Billy Pierce
Billy Pierce | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | April 2, 1927|
Died: July 31, 2015 Palos Heights, Illinois, U.S. | (aged 88)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
June 1, 1945, for the Detroit Tigers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
October 3, 1964, for the San Francisco Giants | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 211–169 |
Earned run average | 3.27 |
Strikeouts | 1,999 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Walter William Pierce (April 2, 1927 – July 31, 2015) was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball between 1945 and 1964 who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. He was the team's star pitcher in the decade from 1952 to 1961, when they posted the third best record in the major leagues,[1] and received the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award for the American League (AL) in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953[2] and 1955.[3] A seven-time All-Star, he led the American League (AL) in complete games three times despite his slight build, and in wins, earned run average (ERA) and strikeouts once each. He pitched four one-hitters and seven two-hitters in his career, and on June 27, 1958 came within one batter of becoming the first left-hander in 78 years to throw a perfect game.
He was one of the principal figures in Chicago's fierce rivalry with the New York Yankees; particularly notable were his matchups with Whitey Ford, with the two left-handers opposing one another as starters 14 times from 1955 to 1960. Pierce's record suffered from pitching so much against New York – who he faced more often than any other team[4][5] – when the Yankees dynasty was at its peak; but although his career record against New York was only 25–37,[6] that was still slightly better than the 27–41 mark compiled by National League (NL) championship teams over 11 World Series against the Yankees during the same period.
After joining the
Early baseball career
Youth baseball
The son of pharmacist Walter Pierce and his wife Julia,
Major League Baseball
Detroit Tigers (1945, 1948)
He made the Tigers team in spring training 1945 before finishing high school[14] and without having played in the minor leagues, but sat on the bench before making his major league debut in June 1945, just a few weeks after his 18th birthday. He made three relief appearances that month and two more in September after a two-month stint with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League under manager Bucky Harris, and was on the Detroit roster for the team's victory in the 1945 World Series although he did not appear in any games. He had a remarkably unassuming presence; Paul Richards, then a catcher for the Tigers, later recalled occasionally going to his neighborhood drugstore. One day, Pierce went up to him at practice and asked why Richards never talked to him at the store, with Richards replying that he didn't know what Pierce was talking about; Pierce answered that the drugstore was his family's, and Richards slowly realized that Pierce had been the clerk behind the counter each time he went in.[16]
Pierce was sent back to Buffalo for the 1946 season, now with
Chicago White Sox (1949–1961)
In his first seasons with White Sox, Pierce's control problems continued; his 137 walks in 1950 tied him for the fourth most ever by an AL left-hander. But those seasons also included indications of his developing excellence, as well as the struggles he would face in gaining
Early 1950s
Development of style
Over 13 seasons with the White Sox, Pierce was the ace of the pitching staff, leading the team in wins nine times and in strikeouts eight times. He was Chicago's
On April 16, 1953, against the
During the early 1950s, Richards preferred to arrange his rotation so that Pierce started only every fifth or sixth day, holding him back against weaker teams but using him more often for big games against the powerful Yankees and Indians. Catcher Sherm Lollar later observed that although it was essentially a compliment to Pierce's ability, he might have picked up more victories and won 20 games sooner in his career had he faced each opponent more equally.[33] With a 1–0 two-hitter at Washington on August 3, in which the White Sox won on an unearned run in the ninth inning with a hit batter, error and sacrifice fly,[34] Pierce began a streak of 39+2⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings – the longest such streak in the AL between 1926, when Ted Lyons had a 41-inning streak for the White Sox, and 1968; it remains the fifth longest ever by a left-hander, and the longest by an AL southpaw since 1905.[35] The streak ended when he allowed two unearned runs against the Browns in the sixth inning on August 19; two additional earned runs in the tenth inning ended his streak, dating to July 29, of 49+2⁄3 innings without an earned run, and gave him a 4–3 loss.[36] He led the league in strikeouts (186) and was second in ERA (2.72), and on September 27 started for the White Sox in the final game in Browns history, winning 2–1 in 11 innings at St. Louis. His seven shutouts that season were the second most by an AL left-hander since 1916, matched only by Hal Newhouser's 1945 total of eight.
