Harry Perkowski
Encyclopedia
Harry Walter Perkowski is a former pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played between 1947
and 1955
for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs
(1947, 1949–54) and Chicago Cubs
(1955). Listed at 6' 2.5", 196 lb., he batted and threw left-handed
.
, Perkowski started his baseball career playing semi-pro ball in the coal fields around his hometown. He later pitched briefly for the Natchez Giants of the Evangeline League
before getting drafted and joining the U.S. Navy in 1943.
Perkowski joined the amphibious force during World War II
, helping escort troops and tanks into hot spots on Landing Craft Tanks
. He served 19 months in the Atlantic and 11 months in the Pacific, including four invasions during the war in Africa
, Sicily, Italy, and Normandy
. "I was all over the place just about", he later recalled.
Following his discharge from military service in 1946, Perkowski signed with the Cincinnati Reds and enjoyed an outstanding year in the Pioneer League for the Ogden Reds, posting a 23-6 record with 209 strikeout
s and a 2.09 ERA
in 247 innings pitched
. He led the league with his 23 wins and his six shutout
s tied the league lead.
In 1947, Perkowski gained a promotion to the Columbia, SC team of the South Atlantic League
, where he finished 17-12 with 133 strikeouts and a 3.57 ERA in 247 innings before joining the big team in late September. He posted a 3.68 ERA in three games (one start
) before the season ended, but Cincinnati felt he was not quite ready for the major leagues at this point.
Perkowski spent 1948 with the Tulsa Oilers
of the Texas League
, hurling his second 20-victory season in the minors. He finished 22-10 with 163 strikeouts and a 2.98 ERA in 263 innings, leading the league in wins and hurled a remarkable 21 complete game
s to led his team to a 91-63 record. In 1949, he went to the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League
and posted a 14-12 record with 138 strikeouts and a 3.70 ERA in 209 innings.
After that, Perkowski joined the Reds again in 1950 and remained with the team for the next five years. His most productive season came in 1952, when he went 12-10 with career-highs in innings pitched (194), strikeouts (86) and ERA (3.80). He finished 12-11 with a 4.52 ERA in 1953. On July 19 of that year, he pitched a 12-inning, three-hit, 1–0 shutout
against the New York Giants
at Crosley Field
. Battery
teammate Hobie Landrith
provided the difference with a walk-off home run
in the bottom of the 12th.
At the end of 1954, Cincinnati traded Perkowski along with Jim Bolger
and Ted Tappe
to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Johnny Klippstein
and Jim Willis
. He made 25 appearances for the Cubs in 1955, then returned to the minors in 1956 where he continued pitching until 1960, spending time with Los Angeles
, Tulsa, Memphis
, Fort Worth and Denver clubs.
In an eight-season majors career, Perkowski posted a 33-40 record with a 4.37 ERA in 184 appearances, including 76 starts, 24 complete games, four shutouts, five saves
, and 698⅔ innings of work.
Arm troubles soon caught up with Perkowski, though. He possessed a hard fastball and a devastating curve, but his delivery was bothered by control problems for most of his career as shows his 0.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio (296-to-324). A good-hitting pitcher, eventually was used in pinch-hitting
duties. In 197 games, he posted a .180 average (43-for-239) with 13 RBI
and nine extrabases, including one home run. A fine fielder as well, he committed only two errors
in 169 chances for a .988 fielding percentage
.
At , Perkowski currently lives in Beckley, West Virginia
.
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 Major League Baseball
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...
who played between 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
and 1955
1955 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Johnny Podres, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at County Stadium: National League, 6-5 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce...
for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs
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....
(1947, 1949–54) and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(1955). Listed at 6' 2.5", 196 lb., he batted and threw left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
Career
A native of Dante, VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Perkowski started his baseball career playing semi-pro ball in the coal fields around his hometown. He later pitched briefly for the Natchez Giants of the Evangeline League
Evangeline Baseball League
The Evangeline Baseball League began in 1934 as a six-team Class-D minor league in and around Louisiana, United States. The following season, the league was expanded to eight teams and ceased operations in 1942, with six teams, during World War II. It resumed activities in 1946, getting promoted to...
before getting drafted and joining the U.S. Navy in 1943.
Perkowski joined the amphibious force during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, helping escort troops and tanks into hot spots on Landing Craft Tanks
Landing craft tank
The Landing Craft, Tank was an amphibious assault ship for landing tanks on beachheads. They were initially developed by the British Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II in a series of versions. Initially known as the "Tank Landing Craft" by the British, they later...
