Billy Loes
| Billy Loes | |||
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Loes in about 1953.
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: December 13, 1929 Long Island City, New York City, New York |
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Died: July 15, 2010 (aged 80) Tucson, Arizona |
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| MLB debut | |||
| May 18, 1950, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 14, 1961, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 80–63 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.89 | ||
| Strikeouts | 645 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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William Loes (December 13, 1929 – July 15, 2010) was an American right-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1950, 1952–56), Baltimore Orioles (1956–59) and San Francisco Giants (1960–61). He appeared in three World Series with the Dodgers, including the only one won by the franchise when it was based in Brooklyn in 1955.
In an 11-season career, Loes posted an 80–63 record with 645 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA in 1190.1 innings pitched. He made the American League All-Star team in 1957.
The book Carl Erskine's Tales from the Dodgers Dugout: Extra Innings (2004) includes short stories from former Dodger pitcher and teammate Carl Erskine. Loes is prominent in many of these stories.
Among Major League Baseball's video archives is a television broadcast of the sixth game of the 1952 World Series, of which Loes was one of the starting pitchers. During the game, announcer Red Barber states that Loes was the son of Greek immigrants who had changed his last name. Further, says Barber, Loes would not tell Barber what his original last name was because, according to Loes, Barber would be unable to pronounce, spell or remember that name.
Loes distinguished himself in several ways in the 1952 World Series. When asked how the Dodgers would fare, he predicted the Yankees would win in seven, but was misquoted as saying the Yankees would win in six. During the sixth game, he became the first pitcher in World Series history to commit a balk. In the seventh inning, he was starting his windup when the ball dropped from his hand. "Too much spit on it", he said later. Then a grounder hit by Yankee pitcher Vic Raschi bounced off his leg for a single, allowing a run to score. Afterward, he said he lost the ground ball in the sun.
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