Ed Blake
From BR Bullpen
Edward James Blake
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.
- School Saint Louis University
- High School Central Catholic High School
- Debut May 1, 1951
- Final Game April 28, 1957
- Born December 23, 1925 in East St. Louis, IL USA
- Died April 15, 2009 in Swansea, IL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
The St. Louis Cardinals showed a lot of interest in Ed Blake at an early age and even let him pitch batting practice during the 1943 World Series when he was 17. The next season, 1944, The Cardinals signed him to a contract and he was with three teams that first season, the Columbus Red Birds, Allentown Cardinals an the Knoxville Smokies. Altogether he won 5 and lost 6 before entering the United States Military in late '44.
Blake entered the Army and was with the 40th Infantry Division as an infantryman in the Pacific Theater of War. Blake was wounded while in the Phillipines and the recovery took nine months, but he was ready for spring training in 1946. He was assigned to the Columbus Cardinals, where he lost his first three times out and then won 13 in a row. He finished the year at 16-8 with a 3.51 ERA.
Ed would spend five more years in the minors before getting his first chance at major league hitters when the 1951 Cincinnati Reds, who had acquired Ed in a trade for Mike Schultz in 1949 from the Cardinals, gave him a look. The Reds also gave him looks in 1952 and 1953 as did the Kansas City Athletics in 1957. Ed failed to hang on in the majors winding up not winning or losing a game, pitching only 8 innings in 8 games with a 6.23 ERA.
Blake would spend 15 years in pro baseball, mostly all in the minors, with the exception of the 8 innings he spent in the majors. His record shows he never played below A ball and for the most time it was in the AAA class. 1959 would be his last year on the mound and his figures show he saw a lot of hitters in his time. Ed won 142 and lost 126 while appearing in 418 games. While pitching 2,370 innings he gave up 2,554 base hits and 927 base on balls for a 4.65 ERA.
Ed, who attended Saint Louis University, later had a plumbing business. He was the president of the plumbers local #360 in St. Louis. He retired to Belleville, IL.
[edit] Sources
- Baseball-Reference.com
- Baseball Players of the 1950s
- SABR MILB Database:page
- obit
- Ed Blake, Former Reds and Athletics Pitcher, 83, 1925-2009
