Phil Marchildon

From BR Bullpen

Philip Joseph Marchildon (Babe)

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.

Debut September 22, 1940
Final Game July 16, 1950
Born October 25, 1913 in Penetanguishene, ON CAN
Died January 10, 1997 in Toronto, ON CAN

[edit] Biographical Information

A gunner and officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, Phil Marchildon was shot down and spent nine months in a German prison as a POW. He served from November 1942 to July 1945.

He came back to home and major league baseball a grim, alienated, broken man strugging with shattered nerves. It's been said that no one ever saw him smile again. Whether this is literally true is a matter of conjecture, but the fact remains that although Marchildon survived the war, like many others, he didn't recover from it.

In spite of that, Marhildon had a good career both before and also after the war, mostly with the Philadelphia Athletics. He was a 26-year-old rookie when he broke in in 1940, and in 1942 he went 17-14. After the war, his best year was 1947, when he went 19-9. In 1942, the team finished far under .500, while in 1947, the team finished barely over .500.