Bill Henry (baseball, born 1927)
| Bill Henry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 15, 1927 Alice, Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: April 11, 2014 (aged 86) Round Rock, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1952, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 16, 1969, for the Houston Astros | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 46–50 |
| Earned run average | 3.26 |
| Strikeouts | 621 |
| Saves | 90 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
William Rodman Henry (October 15, 1927 – April 11, 2014) was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he appeared in Major League Baseball between 1952 and 1969 for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros. Henry was nicknamed "Gabby" by teammates for his quiet nature.[1]
After playing college baseball for the Houston Cougars, Henry began his career for the Red Sox in 1952, and was primarily a starter for the team.[2] Henry was the first from the University of Houston's baseball history to make it to the Major League. After a two-year absence from the Major Leagues, he returned to MLB as a relief pitcher for the Cubs in 1958. Henry would only make two starts the rest of his career.
As a reliever, Henry amassed 90 saves. He appeared in the 1960 All-Star Game, and pitched in the 1961 World Series while on the Cincinnati Reds.
Henry was released by the Houston Astros on June 28, 1969, ending his Major League career.
Henry was a victim of identity theft and his death was erroneously reported in August 2007 in a news story that was widely circulated.[3] He was contacted by baseball historian David Allen Lambert, who first reported his false death report to him. Henry resided in Deer Park, Texas, near Houston.[4] Bill Henry's story appeared in Sports Illustrated in Rick Reilly's "Life of Reilly" column entitled "The Passing of a Counterfeit Bill" (September 24, 2007, p. 76).
Henry died as a result of heart problems at the age of 86 on April 11, 2014, in Round Rock, Texas.[5]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Spink, C.C. Johnson, pub., The 1965 Official Baseball Register. St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1965, page 234
- ^ "Bill Henry Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved June 2, 2007.
- ^ "Untimely death". Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2007.
- ^ MyFox Houston, Houstonian, Former MLB Pitcher Bill Henry Still Alive, 2007-09-05, retrieved 2007-09-06
- ^ The Pasadena Citizen, Pasadena community loses a sports legend: Bill Henry dead at 86 Archived April 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, 2014-04-16, retrieved 2014-04-22
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
- Tampa Tribune - September 7, 2007
- Dallas Morning News - September 15, 2007
- Houston Chronicle - September 5, 2007
- Lakeland Ledger - September 5, 2007 Archived September 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Bill Henry at Baseball Almanac
- Pasadena Citizen - April 14, 2014
- Pasadena Independent School District - April 16, 2014
- 1927 births
- 2014 deaths
- Boston Red Sox players
- Charleston Senators players
- Chicago Cubs players
- Cincinnati Reds players
- Clarksdale Planters players
- Greenville Majors players
- Houston Astros players
- Houston Cougars baseball players
- Louisville Colonels (minor league) players
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Memphis Chickasaws players
- National League All-Stars
- Ohio State League players
- People from Alice, Texas
- People from Deer Park, Texas
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Portland Beavers players
- San Diego Padres (minor league) players
- San Francisco Giants players
- San Francisco Seals (baseball) players
- Shreveport Sports players
- Baseball players from Harris County, Texas
- Baseball players from Jim Wells County, Texas