Ray Herbert
From BR Bullpen
Raymond Ernest Herbert
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.
- Debut August 27, 1950
- Final Game September 17, 1966
- Born December 15, 1929 in Detroit, MI USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Detroit native Ray Herbert reached the majors with his hometown Tigers in 1950 in just his second season in pro ball. After an impressive start in 1951 with a 4-0 record and a 1.42 ERA he was called into the army during the Korean conflict. When he returned in 1953 he was used mainly as a reliever for a few years before being sold to the Kansas City Athletics on May 11, 1955.
He was a .500 pitcher for some lowly A's teams from 1958 to 1960 before being traded to the White Sox early in 1961. This trade involved everyone but the club-house boy as He was traded with Andy Carey, Don Larsen and Al Pilarcik to the White Sox for Bob Shaw, Jerry Staley, Wes Covington and Stan Johnson.
In 1962 at age 32 and in his tenth major league season, Ray put together a 20-9 record for for the Sox with his .690 winning percentage topping the American League and he also was the winning pitcher in the second of the two All-Star Games that summer working three scoreless innings. In 1963 he fell off to 13 wins, but led the league in shut-outs with seven.
Ray, along with Jeoff Long was traded to the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies for Danny Cater and Lee Elia. He closed out a 14 year career after two years with the Phillies in 1966 with a lifetime 104-107 record.
Herbert, who gave up Carl Yastrzemski's first big league hit in 1961, also gave up a home run to Mickey Mantle on August 12, 1964, that traveled 502 feet into the center field bleachers, making it the longest home run ever measured at Yankee Stadium.
He also pitched batting practice at Tiger Stadium for a time and once commented, "I'm up to $12.50 an hour from $10.00 an hour."
He later managed a department store in the Detroit area and makes his home in Stanwood, Michigan.
Career Pitching Statistics
| League | W | L | GP | IP | H | ER | BB | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minors | 39 | 46 | 129 | 664 | 650 | 320 | 341 | 4.36 |
| Majors | 104 | 107 | 407 | 1881 | 2000 | 839 | 571 | 4.01 |
| Total | 143 | 153 | 536 | 2545 | 2650 | 1159 | 912 | 4.18 |
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL All-Star (1962)
- AL Shutouts Leader (1963)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (1962)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1962)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 4 (1960-1963)
[edit] Sources
baseball-reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950's
SABR MILB Database:page
