Hugh Thomas Casey (October 14, 1913 – July 3, 1951) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Cubs (1935), Brooklyn Dodgers (1939–42 and 1946–48), Pittsburgh Pirates (1949), and New York Yankees (1949).
| Hugh Casey | |
|---|---|
 Casey in 1948 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 14, 1913 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
| Died: July 3, 1951 (aged 37) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 29, 1935, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 23, 1949, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 75–42 |
| Earned run average | 3.45 |
| Strikeouts | 349 |
| Saves | 54 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Baseball career
editCasey was born in Atlanta in 1913. He started his professional baseball career with the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association at the age of 18. Except for a brief stint with the Chicago Cubs in 1935, he pitched mostly in the minor leagues from 1932 to 1938.[1]
After going 13–14 for Memphis in 1938, Casey was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers.[1][2] He was a starter and reliever for the Dodgers from 1939 to 1941, winning over 10 games each season.[2] In 1941, Casey helped the Dodgers win the National League championship. He is perhaps best known for an alleged wild pitch that he threw in the ninth inning of Game 4 in the 1941 World Series which precipitated a New York Yankees rally. Catcher Mickey Owen thought that the pitch was a spitball, but Casey always swore it was not. Officially, the play was recorded as a passed ball.[3] Brooklyn lost the game and, eventually, the series. Casey went 0–2.
Casey was used mostly as a reliever in 1942 and led the league in saves.[2] In January 1943, during World War II, Casey entered the United States Navy.[4] He was discharged in December 1945.[4] Upon his return to the Dodgers, he had two good seasons in 1946 and 1947. In 1947, Casey led the National League in saves for the second time.[5] He pitched well in the 1947 World Series, going 2–0 with a save, but the Dodgers lost in seven games.
Like many of the colorful Dodger players during that era, Casey had his share of adventure. His teammates later recalled a time in which he sparred with writer Ernest Hemingway in Hemingway's house.[6]
After 1947, Casey lost his effectiveness, and his major league career ended in 1949. He went 10–4 for his old team, the Crackers, in 1950; Atlanta won the pennant.
Later life
editTowards the end of his life, Casey ran a restaurant in Brooklyn.[7]
On July 3, 1951, Casey died in Atlanta from a self-inflicted shotgun blast to the neck while his estranged wife was pleading with him on the phone.[7] Casey was upset that he had recently been named as the father of a child by another woman in a paternity suit. He was 37 years old.[8]
Casey was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Hugh Casey Minor Leagues Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Hugh Casey Stats". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- ^ "1941 World Series Game 4, Yankees at Dodgers, October 5". baseball-reference.com. sports-reference.com. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Baseball in Wartime – Hugh Casey". BaseballinWartime.com. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ^ "1947 Dodgers: Jackie Robinson's first game". sabr.org. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ Golenbock, Peter (2002). Bums: An Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications. pp. 44–46. ISBN 9780486477350. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ a b Wolinsky, Russell. "Hugh Casey". sabr.org. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- ^ "Hugh Casey Commits Suicide". The Telegraph Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. Associated Press (AP). July 3, 1951. p. 7. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
- The Editors of Total Baseball (2000). Baseball:The Biographical Encyclopedia. Sports Illustrated. pp. 182–183. ISBN 1-892129-34-5.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help)
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Hugh Casey at The Deadball Era
- Hugh Casey at Find a Grave