Progress interrupted
Pierce's 1954 season was interrupted when he reported pain in his left arm in a May 25 win over Cleveland; after several days of difficulty in determining the problem, he had oral surgery to remove an infected
Playing the Yankees on June 25, 1953, he was part of a rare defensive shift; leading 4–2 in the ninth inning, he was moved to first base, with
Late 1950s
Peak years
In 1955 Pierce again started the All-Star Game, going into the All-Star break with a record of just 5–6 in spite of his 2.11 ERA; in his last two starts before the break, he suffered back-to-back 1–0 losses to Early Wynn and Bob Lemon of the Indians.[5] In the All-Star Game he allowed only one baserunner through three innings (a leadoff single by Red Schoendienst, who was thrown out on a steal attempt); he staked the AL to a 4–0 lead, but the National League came back for a 6–5 win in 10 innings after scoring five runs off Whitey Ford in the seventh and eighth innings. Pierce ended the season with the league lead in ERA (although his record was just 15–10), with his mark of 1.97 being the lowest by a major league pitcher between Hal Newhouser in 1946 (1.94) and Sandy Koufax in 1963 (1.88); he led the major leagues by nearly two thirds of a run, with Ford having the next best mark at 2.63. Total Baseball has rated Pierce as the best pitcher in the major leagues in 1955,[42] after having placed him among the AL's top five pitchers each year from 1951 to 1953.[43]
In 1956 he started his third All-Star Game, but was charged with the loss despite allowing only one run in three innings. Buoyed by the arrival of rookie shortstop
End of peak
In 1958 he was second in the league in both wins (17) and ERA (2.68); his seventh two-hitter, a 1–0 win on June 21 against the Baltimore Orioles in which the White Sox scored only an unearned run in the first inning,[47] was followed by the greatest game of his career. On June 27 against the Senators, he retired the first 26 batters before pinch hitter Ed Fitz Gerald lined Pierce's first pitch down the first base line for an opposite-field double that landed about a foot from the foul line. Pierce then struck out Albie Pearson on three pitches to end the game; only twice did he go to a three-ball count.[48] The lone hit marred what would have been a remarkable accomplishment; not only had no left-hander pitched a perfect game since Lee Richmond in 1880, but only one AL left-hander (Mel Parnell in 1956) pitched even a no-hitter between 1931 and 1962. Although disappointed by the near miss, Pierce praised his teammates for their defensive work, saying, "Give Luis plenty of credit. And Sherm really mixed 'em up beautifully. The big thing is that we won."[48] At a Capitol lunch with several White Sox players during the following year's pennant race, Vice President Richard Nixon told Pierce that he had watched the game on television, saying, "I'm a Washington fan, but that was one night I was rooting for the White Sox."[49] In a 1982 interview, Pierce said, "The book on Fitz Gerald was that he was a fastball hitter on the first ball and liked it inside where he could pull it. So we threw him a curve away and he hit into right for a solid hit. I didn't feel that badly about it, really. It didn't mean that much at the moment. But now ... well, now I wish I had got it. It would have been nice."[50] His streak of 33 consecutive scoreless innings was ended with an unearned run in the seventh inning on July 1.[51]
Pierce tied for the league lead in complete games each year from 1956 to 1958, and was again selected for the All-Star team each year from 1957 to 1959 and again in 1961, although he only appeared in the
Manager
Offensive support
