Bennie Daniels
From BR Bullpen
Bennie Daniels Jr.
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 193 lb.
- High School Compton High School
- Debut September 24, 1957
- Final Game September 18, 1965
- Born June 17, 1932 in Tuscaloosa, AL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
In mid July 1951 Bennie Daniels signed as an amateur free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates by Pirates scout Rosie Gilhousen. A heralded three-sport athlete out of Compton High School in Los Angeles, the 6' 2" right-hander had a chance to attend UCLA on a basketball scholarship but instead chose to embark on a career in baseball.
After two seasons in the minor leagues with the Great Falls Electrics and the Modesto Reds, Bennie would enter the United States Military, serving in 1953 and 1954, during the Korean War. He then split the 1955-56 campaigns between the Lincoln Chiefs and the Billings Mustangs. At Lincoln in 1956 he went 15-3, with one of his defeats coming in a game in which he no-hit the league-winning Amarillo Gold Sox only to lose 1-0 on an unearned run.
The next season he sizzled, going 17-8 with the Hollywood Stars of the PCL, which earned him a late season call-up to the Pirates. On September 24, 1957, Bennie was the Pirates starter and 2-0 loser to the Dodgers in his major league debut in the last game played in Ebbets Field. Daniels would go 0-3 with the 1958 Pirates and 7-9 in 1959.
After dividing the 1960 season with the soon to be World Series Champions Pittsburgh Pirates and the AAA Columbus Jets, he was traded to the expansion Washington Senators along with R.C. Stevens and Harry Bright in exchange for Bobby Shantz on December 16, 1960.
Bennie went 12-11 for a team that lost 100 times in 1961 and he has the distinction of starting the last game played at Griffith Stadium, and on April 9, 1962, winning the first game played at D.C. Stadium, now named RFK Stadium, when he beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on a five-hitter. He then lost ten straight games.
His five-year record in Washington was 37-60. Lifetime, he went 45-76 with a 4.44 ERA in a career that was somtimes brilliant but more often erratic. Bennie ended his 14 active seasons of pro baseball (1951-1966) with the Hawaii Islanders of the PCL.
Following his playing days, Daniels conducted baseball clinics for children in Los Angeles, CA. He also worked at the Martin Luther King Hospital in South Los Angeles for some 10 years where he directed CETA programs. He also was employed at the Long Beach, CA Veterans Hospital for 15 years where he was an ortho scheduling clerk before his retirement. He also makes appearances as an autograph guest at various sports card shows.
Career Pitching Statistics
| League | W | L | GP | IP | H | ER | BB | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minors | 81 | 69 | 197 | 1,284 | 1,191 | 535 | 650 | 3.84 |
| Majors | 45 | 76 | 230 | 997 | 1,004 | 492 | 383 | 4.44 |
| Total | 126 | 145 | 427 | 2,281 | 2,195 | 1,027 | 1,033 | 4.14 |
[edit] Sources
Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page
