Bill Werle
Encyclopedia
William George "Bill" Werle (December 21, 1920 – November 27, 2010) was a left-handed major league baseball pitcher from
Oakland, California
. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates
, St. Louis Cardinals
and Boston Red Sox
from 1949–1954. His nickname was Bugs. He threw and batted left-handed. His playing weight was 182 pounds.
in the spring of 1941. In an 8-7 loss to Compton Junior College he ceded 14 hits, but it was an unearned run which caused his defeat. He pitched a
complete game
. In March 1942 Werle held the University of Southern California
baseball team to eight hits in a key California Intercollegiate Baseball Association contest. The University of California
won 10-5. One of the hits he gave up was a solo homer to
Cal Barnes in the ninth inning. Playing for the Stockton, California
, All-Stars, Werle shut out the McClellan Field Commandos, 7-0, in May 1943.
, Werle was one of three San Francisco Seals pitchers to face Sergeant Joe Dimaggio
. Stationed at the Santa Ana, California
, Army Air Base, Dimaggio did not reach safely in four at bats.
In February 1945 Werle was inducted into the U.S. Army. He had been employed in a Stockton war plant. He was married and had one child. Following World War II
Werle again pitched for San Francisco. In a game versus the Sacramento Solons
, in June 1946, he gave up 13 hits, including two home runs.
Werle pitched 16 innings against Sacramento in August 1948, winning the first game 11-0 and preserving a tie in the nightcap, 3-3. He struck out nine batters in the opener and five in the finale. The tie was not broken because of a league rule prohibiting an inning from beginning after 11:50 p.m. He won 17 and lost seven with the Seals who were managed by Lefty O'Doul
.
The Portland Beavers
obtained Werle from the Cincinnati Reds
in early April 1955. By this time he had become a sidearm
pitcher. He yielded only four hits to the Seals in an April 12 contest in San Francisco. Werle tossed a three-hitter against Sacramento on June 10, in a 6-0 Portland win. He was selected by Charlie Metro
for the northern squad in the 1957 Pacific Coast League
All-Star Game.
in May 1949 to beat the Dodgers, 5-3. He surrendered seven runs, three in the last inning, when Bob Ramazzoti homered. Pirates chief scout, Pie Traynor
, favored Cliff Chambers
over Werle, and predicted Chambers would win more games in 1949. Werle shut out the Cincinnati Reds
on seven hits on July 4, 1949. It was the second game of a doubleheader
and lifted the Pirates into sixth place in the National League
. Werle pitched in relief for Pittsburgh in 1950. In June he came on for his second relief stint in two days. Tommy Holmes homered off of him in the eight inning, breaking a 6-6 tie and giving the Boston Braves
the win. Werle outpitched All-Star Larry Jansen
with a two-hitter on July 15 at Forbes Field
. The Pirates beat the New York Giants 2-1. On April 17, 1951, Werle provided effective relief in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals
. He retired the side without a hit in the top of the seventh after Murry Dickson
walked the bases loaded. Only a single run scored when Red Schoendienst
hit a sacrifice fly which plated Solly Hemus
. He went 8-6 for the Pirates in 1951.
Werle was fined $500 and suspended indefinitely on April 3, 1952. Manager Billy Meyer
ordered him to go back to Pittsburgh and wait for further instructions. Pittsburgh general manager, Branch Rickey
, reinstated Werle on April 11, but the fine was not dropped. The incident which prompted the fine and suspension was not explained clearly. Werle understood that it had to do with his having been 30 minutes late, a violation of training rules. It was mentioned that he arrived at his hotel with roommate, George Metkovich, after seven innings of a night game in Beaumont, Texas
. They had a couple of bottles of beer each, showered, and went downstairs. He denied a rumor of having a woman in his hotel room, which Rickey seemed to believe at first. Werle swore on his father's grave that this was untrue and that someone was a damned liar.
. In a game against the New York Giants on June 16 he relieved Eddie Yuhas in the ninth inning with two men on base. He walked Whitey Lockman
before he was removed for Willard Schmidt
. Schmidt gave up a grand slam
to Bobby Thomson
, who hit his first pitch over the left field roof just inside the foul line at the Polo Grounds
, to win the game for the Giants.
Werle was claimed by the Boston Red Sox off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on October 2, 1952. In a May 1953 game versus the New York Yankees
, he relieved Mickey McDermott
with only one out in the first inning. He yielded a third inning home run to Mickey Mantle
and three runs over 5-2/3 innings of work. Werle gave an up a long homer to Dave Philley
in a relief outing against the Cleveland Indians
in April 1954. He gave up five hits in 4-2/3 innings and three earned runs. Gus Zernial
tagged Werle for a home run in the ninth inning of a game with the Philadelphia Athletics in June.
