John Robert Savage (December 1, 1921 – July 26, 2013) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played for the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

and St. Louis Browns of Major League Baseball (MLB) in parts of five seasons spanning 1942–1949. Listed at and , he batted and threw right-handed.

Biography

Savage was born in 1921 in Manchester, New Hampshire. He originally signed with the

in 1942, making his major league debut on June 24. Like many other players of the era, his career was interrupted by World War II. He served in the United States Army with the

3rd Infantry Regiment The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is ' ...

, where he received three Purple Heart awards.Baseball in Wartime – Bob Savage
/ref> Following his discharge from military service, Savage returned to the Athletics in 1946, pitching for them during three seasons before joining the St. Louis Browns in 1949, his last major league season. He then continued to pitch in the minor leagues until 1953. After retiring from baseball, Savage worked for Wilson Sporting Goods before opening his own sporting goods store. He also taught physical education at Gorham High School in New Hampshire. He also went into politics, serving two terms as Clerk of the Probate Court of Coös County, New Hampshire, retiring in 1986. Savage died in

Berlin, New Hampshire Berlin ( ) is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coös County in northern New Hampshire, United States. It is the northernmost city in New Hampshire. The population was 9,425 at the 2020 census, down from 10,051 at the 2010 census. It ...

, in 2013 at the age of 91.Bob Savage at Baseball Almanac
/ref>

Sources

External links

Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society – Bob Savage tells his story
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savage, Bob 1921 births 2013 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II Baseball players from Manchester, New Hampshire Major League Baseball pitchers People from Coös County, New Hampshire Philadelphia Athletics players St. Louis Browns players San Diego Padres (minor league) players San Francisco Seals (baseball) players Staunton Military Academy alumni Yakima Bears players Military personnel from New Hampshire