Vern Bickford
| Vern Bickford | |||
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Bickford (left) with Johnny Sain and Warren Spahn
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: August 17, 1920 Hellier, Kentucky |
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Died: May 6, 1960 (aged 39) Richmond, Virginia |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 24, 1948, for the Boston Braves | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| April 24, 1954, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 66–57 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.71 | ||
| Strikeouts | 450 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
Vernon Edgell Bickford (August 17, 1920 – May 6, 1960) was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed starting pitcher, he played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves from 1948 to 1953 in the National League, and one game for the Baltimore Orioles of the American League in 1954.
Bickford was born in Kentucky but raised in West Virginia. He began his professional career in 1939 and, after serving in World War II, made the majors in 1949. Acquired by the Braves organization due to a flip of a coin, Bickford became one of the most promising National League pitchers during his playing career, earning All-Star honors in 1949 and leading the National League in complete games in 1950. However his career was soon shorted by multiple arm injuries, and he was out of baseball by 1955. After working an assortment of jobs, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1960 and died after a three-month illness.
He is best known for throwing a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 11, 1950.
Bickford was born in Hellier, Kentucky and raised in Berwind, West Virginia. He began playing semi-professional baseball in 1939 for a local West Virginian team, before signing with the Welch Minors of the Class-D Mountain State League the same year. He served three years in the armed forces during World War II where he later claimed "helped" improve his career, as he got pitching tips from several professional Major League ballplayers.
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