Bob Thorpe (thorpbo01)

From BR Bullpen

Benjamin Robert Thorpe, Jr. a/k/a Ben Thorpe

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 1½", *Weight 190 lb.

Debut April 19, 1951
Final Game September 27, 1953
Born November 19, 1926 in Caryville, FL USA
Died October 30, 1996 in Waveland, MS USA

1 Biographical Information
2 Records Held
3 Notable Achievements
4 Sources
5 Related Sites

[edit] Biographical Information

Bob Thorpe was an outfielder 16 years (1946-1961); three in the Majors (1951-53) and 14 in the minors (1946-1951;1954-1961). He was born on Friday, November 19, 1926, in Caryville, FL. He graduated from High School, where he starred in baseball, basketball and football, in 1944 at age 17. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II (BN). The only reference to his being a WW2 veteran in "The Sporting News" of February 2, 1952 when they reported that he weighed 230 when discharged from the service. His playing weight then was 185. (TSN 7/23/47).

Signed as an amateur free agent in 1946, he broke into Organized Baseball at age 19 with West Palm Beach in the Florida International League; Gainesville in the Class D Florida State League (1946-1947); and the Pensacola Fliers of the Southeastern League (1948-1949). He married Kathleen Goodbread on July 7, 1948. Before the 1950 season, he was sent from Pensacola to the Boston Braves in an unknown transaction and played for the Atlanta Crackers in the Southern Association (SA) (1950) and the Milwaukee Brewers in the American Association (AA) (1951).

When Bob Thorpe began his career in Organized Baseball in 1946 he went by Ben Thorpe. By the time he made his major league debut with the Braves in 1951 he was called Bob Thorpe. Thorpe was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 19, 1951, with the Braves. He is on a short list of people with one triple for their only hit the first season they batted safely in 1951. In 1952, he tied a MLB record with two doubles in an inning. He played in 110 games as an outfielder through 1953 when they moved to Milwaukee where he played his final MLB game on September 27, 1953 at age 26.

He returned to the minors with the 1954 Toledo Mud Hens (AA) and the Atlanta Crackers (SA) (1955-1956). In an game exhibition game April 1, 1955 the Crackers scored four runs in the last of the ninth to beat the New York Yankees, 5-4, at Ponce de Leon Park. Casey Stengel had hoped to go the distance with Whitey Ford, but he pulled him in favor of Don Larsen with the bases loaded, two out, and the Yankees leading, 4-3. Larsen threw one pitch, which Thorpe hit for a 400-foot double to bring in the tying and winning runs.

He continued on in 1956 with Wichita (AA). On December 3, 1956 he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers from Milwaukee in the 1956 minor league draft. He played for the Charleston Senators (AA) (1957) when he was traded by the Tigers to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Herb Moford (July 14, 1957).

He then played for Omaha AA (1957); the Birmingham Barons (SA) (1958); the Houston Buffaloes of the Texas League (1958); Denver (AA) (1959); Columbus of the International League (1959); and the Little Rock Travelers (SA) (1960-1961); ending his baseball career at age 34.

In 1952, his best year in MLB, he had 76 hits, 20 runs, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 26 RBI and 3 stolen bases at (.260/.275/.332) in 81 games. In 1948, his best year in the minors, he had 175 hits, 111 runs, 16 doubles, 14 triples, 16 home runs and 107 RBI at .310 in 135 games. Overall in MLB, he had 83 hits, 22 runs, 9 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs, 32 RBI and 3 stolen bases at (.251/.266/.323) in 110 games. Overall in the minors, he had 212 home runs and 1102 RBI.

He owned Captain Bob's Seafood and Emerald Lawn Care in Waveland, MS. He had brown hair and blue eyes, his ancestry was German-Irish-Indian and his principal hobby was golf. He died at age 68 in Waveland on October 30, 1996 and is buried at Gulf Pines Memorial Park in Englewood, FL.