Lefty Wilkie
| Lefty Wilkie | |
|---|---|
 Wilkie, circa 1947 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 30, 1914 Zealandia, Saskatchewan, Canada | |
| Died: August 5, 1992 (aged 77) Tualatin, Oregon, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 22, 1941, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 5, 1946, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 8–11 |
| Earned run average | 4.59 |
| Strikeouts | 37 |
| Teams | |
Aldon Jay "Lefty" Wilkie (October 30, 1914 – August 5, 1992) was a Canadian-born professional baseball player. The native of Zealandia, Saskatchewan, was a left-handed pitcher who worked in 68 games pitched, 12 as a starter, in the Major Leagues over three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1941–42; 1946). He stood 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg).
Wilkie's professional career began in 1937. After winning 13 games for the 1940 Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League, Wilkie was acquired by the Pirates that August. He appeared in 26 games during the 1941 season, and another 35 games in 1942. During his rookie campaign, he pitched the only shutout of his MLB career, blanking the Philadelphia Phillies 5–0 on six hits on June 9, 1941.[1]
Wilkie served in the 36th Infantry Division of the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations during World War II,[2] and was out of professional baseball from 1943 to 1945. When he returned to the Pirates in 1946, he appeared in seven games but was ineffective, compiling an earned run average of 10.57 in 72⁄3 innings pitched.
During his time in the Major Leagues, Wilkie allowed 215 hits and 80 bases on balls in 194 innings pitched, with 37 strikeouts, three complete games and three saves. He then returned to minor league baseball, playing through 1951.
References
[edit]- ^ "Retrosheet Boxscore: Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Philadelphia Phillies 0". www.retrosheet.org. June 9, 1942. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
- ^ "Baseball in Wartime – Aldon Wilkie". BaseballinWartime.com. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- 1914 births
- 1992 deaths
- Baseball people from Saskatchewan
- Beaumont Exporters players
- Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States
- Hollywood Stars players
- Indianapolis Indians players
- Kansas City Blues (baseball) players
- Major League Baseball players from Canada
- Oakland Oaks (baseball) players
- Oklahoma City Indians players
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Salem Senators players
- San Francisco Seals (baseball) players
- Seattle Rainiers players
- Tacoma Tigers players
- Victoria Athletics players
- United States Army personnel of World War II