Ed Fitz Gerald
| Ed Fitz Gerald | |
|---|---|
 Ed Fitz Gerald in 1948 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: May 21, 1924 Santa Ynez, California, U.S. | |
| Died: June 14, 2020 (aged 96) Citrus Heights, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1948, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 15, 1959, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .260 |
| Home runs | 19 |
| Runs batted in | 217 |
| Teams | |
Edward Raymond Fitz Gerald (May 21, 1924 – June 14, 2020) was an American professional baseball player and coach. A former catcher, he appeared in 807 games played in Major League Baseball over 12 seasons (1948–1959) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians. Fitz Gerald attended Saint Mary's College of California and served in the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations in World War II[1] before beginning his professional career in 1946.
Fitz Gerald threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 170 pounds (77 kg) during his playing days. Used primarily in a backup role throughout his career, he exceeded 100 games played as a rookie with the 1948 Pirates (102 games), and again with the 1954 Senators (115). Fitz Gerald ended his career with a .260 batting average, 82 doubles, ten triples, 19 home runs, 217 runs batted in and 542 hits.
While with the Pirates, Fitz Gerald caught Cliff Chambers' no-hitter on May 6, 1951.[2] As a Washington Senator, he also broke up Chicago White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce's bid for a perfect game on June 27, 1958 by doubling with two out in the ninth.[3]
Following his retirement as an active player, Fitz Gerald coached in the American League from 1960–1964 for the Indians, Kansas City Athletics and Minnesota Twins, and briefly managed the Fresno Giants of the Class A California League.
He died on June 14, 2020.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Those Who Served". Baseball in Wartime. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ Baseball Reference
- ^ Retrosheet
- ^ "Edward FitzGerald". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
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- 1924 births
- 2020 deaths
- Baseball coaches from California
- Cleveland Indians coaches
- Cleveland Indians players
- Indianapolis Indians players
- Kansas City Athletics coaches
- Major League Baseball catchers
- Major League Baseball first base coaches
- Military personnel from California
- Minnesota Twins coaches
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Sacramento Solons players
- Saint Mary's Gaels baseball players
- Baseball players from Santa Barbara County, California
- United States Army personnel of World War II
- Washington Senators (1901–1960) players
- Wenatchee Chiefs players
- American baseball catcher stubs