Although they never finished below third place from 1952 through 1960, the "Go-Go White Sox" were a team which thrived on speed, defense and pitching rather than hitting, and Pierce struggled for offensive support throughout his time with the club. Both Richards and Lopez – who became Chicago's manager in 1957 – placed a low emphasis on offense, with Lopez expressing his philosophy that "all a team really needed was pitching and defense, because if you didn't allow the other team to score, eventually they would give you a run, and you'd win the game."[56] Nellie Fox, who was also Pierce's roommate, turned to him on one occasion when the White Sox picked up a run following a scoring drought and said, "Here's your run. Now go out there and hold it."[57] Although AL teams averaged 4.46 runs per game from 1949 through 1961, and the White Sox averaged 4.53 runs in games started by their other pitchers, they averaged only 4.20 runs in Pierce's starts – a figure which drops to 4.07 if the two-month scoring outburst in 1956 is discounted; in over two thirds of his losses with Chicago (105 of 152), and fully one third of his starts (130 of 390), they scored two or fewer runs. They averaged 3.7 runs in his 1953 starts, and 3.6 runs in his 1955 starts; even in 1959, when the pennant-winning White Sox averaged 4.29 runs per game, they averaged only 3.36 runs in Pierce's starts. By 1955 it was regularly noted that Chicago's offensive struggles were placing undue pressure on the pitching staff, wearing them out with "one tense game after another, never having a comfortable margin that might permit a little breather now and then";[58] Pierce was described as "the unluckiest pitcher in the majors" that year due to the lack of scoring.[59] But in contrast, when he had a reasonable level of offensive backing he was far more successful, posting a record of 30–11 when Chicago scored four runs and 99–10 when they scored five or more; from September 1951 through May 1958, he was 71–6 when they scored at least four runs and 55–1 when they scored at least five.[5]
Yankees rivalry
Pierce played a major role in keeping the White Sox competitive with the powerhouse Yankees through most of the 1950s, and after a rough period from June 1951 to July 1952 in which he dropped 10 of 11 decisions to New York[60] (despite a respectable 3.69 ERA in those games), he held his own against the Yankees, posting a record of 21–21 from August 1952 through the 1960 season. Ironically, the turnaround in his fortunes against the Yankees followed one of Chicago's most crushing defeats to their rivals; on July 29, 1952, he left with a 7–3 lead and one out in the eighth inning, only to see the Yankees come back against the White Sox bullpen to win 10–7 on Mickey Mantle's grand slam in the ninth. Years later, Pierce still recalled the game as being one of his most frustrating outings.[61][62] He faced Whitey Ford 15 times in his career (more than against any other pitcher), including a 1–0 loss on May 17, 1955, a 3–2 loss in 10 innings on June 5 later that year, a 2–1 loss on July 15, 1956, a 3–2 loss in 11 innings on September 18 of that year (in which the Yankees clinched the pennant on Mantle's 50th home run in the final frame), a 3–1 win on May 21, 1957, and a 4–3 win in 11 innings on April 30, 1959.[5]
By the 1957 season, Shirley Povich of The Washington Post expressed a clear preference for Pierce over Ford, writing that anyone doubting Pierce's place as the league's top left-hander was "risking committal as an incurable psycho who can neither read the figures nor respond to reason."[63] Pierce's 4–3 win over the Yankees on July 28, 1959, put the White Sox in first place, where they stayed for the remainder of the season to take their first pennant in 40 years; it was his 160th victory with Chicago, breaking Doc White's team record for wins by a left-hander (he broke White's club records for career games and innings by a left-hander the same year). In late 1958, sportswriter Edgar Munzel wrote, "The primary difference between Pierce and Ford, in their long-standing duel for southpaw supremacy in the American League, is that Pierce is pitching for a woefully weak hitting team, while Ford is backed by the league's most powerful offensive machine... An even greater boon to Whitey is the fact that he doesn't have to face the Yankees." Of Pierce, who he described as the top White Sox pitcher for the past decade, he added, "Normally, he's lucky if he's supported with as many as two runs when he faces the Yankees."[64]
