Ed Head
Pitcher
Born: (1918-01-25)January 25, 1918
Grant Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Died: January 31, 1980(1980-01-31) (aged 62)
Bastrop, Louisiana, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 27, 1940, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
August 25, 1946, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record27–23
Earned run average3.48
Strikeouts208
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Edward Marvin Head (January 25, 1918 – January 31, 1980) was a professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1940 to 1946.[1]

Head was notable for a number of reasons, one of them was the physical challenges he overcame to become a major league baseball player. A natural left-handed pitcher, at the age of 15, Head was involved in a vehicle accident that killed his girlfriend and almost resulted in the amputation of his left arm. After hours of surgery, Head's arm was saved but he could no longer use it to pitch, so he switched and became a right handed pitcher.[2][3]

Head joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940 and after compiling a record of 1–2, was sent back to the minor leagues for additional development.[4] He returned in 1942 and was promoted to the team's starting rotation where he went 10–6 for the season. In 1943, he was not as effective, his record was 9–10, but he recovered in 1944 starting the season 4–3 with a career low ERA of 2.70 before he entered the Army to fulfill his service obligation.[1]

Ed Head (left) with Lew Riggs (right) in Montreal, 1946

After serving in the Army and not pitching in the majors for most of 1944 and all of 1945,[5] Head no-hit the Boston Braves 5–0 at Ebbets Field on April 23, 1946, in his first start of the season.[6] Several weeks later, Head injured his right arm and did not pitch for the remainder of the season. He failed to make the major league club in spring training of 1947, and never pitched in the majors again, his no-hitter being one of the last games he ever pitched.[7]

Head managed the Asheville Tourists minor league baseball club in 1949.[8]

Head died on January 31, 1980, at age 62.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b David Finoli (2002) For the Good of the Country: World War II Baseball in the Major and Minor Leagues. Jefferson, N.C.: MacFarland & Company Publishers, p. 266.
  2. ^ Weintraub, Robert (2013) The Victory Season: The End of World War II and the Birth of Baseball's Golden Age. New York: Little Brown and Company, pp. 112-113.
  3. ^ Spatz, Lyle. "Ed Head". sabr.org. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  4. ^ McNeil, William F. (2003) The Dodgers Encyclopedia. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, pp. 327-328.
  5. ^ "Baseball in Wartime – Ed Head". BaseballinWartime.com. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  6. ^ Hand, Jack (April 4, 1946) "Ed Head Throws No-Hitter in First Start Since July, 1944" Moberly Monitor-Index, p. 6.
  7. ^ "Ed (No-Hit) Head Released by Flock" (April 15, 1947) The Stars and Stripes.
  8. ^ Ballew, Bill (2007). A History of Professional Baseball in Asheville. The History Press. ISBN 9781596291768 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ "Ex-Dodger pitcher, Ed Head, dies at 62". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Sarasota, Florida. Associated Press (AP). February 1, 1980. p. 4-E. Retrieved December 25, 2017.

External links

Achievements Preceded byDick Fowler No-hitter pitcher April 23, 1946 Succeeded byBob Feller Sporting positions Preceded byCurt Davis Brooklyn Dodgers Opening Day Starting pitcher 1943 Succeeded byHal Gregg
Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers Opening Day starting pitchers
Categories