Leslie Cain (born January 13, 1948) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

former

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 ...

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), ...

who played 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 ...

. He batted and threw left-handed. In a four-season career, Cain posted a 23–19 record with 303 strikeouts and a 3.98

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 ...

(ERA) in 373 innings. Cain was a promising pitcher who had his career cut short by an arm injury.

Baseball career

In his 1968

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 ...

season with the Detroit Tigers, he went 1–0 with a 3.00

(ERA) in eight appearances, including four starts, but he was out the following season after developing arm problems. In 1970 Cain recorded 12 victories and 156

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 in 180

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 ...

, and finished 1971 with a 10–9 mark in 145 innings. On August 28, 1971, Cain hit the last

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 ...

by a Tigers pitcher before 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 ...

adopted the

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

rule in 1973. A Tiger pitcher did not hit a home run again until 2005.

Workman's compensation case

Cain contended he was forced to pitch by Detroit

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

Billy Martin Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...

while he had a sore arm. Cain later claimed that it did permanent damage to his arm and he sued the Tigers. In a landmark decision, the Michigan Bureau of Workman's Compensation ordered the Tigers to pay Cain $111 a week for the rest of his life.

Personal life

Cain married Vera Nell Washington in 1968. He has a son, Brian Earl Cain, and a grandson, Brian Earl Cain, Jr.

References

External links

Baseball Almanac
1948 births Living people African-American baseball players Detroit Tigers players Major League Baseball pitchers Daytona Beach Islanders players Toledo Mud Hens players Montgomery Rebels players Phoenix Giants players Baseball players from California People from San Luis Obispo, California 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople {{US-baseball-pitcher-1940s-stub