Cal Abrams
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Cal Abrams (born March 2, 1924, in Philadelphia, PA; died February 25, 1997, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) was an American left-handed major league baseball player.
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[edit] Baseball career
Abrams was signed by Joe Labate, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, out of James Madison High School in Brooklyn in 1942, and assigned to the Olean Oilers of the Class D PONY League.
He played in 19 games that season.
In January 1943 was inducted into the Army. He was assigned to Battery B 500th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, and served in Europe and the Pacific with 2 battle stars in the Pacific. He was also awarded the Philippines Liberation Ribbon with 1 bronze star. He was released from the service in January 1946.
He then played for the Danville Dodgers in the Class B Three-I League for the 1946 season. The next two seasons, Abrams was with the Mobile Bears in the Class AA Southern Association.
Abrams was making just $90 a month in the minors when he got married in 1947, and the most he ever made was $22,000 a year with the Baltimore Orioles.[1]
On April 20, 1949, he made his major league debut with the Dodgers, and then was sent to the Fort Worth Cats of the AA Texas League for the rest of the season. He split 1950 between the St. Paul Saints of the AAA American Association and the Dodgers.
On October 1, 1950, the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were playing a game that would determine which team would win the National League pennant. In the 9th inning, with the game tied 1-1, Abrams was on second base when Duke Snider hit a single into the outfield. He was waved home by 3rd base coach Milt Stock, and was gunned down at the plate by Phillies center fielder (and future Hall of Famer) Richie Ashburn. The play resulted in the preservation of the 1-1 tie, and facilitated the Phils' Dick Sisler's 10th inning pennant-winning home run. Stock was fired after the season for his decision to wave Abrams home.[2]
In 1951 he had a .419 obp.
In June 1952 he was traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Cincinnati Reds for Rudy Rufer and cash.
In October 1952 he was traded by the Cincinnati Reds with Gail Henley and Joe Rossi to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Gus Bell.
In 1953 he hit 15 home runs, his career high.
In May 1954 he was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Baltimore Orioles for Dick Littlefield.
In 1954 he was 7th in the AL with a .400 obp, and 10th in the league with 7 triples.
In 1955 he had a .413 obp, and was 8th in the league in walks with 89.
On October 18, 1955, he was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago White Sox for Bobby Adams.
He remained in the major leagues into the 1956 season, when he was sent to the Miami Marlins in the AAA International League.
The next year Abrams retired from play.
In all of his minor league seasons, his lowest batting average was .331.
He played in 567 major league games with the Dodgers, Reds, Pirates, Orioles, and White Sox.
[edit] Death
Abrams died in 1997, after suffering a heart attack. He was buried in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform.
[edit] Hall of Fame
In 1996 he was inducted into the B'nai B'rith Jewish American Sports Hall of Fame, in Washington, D.C.
[edit] Miscellaneous
- He primarily wore number 18.
- Abrams was Jewish.
[edit] Links
Categories: 1924 births | 1997 deaths | People from Philadelphia | Major league players from Pennsylvania | Major league pitchers | Cincinnati Reds players | Brooklyn Dodgers players | Pittsburgh Pirates players | Baltimore Orioles players | Chicago White Sox players | Jewish baseball players | American baseball players | Jewish American sportspeople
