Bud Daley
Encyclopedia
Leavitt Leo "Bud" Daley (born October 7, 1932 in Orange, California
), is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1955-1964.
Leavitt was his father's name. Leo was for St. Leo
from his mother's Catholicism
. He was called Bud because his mother was an only child and she always wanted a child like her cousin, Buddy Walker. As a player Daley made his home in Long Beach, California
. He was successful in public relations and a skilled speaker. In the offseason he once appeared in seventy-two towns in
six states.
Daley was a knuckleball
pitcher. who threw curves of two different speeds. He became an All-Star
pitcher in 1959 and 1960 for the Kansas City Athletics. During that two-year period, Daley won a total of 32 games, and was 3rd in the American League
with 16 wins in 1960. In June 1961, he was traded by Kansas City to the New York Yankees
, becoming an impact pitcher as the Yanks won the 1961 World Series
over the Cincinnati Reds
.
Daley was purchased by the Cleveland Indians
from the Sacramento Solons
of the Pacific Coast League
on August 18, 1955. The purchase price was not revealed. Daley received offers from five other major league clubs. He signed with the Indians because of his friendship with Bob Lemon
, whose children Daley used to babysit for.
He dropped his first major league start at Briggs Stadium in a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers
. Harvey Kuenn
hit an 8th inning home run in a game in which the Tigers reached Daley for nine of ten hits in the first six innings. Daley was optioned to the Indianapolis Indians
on July 4, 1956. On September 7 he was one of 7 players recalled from the American Association
farm team.
On March 31, 1958 Daley was traded, along with Gene Woodling
and Dick Williams
, to the Baltimore Orioles
, for Larry Doby
and Don Ferrarese
.
On April 18 Daley was traded to the Athletics for pitcher Arnie Portocarrero
.
Daley put together a 4 game win streak in 1959. On June 6 he beat the Orioles 5-1, for his 5th win of the season. He conceded five hits to Baltimore, and afterwards, had allowed only a single run in his previous four games. Casey Stengel
selected Daley as one of seven pitchers
he picked for the American League
All-Star team on July 2. Daley pitched a 5-hitter against the Orioles on July 21. The 8-1 win would have been a shutout except for a homer by Walt Dropo
, which Daley gave up with two out in the 9th inning. Kansas City earned its 6th straight victory with a 3-0, 4-hitter, thrown by Daley against Boston, on July 25. For the 7th place Athletics Daley achieved a 16-13 record with a 3.17 E.R.A. in 1959. On July 29 Daley was sidelined with an infected knee, which had hurt while sliding. His record was 11-6. He gained his 12th win against the Washington Senators
with relief help from Tom Sturdivant
. Daley concluded the 1959 season with a 16-13 record.
Bob Cerv
hit two home runs which assisted Daley in stopping a four game winning streak by the Detroit Tigers
, in May 1960. He earned his 10th victory of the season in June with an 11-7 decision over the Boston Red Sox
. He yielded 7 earned runs, 4 of them on 2 home runs and a run scoring single by Ted Williams
. Daley suffered his 16th setback against the Tigers on October 2, in a 6-4 loss. He had an equal number of wins.
He was traded to the New York Yankees after being relegated to the Kansas City bullpen during the 1961 season. The move impaired his effectiveness as a pitcher. Frank Lane
was responsible for trading Daley to the Athletics and then to the Yankees.
It is often rumoured that Daley was born naturally right-handed but developed polio as a child causing one arm to be shorter than the other. In fact Daley was born left-handed and his right arm and side are healthy. He did suffer temporary paralysis to his right arm after birth due to forceps pinching a nerve. However, massage and exercise restored the limb to health. Daley's mother, Mrs. E.G. Petzoldt, once said, No one wanted a baby more than I did. But Buddy was so crippled I didn't want him to live.. His right arm remained so crippled as an adult that he could barely raise it high enough to comb his hair. Despite a slightly withered right arm, Daley served as a fifth infielder, was competitive as a batter, shot golf in the low 80s, and was a proficient fisherman.
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
), is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1955-1964.
Leavitt was his father's name. Leo was for St. Leo
Pope Leo IV
Pope Saint Leo IV was pope from 10 April 847 to 17 July 855.A Roman by birth, he was unanimously chosen to succeed Sergius II. When he was elected, on 10 April 847, he was cardinal of Santi Quattro Coronati, and had been subdeacon of Gregory IV and archpriest under his predecessor...
from his mother's Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. He was called Bud because his mother was an only child and she always wanted a child like her cousin, Buddy Walker. As a player Daley made his home in Long Beach, California
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...
