Al Aber
Al Aber | |
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Pitcher | |
Born: Cleveland, Ohio | July 31, 1927|
Died: May 20, 1993 Garfield Heights, Ohio | (aged 65)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
September 15, 1950, for the Cleveland Indians | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 11, 1957, for the Kansas City Athletics | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 24–25 |
Earned run average | 4.18 |
Strikeouts | 169 |
Teams | |
Albert Julius Aber (July 31, 1927 – May 20, 1993), nicknamed Lefty, was a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played six years in the Major Leagues with the Cleveland Indians (1950, 1953), Detroit Tigers (1953–1957), and Kansas City Athletics (1957).
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Aber was signed as an amateur free agent by the Indians at age 19 in 1946.[1] He made his major league debut on September 15, 1950, pitching a complete game victory, allowing two runs.[1] He did not play another game in the big leagues until 1953, spending the 1951 and 1952 seasons in the minor leagues. He appeared in six games for the Indians in 1953, winning one and losing one, before being traded on June 15 to the Tigers with Steve Gromek, Ray Boone and Dick Weik for Art Houtteman, Owen Friend, Bill Wight, and Joe Ginsberg.[1] Aber spent the next five years with the Tigers, where he went 22–24 in five years.[1] His best statistical season was 1955, in which Aber appeared in 39 games and won 6, lost 3, and had an earned run average of 3.38.[1] He was then waived by the Tigers, and was picked up by the Kansas City Athletics, for whom he pitched in three games, his final appearance coming on September 11, 1957.[1]
In an interview in Sport magazine in June 1956, Tigers catcher Frank House complimented Aber for his "heavy" ball: "I could catch Billy (Hoeft) with a fielder's glove. Although he's fast, he throws a 'light' ball that makes it easy on the catcher. Al Aber, another leftie [sic] on our staff, is tough to catch because he throws a 'heavy' ball."
Aber became a sales representative after retiring, and died in 1993 at the age of 65 in Garfield Heights, Ohio.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Al Aber Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
- ^ Marazzi, Rich (2003). Baseball Players of the 1950s: A Biographical Dictionary of All 1,560 Major Leaguers. McFarland & Company. p. 7. ISBN 9781476604299.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)