Gene Bearden
Gene Bearden | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Lexa, Arkansas, U.S. | September 5, 1920|
Died: March 18, 2004 Alexander City, Alabama, U.S. | (aged 83)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
May 10, 1947, for the Cleveland Indians | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 5, 1953, for the Chicago White Sox | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 45–38 |
Earned run average | 3.96 |
Strikeouts | 259 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Henry Eugene Bearden (September 5, 1920 – March 18, 2004) was an
Born in
The following year, he won 20 games as a
Early life and military service
Bearden was born in Lexa, Arkansas. His father worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and moved the family to Tennessee, where he graduated from Memphis Technical High School.[2] He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1939, and began his professional career with the Class D Moultrie Packers, winning five games and losing 11. In 1940 and 1941, Bearden played for the Miami Beach Flamingos of the Florida East Coast League. He won 18 games with a 1.71 ERA in 1940 and won 17 games with a 2.40 ERA in 1941.[3] He split the 1942 season between the Savannah Indians and Augusta Tigers of the South Atlantic League. After the season ended, Bearden joined the United States Navy to serve in World War II.[2]
Originally serving at a blimp station in New Jersey, Bearden said that he was assigned to serve aboard the
Bearden returned to baseball in 1945 as a part of the
Cleveland Indians
After spring training, Bearden was named to the major league roster to start the 1947 Cleveland Indians season. He made his debut on May 10, where he allowed three runs in 1⁄3 innings against the St. Louis Browns. After the game, he was demoted to the Triple-A Baltimore Orioles of the International League. He quit the team after two defeats, not wanting to pitch in International League ballparks as he found them too small. He refused to return to baseball until Bill Veeck agreed to loan Bearden back to the Oakland Oaks.[4] He spent the rest of 1947 with the Oaks. Reunited with Casey Stengel, he finished the season with a 16–7 record, and a 2.86 ERA in 198 innings pitched.[3]
Bearden earned a place on the roster out of spring training, and remained on the team throughout the
For the
During the offseason, Bearden went to Hollywood and appeared as himself in two movies,
Later life and career
Bearden was relegated to
Bearden spent the full 1952 season with the Browns, and split time as a starter and reliever. In 34 games pitched, 16 of them starts, Bearden had a 7–8 record, a 4.30 ERA, and 10 wild pitches, which led the American League. However, his hitting improved that year; despite a career
Bearden pitched in 44 games for the Rainiers in 1954, finishing the season with a record of 11–13 and a 4.05 ERA. The following year, he was traded to the
While he was active, for off-season employment he worked in the
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Gene Bearden Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Gene Bearden". Baseball in Wartime. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Gene Bearden Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c Lebovitz, Hal (1949). "Lucky Rookie - 1949 Official Baseball Register". The Sporting News. pp. 3–26.
- ^ Hennessy, M. Shawn (June 30, 2023). "Gene Bearden Biography". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ Hennessy, M. Shawn (June 28, 2023). "Laying Gene Bearden's USS Helena Story to Rest". Chevrons and Diamonds. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ ISBN 9781613217948.
- ISBN 0-7432-6158-5. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
- ^ Jones, Harry (June 9, 1948). "Boudreau's Homer Gives Indians 5th in Row, 2–0". The Plain Dealer. p. 24.
- ^ Jones, Harry (September 3, 1948). "Lemon, Zoldak to Hurl in St. Louis". The Plain Dealer. p. 20.
- ISBN 9781476604299.
- ^
- The Milwaukee Journal. October 5, 1948. p. 8.
- ^ "Indians Goal 4 Straight Victories After Bearden Defeats Braves, 2–0". The Plain Dealer. October 9, 1948. p. 1.
- ^ Jones, Harry (October 12, 1948). "Indians Win World Title". The Plain Dealer. p. 1.
- The Miami Herald. p. 272.
- ^ "73,150 See Tribs Donate Victory To Yankees, 4–3". The Plain Dealer. May 18, 1949. p. 25.
- ^ "Nats Gain Gene Bearden in $10,000 Waiver Sale". Richmond Times-Dispatch. August 3, 1950. p. 21.
- ^ "Tribe Shackles Bearden's Boast 5–1". The Salem News. Salem, Ohio. August 23, 1950. p. 8.
- ^ "Senators Sell Gene Bearden to Detroit". The Tampa Tribune. April 27, 1951. p. 21.
- ^ Olan, Ben (August 13, 1952). "Gene Bearden Majors' Best Hitting Pitcher". Shreveport Journal. p. 18.
- ^ "Bearden Lines Up Barnstormers". The Sporting News. October 1, 1952. p. 28.
- ^ "Deals of the Week". The Sporting News. October 20, 1954. p. 28.
- ^ "Gene Bearden Leads PCL Moundsmen". Tucson Citizen. June 14, 1955. p. 16.
- ISBN 9780786482641.
- Standard-Speaker. January 6, 1958. p. 13.
- ^ "Tuning In". The Sporting News. January 22, 1958. p. 25.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Gene Bearden at the SABR Baseball Biography Project , by M. Shawn Hennessy, Retrieved June 30, 2023.