George Bradshaw
From BR Bullpen
George Thomas Bradshaw
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 185 lb.
- Debut August 10, 1952
- Final Game September 19, 1952
- Born September 12, 1924 in Salisbury, NC USA
- Died November 4, 1994 in Hendersonville, NC USA
[edit] Biographical Information
A United States Marine veteran of World War II, George Bradshaw served his country from 1942 through 1945 and was briefly recalled during the Korean conflict in 1951. He played his first pro ball with the Landis Millers of the North Carolina State League in 1946. The 6' 2" catcher hit .326 his first season, appearing in 102 games.
Before the 1947 season Bradshaw was dealt to the Brooklyn Dodgers in an unknown transaction. He spent '47 with three different clubs winding up with a combined .284 average. He spent the 1948 season with the Pueblo Dodgers hitting .256 and was released by the Dodgers after the season ended.
George signed on with the Statesville Owls in 1949, where he hit for a .342 average and tied for the league lead in base hits with 169. In 1950, Bradshaw signed on with the same club again, only this time as player-manager. He led the club to a 59-53 record and a fifth-place finish, catching 113 games and hitting .321 in a good personal performance.
In 1951 he took on the same role with the Morganton Aggies of the Western Carolina League catching 107 games, hitting for a .350 average and leading his team to a first-place finish with a 71-39 record, but they were beaten in the finals of the playoffs by the Shelby Farmers, 4 games to 3.
1952 found him back in the same place but with an entirely different ending. He was with Morganton for 34 games in the same role and was personally hitting .304 when in the month of June he was dealt to the Washington Senators in an unknown transaction.
George went to Washington for 10 games, picked up 5 hits in 23 at bats for a .217 average and was sent to the Charlotte Hornets where he appeared in 64 games and hit .324.
Meanwhile, back in Morganton, Eurice "Pete" Treece had taken over Bradshaw's duties, the club went to 41-51, last place, and withdrew from the league on August 3.
George, who still belonged to the Senators, was kept with the Charlotte Hornets, hit .292 in 71 games and was sent to the AA Chattanooga Lookouts where he hit .091 in 12 games and would turn up to be a free agent in 1954.
1954 saw him take on the duties of player-manager of the Greenville Spinners in theTri-State League and mid-way through the season Dickson Hendley took over the club and lead it to a third-place finish with 68 wins and 72 losses, but 18 games of the pace. Strangely enough, Bradshaw ended up in the same league, with the Knoxville Smokies, who finished second in the league. He hit .274 and made the All-Star team.
It would seem at this time, after nine seasons in pro ball at this pace, George was thinking about going home. Which is just what he did. Everything considered, George appeared in 905 games had 3,366 at bats with 1,046 base hits, including 59 home runs for a minor league career .310 batting average.
In his later years, George had a laryngectomy and devoted much of his time to working with people in their adjustment to the use of a voice box. The father of ten children, he owned an automobile dealership prior to his death on November 4, 1994, at age 70 in Hendersonville, NC.
[edit] Sources
Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page
