Edward Marvin Head (January 25, 1918 – January 31, 1980) was a professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1940 to 1946.David Finoli (2002) ''For the Good of the Country: World War II Baseball in the Major and Minor Leagues.'' Jefferson, N.C.: MacFarland & Company Publishers, p. 266. Head was notable for a number of reasons, one of them was the physical challenges he overcame to become a major league baseball player. A natural left-handed pitcher, at the age of 15, Head was involved in a vehicle accident that killed his girlfriend and almost resulted in the amputation of his left arm. After hours of surgery, Head's arm was saved but he could no longer use it to pitch, so he switched and became a right handed pitcher. Head joined the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

in 1940 and after compiling a record of 1–2, was sent back to the minor leagues for additional development. He returned in 1942 and was promoted to the team's starting rotation where he went 10–6 for the season. In 1943, he was not as effective, his record was 9–10, but he recovered in 1944 starting the season 4–3 with a career low ERA of 2.70 before he entered the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

to fulfill his service obligation.

After serving in the Army and not pitching in the majors for most of 1944 and all of 1945, Head

no-hit In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

the

Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...

5–0 at

Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team of the National League (1913–1957). It was also home to five p ...

on April 23, 1946, in his first start of the season. Several weeks later, Head injured his right arm and did not pitch for the remainder of the season. He failed to make the major league club in spring training of 1947, and never pitched in the majors again, his no-hitter being one of the last games he ever pitched. Head managed the

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in differen ...

minor league baseball club in 1949. Head died on January 31, 1980, at age 62.

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* : {{DEFAULTSORT:Head, Ed 1918 births 1980 deaths Major League Baseball pitchers Asheville Tourists managers Baseball players from Louisiana Brooklyn Dodgers players Jackson Senators players Abbeville A's players Elmira Pioneers players Montreal Royals players Fort Worth Cats players St. Paul Saints (AA) players People from Grant Parish, Louisiana United States Army personnel of World War II

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