Ed Stevens (baseball)
| Ed Stevens | ||
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Runs batted in | 193 | |
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Edward Lee "Big Ed" Stevens (January 12, 1925 – July 22, 2012) was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1945 through 1950 with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. Listed at 6' 1", 190 lb., he batted and threw left-handed.[1]
Born in
As a rookie, he shared duties at first with incumbent
Stevens became a regular in 1946, ending with a .242 and 60 RBI in 103 games, while his 10 home runs were the second-highest on the team, being surpassed only by Pete Reiser (11).[3]
Although he had been the regular in that season, Stevens was replaced at first base by Jackie Robinson in 1947.[4] He appeared in just five games and was sent to Triple-A Montreal Royals, where he hit .290 with 27 homers and 108 RBI in 133 games.[5] During the off-season, he was purchased along with Stan Rojek by the Pirates from the Dodgers.[1]
Stevens opened 1948 with Pittsburgh, where he replaced retired
Stevens was used sparingly for the next two seasons before returning to the minors in 1951. He finished with a .252 average in 375 major league games.[1]
In parts of 16 minor league seasons spanning 1941 to 1961, Stevens belted 257 home runs and drove in 1013 runs, while collecting a slash line (BA/OBP/SLG) of .275/.347/.457 in 1865 games.[5]
Following his playing days, Stevens went on to a long career as a coach, which included working with the San Diego Padres in part of the 1981 season in order for him to qualify for pension benefits,[7] and scouting.
Stevens was still doing the latter until he retired in 1989.[8]
In 2009, he gained induction into the
Stevens was a longtime resident of
References
- ^ a b c d "Baseball Reference – Major league profile".
- ^ 1945 Brooklyn Dodgers
- ^ 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers
- ^ Conference of California Historical Societies – Baseball Forced Change in Social Mores. Article by Jack Kipp, Folsom Historical Society Archived 2007-05-29 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b "Baseball Reference – Minor league career".
- ^ 1948 Pittsburgh Pirates
- ^ San Diego Padres All-Time Coaches
- ^ "Big" Ed Stevens, Brooklyn Dodger Hall of Fame: The Other Side of the Jackie Robinson Story pg. 122
- ^ Rochester hosts IL Hall of Fame ceremony
- ^ Ed Stevens, a Dodger Replaced by Jackie Robinson, Dies at 87
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Ed Stevens at Baseball Almanac