Yankee outfielder Bob Cerv recalled of the rivalry, "I always remember the games when Pierce and Ford would lock up. Those were great ballgames – 2–1, 3–2. Usually, if they'd get beat, Mantle would hit a home run."[65] New York outfielder Hank Bauer noted, "The guy who gave me the most problem – I know he gave 'em to me, and I think he gave 'em to most of us – was Billy Pierce."[66] Tommy Byrne, who pitched for the Yankees for most of his career from 1943 to 1957 but played for Chicago for the first half of the 1953 season, said, "Pierce was sneaky fast, a good breaking ball. He was tough. For several years there he was right up there on a par with Ford."[67] Sportswriter Bill Madden recalled in 1982, "Always it was Pierce against Whitey Ford and always, to me, that seemed like an unfair matchup. They were your classic 'stylish' left-handers, equal in guile and guts, but Ford had those howitzers of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Bill Skowron and Hank Bauer behind him, while Pierce came armed with popguns. Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio and Minnie Miñoso supported him with hustle and chink singles and I always marveled at the fact that Pierce could duel Ford on even terms despite those odds."[50] Ironically, the Yankees tried to acquire Pierce in the early 1950s when Ford was in the military, but White Sox general manager Frank Lane proposed that New York give up Bauer, first baseman Joe Collins and second baseman Jerry Coleman in exchange for Pierce and outfielder Al Zarilla, and ended talks when Yankees GM George Weiss suggested the Yankees send minor leaguers instead.[68]
Later career
In his last two seasons with Chicago, Pierce posted records of just 14–7 and 10–9, but a shaky bullpen contributed to his middling record; although he left the game with a lead in the sixth inning or later 15 times in those seasons, White Sox relievers failed to protect that lead seven times.[5][69] Indeed, Pierce was seen to be the team's only consistently effective starter in 1960,[70] picking up eight complete-game victories by mid-August. On June 20, 1961, Pierce broke Ed Walsh's White Sox record of 1,732 career strikeouts.[citation needed]
San Francisco Giants (1962–1964)
On November 30, 1961, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants along with Don Larsen in exchange for four players (three of them pitchers) who had spent most or all of 1961 in the minor leagues. Giants manager Alvin Dark declared his intent to use Pierce as the ace of a young pitching staff that included developing talents such as Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry and Mike McCormick.[71] Unlike the White Sox, the Giants featured a powerful offense which included Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda, and Pierce took advantage of the improved run support with his new team, winning his first eight starts before suffering a 4–3 loss on June 7. His first start on April 13 was a deeply rewarding one, after a rough spring training in which he recorded a 16.45 ERA. Facing the Cincinnati Reds, he retired the first 13 batters and allowed only two hits in 7+1⁄3 innings. The crowd of 23,755 gave him a roaring ovation, and he later said, "The cheers really got to me inside. Fans nowhere could have been more wonderful. I felt it way down deep."[72]
The Giants were credited with pulling off the best deal of the year, with Larsen and Pierce – "the little southpaw chatterbox" – leading the team to the best record in the major leagues through early June.[73] In a road game against the Reds on June 14, he allowed a leadoff double to Vada Pinson, but was then accidentally spiked in the left ankle while covering first base on a groundout by Don Blasingame, an injury which required 14 stitches.[74] Pulled from the game after just 1⁄3 of an inning, he took the loss when Pinson later scored and the Giants were shut out 8–0. The injury likely cost him what would have been his eighth All-Star selection, and he did not return to the field until he lasted only three innings in a loss on July 15; he then made three relief appearances before picking up a win on August 2.[5] But over the course of the year he proved to be a pitcher who thrived in blustery Candlestick Park, winning all 11 of his home starts as the Giants tied the Dodgers for the NL pennant with a record of 101–61, forcing a three-game playoff. Against the Dodgers on August 11 he earned his 200th career victory, with McCovey's three-run home run off eventual Cy Young winner Don Drysdale giving the Giants a 5–4 win and ending Drysdale's 11-game win streak.[citation needed]
