Harry Feldman
Encyclopedia
Harry "Hank" Feldman was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played for the New York Giants
from 1941 to 1946. In 1962, at age 42, the 6' 0", 175 lb (79.4 kg). right-hander had a massive heart attack while tending his boat at Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma, and died.
-Jewish father and a Polish-Jewish mother.
Feldman attended Clark Junior High School in the Bronx. He pitched two no-hitter
s in high school. He took off from his job at a shirt factory, and went to try out for the New York Giants. After three days of not getting a glance, he went to manager Bill Terry
and asked for an opportunity. The team was impressed enough to sign Feldman.
(Arkansas) Giants in 1938. He dominated the Northeast Arkansas League
with a 13–1 record and 2.02 ERA, the best ERA and winning percentage in the league. He was promoted to the Fort Smith Giants of the Western Association
, and went 7–7 with a 3.98 ERA his first season there. In 1939 he improved to 25–9, one win behind the league lead.
In 1940 Feldman was 5–13 with a 3.64 ERA for the Jersey City Giants, and in 1941 with the team he went 14–16 with a 3.42 ERA. In his two seasons in town, 18 of his 29 losses were by a single run.
He won his first major league
game in his second start, a 4–0 shutout
over the Boston Braves
in the second game of a doubleheader
at the Polo Grounds
(September 21, 1941).
He was turned down by the Army due to evidence of his having had TB as a child.
Early in 1944 he decided to temporarily leave the team due to his wife's poor health and his mother's death. He returned and became a mainstay of the New York rotation for the next couple of seasons.
In 1944 he was 9th in the NL with 40 games pitched.
In 1945 he was 6th in the NL in games started (30) and shutouts (3), and 9th in innings (217.7) and batters faced (933). He was 12–13, with a 3.27 ERA.
His career totals include a 35–35 record, 143 games pitched
, 78 starts, 22 complete games, 6 shutouts, 28 games finished
, and 3 saves
. In 666 innings pitched
he struck out 254, walked 300, and had an earned run average
of 3.80.
In 1946 he joined what became a total of 27 major league players, including Max Lanier
, Mickey Owens, Vern Stephens and George Hausmann, in jumping to the "outlaw" Mexican League. Feldman signed with the Veracruz
Blues, along with teammate and friend Ace Adams
. The players who had jumped to the Mexican League had trouble getting back into organized baseball. The following year he played in Havana, Cuba. In 1949 he pitched for a while in the Provincial League for Sherbrooke, Quebec, and then moved to San Francisco where he pitched his last two seasons with the San Francisco Seals, going 6–9 with a 4.31 ERA in 1949 and 11–16 with a 4.38 ERA in 1950. He retired after that season at age 30.
Feldman was 8th lifetime in ERA of all Jewish major league pitchers through 2010, behind among others Sandy Koufax
and Ken Holtzman
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
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...
who played for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
from 1941 to 1946. In 1962, at age 42, the 6' 0", 175 lb (79.4 kg). right-hander had a massive heart attack while tending his boat at Lake Tenkiller, Oklahoma, and died.
Early life
Feldman was Jewish, the son of a RomanianRomanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
-Jewish father and a Polish-Jewish mother.
Feldman attended Clark Junior High School in the Bronx. He pitched two no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s in high school. He took off from his job at a shirt factory, and went to try out for the New York Giants. After three days of not getting a glance, he went to manager Bill Terry
Bill Terry
William Harold Terry was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee...
and asked for an opportunity. The team was impressed enough to sign Feldman.
Minor league career
Feldman pitched for the BlythevilleBlytheville, Arkansas
Blytheville is the largest city in and one of the two county seats of Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 15,620 at the 2010 census....
(Arkansas) Giants in 1938. He dominated the Northeast Arkansas League
Northeast Arkansas League
The Northeast Arkansas League was the name used by a pair of American minor league baseball leagues. The first of these started operations in 1909 and continued through 1911. The second version began operations for the 1936 season. It continued through the 1941 season.-1909:The teams from...
with a 13–1 record and 2.02 ERA, the best ERA and winning percentage in the league. He was promoted to the Fort Smith Giants of the Western Association
Western Association
The Western Association was the name of five different leagues in American minor league baseball during the 19th and 20th centuries.The oldest league, originally established as the Northwestern League in 1883, was refounded as the Western Association on October 28, 1887...
, and went 7–7 with a 3.98 ERA his first season there. In 1939 he improved to 25–9, one win behind the league lead.
In 1940 Feldman was 5–13 with a 3.64 ERA for the Jersey City Giants, and in 1941 with the team he went 14–16 with a 3.42 ERA. In his two seasons in town, 18 of his 29 losses were by a single run.
Major league career
Feldman did the bulk of his pitching for the Giants during the World War II years (1942–45).He won his first major league
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
game in his second start, a 4–0 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
over the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the second game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
(September 21, 1941).
He was turned down by the Army due to evidence of his having had TB as a child.
Early in 1944 he decided to temporarily leave the team due to his wife's poor health and his mother's death. He returned and became a mainstay of the New York rotation for the next couple of seasons.
In 1944 he was 9th in the NL with 40 games pitched.
In 1945 he was 6th in the NL in games started (30) and shutouts (3), and 9th in innings (217.7) and batters faced (933). He was 12–13, with a 3.27 ERA.
His career totals include a 35–35 record, 143 games pitched
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
, 78 starts, 22 complete games, 6 shutouts, 28 games finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
, and 3 saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
. In 666 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
he struck out 254, walked 300, and had an earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 3.80.
In 1946 he joined what became a total of 27 major league players, including Max Lanier
Max Lanier
Hubert Max Lanier was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He led the National League in earned run average in , and was the winning pitcher of the clinching game in the 1944 World Series against the crosstown St. Louis...
, Mickey Owens, Vern Stephens and George Hausmann, in jumping to the "outlaw" Mexican League. Feldman signed with the Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
Blues, along with teammate and friend Ace Adams
Ace Adams
Ace Townsend Adams was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Giants . Adams batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Willows, California....
. The players who had jumped to the Mexican League had trouble getting back into organized baseball. The following year he played in Havana, Cuba. In 1949 he pitched for a while in the Provincial League for Sherbrooke, Quebec, and then moved to San Francisco where he pitched his last two seasons with the San Francisco Seals, going 6–9 with a 4.31 ERA in 1949 and 11–16 with a 4.38 ERA in 1950. He retired after that season at age 30.
Feldman was 8th lifetime in ERA of all Jewish major league pitchers through 2010, behind among others Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
and Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
.