Don Eddy (baseball)

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Don Eddy
Pitcher
Born: (1946-10-25)October 25, 1946
Mason City, Iowa, U.S.
Died: October 10, 2018(2018-10-10) (aged 71)
Rockwell, Iowa, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 7, 1970, for the Chicago White Sox
Last MLB appearance
September 30, 1971, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record0–2
Earned run average2.36
Strikeouts25
Teams

Donald Eugene Eddy (October 25, 1946 – October 10, 2018) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox in 1970 and 1971. A native of Swaledale, Iowa, he batted right-handed but threw left-handed.

After playing American Legion Baseball and excelling on Rockwell-Swaledale High School's baseball team, Eddy was signed by the White Sox in 1965. Two years of service in the United States Army interrupted his minor league career, but he was called up by the White Sox in 1970. A member of their Opening Day roster in 1971, he posted a list of White Sox left-handers on his locker door, crossing names off each time he thought he had passed them on the depth chart. Optioned to the minor leagues in June, he rejoined the team for three games in September, his last in the major leagues. Overall, he had an 0–2 record and a 2.36 earned run average. Traded to the San Diego Padres in 1972, he finished his professional career in 1973.

Early life

Donald Eugene Eddy was born on October 25, 1946, in Mason City, Iowa, though his hometown was nearby Swaledale. His parents were Elmer and Lorraine Eddy.[1][2] Elmer had once been a baseball player himself, pitching, catching, and playing the outfield in the St. Louis Cardinals system until he started serving in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. After the war, he joined his brothers to run a hardware, lumber, and propane gas business in Swaledale.[3][4] He was very much involved in his son's development as a ballplayer, forbidding Don to throw a curveball until he reached high school, as he was afraid the pitch might damage his son's arm.[4]

At Rockwell-Swaledale High School, Don Eddy excelled on the baseball team. He

runs batted in (RBI). Behind his contributions, Mason City made it all the way to the state championship game against Waterloo, where Eddy suffered his only loss. The Chicago White Sox signed him in 1965 as an amateur free agent, though he was expected to attend college for a semester before joining the organization.[5][6]

Professional career

Minor leagues (1966–1970)

Eddy made his professional debut as a pitcher in 1966 with the

walks, and 71 hits allowed in 100 innings pitched.[7]

However, Eddy spent the next two seasons in the United States Army. He did not pitch again until late in the 1968 season, when he pitched 15 innings for the Duluth–Superior Dukes of the Class A short season Northern League. In three games (two starts), he had a 1–1 record and a 3.60 ERA.[7][8][4]

In 1969, Eddy had a historic season for the

slider.[3]

After serving mostly as a starting pitcher in 1969, Eddy was used nearly exclusively as a

Class AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1970. His teammates jokingly nicknamed him "The Vulture", as he recorded several wins without having to throw as many innings as the starters.[3] In 34 games (one start), he had a 10–4 record, nine saves, a 1.37 ERA, 36 strikeouts, 21 walks, and 41 hits allowed in 59 innings.[7]

Chicago White Sox (1970–1971)

On September 3, 1970, Eddy joined the White Sox on his first Major League Baseball (MLB) callup.[3] He made his MLB debut on September 7, pitching an inning of scoreless relief in a 7–5 loss to the Oakland Athletics in the second game of a doubleheader at Comiskey Park.[5][10] In seven games as a rookie, he had no record, a 2.31 ERA, nine strikeouts, six walks, and 10 hits allowed in 11+2⁄3 innings.[5]

Eddy was a member of Chicago's

decision on April 16, when he gave up a 10th-inning home run to Reggie Jackson that was the difference-maker in a 5–4 loss to Oakland.[12][13] On April 25, he suffered another loss in an eighth-inning appearance against the Boston Red Sox. After retiring the first two hitters he faced, he allowed a walk and two singles to load the bases, then walked Carl Yastrzemski to force in the deciding run in a 5–4 defeat.[14]

During the season, Eddy kept a list of the White Sox left-handed pitchers on his locker door, crossing names off each time he thought he thought he had passed one on the depth chart. "It was a big joke in the clubhouse," recalled fellow left-hander Tommy John, who eventually saw his name crossed off the list.[15][5] Eventually, Eddy found himself optioned to Tucson on June 18. Though he had posted what McAuley called a "respectable" 3.12 ERA in 19 games for Chicago, the White Sox wanted to call up Stan Perzanowski, who had a 9–0 record with Tucson.[12][16]