Pierce started the first game of the playoff against the Dodgers on October 1, opposing Sandy Koufax, and pushed his Candlestick record to 12–0 with a three-hit 8–0 victory in which only two Dodgers reached second base; he described it as "the most satisfying game I ever pitched."[75] Former NL umpire Babe Pinelli, watching from the press box, remarked, "Look at him fire that fast one! He's been in so many clutch games that they're nothing to him!"[76] After the Dodgers tied the series in Game 2, he came back in Game 3 on October 3 to pitch the ninth inning with a 6–4 lead, and retired all three batters he faced to clinch the Giants' first pennant in San Francisco, being mobbed by his teammates upon the final out. Against the Yankees in the World Series, he started Game 3, and went into the bottom of the seventh inning with no score; but he allowed three runs in the seventh inning (one of them unearned after two outfield errors), and took the 3–2 loss. He came back with another brilliant outing in Game 6 at Candlestick Park against Whitey Ford, not allowing a baserunner until the fifth inning and finishing with a three-hit 5–2 victory to tie the Series at three games each; he only allowed three runners to reach second base, and only went to a three-ball count four times.[77] Although his two Series appearances both came after his peak years were behind him, Pierce posted a career Series ERA of 1.89 in 19 innings.[citation needed]
Last seasons
Given his brilliance in home games in 1962, it was no surprise that Pierce was chosen to start the Giants' home opener in 1963, and he responded with the last shutout of his career – a 7–0 win over the
Listed at 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) and 160 pounds (73 kg), Pierce was also among the more diminutive pitchers to enjoy great success, and is likely the smallest pitcher since the 1920s to win 200 games. Sherm Lollar, his catcher for ten years in Chicago, noted that his lack of size didn't diminish his velocity, noting, "He isn't too big, but he has wonderful coordination. And he sure is pretty to watch, the way he pumps and rocks and throws. Sometimes, when I'm not catching a game, I'll just go off to one side and watch him pitch." And Paul Richards noted, "Pierce is a perfectionist who has achieved maximum potential out of the equipment nature gave him."[24] Pierce's size also belied his durability, as he was one of the few pitchers under 6 feet (1.8 m) in height to lead the league in complete games since the 1920s, with Ned Garver, Frank Lary, Camilo Pascual and Fernando Valenzuela – all of whom were an inch taller and outweighed Pierce by at least 20 pounds – being the only other pitchers under six feet tall to lead the league more than once since the early 1930s.[79] He remains the last pitcher to lead the AL in complete games three years in a row.[citation needed]
MLB stats, awards, and achievements
Stats
Years | Games | W
|
L | PCT | ERA | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER
|
HR
|
BB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | Fld% |
18 | 585 | 211 | 169 | .555 | 3.27 | 193 | 38 | 33 | 3306.2 | 2989 | 1325 | 1201 | 284 | 1178 | 1999 | 30 | 10 | 48 | .956 |
Awards
- All-Star: 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961
Achievements
- American League leader in ERA (1955)
- American League leader in wins (1957)
- American League leader in complete games (1956–1958)
- American League leader in strikeouts (1953)
- American League leader in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (1953–1954)
- American League leader in fielding average as pitcher (1956)
- American League pennant team (1945, 1959)
- National League pennant team (1962)
- World Series champion team (1945)
- 20-game wins (2)
- One-hitter (4)
- Two-hitter (7)
- Chicago White Sox All-Century Team (2000)
Retirement
Through the 1950s, Pierce generally spent the offseason helping his father run the family's Detroit pharmacy.
