Bill Griffin

William Clyde Griffin

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 185 lb.
• School Washington State University
• High School Richland (WA) High School

• Born February 14, 1935 in Omaha, NE USA
• Died June 17, 2024

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Bill Griffin pitched in the minor leagues and Nippon Pro Baseball.

Griffin began his professional career with the Eugene Emeralds in 1955, and he went 3-1 in 12 games in his first season. He was 14-7 with a 2.98 ERA for the Emeralds in 1956, and he also pitched 2 games for the Portland Beavers. He tied Ted Herrera for 8th in the Northwest League in wins, tied for 9th with 13 complete games, was 7th in IP (196), tied Evert Aldridge for second with 137 walks and was third with 190 K (behind Jerry Cade and Bill Bottler). Most importantly, he got married that year. Griffin had a 0-2 record for the Des Moines Bruins in 1957, and he didn't pitch in the minor leagues in 1958.

He then went 8-18 with a 5.05 ERA for the Tri-City Braves in 1959, tying for the NWL lead in losses, tying for 9th with 16 complete games and 9th with 123 strikeouts. He struggled again in 1960 as his ERA was 5.01 with a 5-8 record in 43 appearances for the Beavers, who had moved from A ball to AAA. He was two games shy of making the 1960 PCL top-ten in appearances. Griffin bounced back and had a 2-2 record with a 2.01 ERA in 22 appearances for the AAA Houston Buffs in 1961, and he also pitched 6 games for the Ardmore Rosebuds and 7 games with a 3.14 ERA for the Jacksonville Jets. He was 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA for the Beavers in 1962, and his ERA was 7.11 in 19 games for the Oklahoma City 89ers. The Kintetsu Buffaloes signed him, and he was 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 games in 1963 then he announced his retirement. He later worked for 40 years for McCall Oil, never taking a sick day.

Sources

• Obituary
• Wiki Japan