. He was successful in public relations and a skilled speaker. In the offseason he once appeared in seventy-two towns in
six states.
Daley was a knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
pitcher. who threw curves of two different speeds. He became an All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
pitcher in 1959 and 1960 for the Kansas City Athletics. During that two-year period, Daley won a total of 32 games, and was 3rd in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with 16 wins in 1960. In June 1961, he was traded by Kansas City to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, becoming an impact pitcher as the Yanks won the 1961 World Series
1961 World Series
The 1961 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds , with the Yankees winning in five games to earn their 19th championship in 39 seasons. This World Series was surrounded by Cold War political puns pitting the "Reds" against the "Yanks"...
over the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.
Daley was purchased by the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
from the Sacramento Solons
Sacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
on August 18, 1955. The purchase price was not revealed. Daley received offers from five other major league clubs. He signed with the Indians because of his friendship with Bob Lemon
Bob Lemon
Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976....
, whose children Daley used to babysit for.
He dropped his first major league start at Briggs Stadium in a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Edward Kuenn was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies . He batted and threw right-handed...
hit an 8th inning home run in a game in which the Tigers reached Daley for nine of ten hits in the first six innings. Daley was optioned to the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
on July 4, 1956. On September 7 he was one of 7 players recalled from the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
farm team.
On March 31, 1958 Daley was traded, along with Gene Woodling
Gene Woodling
Eugene Richard Woodling was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators , and the New York Mets in their expansion year of 1962...
and Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
, to the Baltimore Orioles
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...
, for Larry Doby
Larry Doby
Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball....
and Don Ferrarese
Don Ferrarese
Donald Hugh "Midget" Ferrarese is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1955 to 1962 with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. A left-handed thrower, he threw right-handed. An attendant of St...
.
On April 18 Daley was traded to the Athletics for pitcher Arnie Portocarrero
Arnie Portocarrero
Arnold Mario Portocarrero , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from -. He would play for the Philadelphia Athletics, Kansas City Athletics, and Baltimore Orioles.-External links:...
.
Daley put together a 4 game win streak in 1959. On June 6 he beat the Orioles 5-1, for his 5th win of the season. He conceded five hits to Baltimore, and afterwards, had allowed only a single run in his previous four games. Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
selected Daley as one of seven pitchers
he picked for the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
All-Star team on July 2. Daley pitched a 5-hitter against the Orioles on July 21. The 8-1 win would have been a shutout except for a homer by Walt Dropo
Walt Dropo
Walter Dropo , nicknamed "Moose", was an American college basketball standout and a professional baseball first baseman...
, which Daley gave up with two out in the 9th inning. Kansas City earned its 6th straight victory with a 3-0, 4-hitter, thrown by Daley against Boston, on July 25. For the 7th place Athletics Daley achieved a 16-13 record with a 3.17 E.R.A. in 1959. On July 29 Daley was sidelined with an infected knee, which had hurt while sliding. His record was 11-6. He gained his 12th win against the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
with relief help from Tom Sturdivant
Tom Sturdivant
Thomas Virgil Sturdivant II was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets...
. Daley concluded the 1959 season with a 16-13 record.
Bob Cerv
Bob Cerv
Robert Henry Cerv was an American baseball player. Prior to his professional career he was a standout baseball and basketball player at the University of Nebraska....
hit two home runs which assisted Daley in stopping a four game winning streak by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, in May 1960. He earned his 10th victory of the season in June with an 11-7 decision over the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. He yielded 7 earned runs, 4 of them on 2 home runs and a run scoring single by Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
. Daley suffered his 16th setback against the Tigers on October 2, in a 6-4 loss. He had an equal number of wins.
He was traded to the New York Yankees after being relegated to the Kansas City bullpen during the 1961 season. The move impaired his effectiveness as a pitcher. Frank Lane
Frank Lane
Frank Lane was an American executive in professional baseball, most notably serving as a general manager in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox, St...
was responsible for trading Daley to the Athletics and then to the Yankees.
It is often rumoured that Daley was born naturally right-handed but developed polio as a child causing one arm to be shorter than the other. In fact Daley was born left-handed and his right arm and side are healthy. He did suffer temporary paralysis to his right arm after birth due to forceps pinching a nerve. However, massage and exercise restored the limb to health. Daley's mother, Mrs. E.G. Petzoldt, once said, No one wanted a baby more than I did. But Buddy was so crippled I didn't want him to live.. His right arm remained so crippled as an adult that he could barely raise it high enough to comb his hair. Despite a slightly withered right arm, Daley served as a fifth infielder, was competitive as a batter, shot golf in the low 80s, and was a proficient fisherman.