Eddie Sawyer
Encyclopedia
Edwin Milby Sawyer was an American
manager
and scout
in Major League Baseball
. As a manager, he led the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies
— the "Whiz Kids"
, as the youthful club was known — to the second National League
championship in team history.
who batted and threw right-handed – never played in the majors. A rarity among managers of his era, Sawyer held an advanced degree from an Ivy League
university: a master's degree from Cornell
. He had earned an undergraduate degree from Ithaca College
, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and later served as a science teacher.
Sawyer signed a contract to play in the New York Yankees
' deep farm system in 1934. He reached the highest minor-league level in 1937 with the Oakland Oaks
of the Pacific Coast League
, but soon turned to managing in the Bombers' system. In 1939, his first year as a player-manager with the Amsterdam Rugmakers
in the Class C Canadian-American League
, Sawyer led the Rugmakers to a first-place finish and batted
.369 with 103 runs batted in
.
of the Class A Eastern League
from 1944-47 and was in his first season with the Phils' top farm club, the Toronto Maple Leafs of the AAA International League
, when he was promoted to replace Ben Chapman
as the Phillies manager on July 26, 1948
.
Concurrently, the Phillies were being transfused with young blood, bringing to the majors many of the players who would become the Whiz Kids: Robin Roberts
, Richie Ashburn
, Del Ennis
, Granny Hamner
, Willie Jones
, Curt Simmons
, Bubba Church
and others. Sawyer, a patient man accustomed to working with young players, was an ideal choice to mold the Phillies into a cohesive outfit. He masterfully blended the youngsters with veterans such as Jim Konstanty
, Dick Sisler
, Andy Seminick
and Eddie Waitkus
.
In 1949
, the Phillies enjoyed their first winning season since 1932
, winning 81 games and finishing third. In 1950, with the NL pennant up for grabs — the 1949 champion Brooklyn Dodgers
suffered from pitching troubles and the outbreak of the Korean War
had disrupted major league rosters — the Phillies charged into the league lead, Despite a late-September tailspin, they held off Brooklyn in the season's final game as Sisler's tenth-inning home run
sealed a 4-1 victory. With 91 victories against 63 losses, the Phillies had won their first pennant since 1915. However, in the 1950 World Series
they were no match for the Yankees, who swept them in four low-scoring games. After the season, Sawyer was named "manager of the year" in the Associated Press' poll of sports writers and sports casters.
The 1950 season would be Sawyer's last winning season as a major league manager. The 1951
Phillies lost 18 games from their previous year's standard and fell to fifth, and in 1952
, with the team in sixth place and seven games below .500, Sawyer was replaced as skipper on June 27 by Steve O'Neill
.
season. On July 22, with the team in seventh place, the Phillies fired Mayo Smith
and brought Sawyer back to manage. The gamble fizzled, as the 1958 Phils dropped 40 of 70 games under Sawyer to finish last, and then placed last again in 1959
. The second baseman on the 1959 Phillies roster was Sparky Anderson
, which was the only season in the Majors as a player for the Hall of Fame skipper.
After managing the Phillies for the opening game of the 1960
season, a 9-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds
, Sawyer resigned his position, famously saying: "I'm 49 years old and I want to live to be 50." He was replaced by Gene Mauch
. Sawyer would remain in the game as a scout, however, for the Phils and the Kansas City Royals
.
His lifetime major league managerial record was 390-423 (.480). He was elected a member of the Pennsylvania Sports and Ithaca College Sports halls of fame. Sawyer died at age 87 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. As a manager, he led the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies
1950 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies won the National League pennant by two games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Nicknamed the "Whiz Kids" because of the youth of their roster, they went on to lose the World Series to the New York Yankees in four straight games....
— the "Whiz Kids"
Whiz Kids (baseball)
The Whiz Kids was a nickname given to the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball. This team, averaging only 26.4 years of age, won the National League pennant during that season.After owner R. R. M. Carpenter, Jr...
