Blackie Schwamb
Encyclopedia
Ralph Richard "Blackie" Schwamb (August 6, 1926 in Lancaster, California
- December 21, 1989 in Los Angeles, California
), was a German-American professional baseball player who was a pitcher
in the Major Leagues in 1948. He played for the St. Louis Browns
where he pitched in 12 games was 1-1,7 strike outs and a ERA
of 8.53. After the 1948 season, Schwamb killed a Long Beach
doctor by the name of Dr. Donald Buge. Schwamb was doing the work to pay off a debt to Los Angeles mobster, Mickey Cohen
. His life is subject of Eric Stone's 2005 book Wrong Side of the Wall.
Lancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
- December 21, 1989 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
), was a German-American professional baseball player who was a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the Major Leagues in 1948. He played for the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
where he pitched in 12 games was 1-1,7 strike outs and a ERA
ERA
Era refers to a long period of historyERA or Era may also refer to:In games and sports:* Earned run average, a baseball statistic* Era Online, a computer game* English Racing Automobiles, a manufacturer of racing carsIn music:...
of 8.53. After the 1948 season, Schwamb killed a Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
doctor by the name of Dr. Donald Buge. Schwamb was doing the work to pay off a debt to Los Angeles mobster, Mickey Cohen
Mickey Cohen
Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen was a gangster based in Los Angeles and part of the Jewish Mafia, and also had strong ties to the American Mafia from the 1930s through 1960s.-Early life:...
. His life is subject of Eric Stone's 2005 book Wrong Side of the Wall.
External links
- An excerpt from the introduction of "Wrong Side of the Wall: The Life of Blackie Schwamb, the Greatest Prison Baseball Player of All Time", by Eric Stone.