Gene Bearden
Encyclopedia
Henry Eugene "Gene" Bearden (September 5, 1920 – March 18, 2004) was a left-handed knuckleball
pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who completed a remarkable rookie season by closing out the Cleveland Indians
' last World Series
championship in 1948.
http://www.city-data.com/city/Lexa-Arkansas.html. His boyhood idol was Lou Gehrig
and he learned baseball on the Tennessee
sandlots. In the minors, he played for manager Casey Stengel
with the Oakland Acorns when the team was the property of the New York Yankees
. The Yankees traded Bearden to Cleveland after the 1946 season.
In 1948 Bearden was 20-7 with a league-leading 2.43 ERA
, and he completed 15 of his 29 starts with six shutout
s. Pitching on a staff with future Hall of Famers Bob Feller
, Bob Lemon
and Satchel Paige
, Bearden emerged as the star of the Indians. Bearden's 20th victory came in a one-game playoff
for the American League
pennant. Picked by manager Lou Boudreau
to start on only one day of rest, Bearden responded by pitching a five-hitter and leading the Indians over Ted Williams
and the Boston Red Sox
8-3.
The 1948 World Series between the Indians and the Boston Braves
was tied at 1 when Bearden started Game 3 at Cleveland. The 28-year-old lefty was at his best, shutting out the Braves on five hits in a 2-0 victory; at the plate, he contributed a double and a single. In Game 6 at Braves Field, Bearden was summoned from the bullpen to relieve Lemon in the eighth inning. Bearden got the final five outs for a save and the Indians held on for a 4-3 win that clinched the championship.
Bearden's success was even more amazing considering he had pitched in only one major league game prior to 1948. The year before, he worked one-third of an inning for the Indians and allowed three earned runs, two hits and one walk, giving him an ERA of 81.00. There was just one MLB Rookie of the Year picked in the majors that season, and the award went to Alvin Dark
of the Braves.
Bearden, however, never came close to duplicating his rookie season. He never won more than eight games in a year after that, and twice led the AL in wild pitch
es. The Indians put him on waivers during the 1950 season, and he was claimed by Washington Senators
.
Bearden finished with a 45-38 record, 259 strikeout
s, 435 walks
and a 3.96 ERA in a career that lasted until 1953. He also pitched for the Detroit Tigers
, the St. Louis Browns and the Chicago White Sox
. However, his '48 big season was enough to make a great impression on Ted Williams, who wrote in his book My Turn At Bat, that "Gene Bearden was a left-handed knuckleball pitcher who ordinarily wouldn't draw a second glance on a staff with Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn
and Mike Garcia. Every ball he threw was either a little knuckleball or a little knuckle curve."
When the Indians celebrated their 100th anniversary (2001), Bearden was selected as one of the greatest 100 players in the team's history. The choice of Bearden to pitch the playoff championship game was against tradition. The Red Sox despite Williams presence were predominantly right-handed power hitting team, and Fenway Park had a short left field (a/k/a "Green Monster") fence. Left-handed pitchers were not very successful there, so sending Bearden with a short rest, is an excellent example of Booudreau's managing skill. The two homers Lou hit were also an example of his clutch hitting ability.
Indeed, they blighted his life for long periods although better pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures gave him greater relief from the principal symptoms later in life. Bearden's life was a casualty of the War, despite his relatively long physical presence after it.
Gene Bearden died in Alexander City, Alabama
, at 83 years of age.
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
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 retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
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...
who completed a remarkable rookie season by closing out 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...
' last World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championship in 1948.
Biography
Bearden was born in Lexa, ArkansasLexa, Arkansas
Lexa is a city in Phillips County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 331 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lexa is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
http://www.city-data.com/city/Lexa-Arkansas.html. His boyhood idol was Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
and he learned baseball on the Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
sandlots. In the minors, he played for manager Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
with the Oakland Acorns when the team was the property of 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...
. The Yankees traded Bearden to Cleveland after the 1946 season.