, as the youthful club was known — to the second 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...
championship in team history.
A scholar-athlete
Born in Westerly, Rhode Island, Sawyer – an outfielderOutfielder
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...
who batted and threw right-handed – never played in the majors. A rarity among managers of his era, Sawyer held an advanced degree from an Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
university: a master's degree from Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. He had earned an undergraduate degree from Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and later served as a science teacher.
Sawyer signed a contract to play in 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...
' deep farm system in 1934. He reached the highest minor-league level in 1937 with the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
of the 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...
, but soon turned to managing in the Bombers' system. In 1939, his first year as a player-manager with the Amsterdam Rugmakers
Amsterdam Rugmakers
The Amsterdam Rugmakers were a Canadian-American League baseball team based in Amsterdam, New York, USA, that played from 1938 to 1942 and from 1946 to 1951...
in the Class C Canadian-American League
Canadian-American League
This article refers to the original incarnation of the Can-Am League, which operated between 1936 and 1951. For the modern league, see Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball...
, Sawyer led the Rugmakers to a first-place finish and batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.369 with 103 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball 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. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
Manager of the 'Whiz Kids'
In 1944, Sawyer left the Yankees to join the Phillies' farm system. He managed the Utica Blue SoxUtica Blue Sox
The Utica Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Utica, New York. In their most recent incarnation, the Blue Sox played in the Short-Season A classification New York - Penn League from 1977-2001, with their home games at Donovan Stadium at Murnane Field...
of the Class A Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
from 1944-47 and was in his first season with the Phils' top farm club, the Toronto Maple Leafs of the AAA International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, when he was promoted to replace Ben Chapman
Ben Chapman (baseball player)
William Benjamin "Ben" Chapman was an American outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for several teams, most notably the New York Yankees. During the period from 1926 to 1943, he had more stolen bases than any other player, leading the American League four times...
as the Phillies manager on July 26, 1948
1948 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves *All-Star Game, July 13 at Sportsman's Park: American League, 5-2-Other champions:*College World Series: USC*Little League World Series: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania...
.
Concurrently, the Phillies were being transfused with young blood, bringing to the majors many of the players who would become the Whiz Kids: Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts (baseball player)
Robin Evan Roberts was a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who pitched primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies . He spent the latter part of his career with the Baltimore Orioles , Houston Astros , and Chicago Cubs...
, Richie Ashburn
Richie Ashburn
Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn , also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Tilden, Nebraska...
, Del Ennis
Del Ennis
Delmer Ennis was an American left and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Philadelphia Phillies. From 1949 to 1957, Ennis accumulated more runs batted in than anyone besides Stan Musial and was 8th in the National League in home runs...
, Granny Hamner
Granny Hamner
Granville Wilbur Hamner was an American shortstop and second baseman in Major League Baseball. Hamner was one of the key players on the "Whiz Kids", the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies...
, Willie Jones
Willie Jones (baseball)
Willie Edward Jones , nicknamed "Puddin' Head", was a Major League Baseball third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds...
, Curt Simmons
Curt Simmons
Curtis Thomas "Curt" Simmons is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1947–50 and 1952-67. With right-hander Robin Roberts, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Simmons was one of the twin anchors of the starting rotation of the "Whiz Kids", the Philadelphia Phillies' ...
, Bubba Church
Bubba Church
Emory Nicholas "Bubba" Church was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs...
and others. Sawyer, a patient man accustomed to working with young players, was an ideal choice to mold the Phillies into a cohesive outfit. He masterfully blended the youngsters with veterans such as Jim Konstanty
Jim Konstanty
Casimir James "Jim" Konstanty was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball and National League Most Valuable Player of 1950. He played for the Cincinnati Reds , Boston Braves , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals...