The Cincinnati Reds obtained Werle from the Louisville Colonels
of the American Association
on October 14, 1954. Manager Birdie Tebbetts
named Werle as one of three pitchers to be used in the first game of spring training 1955. The Reds played an exhibition against the Chicago White Sox
. After the Reds cut him, Tebbetts refuted a statement by Werle, saying that the pitcher was given every chance to make the club.
of the Pacific Coast League in August 1961. He managed the Phoenix Giants (Phoenix Firebirds
) in 1966 until he served as a temporary replacement for Larry Jansen
as pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants
. Werle was placed on the San Francisco Giants roster at the age of 46 in September 1967. He managed Phoenix that season and was just 19 days short of becoming eligible for the major league pension plan, so the Giants put him on the active list. Werle served as a scout for the Baltimore Orioles
in 1980.
in San Mateo, California
.
Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
from 1949–1954. His nickname was Bugs. He threw and batted left-handed. His playing weight was 182 pounds.
College pitcher
Werle pitched for Modesto Junior CollegeModesto Junior College
The Modesto Junior College is a community college located in Central Valley's Modesto, California.-Accreditation:Modesto Junior College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In January 2008, the Western Association Colleges and Schools notified the college that it had...
in the spring of 1941. In an 8-7 loss to Compton Junior College he ceded 14 hits, but it was an unearned run which caused his defeat. He pitched a
complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
. In March 1942 Werle held the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
baseball team to eight hits in a key California Intercollegiate Baseball Association contest. The University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
won 10-5. One of the hits he gave up was a solo homer to
Cal Barnes in the ninth inning. Playing for the Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, All-Stars, Werle shut out the McClellan Field Commandos, 7-0, in May 1943.
Pacific Coast League 1943–1948, 1955–1957
In a benefit game for Hammond General Hospital in Modesto, CaliforniaModesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
, Werle was one of three San Francisco Seals pitchers to face Sergeant Joe Dimaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
. Stationed at the Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, Army Air Base, Dimaggio did not reach safely in four at bats.
In February 1945 Werle was inducted into the U.S. Army. He had been employed in a Stockton war plant. He was married and had one child. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Werle again pitched for San Francisco. In a game versus the Sacramento Solons
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
, in June 1946, he gave up 13 hits, including two home runs.
Werle pitched 16 innings against Sacramento in August 1948, winning the first game 11-0 and preserving a tie in the nightcap, 3-3. He struck out nine batters in the opener and five in the finale. The tie was not broken because of a league rule prohibiting an inning from beginning after 11:50 p.m. He won 17 and lost seven with the Seals who were managed by Lefty O'Doul
Lefty O'Doul
Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul was an American Major League Baseball player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager in the minor leagues, and also a vital figure in the establishment of professional baseball in Japan.-Player:Born in San Francisco, California, O'Doul began his...
.
The Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
obtained Werle from the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in early April 1955. By this time he had become a sidearm
Sidearm
In baseball, sidearm describes balls thrown along a low, approximately horizontal axis rather than a high, mostly vertical axis ....
pitcher. He yielded only four hits to the Seals in an April 12 contest in San Francisco. Werle tossed a three-hitter against Sacramento on June 10, in a 6-0 Portland win. He was selected by Charlie Metro
Charlie Metro
Charlie Metro was an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics, as well as a manager for the Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Royals. He adopted the name "Metro" from his father, Metro Moreskonich, a Ukrainian immigrant...
for the northern squad in the 1957 Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
All-Star Game.
Pittsburgh Pirates (1949–1952)
The Pittsburgh Pirates released catcher LeRoy Jarvis to the Seals as partial payment for the rights to Werle in January 1949. As a National League rookie Werle survived a ninth inning rally at Ebbets FieldEbbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
in May 1949 to beat the Dodgers, 5-3. He surrendered seven runs, three in the last inning, when Bob Ramazzoti homered. Pirates chief scout, Pie Traynor
Pie Traynor
Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and radio broadcaster. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a third baseman with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed...
, favored Cliff Chambers
Cliff Chambers
Clifford Day Chambers , was a former professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1948-1953. He played for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St...
over Werle, and predicted Chambers would win more games in 1949. Werle shut out the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
on seven hits on July 4, 1949. It was the second game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
and lifted the Pirates into sixth place in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. Werle pitched in relief for Pittsburgh in 1950. In June he came on for his second relief stint in two days. Tommy Holmes homered off of him in the eight inning, breaking a 6-6 tie and giving the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
the win. Werle outpitched All-Star Larry Jansen
Larry Jansen
Lawrence Joseph Jansen was an American right-handed pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball. A native of Oregon, he played minor league baseball in the early 1940s before starting his Major League career in 1947 with the New York Giants. Jansen played nine seasons in the big leagues, and was...
with a two-hitter on July 15 at Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
. The Pirates beat the New York Giants 2-1. On April 17, 1951, Werle provided effective relief in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. He retired the side without a hit in the top of the seventh after Murry Dickson
Murry Dickson
Murry Monroe Dickson was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the 1940s and 1950s...
walked the bases loaded. Only a single run scored when Red Schoendienst
Red Schoendienst
Albert Fred "Red" Schoendienst is an American Major League Baseball coach, former player and manager, and 10-time All-star. After a 19-year playing career with the St...
hit a sacrifice fly which plated Solly Hemus
Solly Hemus
Solomon Joseph Hemus is a retired infielder, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball.As a player with the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, Hemus was primarily a shortstop, although he also saw significant time as a second baseman. He compiled a lifetime batting average...