In 1948 Bearden was 20-7 with a league-leading 2.43 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, and he completed 15 of his 29 starts with six shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s. Pitching on a staff with future Hall of Famers Bob Feller
Bob Feller
On December 8, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy, volunteering immediately for combat service, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to do so following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. Feller served as Gun Captain aboard the USS Alabama, and missed four seasons during his service...
, Bob Lemon
Bob Lemon
Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976....
and Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
, Bearden emerged as the star of the Indians. Bearden's 20th victory came in a one-game playoff
1948 American League tie-breaker game
The 1948 American League tie-breaker game was a one-game playoff for Major League Baseball's American League conference. The game took place on October 4, 1948, between the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. It was necessary after both teams finished the season with records of...
for the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennant. Picked by manager Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau
Louis "Lou" Boudreau was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
to start on only one day of rest, Bearden responded by pitching a five-hitter and leading the Indians over Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
and the 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"...
8-3.
The 1948 World Series between the Indians and 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....
was tied at 1 when Bearden started Game 3 at Cleveland. The 28-year-old lefty was at his best, shutting out the Braves on five hits in a 2-0 victory; at the plate, he contributed a double and a single. In Game 6 at Braves Field, Bearden was summoned from the bullpen to relieve Lemon in the eighth inning. Bearden got the final five outs for a save and the Indians held on for a 4-3 win that clinched the championship.
Bearden's success was even more amazing considering he had pitched in only one major league game prior to 1948. The year before, he worked one-third of an inning for the Indians and allowed three earned runs, two hits and one walk, giving him an ERA of 81.00. There was just one MLB Rookie of the Year picked in the majors that season, and the award went to Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
of the Braves.
Bearden, however, never came close to duplicating his rookie season. He never won more than eight games in a year after that, and twice led the AL in wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
es. The Indians put him on waivers during the 1950 season, and he was claimed by Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
Bearden finished with a 45-38 record, 259 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, 435 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and a 3.96 ERA in a career that lasted until 1953. He also pitched for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, the St. Louis Browns and 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...
. However, his '48 big season was enough to make a great impression on Ted Williams, who wrote in his book My Turn At Bat, that "Gene Bearden was a left-handed knuckleball pitcher who ordinarily wouldn't draw a second glance on a staff with Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn
Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. , nicknamed "Gus", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 25-year baseball career, he pitched for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox...
and Mike Garcia. Every ball he threw was either a little knuckleball or a little knuckle curve."
When the Indians celebrated their 100th anniversary (2001), Bearden was selected as one of the greatest 100 players in the team's history. The choice of Bearden to pitch the playoff championship game was against tradition. The Red Sox despite Williams presence were predominantly right-handed power hitting team, and Fenway Park had a short left field (a/k/a "Green Monster") fence. Left-handed pitchers were not very successful there, so sending Bearden with a short rest, is an excellent example of Booudreau's managing skill. The two homers Lou hit were also an example of his clutch hitting ability.
Health issues
Gene Bearden was struck by shrapnel causing serious head injury while serving on a cruiser in WW 2. It required removal of some skull bone. He was fitted with a silver replacement for the cranial bones removed in the surgery. However, secondary to these injuries he had chronic headaches and intermittent optical incidents. They required the use of painkilling drugs and others aimed at addressing optical and balance issues. Bearden turned to ETOH to help deal with these problems. His relatively short career was as much a product of his self medication with ETOH, and the war caused traumatic injuries as any physical pitching problems.Indeed, they blighted his life for long periods although better pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures gave him greater relief from the principal symptoms later in life. Bearden's life was a casualty of the War, despite his relatively long physical presence after it.
Gene Bearden died in Alexander City, Alabama
Alexander City, Alabama
Alexander City is the principal city of the Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Coosa and Tallapoosa counties and had a combined population of 53,677 at the 2000 census....
, at 83 years of age.
External links
- Official page
- Oakland Oaks page
- The Top 100 Greatest Indians Roster page at Baseball Library
- The Deadball Era
- Historic Baseball
- http://www.arksportshalloffame.org/lists.php/mode/details/id/116
- Gene Bearden at "Find a Grave"