Pierce married Gloria McCreadie, who he had dated since high school, on October 22, 1949,
Hall of Fame candidacy
Pierce has not been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (as of 2023). In the five years he was on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot (1970–1974), Pierce never drew more than 1.9% of the votes cast.[99] However, in October 2014 he was selected for the first time by the BBWAA's overview committee to be one of ten candidates on the Golden Era Committee ballot for possible induction in 2015.[100] He and the other candidates, including former White Sox teammate Minnie Miñoso, all fell short of selection.[101] On November 5, 2021, he was selected to the final ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame's Golden Days Era ballot for consideration for the Class of 2022, but received three votes or less of the necessary twelve votes.[102]
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
References
- ^ The White Sox were 879–669 (.568) from 1952 through 1961, behind the New York Yankees, 965–580 (.625) and the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, 898–642 (.583).
- ^ Spink, C. C. Johnson (September 30, 1953). "Campanella, Rosen Named No. 1 Players". The Sporting News. p. 1.
- ^ Broeg, Bob (October 19, 1955). "Snider, Roberts, Kaline, Ford Best in '55". The Sporting News. pp. 1–2.
- ^ During Pierce's American League years (1945, 1948–1961), 18% of his games pitched (89 of 483) were against New York, more than against any other club during his career; also, 19% of his AL starts (76 of 395) and 18% of his innings (533 of 2,996⅓) and decisions (62 of 341) were against New York.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Data from box scores and game summaries in The Sporting News (1945, 1948–1964), daily pitching logs at Retrosheet (1954–1964) and daily pitching gamelogs at Baseball-Reference.com (1957–1964).
- ^ All with Chicago from 1949 through 1961; Pierce made four relief appearances against New York while with Detroit in 1945 and 1948, but had no starts or decisions.
- ^ ISBN 0-313-23771-9.
- ^ a b Condon, Dave (1960). The Go-Go Chicago White Sox. New York: Coward-McCann. p. 138.
- ^ ISBN 0-914091-03-4.
- ^ Spink, J. G. Taylor (ed.) (1945). The Sporting News Baseball Guide. St. Louis: Charles C. Spink & Sons. p. 171.
{{cite book}}
:|first=
has generic name (help) - ^ a b Cohen, Leonard (August 17, 1944). "Pro Ball or Medicine? Bill Pierce, Esquire Ace, Undecided". The Sporting News. p. 8.
- ^ Allen, Lee (September 1, 1962). "Cooperstown Corner". The Sporting News. p. 15.
- ^ "Advertisement". The Sporting News. August 3, 1944. p. 27.
- ^ a b Condon, p. 139.
- ^ a b c d Stevens, Bob (October 10, 1964). "Pierce Hangs Up Toeplate As Winner and Gentleman". The Sporting News. p. 24.
- ^ ISBN 0-7432-6158-5.
- ^ Hilligan, Earl J. (ed.). The 1948 American League Red Book. p. 13.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. August 18, 1948. p. 16.
- ISBN 0-394-53713-0.
- ^ "These Were The Ten Most Lopsided Player Trades", by Eddie Gold, Baseball Digest, August 1996, Vol. 55, No. 8, ISSN 0005-609X
- ^ "They Dealt Themselves Out" by Joe McGuff, Baseball Digest, December 1957, Vol. 16, No. 10, ISSN 0005-609X
- ^ Condon, p. 135.
- ^ Hoffman, John C. (June 6, 1956). "Hats Off...!". The Sporting News. p. 21.
- ^ a b c Terrell, Roy (May 13, 1957). "The Go-Sox Go Again". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 6, no. 19. p. 40.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. June 8, 1949. p. 24.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. June 28, 1950. p. 23.
- ^ James and Neyer, pp. 342–43.
- ^ James and Neyer, p. 222.
- ^ James and Neyer, p. 382.
- ^ a b James and Neyer, p. 104.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. April 29, 1953. p. 19.
- ISBN 0-671-20228-6.
- ^ Terrell, p. 72.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. August 12, 1953. pp. 18, 22.
- ISBN 978-1-4165-3245-3.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. August 26, 1953. p. 22.
- ^ Burns, Ed (June 9, 1954). "Sky's the Limit Set by Pale Hose on Eastern Trip". The Sporting News. p. 9.
