Dickey Kerr

Dickey Kerr
Pitcher
Born: (1893-07-03)July 3, 1893
St. Louis, Missouri
Died: May 4, 1963(1963-05-04) (aged 69)
Houston, Texas
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 25, 1919, for the Chicago White Sox
Last MLB appearance
October 24, 1925, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record 53-34
Earned run average 3.84
Strikeouts 235
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Richard Henry "Dickey" Kerr (July 3, 1893 – May 4, 1963) was a starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox from 1919–1921. As a rookie, he won 13 games and both his starts in the 1919 World Series, which would lead to the permanent suspensions of eight of his teammates in the Black Sox Scandal. In later years, Kerr would receive praise for his honest play during the Series.

In 1921, he went 19-17 and led the league in giving up 357 hits in 308 2⁄3 innings pitched. After the season, he was suspended from organized baseball for violating the reserve clause in his contract.[1]

Kerr attempted a comeback in 1925, pitching in 12 games and compiling a record of 0-1 in 36 2⁄3 innings, mostly out of the bullpen. He finished his career with a record of 53 wins against 34 losses for a winning percentage of .609. His career ERA over three-plus seasons was 3.84.

After his playing days, Kerr was a coach and minor league manager. He was baseball coach at Rice University in 1927. Stan Musial played for Kerr while he was the manager of the Daytona Beach Islanders. But after Musial injured his pitching arm, his career was in serious jeopardy. Kerr allowed Musial and his family to live with him for the winter while he decided what to do. During this time, Kerr convinced Musial that he was a better hitting prospect than he had been as a pitcher. In 1958, by then an established star, the appreciative Musial used a significant amount of that season's salary to buy Kerr a new house. Mr. and Mrs. Musial named their son, Dick, after Mr. Kerr. [2] Dickey Kerr died in Houston, two months shy of his 70th birthday.

In the 1988 film Eight Men Out, about the Black Sox scandal, Kerr was portrayed by actor Jace Alexander. The film inaccurately portrayed[3] Kerr as a right-handed pitcher when in fact he was a lefty.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dickie Kerr Will Be Back With Sox
  2. ↑ Giglio, James (March 1, 2001). Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man. University of Missouri. p. 37. ISBN 978-0826217356.
  3. ↑ Goofs for Eight Men Out
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