Ewell Blackwell

From BR Bullpen

Ewell Blackwell (The Whip)

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 6", Weight 195 lb.
School University of La Verne
Debut April 21, 1942
Final Game April 18, 1955
Born October 23, 1922 in Fresno, CA USA
Died October 29, 1996 in Hendersonville, NC USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Pitcher Ewell Blackwell earned the nickname The Whip for his sidearm delivery. He had his best season in 1947 with the Cincinnati Reds, going 22-8 with a 2.47 ERA and a league-high 193 strikeouts. That year, he won 16 consecutive games and pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Braves on June 18. In his next start, he came close to matching Johnny Vander Meer's feat of back-to-back no-no's, holding the Brooklyn Dodgers hitless again until Eddie Stanky singled in the ninth inning. The Dodgers added another hit, but Blackwell ended up with a win in a two-hitter.

Blackwell was a six-time All-Star with the Reds and was the starting pitcher in the 1947 All-Star Game. He was traded to the New York Yankees in the heat of the 1952 pennant race, and started Game 5 of that year's World Series for the club, in spite of going 4-12 overall for the year, pitching five innings without figuring in the decision. He retired during the next season but made a brief comeback in 1955 with the Kansas City Athletics.

Blackwell died of cancer at age 74.