- ^ Munzel, Edgar (June 22, 1955). "Hats Off...!". The Sporting News. p. 17.
- ^ Mel Parnell of the Red Sox defeated New York five times in 1953, and Bob Lemon and Early Wynn of the Indians also defeated New York four times (one of Wynn's victories was in relief). Whitey Ford and Eddie Lopat of the Yankees and Bob Keegan of the White Sox were the only other pitchers to defeat the Indians three times in 1954. See Retrosheet game logs for the 1953 Yankees and 1954 Indians.
- ^ Munzel, Edgar (July 8, 1953). "Richards 'Almost Lost Nerve' on Shift of Pitcher to First Base". The Sporting News. p. 4.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. July 4, 1956. p. 19.
- ISBN 1-930844-01-8.
- ^ Thorn, et al., pp. 2187–91.
- ^ Spink, J. G. Taylor (October 10, 1956). "Mantle and Aaron Top Players of Year". The Sporting News. pp. 1–2.
- ^ Kahan, Oscar (April 17, 1957). "Comebackers, Kids Share Spotlight". The Sporting News. p. 15.
- ^ Spink, C. C. Johnson (March 6, 1957). "Experts Vote Shortstops 'Smartest': Best on Each Team Named in Secret Poll". The Sporting News. p. 2.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. July 2, 1958. p. 22.
- ^ a b Holtzman, Jerome (July 9, 1958). "Hats Off...!". The Sporting News. p. 37.
- ^ "Pale Hose Dine With Nixon; Veep Declines Flag Forecast". The Sporting News. September 16, 1959. p. 4.
- ^ a b c d Madden, Bill (September 6, 1982). "Pierce Still An Underdog". The Sporting News. pp. 5, 13.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. July 9, 1958. p. 42.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. June 24, 1959. p. 21.
- ^ "American League Scores". The Sporting News. August 26, 1959. p. 24.
- ^ Holtzman, Jerry (September 16, 1959). "Big Crasher Klu Gives Go-Go Sox Boom-Boom Bat". The Sporting News. p. 4.
- ^ James and Neyer, p. 105.
- ISBN 0-684-80698-3.
- ^ Lindberg, Richard C. "The Ballplayers – Billy Pierce". baseballbiography.com. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
- ^ Munzel, Edgar (July 6, 1955). "Annual Story on White Sox' Bid – Hitters Put Burden on Hurlers".
- ^ McDonough (October 19, 1955). "Pierce Beaten 1 to 0 Four Times, 3 to 2 Twice in '55". The Sporting News. p. 10.
- ^ In 1951–1952, Pierce was 3–10 vs. New York but 27–16 vs. the rest of the league.
- ISBN 1-888698-02-0.
- ^ Vanderberg (1982), pp. 137, 139.
- ^ Greene, Jamal (March 18, 2001). "Catching Up With... Billy Pierce, Lefthanded Ace". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 94, no. 12. p. 16.
- ^ Munzel, Edgar (September 3, 1958). "Hats Off...!". The Sporting News. p. 23.
- ^ Vanderberg (1996), p. 213.
- ^ Vanderberg (1996), p. 210.
- ^ Vanderberg (1996), p. 212.
- ^ Vanderberg (1996), pp. 221–22.
- ^ Closer Gerry Staley blew 14 of his 24 total save opportunities in 1960, including all three times he was sent in to protect Pierce's lead.
- ^ Munzel, Edgar (August 17, 1960). "Stumbling Starters Foul Up Pale Hose Pitch for Top Spot". The Sporting News. p. 15.
- ^ McDonald, Jack (February 28, 1962). "Vet Pierce Sized Up as 'New Sal Maglie' of Giants' Slab Staff". The Sporting News. p. 16.
- ^ McDonald, Jack (April 25, 1962). "Pierce Latest Flame of Candlestick Fans". The Sporting News. p. 19.
