Bob Greenwood

From BR Bullpen

Robert Chandler Greenwood (Greenie)

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 5", Weight 200 lb.
School Saint Mary's College of California
Debut April 21, 1954
Final Game April 21, 1955
Born March 13, 1928 in Cananea, Sonora Mexico
Died September 1, 1994 in Hayward, CA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Bob Greenwood a 6'4" righthander, who was born in Mexico, started out in pro baseball as a free agent in 1949 out of St. Mary's University in California where he also played basketball. Greenwood was the first player born in Mexico who played college baseball in the USA. The first ethnic Mexican to do so was Luis Gomez.

He pitched for the Phoenix Senators of the Arizona-Texas League in 1949 going 5-5 with a 5.69 ERA. Bob was there again in 1950, this time winning 13 and losing 12 with a 6.82 ERA. He was sent to the Philadelphia Phillies from the Phoenix Senators before the 1951 season in an unknown transaction.

The Phillies would assign Greenwood to the Salt Lake City Bees of the Pioneer League where he would win 21 and lose but 7 in 32 appearances while pitching 256 innings for a 3.30 ERA. He would pitch two more seasons in the minors with minimal success but still would get two brief looks with the Phillies in 1954 appearing in eleven games, going 1-2 with a 3.19 ERA and again with the Phillies in 1955 making only one appearance with no decisions. These two years would be all he would see of the big leagues, finishing up at 1-2 with a 3.92 ERA.

In 1954 he was in an auto accident with teammate Willie Jones, ("Puddin' Head"). The two were coming home from the ballpark when a car ran a stop sign and hit them. Greenwood's arm never fully recovered from the accident and he struggled for the next four seasons, finally retiring from the game in 1960. Greenwood had put in 11 tough years in his minor league career but he did manage to appear in 328 games, winning 113 and losing 118 while pitching 1,794 innings, giving up 1,753 base hits and 934 base on balls for a lifetime 4.48 ERA.

Greenwood was a one handicap golfer. After baseball he was a club pro at the Skywest Golf Club in Hayward, CA, and later at the Montclair Golf Club and Galbraith golf courses in Oakland. Greenwood died on September 1, 1994, at age 66 in Hayward from pneumonia. He had battled asthma all his life.