Bill Voiselle is the only baseball pitcher (or player for that matter) to wear his city name on the back of his jersey in a World Series.
Actually, he's the only player to wear the name of his city on the back of his jersey, in MLB history. Yes, you see, his number was 96. And the city he came from was 96.
Let me tell you about the town of Ninety-Six, South Carolina, population 1,998, (As of 2010). Why the town is called 96 is the subject of much debate, but this is a sports blog, not Unsolved Mysteries (One of this blogger's favourite tv shows).
Anyways, Bill Voiselle, who was born there in 1919, pitched for the 1948 Boston Braves. And, if you name isn't Spahn or Sain, no one knows your name. For those unaware, there was a poem about the Braves around this time:
First we'll use Spahn
Then we'll use Sain
Then an off day
Followed by rain
Back will come Spahn
Followed by Sain
And followed
We hope
By two days of rain.
So you get the feeling everyone else on the Braves staff wasn't any good. That wasn't entirely true.
The team leader in W% (among starters) was actually Vern Bickford (11-5) with a .688 W%. Relief pitcher Bobby Hogue was 8-2 for an .800 W%. Another relief pitcher was Clyde Shoun, 5-1 for an .833 W%.
Warren Spahn was 15-12, but the ace of the staff was Johnny Sain, 24-15.
Sain was the last pitcher to face Babe Ruth in an exhibition game on July 28, 1943. Spahn walked him.Then, four years later, Sain was the first pitcher that Jackie Robinson faced in Major League game on April 15, 1947. Jackie grounded out in his first plate appearance. Sain would held him hitless in 3 AB's. But Robinson scored the winning run in the 7th inning as he reached on an error while getting a sacrifice bunt.
Then there was Bill Voiselle. Although only 13-13 in 1948, he was 10th in innings pitched (215 2/3) and 6th in games started (30). Four years earlier, he had been named the Sporting News National League Pitcher Of The Year.
The Braves would face the Cleveland Indians in the 1948 World Series. Voiselle took the hill in game 3, but it was in relief. And big time relief was needed! Bickford left with just one out, 2-0 Cleveland, and the bases loaded. It was only the bottom of the 4th inning!
The first batter Billy faced was none other than the last batter of Don Larsen's perfect game, Dale Mitchell. Billy got him on a foul pop-up to third.
Larry Doby, the first American League black player, grounded to first basemen Frank McCormick. Frank fielded the ball and tossed to Voiselle for the putout.
Voiselle retired the next 8 batters in order for 10 in a row, before Doby got a single off him with two outs in the 7th. But Cleveland player-manager Lou Boudreau popped out to his counterpart at short, Al Dark.
In the top of the 8th inning, Voiselle was removed for a pinch hitter. The Braves ultimately ended up losing the game, 2-0. But Voiselle kept them in there with a fine 3.2 innings of scoreless, 1-hit relief!
After a surprise win in game 5, Voiselle got the start in game six as the Braves tried to force a 7th game. This time, Voiselle went 7 strong innings, gave up 7 hits and only 3 runs, and was removed for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the frame.
Spahn came in and gave up a run in 2 innings. The Braves lost the game, 4-3 and Voiselle was tagged with the hard-luck loss.
It was the Boston Braves last ever World Series game, as they would move to Milwaukee in 1953. Four years later they won the World Series.
The Indians weren't so lucky. They made it back to the World Series in 1954, but lost in four straight to the New York Giants. You know, the year of the Willie Mays' catch?
They did not make it back to the World Series until 1995, where they lost to the Braves, who were now in Atlanta. I was kind of hoping for a rematch the next year.
You know, Nineteen Ninety-Six?
References
Hoppel, Joe. "Game One, Ninth Inning: Numbers." Baseball: A Doubleheader Collection Of Facts, Feats & Firsts. New York: Galahad, 1992. Print. pp. 243-44. By the editors of The Sporting News.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 03 Sept. 2013.
"Spahn & Sain" By Gerald V. Hern On Baseball Almanac." Baseball Almanac: Baseball History, Baseball Records And Baseball Research. Baseball Almanac, Inc, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2013. Poem originally published by Gerald V. Hern <http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_rain.shtml>
Actually, he's the only player to wear the name of his city on the back of his jersey, in MLB history. Yes, you see, his number was 96. And the city he came from was 96.
