Kenneth Faye McBride (born August 12, 1935) is an American former

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 ...

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and

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. The

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

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 ...

worked in 151

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, 122 as a starter, 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

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 ...

(1959–1960) and

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 ...

(1961–1965). A three-time

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All-Star, he was listed as tall and .

Early life

Kenneth McBride was born on August 12, 1935, in

Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. His parents were Clifton McBride and Mona Cope, both Tennessee natives. McBride was raised in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and attended West High School from 1949 to 1953 where he played baseball and basketball.Gordon, Peter M., ''Ken McBride.''

Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New ...

Biography Project

Professional career

McBride was signed by the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

after he graduated from high school. In 1954, his first pro season, he won 18 of 26 decisions in the Class D

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...

, and was named to the loop's All-Star team. He moved up through the Red Sox organization but got no further than the Double-A level. Finally, in , the White Sox purchased his contract. On August 4, 1959, McBride made his major league debut, starting against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

at Memorial Stadium. In 7

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 gave up three runs (one earned) and was the losing pitcher in the 3–2 game. He gave up five hits,

struck out 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 denote ...

three, and walked seven. Overall, he appeared in 16 games for Chicago during trials in both 1959 and , but was winless in two decisions and then left exposed in the

1960 Major League Baseball expansion draft The 1960 MLB expansion draft was held by Major League Baseball on December 14, 1960, to fill the rosters of the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators. The Angels and Senators (who later became the Texas Rangers) were new franchises that ...

in mid-December. He was the Angels' seventh selection (13th overall) in the lottery.

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proved to be a huge boon for McBride's career. He became a mainstay of the Angels' starting pitching staff from through , reaching double figures in games won in all three years, throwing 28

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 exceeding 240 innings pitched in both 1961 and 1963. During those three years, he made 95 starts, had a 36–32 record, seven

shutouts In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

, and a 3.46

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 ...

. He finished in the league's top ten twice for

games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opposing batter. If a player is lis ...

s, and

, and once for

winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

strikeouts 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 ...

, shutouts, and

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. He gave up

Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 ...

' 50th

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

of 1961, but still won the game, 4–3. McBride was named to the 1961, and 1963 American League All-Star teams, and was the starting pitcher for the Junior Circuit in the 1963 midsummer classic, played in his home city of Cleveland. He went three

innings An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). Innings, in cricket, and rounders, is bot ...

and allowed three earned runs on four hits, but exited with the game tied at three. Allowed to bat in the second inning of the contest, McBride delivered an RBI

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to score Angel teammate

Leon Wagner Leon Lamar Wagner (May 13, 1934 – January 3, 2004) was an American professional baseball left fielder who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants (–, ), St. Louis Cardinals (), Los Angeles Angels (–), Cleveland Indi ...

and tie the game, 1–1. The

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

went on to defeat McBride's squad 5–3, with future

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Jim Bunning James Paul David Bunning (October 23, 1931 – May 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher and politician who represented Kentucky in both chambers of the United States Congress. He was the sole Major League Baseball athlete to ha ...

, then a pitcher for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

, taking the loss in

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

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br>box score: 1963 MLB All-Star Game, 1963-07-09
/ref> McBride began in the Angel rotation, but injured his arm in his second starting assignment. The injury proved disastrous. He appeared in 37 games for the Angels in 1964–1965, but posted a poor 4–16 record with an

of 5.40, and his career came to an abrupt end. During his seven-year MLB pitching career, McBride compiled a ledger that included 40 wins, 50 losses, 503

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 an

of 3.79. In 807 innings pitched, he allowed 717 hits and 363 walks. Twice in his career he led the American League in hit batsmen (14 in 1963 and 16 in 1964). He hit 49 batters in his career, an average of almost one per every 16 innings pitched.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, McBride remained in the game as a minor and major league pitching coach. He began his coaching career with various minor league coaching positions in the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

system. He later served as the pitching coach on

Del Crandall Delmar Wesley Crandall (March 5, 1930May 5, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He was born in Ontario, California. Crandall played as a catcher in Major League Baseball and spent most of his career with the Boston / ...

coaching staff for part of and all of . McBride retired from coaching in 1975, citing the lack of consistent pay for coaches at the time.

Personal life

McBride married Catherine Weir in July 1955 while he was with the Corning Red Sox. After he retired from baseball coaching, McBride moved back to Cleveland to raise his family and start a construction company. He is a fan of the

Cleveland Guardians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:McBride, Ken 1935 births Living people American League All-Stars Baseball players from Alabama Baseball players from Cleveland Bluefield Blue-Grays players Chicago White Sox players Corning Red Sox players Greensboro Patriots players Indianapolis Indians players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball pitching coaches Memphis Chickasaws players Milwaukee Brewers coaches Oklahoma City Indians players San Diego Padres (minor league) players San Jose Bees players