In 24 games (four starts) for Tucson, Eddy had a 3–2 record, one save, a 6.85 ERA, 41 strikeouts, 34 walks, and 57 hits allowed in 46 innings.[7] Recalled by Chicago in September, he appeared in three more games for the MLB team.[12] The last of these came on September 30, when Eddy pitched two innings and had his only MLB plate appearance. He hit a double off of Bill Parsons of the Milwaukee Brewers, giving himself a perfect 1.000 batting average.[17] In 22 games, he had an 0–2 record, a 2.38 ERA, 14 strikeouts, 19 walks, and 19 hits allowed in 22+2⁄3 innings.[5]

Minor leagues (1972–1973)

Eddy was one of the last players cut from White Sox spring training in 1972, as he was reassigned to minor league camp on March 31.[18] After starting the season at Tucson, he was sent to the San Diego Padres on July 16 as the player to be named later in an earlier trade for Ed Spiezio.[5] In San Diego's organization, he pitched for the PCL's Hawaii Islanders.[7] Baseball-Reference does not have complete statistics on his season.[7]

In 1973, Eddy made 36 appearances with the

Class AA Texas League. He had a 3–2 record, a 2.00 ERA, 58 strikeouts, 15 walks, and 49 hits allowed in 63 innings.[7] By 1975, he was pitching for the Mason City Merchants in the North Central Amateur baseball league.[19] After his career, Eddy joined the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA). He would coach summer MLBPAA youth camps in Des Moines.[1] He finished his MLB career with an 0–2 record, a 2.36 ERA, 23 strikeouts, 25 walks, and 29 hits allowed in 34+1⁄3 innings pitched over 29 games.[5]

Pitching style

Eddy stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg). Though a left-handed pitcher, he batted right-handed.

Tucson Daily Citizen, thought Eddy was similar to Whitey Ford, both in stature as well as in his reliance on carefully thrown fastball.[4] Eddy listed Ford among the left-handed pitchers he enjoyed watching on television growing up, along with Billy Pierce and Herb Score.[4]

Personal life

On September 10, 1966, Eddy married his high school girlfriend, Marilyn Jane Losee. The couple had two sons, Trent and Travis. She died on April 6, 1978. Two years later, Eddy remarried to Bernadette "Bernie" Hanna, a widow with one son, Charlie. A golfer, Eddy won seven club championships and had seven holes-in-one to his credit.[1] He died at his Rockwell home on October 10, 2018, from pancreatic cancer.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Don Eddy Obituary". United States Obituary Notice. October 12, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  2. ^ "Iowans in the Minors". The Des Moines Register. June 24, 1973. Retrieved September 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e McAuley, Regis (August 28, 1970). "McAuley's Column". Tucson Citizen. Retrieved September 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e McAuley, Regis (April 4, 1970). "Don Eddy: A Model Ford for Toros". Tucson Daily Citizen. Retrieved September 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Don Eddy Stats". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  6. ^ "Don Eddy signs with White Sox". Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA). August 17, 1965. Retrieved September 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Don Eddy Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Paustian, John (September 2, 1969). "Foxes Win 2, Set Records". The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI). Retrieved September 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "1969 Midwest League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  10. ^ "Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox Box Score, September 7, 1970". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  11. ^ Bryson, Bill (April 4, 1971). "Swaledale Dad's Dream Realized". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved September 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c "Don Eddy 1971 Pitching Gamelogs". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  13. ^ "Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox Box Score, April 16, 1971". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  14. ^ "Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox Box Score, April 25, 1971". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  15. ISBN 0-553-07184-X
    .
  16. ^ McAuley, Regis (June 19, 1971). "Relief Is Just An Eddy Away For Tucson Toros". Tucson Daily Citizen. Retrieved September 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "September 30, 1971 Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago White Sox Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  18. ^ "White Sox to Reassign Eddy and Frailing". The Post-Crescent (Appleton, WI). April 1, 1972. Retrieved September 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "M.C. Merchants split pair with Nora Springs". Globe-Gazette (Mason City, IA). June 23, 1975. Retrieved September 22, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

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