Let me tell you about the town of Ninety-Six, South Carolina, population 1,998, (As of 2010). Why the town is called 96 is the subject of much debate, but this is a sports blog, not Unsolved Mysteries (One of this blogger's favourite tv shows).
Anyways, Bill Voiselle, who was born there in 1919, pitched for the 1948 Boston Braves. And, if you name isn't Spahn or Sain, no one knows your name. For those unaware, there was a poem about the Braves around this time:
First we'll use Spahn
Then we'll use Sain
Then an off day
Followed by rain
Back will come Spahn
Followed by Sain
And followed
We hope
By two days of rain.
So you get the feeling everyone else on the Braves staff wasn't any good. That wasn't entirely true.
The team leader in W% (among starters) was actually Vern Bickford (11-5) with a .688 W%. Relief pitcher Bobby Hogue was 8-2 for an .800 W%. Another relief pitcher was Clyde Shoun, 5-1 for an .833 W%.
Warren Spahn was 15-12, but the ace of the staff was Johnny Sain, 24-15.
Sain was the last pitcher to face Babe Ruth in an exhibition game on July 28, 1943. Spahn walked him.Then, four years later, Sain was the first pitcher that Jackie Robinson faced in Major League game on April 15, 1947. Jackie grounded out in his first plate appearance. Sain would held him hitless in 3 AB's. But Robinson scored the winning run in the 7th inning as he reached on an error while getting a sacrifice bunt.
Then there was Bill Voiselle. Although only 13-13 in 1948, he was 10th in innings pitched (215 2/3) and 6th in games started (30). Four years earlier, he had been named the Sporting News National League Pitcher Of The Year.
The Braves would face the Cleveland Indians in the 1948 World Series. Voiselle took the hill in game 3, but it was in relief. And big time relief was needed! Bickford left with just one out, 2-0 Cleveland, and the bases loaded. It was only the bottom of the 4th inning!
The first batter Billy faced was none other than the last batter of Don Larsen's perfect game, Dale Mitchell. Billy got him on a foul pop-up to third.
Larry Doby, the first American League black player, grounded to first basemen Frank McCormick. Frank fielded the ball and tossed to Voiselle for the putout.
Voiselle retired the next 8 batters in order for 10 in a row, before Doby got a single off him with two outs in the 7th. But Cleveland player-manager Lou Boudreau popped out to his counterpart at short, Al Dark.
In the top of the 8th inning, Voiselle was removed for a pinch hitter. The Braves ultimately ended up losing the game, 2-0. But Voiselle kept them in there with a fine 3.2 innings of scoreless, 1-hit relief!
After a surprise win in game 5, Voiselle got the start in game six as the Braves tried to force a 7th game. This time, Voiselle went 7 strong innings, gave up 7 hits and only 3 runs, and was removed for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the frame.
Spahn came in and gave up a run in 2 innings. The Braves lost the game, 4-3 and Voiselle was tagged with the hard-luck loss.
It was the Boston Braves last ever World Series game, as they would move to Milwaukee in 1953. Four years later they won the World Series.
The Indians weren't so lucky. They made it back to the World Series in 1954, but lost in four straight to the New York Giants. You know, the year of the Willie Mays' catch?
They did not make it back to the World Series until 1995, where they lost to the Braves, who were now in Atlanta. I was kind of hoping for a rematch the next year.
You know, Nineteen Ninety-Six?
References
Hoppel, Joe. "Game One, Ninth Inning: Numbers." Baseball: A Doubleheader Collection Of Facts, Feats & Firsts. New York: Galahad, 1992. Print. pp. 243-44. By the editors of The Sporting News.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 03 Sept. 2013.
"Spahn & Sain" By Gerald V. Hern On Baseball Almanac." Baseball Almanac: Baseball History, Baseball Records And Baseball Research. Baseball Almanac, Inc, n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2013. Poem originally published by Gerald V. Hern <http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_rain.shtml>
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