Corky Valentine

From BR Bullpen

Harold Lewis Valentine

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 203 lb.
• Debut April 17, 1954
• Final Game May 29, 1955
• Born January 4, 1929 in Troy, OH USA
• Died January 21, 2005 in Roswell, GA USA

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[edit] Biographical Information

Corky Valentine led the 1953 South Atlantic League in ERA (13-6, 2.11 in 44 games, 14 starts, 119 hits allowed in 183 innings). He was promoted to the Cincinnati Reds the next season and went 12-11 with a 4.4.5 ERA but would only pitch 10 more games in the majors. In 1956, he joined the Atlanta Crackers and led the club to two Southern Association championships.

In his autobiography, Hank Aaron recalls Valentine as being the most ornery character in the league - "I'm not saying he was a racist; I think Corky Valentine just hated everybody." Aaron writes that "[t]he scary thing, though, is that he eventually became a policeman somewhere in Georgia. That's enough to make you drive fifty-five."

Valentine served for many years on the Atlanta Police Department before joining Fulton County's police force.

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