Giles Knowles

Giles F. Knowles

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 170 lb.

• Born October 22, 1917 in Greenbush, WI USA
• Died June 24, 2007 in Plymouth, WI USA

BR register page

Biographical Information

Giles Knowles played in the minor leagues from 1939 to 1947, going 68-68 on the mound. He also hit .207 at the plate but was not used in the field regularly. He worked during part of World War II in a munitions factory.

Giles debuted with the 1939 Rayne Rice Birds. In 1940, he was 5-7 with a 3.94 ERA for the Sheboygan Indians. He had a 13-7, 3.24 record for Sheboygan the next year. Knowles turned in a big year in 1942 with the Indians, going 21-5 with a 2.62 ERA. He led the Wisconsin State League in both wins and strikeouts (261 in 240 IP).

Moving up to the 1943 Norfolk Tars, Knowles fell to 3-9 despite a 3.00 ERA. In 1944, he struggled in his first A ball season, going 5-12 with a 4.59 ERA for the Binghamton Triplets. During 1945, the right-hander pitched briefly for the Kansas City Blues (0-1, 3.60) and spent most of the year with two Pacific Coast League teams, going a combined 8-7 with a 4.29 ERA. He had spent the full year in AA, then the highest level of minor league baseball. Unfortunately, players returning from wartime service took many jobs in 1946, hurting Knowles' chances.

Knowles went a combined 9-12 for three clubs in 1946, including a brief look from the San Diego Padres in AAA, the replacement for the old AA. In 1947, he only had a 4-8, 4.59 record for the Lancaster Red Roses to end his career.