Major League Baseball outfielder. A native of Bonham, Texas, he played for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins ....
     tied a major league record with 6 runs batted in
    Run batted in

    Run batted in or RBI is a baseball statistic used in baseball, softball and dartball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play....
     in the fourth inning.


Further reading

  • Richard Tellis: Once Around The Bases, Triumph Books, Chicago, 1998, pp. 107-120.


External links

  • - biography & photograph
  • - Once Around the Bases
  • - Bert Shepard and the Missing Foot