Monday, February 21, 2011

#482 Bob Priddy

#482 Bob Priddy
Given the sophomoric humor that is often associated with baseball players, I imagine that it couldn't have been easy being a pitcher named Priddy.

Fun facts about Bob Priddy:

-Bob was born in Pittsburgh and signed with the Pirates out of high school before the 1959 season.

-He debuted in the majors at age 22 on September 20, 1962, earning the win with a ninth inning of scoreless relief. He had entered with the Bucs trailing 3-1, and notched the victory when Bob Bailey hit a walkoff two-run double off of Cincinnati's Bill Henry.

-Priddy spent all of the 1963 season and all but two months of 1964 in the minors before being traded to the Giants. He allowed 2 runs in a 10.1 inning cameo in San Francisco in 1965.

-In 1966, he went 6-3 with a save and a 3.96 ERA out of the Giants bullpen in his first full big league season.

-The following year, Bob was traded to the Senators and set career bests with a 3.44 ERA and 4 saves in 46 games.

-His first career complete game came on August 23, 1967, as he five-hit the Red Sox at Fenway in a 3-2 Washington win.

-He was traded yet again in 1968, winding up in a swingman role for the White Sox. He took his lumps, compiling a 3-11 record and a 3.63 ERA in 114 innings.

-On June 19, 1968, Priddy hit his only career home run, a solo shot off of Luis Tiant of the Indians. It was the only run Tiant allowed in a 3-1 Tribe victory.

-After bouncing from Chicago to California to Atlanta in 1969, he finished his career with two so-so seasons in the Braves bullpen. In parts of 9 seasons he was 24-38 with 18 saves and a 4.00 ERA.

-His 18 saves are the most all-time for a native Pittsburgher.

#482 Bob Priddy (back)

3 comments:

  1. I like how Topps stuck that line into his stats about his batting avarage as a position plsyer his 1st year.

    And looking at his numbers in his first three years as a pitcher I wonder it there were second thoughts.

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  2. I've never seen batting stats printed this way. I had several Priddy cards (no pun intended) but not this one. I think the all time leader for unusual display of stats was the Cincinnati Red OF then pitcher Mel Queen. His 1967 card lists him as OF-P but only shows his batting stats. In 69 he is identified as a pitcher but on the back topps show both hitting and pitching stats.

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  3. Bob - I took a look at his career batting numbers: .137 AVG. He definitely made the right choice!

    Anon - How about Herb Washington's 1975 card? He is the only player ever listed as a pinch runner. The back shows only his running stats: Games, Runs, Stolen Bases, Caught Stealing.

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