- ^ Stevens, Bob (June 16, 1962). "'Has-Beens' Pierce, Larsen Wonder Men on Giant Hill". The Sporting News. p. 9.
- ^ McDonald, Jack (June 30, 1962). "Marichal Fits Old Maglie Mold: No.1 Giant Stopper". The Sporting News. p. 15.
- ^ "Pierce's Day". The Sporting News. October 13, 1962. p. 8.
- ^ James and Neyer, p. 106.
- ^ "Tasty Tidbits". The Sporting News. October 27, 1962. p. 26.
- ^ McDonald, Jack (April 27, 1963). "Mound Magician Pierce Crowned Candlestick King". The Sporting News. p. 11.
- ^ Since 1930, the only pitchers under 6 feet tall to lead the league in complete games have been Ted Lyons (1930), Red Lucas (1931–1932), Red Barrett (1945), Ned Garver (1950–1951), Whitey Ford (1955), Frank Lary (1958, 1960–1961), Camilo Pascual (1959, 1962–1963), Mike Cuellar (1970), Fernando Valenzuela (1981, 1986–1987), Ron Guidry (1983), Pedro Martínez (1997) and Bartolo Colón (2003); see list of league leaders at Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ Munzel, Edgar (October 8, 1958). "Two Chisox Vets Latin Loop Pilots". The Sporting News. p. 12.
- ^ Kahan, Oscar (April 20, 1963). "Experts Spotlight Spring Sensations". The Sporting News. p. 14.
- ^ "Continental Envelope – Your Partner for Successful Mail Campaigns". Continental Envelope. May 7, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ James and Neyer, p. 107.
- ^ Callahan, Tom (June 20, 1983). "Broad-Shouldered, Like Chicago". Time. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2007.
- ^ Rafter, Dan (November 15, 2005). "Where Are They Now: Billy Pierce". BaseballSavvy.com. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
- ^ "2006 Induction Invitation" (PDF). Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 30, 2008. Retrieved April 15, 2008.
- ^ Mitchell, Fred (April 24, 2007). "No-hitter gains Pierce's applause". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Arvia, Phil (April 27, 2007). "No limitations on a statue for Pierce". Daily Southtown.
- ISBN 978-1-60078-063-9.
- ^ Spink, J. G. Taylor, ed. (1950). The Sporting News Baseball Register. St. Louis: C. C. Spink & Son. p. 215.
- ^ Prell, Ed (July 15, 1953). "Hose Refuse to Turn Pale at July Jinx". The Sporting News. p. 20.
- ^ Hoffman, John C. (October 19, 1955). "'Who Will Fill Lane's Brogans?' – Chisox' Big $64,000 Question". The Sporting News. p. 21.
- ^ Munzel, Edgar (July 30, 1958). "Lowly Chisox Have 2 High in Bat Race". The Sporting News. p. 10.
- ^ Condon, p. 141.
- ^ McDonald, Jack (October 20, 1962). "Salesmen, Students, Bankers – Off-Season Job Roles for Giants". The Sporting News. p. 6.
- ^ SPORT. Vol. 24, no. 4. October 1957. pp. 46–49.
- ^ "White Sox Legend Billy Pierce Passes Away". Chicago White Sox. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ "Death Notices". Business. Chicago Tribune. August 3, 2015. p. 7.
- ^ "Billy Pierce at Baseball-Reference". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ "Billy Pierce debuts on Hall of Fame Golden Era Committee ballot". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ "Golden Era Committee announces results". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ "Fowler, Hodges, Kaat, Miñoso, Oliva, O'Neil Elected to Hall of Fame". baseballhall.org. December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Billy Pierce at Baseball Library
- White Sox Interactive interview (c. 2002) Archived October 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Former pitcher Billy Pierce: He ranked among the best of his era June 2002 interview, Baseball Digest
- Vintage Cards Archived July 23, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
- Gallery of April 2008 photos at book signing