Vern Bickford

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Vern Bickford
Bickford in 1954
Pitcher
Born: (1920-08-17)August 17, 1920
Hellier, Kentucky, U.S.
Died: May 6, 1960(1960-05-06) (aged 39)
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 24, 1948, for the Boston Braves
Last MLB appearance
April 24, 1954, for the Baltimore Orioles
MLB statistics
Win–loss record66–57
Earned run average3.71
Strikeouts450
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Vernon Edgell Bickford (August 17, 1920 – May 6, 1960) was an American professional

Milwaukee Braves from 1948 to 1953 in the National League, and one game for the Baltimore Orioles of the American League
in 1954.

Bickford was born in Kentucky but raised in West Virginia. He began his professional career in 1939 and, after serving in World War II, made the majors in 1949. Acquired by the Braves organization due to a flip of a coin, Bickford became one of the most promising National League pitchers during his playing career, earning All-Star honors in 1949 and leading the National League in complete games in 1950. However his career was soon shorted by multiple arm injuries, and he was out of baseball by 1955. After working an assortment of jobs, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1960 and died after a three-month illness.

He is best known for throwing a

Brooklyn Dodgers
on August 11, 1950. Although the slogan "Spahn and Sain, then two days of rain" is today widely mentioned when reference is made to the Braves' 1948 season, at the time it was actually, "Bickford, Spahn and Sain and then we pray for rain." His winning percentage of .688 that year, his rookie season, in which he did not really begin to pitch until well into the season, was higher than either that of Sain or Spahn.

Early life

Bickford was born in

semi-professional baseball in 1939 for a local West Virginian team, before signing with the Welch Minors of the Class-D Mountain State League the same year.[1][2] He served three years in the armed forces during World War II where he later claimed "helped" improve his career, as he got pitching tips from several professional Major League ballplayers.[3][4]

Minor league career

Bickford was groomed to be a

Eastern League.[2]

He was promoted to the

sports draft.[3] If the coin landed heads, the player was headed to the Pirates organization and if it landed tails they stayed in Braves organization. The coin landed on tails, and the Braves picked Bickford and took over his contract.[5] Perini later recalled on why he selected Bickford. Brooklyn's general manager Branch Rickey had interest in the young right-hander, and Perini thought that "if Bickford was good enough for Rickey, he was good enough for the Braves".[3] Bickford played for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1947, where he had a 9–5 win–loss record with a 3.78 earned run average in 29 games, 14 of which were starts.[2]

Major League career

Bickford was expected to start the 1948 season in the minor leagues due to lack of control.

Cleveland Indians.[7] In his only World Series appearance, he started Game 3, where he gave up one run on four hits in 3.1 innings pitched and was charged with the loss.[10]

1949–50

Boston Braves catcher Walker Cooper (left) congratulates his battery mate Bickford (right) following his no-hitter on August 11, 1950, against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In 1949, Bickford went 16–11 with a 4.25 earned run average and made the

National League All-Star team.[7] He finished seventh in the league in complete games (15) and third in games started (36) behind teammate Warren Spahn and Ken Raffensberger of the Cincinnati Reds.[7] He lost a no-hitter in the ninth inning in one of those games.[11] At season's end Bickford, alongside Spahn and teammate Johnny Sain created one of the most formidable pitching trios in the league for the next several years.[3]

His best season statistical-wise came in

batters faced (1,325).[7] He also finished eighth in the league with 126 strikeouts.[7] The high point of his career was his 7–0 no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 11, the first no-hitter in the Major Leagues since Rex Barney threw one for Brooklyn in 1948, and the first one for the Braves since Jim Tobin in 1944.[12] He retired the first 10 batters before walking Gene Hermanski in the fourth inning.[11] Overall, he walked four batters, and Duke Snider hit into a double play to end the game.[12] Afterwards, Bickford stated that "all he wanted was the game".[6] His no-hitter helped stay the Braves in the pennant race, falling five games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. However the Braves faltered and finished fourth with an 83–79 record, eight games behind the Phillies in the standings. Bickford struggled near the end of the year, falling short in his six games in an attempt to record a 20 win season.[3]

Later career

Bickford (left) with Johnny Sain and Warren Spahn in 1951.

In 1951, he had an 11–9 win–loss record with a career low 3.12 earned run average in 25 games.

bone spurs in his pitching arm.[1] During the 1953 season, Bickford had a 2–5 win–loss record with a 5.28 earned run average.[7]

In 1954, Bickford was sold to the Baltimore Orioles for an undisclosed amount of cash and catcher Charlie White.[13] The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox were both interested in Bickford's services, but general manager John Quinn decided to go with Baltimore's offer.[13] He only played one game, a start against the Chicago White Sox on April 24. He gave up five runs, four of them earned, in four innings before being credited with the 14–4 loss.[14] A pinched nerve in his throwing arm and eventual elbow surgery shortened his career. In 1955, he unsuccessfully tried a brief comeback with the Triple-A Richmond Virginians in the International League. He pitched in nine games before retiring due to complications of his arm injuries.[1]

Personal life and death

Following his playing career, Bickford worked an assortment of jobs, as an automobile dealer, a traveling

carpenter.[1] He spent the last few months of his life hospitalized from cancer, dropping 65 pounds, and telling the media a few days before his death about beating the cancer in order to coach professional baseball.[1] He died of cancer in Maguire Veterans Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 39.[1] He left behind a wife and three sons at the time of his death.[1] He is buried at Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in New Canton, Virginia.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Vern Bickford, No-Hit Hurler, Dies of Cancer". Gadsden Times. United Press International. May 6, 1960. p. 7. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Vern Bickford Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball Reference Minors. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  3. ^
    ISBN 1-56639-384-1
    .
  4. ^
    SABR
    . Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  5. ^ a b Smith, Chester (May 20, 1948). "Braves Cash In On A Flip Of a Coin". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 37. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Kelley, Joe (August 12, 1950). "Vern Bickford, Once Slated For Minors, Is No-Hit Hero". The New London Day. p. 10. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Vern Bickford Statistics and History". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  8. ^ "April 24, 1948 New York Giants at Boston Braves Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball Reference.com/Retrosheet. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  9. ^ "Vern Bickford Hurls Braves to 11-1 Win". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 8, 1948. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  10. ^ "1948 World Series Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves (4-2)". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Bickford Hurles No-Hitter in Beating Dodgers 7-0". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. August 12, 1950. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Vern Bickford Hurls No-Hitter for Braves". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. August 12, 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  13. ^ a b "Baltimore Orioles Buy Vern Bickford for Cash, Catcher". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. February 11, 1954. p. 11. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  14. ^ "April 24, 1954 Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball Reference.com/Retrosheet. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 22 January 2014.

External links

Preceded by No-hitter pitcher
August 11, 1950 		Succeeded by
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