Franklin Delano Roosevelt "Ted" Wieand (April 4, 1933 – July 7, 2021) 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 ...

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 six

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 ...

(all 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 ...

) 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), ...

(

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), ...

) over parts of two seasons ( and ) for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

. Born in

Walnutport, Pennsylvania Walnutport is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. It was first incorporated in 1909. The population of Walnutport was 2,067 at the 2020 census. Walnutport is located along the Lehigh River and is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolita ...

, he threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed .

Early career

Wieand signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1952. On December 5, 1957, he was traded to the Cincinnati Redlegs (as the Reds were then called) with fellow pitchers

Marty Kutyna Marion John "Marty" Kutyna (born November 14, 1932) is an American former right-handed pitcher in professional baseball. Kutyna spent three full seasons in Major League Baseball, pitching almost exclusively in relief. He stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, ...

and

Willard Schmidt Willard Raymond Schmidt (May 29, 1928 – March 22, 2007) was an American professional baseball player, a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between 1952 and 1959. Listed at , , Schmidt batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Hays, ...

for young centerfielder Curt Flood and another outfielder, Joe Taylor. Flood became a three-time All-Star in St. Louis, a key member of three

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 ...

champions and winner of two

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

rings (; ). Moreover, he changed the game of baseball by his 1969 legal challenge of the transfer system and reserve clause, eventually resulting in the Curt Flood Act of 1998, which limits Major League Baseball's antitrust exemption in labor matters.

Major League Baseball

1958 season

Wieand made his MLB debut on September 27, 1958, facing the

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 ...

County Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened in 1953, it was primarily a baseball park for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves and later the Milwaukee Brewers. It was also used for Green Bay Packer ...

. He came into the game in the fourth

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...

in relief of Cincinnati starter

Jay Hook James Wesley Hook (born November 18, 1936) is an American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1957 through 1964, Hook played for the Cincinnati Reds (1957–61) and New York Mets (1962–64). He batted left-handed and threw r ...

. He pitched the fourth and fifth frames, giving up four

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 two runs, including a

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 ...

to Frank Torre—the first MLB batter he faced. He also

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 denot ...

two, with Hall of Famer Warren Spahn being his first victim.

1960 season

Wieand did not appear in the major leagues again until April 14, 1960, when he faced 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 ...

at Forbes Field. He entered the game in the eighth inning to mop up and retired Pittsburgh in order, as the Pirates drubbed the Reds, 13–0. Wieand next worked three days later in another game against the Pirates at Forbes Field. He came into the contest in the bottom of the ninth inning to preserve a 5–4 Reds' lead. After

Don Hoak Donald Albert Hoak (February 5, 1928 – October 9, 1969), nicknamed "Tiger", was an American professional baseball third baseman and coach. He played eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (–) for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Cin ...

grounded out, Dick Groat singled to center. The next batter, Bob Skinner, slammed a home run to give the Pirates a 6–5 victory and Wieand his first and only major league decision. Three days later, he again appeared against the Braves at County Stadium. He came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Reds trailing 4–1. He gave up one hit, one

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ov ...

, and one strikeout. The hold was significant, however, as Cincinnati came back to win, 10–5, by scoring nine runs in the game's final three innings; Raúl Sánchez received credit for the victory. Two days later, Wieand came into a game against the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

Connie Mack Stadium Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a ballpark located in Philadelphia. It was the home of the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League (AL) and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League (NL). When it opened April 12, ...

in the eighth inning in a mop-up role with the Phillies leading the Reds, 10–6. Two days later, against the same Phillies and in the same stadium, he made his final appearance in the majors. He entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning to replace

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

Bob Purkey Robert Thomas Purkey (July 14, 1929 – March 16, 2008) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball known for his use of the knuckleball. From 1954 through 1966, Purkey played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds / Redle ...

. The Reds were leading 5–4, but the Phillies were threatening with runners on second and third with no one out. Wieand intentionally walked

Harry Anderson Harry Laverne Anderson (October 14, 1952 – April 16, 2018) was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984–1992 television series '' Night Court''. He later starred in the ...

to load the bases. But the gambit backfired when Wieand was unable to find the plate, and walked

Joe Koppe Joseph Koppe (October 19, 1930 – September 27, 2006), born Joseph Kopchia, was an American professional baseball shortstop, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Angels. Car ...

to force in the tying run. The next batter,

Jimmie Coker Jimmie Goodwin Coker (March 28, 1936 – October 29, 1991) was an American professional baseball catcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (, –), San Francisco Giants (), and Cincinnati Reds (–). A nativ ...

, slammed his second career home run and the first grand slam of his career to give the Phillies an insurmountable 9–5 lead, with Purkey charged with the defeat.Retrosheet Box score (24 April 1960, Game 1): "Philadelphia Phillies 9, Cincinnati Reds 5"
/ref> In his six MLB games, Wieand allowed eight hits and five walks in 6⅓

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 fanned five. Three of the eight hits he permitted were home runs. His pitching career continued in the

minor leagues 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 Nor ...

through 1962.

Personal life

Weiand was a longtime resident of

Slatington, Pennsylvania Slatington is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census, it had a population of 4,232. Slatington is located northwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania ...

, where he graduated from high school in 1951. He died on July 7, 2021, in an

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...

, hospital at age 88.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wieand, Ted 1933 births 2021 deaths Allentown Cardinals players Amarillo Gold Sox players American expatriate baseball players in Cuba Baseball players from Indiana Baseball players from Pennsylvania Cincinnati Redlegs players Cincinnati Reds players Columbus Cardinals players Havana Sugar Kings players Houston Buffaloes players Jersey City Jerseys players Major League Baseball pitchers Richmond Virginians (minor league) players Seattle Rainiers players Sportspeople from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Winston-Salem Cardinals players