Edson Garfield Bahr (October 16, 1919 – April 6, 2007) was a
Canadian-born professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
who appeared in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
in and . Bahr was born in
Rouleau, Saskatchewan
Rouleau is a town in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, located on the Canadian Prairies. It lies within census Division No. 6 and rural municipality Redburn No. 130.
As of 2011, the population was 453 (an increase of 13.3 percent from the 2006 ...
, but graduated from
West Seattle High School
West Seattle High School (known to students as "Westside") is a comprehensive public high school in Seattle's West Seattle neighborhood that serves grades nine through twelve as part of the Seattle Public Schools.
History and facilities
The s ...
in
Washington state
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
. He served in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Bahr batted and threw right-handed, stood tall and weighed . His professional career began in 1938 in the
Western International League
The Western International League was a mid- to higher-level minor league baseball circuit in the Pacific Northwest United States and western Canada that operated in 1922, 1937 to 1942 and 1946 to 1954. In 1955, the Western International League ev ...
and he was acquired by the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
' organization the following season. It was interrupted by three years (1942–1944) of U.S. Navy service. The Pirates acquired him from the Yankees after the 1945
minor-league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
campaign. In his
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
1946 season, Bahr worked in 27
games
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
, with 14
starts, and posted an 8–6
won–lost record, seven
complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
s, and a staff-best 2.63
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
in 136
innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
. But he was ineffective in 1947, was sent to
Triple-A Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
after July 4, and spent the remainder of his career in the minors, retiring after the 1950 season.
In his two-season
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
career, Bahr compiled an 11–11 record with 69
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s and a 3.37 ERA in 46 total appearances, including 25 starts and eight complete games. In 219 innings pitched, he allowed 210
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...
and 95
bases on balls
A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
.
Ed Bahr died at age 87 in
Fall City, Washington
Fall City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States, east of Seattle. The community lies along the Snoqualmie River and Raging River. The population was 1,993 at the 2010 census. ...
.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball players from Canada
This is a list of active baseball players who hold Canadian citizenship, who have played in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Active players
Awards and notable accomplishments
Baseball Hall of Fame
*Ferguson Jenkins, 1991
*Larry Walker, 2020
Most V ...
References
External links
The Globe and Mail
1919 births
2007 deaths
Augusta Tigers players
Baseball people from Saskatchewan
Big Spring Barons players
Binghamton Triplets players
Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States
El Paso Texans players
Idaho Falls Russets players
Indianapolis Indians players
Kansas City Blues (baseball) players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball players from Canada
People from Rouleau, Saskatchewan
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Portland Beavers players
St. Paul Saints (AA) players
Baseball players from Seattle
Vancouver Maple Leafs players
Wenatchee Chiefs players
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