. He went 8-6 for the Pirates in 1951.
Werle was fined $500 and suspended indefinitely on April 3, 1952. Manager Billy Meyer
Billy Meyer
William Adam Meyer was an American baseball player and manager. He holds the dubious distinction as having played for, and managed, two of the worst teams in the history of Major League Baseball....
ordered him to go back to Pittsburgh and wait for further instructions. Pittsburgh general manager, Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
, reinstated Werle on April 11, but the fine was not dropped. The incident which prompted the fine and suspension was not explained clearly. Werle understood that it had to do with his having been 30 minutes late, a violation of training rules. It was mentioned that he arrived at his hotel with roommate, George Metkovich, after seven innings of a night game in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
. They had a couple of bottles of beer each, showered, and went downstairs. He denied a rumor of having a woman in his hotel room, which Rickey seemed to believe at first. Werle swore on his father's grave that this was untrue and that someone was a damned liar.
St. Louis Cardinals (1952), Boston Red Sox (1952–1954)
Werle was traded to the Cardinals on May 1, 1952, for righthanded pitcher George Red MungerRed Munger
George David "Red" Munger was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who spent a decade in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates...
. In a game against the New York Giants on June 16 he relieved Eddie Yuhas in the ninth inning with two men on base. He walked Whitey Lockman
Whitey Lockman
Carroll Walter "Whitey" Lockman was a player, coach, manager and front office executive in American Major League Baseball.-Role in miraculous 1951 comeback:...
before he was removed for Willard Schmidt
Willard Schmidt
Willard Raymond Schmidt was an American professional baseball player, a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between 1952 and 1959. Listed at , , Schmidt batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Hays, Kansas....
. Schmidt gave up a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
to Bobby Thomson
Bobby Thomson
Robert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run...
, who hit his first pitch over the left field roof just inside the foul line at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, to win the game for the Giants.
Werle was claimed by the Boston Red Sox off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on October 2, 1952. In a May 1953 game versus the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, he relieved Mickey McDermott
Mickey McDermott
Maurice Joseph "Mickey" McDermott Jr. was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Pre-professional career:...
with only one out in the first inning. He yielded a third inning home run to Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
and three runs over 5-2/3 innings of work. Werle gave an up a long homer to Dave Philley
Dave Philley
David Earl Philley is a former outfielder who played in Major League Baseball. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, he debuted on September 6, and played his final game on August 6, . He was born in Paris, Texas....
in a relief outing against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in April 1954. He gave up five hits in 4-2/3 innings and three earned runs. Gus Zernial
Gus Zernial
Gus Edward Zernial was a Major League Baseball left-fielder and right-handed batter who played for the Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Athletics , Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
tagged Werle for a home run in the ninth inning of a game with the Philadelphia Athletics in June.
The Cincinnati Reds obtained Werle from the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball team)
The Louisville Colonels was the name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Louisville, Kentucky, in the 20th century. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels.-Twentieth century minor league teams:...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
on October 14, 1954. Manager Birdie Tebbetts
Birdie Tebbetts
George Robert "Birdie" Tebbetts was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front office executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians from to...
named Werle as one of three pitchers to be used in the first game of spring training 1955. The Reds played an exhibition against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. After the Reds cut him, Tebbetts refuted a statement by Werle, saying that the pitcher was given every chance to make the club.
Manager and scout
Werle was named interim manager of the Hawaii IslandersHawaii Islanders
The Hawaii Islanders were a AAA minor league baseball team, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1961 through 1987. The Islanders were originally an affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics. They played their home games at Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu's Aloha Stadium...
of the Pacific Coast League in August 1961. He managed the Phoenix Giants (Phoenix Firebirds
Phoenix Firebirds
The Phoenix Firebirds, formerly the Phoenix Giants, were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Phoenix, Arizona, USA from 1958-1959, and 1966 until 1997....
) in 1966 until he served as a temporary replacement for Larry Jansen
Larry Jansen
Lawrence Joseph Jansen was an American right-handed pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball. A native of Oregon, he played minor league baseball in the early 1940s before starting his Major League career in 1947 with the New York Giants. Jansen played nine seasons in the big leagues, and was...
as pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Werle was placed on the San Francisco Giants roster at the age of 46 in September 1967. He managed Phoenix that season and was just 19 days short of becoming eligible for the major league pension plan, so the Giants put him on the active list. Werle served as a scout for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in 1980.
Death
On November 27, 2010, Werle died due to complications of Alzheimer's in San Mateo, California. He is interred at Skylawn Memorial ParkSkylawn Memorial Park (San Mateo, California)
Skylawn Memorial Park is a cemetery, mausoleum, crematorium, columbarium and funeral home complex in San Mateo, California, directly accessible from State Route 92. Interment records are at 1,308...
in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
.