. He served 19 months in the Atlantic and 11 months in the Pacific, including four invasions during the war in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Sicily, Italy, and Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. "I was all over the place just about", he later recalled.
Following his discharge from military service in 1946, Perkowski signed with the Cincinnati Reds and enjoyed an outstanding year in the Pioneer League for the Ogden Reds, posting a 23-6 record with 209 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and a 2.09 ERA
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...
in 247 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 led the league with his 23 wins and his six 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....
s tied the league lead.
In 1947, Perkowski gained a promotion to the Columbia, SC team of the South Atlantic League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, where he finished 17-12 with 133 strikeouts and a 3.57 ERA in 247 innings before joining the big team in late September. He posted a 3.68 ERA in three games (one start
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
) before the season ended, but Cincinnati felt he was not quite ready for the major leagues at this point.
Perkowski spent 1948 with the Tulsa Oilers
Tulsa Oilers (baseball)
The Tulsa Oilers, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were a minor league baseball team that existed on-and-off in multiple leagues from 1905 to 1976. For most of their history, they played at Oiler Park, which opened on July 11, 1934, and was located on the Tulsa County Fairgrounds at 15th Street and...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
, hurling his second 20-victory season in the minors. He finished 22-10 with 163 strikeouts and a 2.98 ERA in 263 innings, leading the league in wins and hurled a remarkable 21 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s to led his team to a 91-63 record. In 1949, he went to the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
and posted a 14-12 record with 138 strikeouts and a 3.70 ERA in 209 innings.
After that, Perkowski joined the Reds again in 1950 and remained with the team for the next five years. His most productive season came in 1952, when he went 12-10 with career-highs in innings pitched (194), strikeouts (86) and ERA (3.80). He finished 12-11 with a 4.52 ERA in 1953. On July 19 of that year, he pitched a 12-inning, three-hit, 1–0 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....
against 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....
at Crosley Field
Crosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
. Battery
Battery (baseball)
In baseball, the term battery refers collectively to the pitcher and the catcher, who may also be called batterymen or batterymates of one another.- History :...
teammate Hobie Landrith
Hobie Landrith
Hobart "Hobie" Neal Landrith is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1950 through 1963 for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Senators...
provided the difference with a walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
in the bottom of the 12th.
At the end of 1954, Cincinnati traded Perkowski along with Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger (baseball)
James Cyril Bolger is an American former professional baseball outfielder. Although Bolger played for the Reds, Indians, and Athletics, Bolger had over two-thirds of his major league playing time with the Chicago Cubs. In 1957 Bolger achieved his career-high batting average of .275, in 273 at...
and Ted Tappe
Ted Tappe
Theodore Nash Tappe was an American professional baseball player from 1950–1952, 1954–1955 and 1957–1961. An outfielder, he appeared in 34 Major League Baseball games played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs...
to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Johnny Klippstein
Johnny Klippstein
John Calvin Klippstein was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball for a number of teams throughout his career. The most prominent portion of his career was spent early on with the Chicago Cubs . In 18 years, he finished with an 101-118 record and a 4.24 ERA in 711 games...
and Jim Willis
Jim Willis (baseball)
James Gladden Willis is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Chicago Cubs. Listed at 6' 3", 175 lb., Willis batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
. He made 25 appearances for the Cubs in 1955, then returned to the minors in 1956 where he continued pitching until 1960, spending time with Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Tulsa, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Fort Worth and Denver clubs.
In an eight-season majors career, Perkowski posted a 33-40 record with a 4.37 ERA in 184 appearances, including 76 starts, 24 complete games, four shutouts, five 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...
, and 698⅔ innings of work.
Arm troubles soon caught up with Perkowski, though. He possessed a hard fastball and a devastating curve, but his delivery was bothered by control problems for most of his career as shows his 0.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio (296-to-324). A good-hitting pitcher, eventually was used in pinch-hitting
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
duties. In 197 games, he posted a .180 average (43-for-239) with 13 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and nine extrabases, including one home run. A fine fielder as well, he committed only two errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in 169 chances for a .988 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
.
At , Perkowski currently lives in Beckley, West Virginia
Beckley, West Virginia
Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. The 2008 population was estimated to be 16,832 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House...
.