Red Borom
Encyclopedia
Edward Jones Borom [Red] (October 30, 1915 — January 7, 2011) was a Major League Baseball
player who played two seasons and won a World Series ring with the Detroit Tigers
in . Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina
, Borom was 28 years old before he made it to the big leagues. He only played one full season in the major leagues, and that season was spent with the 1945 World Series
champion Detroit Tigers
. Borom also played professional and semi-pro baseball for over 15 years from the mid-30s into the 1950s.
Borom served in the U.S. Army briefly in 1943, but was released because of migraine headaches. "Two days after getting home, I got a call from Jack Zeller, general manager of Detroit ... Four days after getting out of the service, I was in training camp with Detroit in Evansville, Indiana. I realized it was wartime, but there were some good players still in the majors." http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hero/hero2002a.shtml
In 1945, Borom played the entire season with Detroit. Playing in place of injured second baseman Eddie Mayo
, Borom batted over .300 during the September pennant drive.
Borom played in 55 games for the Tigers in 1945, batting .269 with a .307 on-base percentage. He played in two games of the 1945 World Series
. Describing his appearance in the World Series, Borom said: "I hit a ground ball up the middle, off the glove of pitcher Hank Borowy
. The shortstop, Roy Hughes
, threw me out on an extremely close play. I thought I had a base hit." http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=1329&bid=1120 Borom also pinch-ran for catcher Bob Swift
in game three.
When asked about his biggest thrill in baseball, Borom responded: "When Hank Greenberg
hit the bases-loaded home run against the Browns [in September 1945] and we were behind 3-2 at the time. I was the runner on third, and when I saw the ball headed for the seats and knew we were in the World Series. Nothing could surpass that." http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hero/hero2002a.shtml
In 1946, as veteran players returned from World War II, Borom did not make Detroit's roster. Borom played several more years of minor league and semipro ball. Borom was involved with two NBC tournament titlists – Wichita’s Boeing Bombers in 1942 as player and Sinton, Texas
, in 1951 as manager.http://wichitahof.com/Baseball_Inductees_Bios.htm Reflecting on his career, Red observed, "I guess a career that looked like it was headed nowhere for so long turned out pretty well."
Borom was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. http://wichitahof.com/Baseball_Inductees_Bios.htm
After retiring from baseball, Borom worked 25 years for a freight company in Dallas. He died on Jan. 7, 2011, in Dallas as one of the oldest living former Major Leaguers. He attended Society for American Baseball Research meetings in the DFW area (Hall-Ruggles Chapter) for many years.
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...
player who played two seasons and won a World Series ring with 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 . Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...
, Borom was 28 years old before he made it to the big leagues. He only played one full season in the major leagues, and that season was spent with the 1945 World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
champion 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...
. Borom also played professional and semi-pro baseball for over 15 years from the mid-30s into the 1950s.
Borom served in the U.S. Army briefly in 1943, but was released because of migraine headaches. "Two days after getting home, I got a call from Jack Zeller, general manager of Detroit ... Four days after getting out of the service, I was in training camp with Detroit in Evansville, Indiana. I realized it was wartime, but there were some good players still in the majors." http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hero/hero2002a.shtml
In 1945, Borom played the entire season with Detroit. Playing in place of injured second baseman Eddie Mayo
Eddie Mayo
Edward Joseph Mayo , nicknamed "Hotshot" and "Steady Eddie," was a professional baseball infielder...
, Borom batted over .300 during the September pennant drive.
Borom played in 55 games for the Tigers in 1945, batting .269 with a .307 on-base percentage. He played in two games of the 1945 World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
. Describing his appearance in the World Series, Borom said: "I hit a ground ball up the middle, off the glove of pitcher Hank Borowy
Hank Borowy
Henry Ludwig Borowy was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1942 through 1951, Borowy played for the New York Yankees , Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies , Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers...
. The shortstop, Roy Hughes
Roy Hughes (baseball)
Roy Hughes , is a former professional baseball player who played second base in the Major Leagues from 1935-46.-Teams:* Cleveland Indians 1935-37* St. Louis Browns 1938-39...
, threw me out on an extremely close play. I thought I had a base hit." http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=1329&bid=1120 Borom also pinch-ran for catcher Bob Swift
Bob Swift
Robert Virgil Swift was an American catcher, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball.Swift is pictured in one of the most famous photographs in American sporting history. He was the catcher for the Detroit Tigers on August 19, 1951, when St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck sent midget...
in game three.
When asked about his biggest thrill in baseball, Borom responded: "When Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
hit the bases-loaded home run against the Browns [in September 1945] and we were behind 3-2 at the time. I was the runner on third, and when I saw the ball headed for the seats and knew we were in the World Series. Nothing could surpass that." http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hero/hero2002a.shtml
In 1946, as veteran players returned from World War II, Borom did not make Detroit's roster. Borom played several more years of minor league and semipro ball. Borom was involved with two NBC tournament titlists – Wichita’s Boeing Bombers in 1942 as player and Sinton, Texas
Sinton, Texas
Sinton is a city in San Patricio County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of San Patricio County...
, in 1951 as manager.http://wichitahof.com/Baseball_Inductees_Bios.htm Reflecting on his career, Red observed, "I guess a career that looked like it was headed nowhere for so long turned out pretty well."
Borom was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. http://wichitahof.com/Baseball_Inductees_Bios.htm
After retiring from baseball, Borom worked 25 years for a freight company in Dallas. He died on Jan. 7, 2011, in Dallas as one of the oldest living former Major Leaguers. He attended Society for American Baseball Research meetings in the DFW area (Hall-Ruggles Chapter) for many years.
Career highlights
- Played on the Tallahassee 1935 Champions of Georgia-Florida League
- Played on the Tallahassee 1939 Champions of Alabama-Florida League
- Played on the Boeing 1942 Champions of national semipro tournament
- Played on the Detroit 1945 World Series Champions
- Played on the Dallas 1946 "Dixie World Series" Champions
- Played on the Plymouth Oil 1951 Champions of national semipro tournament
External links
- Edward "Red" Borom - From Semipro Ball to the Big Leagues
- SABR Biography by Jim Sargent
- Obituary from Dallas Morning News