Charlie Bishop

From BR Bullpen

Charles Tuller Bishop

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.

Debut August 22, 1952
Final Game May 7, 1955
Born January 1, 1924 in Atlanta, GA USA
Died July 5, 1993 in Lawrenceville, GA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Charlie Bishop a 6'2" righthander from Atlanta signed with the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school in 1942, and after Military Service led the 1947 Western League with 133 strikeouts pitching for Omaha. Charlie was all over the minors (13 teams) until 1952, pitching for the Ottawa Athletics He led the IL with 20 wins, including a no-hitter over the Syracuse Chiefs on May 24.

The Philadelphia Athletics acquired Charlie late in 1952 on a minor league working agreement with Ottawa and Charlie pitched for the A's in both Philadelphia and Kansas City from 1952 to 1955. He shutout the Boston Red Sox in his first big league start, but finished just 10-22 overall in his four year tour in the majors.

He spent one more year in baseball, going 7-8 for the San Diego Padres and decided after 13 years it was time to hang 'em up. He had been around pro baseball from 1942 through 1955. Bishop's minor league numbers say he had appeared in 261 games, winning 101 and losing 82, pitching 1,558 innings, giving up 1,402 base hits and 1,025 base on balls and had a .462 ERA.

Charlie was a fun loving guy. During the 1954 season he was playing for the Ottawa Athletics in the IL. Midway through the season Ottawa played an exibition with the Philadelphia Athletics, the parent club.

Lee Wheat, who was Bishop's teammate at Ottawa recalled after the game they had a little shindig with the big leaguers. Eddie Joost, the manager of the A's, informed Charlie that they were going to bring him up to Kansas City. Bishop, aware that the Athletics were not a very good team, (they lost 103 games in '54) said to Joost, "Are you sure that going with the A's would be going up?"

Charlie , who owned an insurance investigation company in Atlanta, died July 5, 1993, at age 69 in Lawrenceville, GA.