Gordon Ralph Maltzberger (September 4, 1912 – December 11, 1974) was an American

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 ...

player. The native of

Utopia, Texas Utopia is a census-designated place (CDP) in Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 227 at the 2010 census. History Karl Burkli of Zurich, Switzerland, one of the early Swiss Socialists, had moved to Texas in 1855 to take part ...

, was a right-handed

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

over parts of four seasons (1943–1944 and 1946–47) with the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

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), ...

, and led the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

in saves (14) and (12) over his first two

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), ...

seasons. Maltzberger was listed as tall and . He spent much of his

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 ...

pitching career in the top-level

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

. After brief stints with the 1932

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

and 1934

Hollywood Stars The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles-based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels. Hollywood Stars (192 ...

, he put in seven full seasons from 1936–1942 in other, lower-classification leagues before making the White Sox in during the midst of the

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 ...

manpower shortage. At the time, Maltzberger was one of the few baseball players who wore glasses and may not have had a big-league trial if it were not for the fact many players had joined the military in support of the war. He would also serve in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

in 1945, missing that season. For his MLB career, he compiled a 20–13 record in 135 appearances, all in relief, with 33 career saves (not yet an official statistic) and a 2.70

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 293

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 ...

, he allowed 258 hits and 74

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 ...

, with 136

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.Gordon Maltzberger at Baseball Reference
/ref> Maltzberger returned to the minors in 1948 and enjoyed six successful seasons with the Hollywood Stars. He then managed in 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 ...

Milwaukee Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bost ...

and White Sox

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

s and served as the

pitching coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

of the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

for three seasons. He died in Rialto, California, at the age of 62. He was buried at the Hermosa Memorial Cemetery in Colton, California.''Baseball Necrology''
/ref>

References

External links

* 1912 births 1974 deaths Atlanta Crackers players Baseball players from Texas Chicago White Sox players Chicago White Sox scouts Dallas Rebels players Hollywood Stars players Jackson Senators players Knoxville Smokies players Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players Macon Peaches players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball pitching coaches Milwaukee Braves scouts Minnesota Twins coaches Minor league baseball managers New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players People from Uvalde County, Texas St. Jean Canadians players Shreveport Sports players Sportspeople from Rialto, California United States Army personnel of World War II {{US-baseball-pitcher-1910s-stub

See also

References

External links