, Dick Sisler
Dick Sisler
Richard Alan Sisler was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Sisler was the son of Hall of Fame first baseman and two-time .400 hitter George Sisler. Younger brother Dave Sisler was a relief pitcher in the 1950s and 1960s with four MLB...
, Andy Seminick
Andy Seminick
Andrew Wasal Seminick was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies between 1943 and 1951, and the Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs from 1952 through part of 1955, when he rejoined the Phillies for the rest of his career until...
and Eddie Waitkus
Eddie Waitkus
Edward Stephen Waitkus was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career . He played for the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in the National League and for the Baltimore Orioles of the American League...
.
In 1949
1949 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 12 at Ebbets Field: American League, 11-7-Caribbean leagues:*Cuba - Almendares Scorpions*Panama - Spur Cola*Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Indians...
, the Phillies enjoyed their first winning season since 1932
1932 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs *Negro League World Series: Pittsburgh Crawfords over Monroe Monarchs -Awards and honors:*MLB Most Valuable Player Award** Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1B...
, winning 81 games and finishing third. In 1950, with the NL pennant up for grabs — the 1949 champion Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
suffered from pitching troubles and the outbreak of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
had disrupted major league rosters — the Phillies charged into the league lead, Despite a late-September tailspin, they held off Brooklyn in the season's final game as Sisler's tenth-inning home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
sealed a 4-1 victory. With 91 victories against 63 losses, the Phillies had won their first pennant since 1915. However, in the 1950 World Series
1950 World Series
The 1950 World Series was the 47th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as 1950 champions of the National League and the New York Yankees, as 1950 American League champions, competed to win a best-of-seven...
they were no match for the Yankees, who swept them in four low-scoring games. After the season, Sawyer was named "manager of the year" in the Associated Press' poll of sports writers and sports casters.
The 1950 season would be Sawyer's last winning season as a major league manager. The 1951
1951 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games tiebreaker series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.-Major League Baseball:...
Phillies lost 18 games from their previous year's standard and fell to fifth, and in 1952
1952 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Shibe Park: National League, 3-2 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: La Habana *College World Series: Holy Cross...
, with the team in sixth place and seven games below .500, Sawyer was replaced as skipper on June 27 by Steve O'Neill
Steve O'Neill
Stephen Francis O'Neill was an American catcher, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.Born to Irish immigrants in Minooka, Pennsylvania , O'Neill was one of six brothers who escaped a life in the coal mines by playing in the major leagues...
.
An unsuccessful encore
He was out of baseball until the middle of the 19581958 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves ; Bob Turley, MVP*All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: USC...
season. On July 22, with the team in seventh place, the Phillies fired Mayo Smith
Mayo Smith
Edward Mayo Smith was an American player, manager, and scout in Major League Baseball.Smith was born in New London, Missouri, but grew up in Florida. A left-handed batter who threw right-handed, Smith was a career minor league outfielder who spent many seasons in the International League with the...
and brought Sawyer back to manage. The gamble fizzled, as the 1958 Phils dropped 40 of 70 games under Sawyer to finish last, and then placed last again in 1959
1959 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3...
. The second baseman on the 1959 Phillies roster was Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, which was the only season in the Majors as a player for the Hall of Fame skipper.
After managing the Phillies for the opening game of the 1960
1960 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees ; Bobby Richardson, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Municipal Stadium: National League, 5-3*All-Star Game , July 13 at Yankee Stadium: National League, 6-0...
season, a 9-4 loss to 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....
, Sawyer resigned his position, famously saying: "I'm 49 years old and I want to live to be 50." He was replaced by Gene Mauch
Gene Mauch
Gene William Mauch was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , Boston Braves , St...
. Sawyer would remain in the game as a scout, however, for the Phils and the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
.
His lifetime major league managerial record was 390-423 (.480). He was elected a member of the Pennsylvania Sports and Ithaca College Sports halls of fame. Sawyer died at age 87 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
.
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career managing record
- Baseball-Reference.com - minor league playing and managing career