Fred Baczewski

From BR Bullpen

Frederic John Baczewski (Lefty)

Bats Left, Throws Left
Weight 185 lb.

Debut April 26, 1953
Final Game April 16, 1955
Born May 15, 1926 in St. Paul, MN USA
Died November 14, 1976 in Culver City, CA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

On October 13, 1949 Fred Baczewski was purchased by the Chicago Cubs from the AA Shreveport Sports for $30,000 and a player to be named later. For the minors in those days this was a pretty fancy deal. The reason was apparent when one looks at Fred's first three years of minor league stats - he had won 39 games, losing only 18 and had a 3.27 ERA.

After the trade Fred became a little less than spectacular going 21-22 in his next three years but it still won him a spot on the Cubs roster as a left hand reliever in 1953. He was used very rarely and had no record when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with Bob Kelly on June 12 for Bubba Church.

The 1953 Reds put him in their starting rotation and the left-hander responded with a 11-4 record, completing 10 of his 18 starts and earning him some recognition in the 1953 National League Rookie of the Year Award voting. But after a 6-6 record in 1954 he was gone from the major leagues after appearing in just one game for the 1955 Reds. Overall he went 17-10.

Lefty, as he was somtimes called, spent the next six years with several teams in the high minors, winning 24 but losing 37, and after a poor start in 1961 he decided it was time to retire.

Fred, who played college basketball at the University of Tennessee, was employed with a waste management company in Knoxville and later with Tiger Airlines, the forerunner to Federal Express, prior to his death on November 14,1976, at age 50 in Culver City, CA.