Books and articles about Preacher Roe

Roe was TSN Pitcher of the Year in 1951 when he went 22-3 with Brooklyn for an .880 winning percentage - a record for NL pitchers with more than 20 wins. From 1951 through 1953, he went 44-8 for the Dodgers. The hillbilly raconteur said, "I got three pitches: my change; my change off my change; and my change off my change off my change." But after he retired, he sent the baseball world into a tizzy by admitting to having a fourth pitch in a 1955 Sports Illustrated article, "The Outlawed Spitball Was My Money Pitch."

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Roe was the NL's strikeout leader in 1945, when he went 14-13 (2.87) for Pittsburgh. He suffered a fractured skull in a fight in '45 while coaching a basketball game and dropped to 3-8 and 4-15 before being traded to Brooklyn in December of 1947. In 1949, his record was 15-6; his .714 winning percentage was the league's best. He shut out the Yankees 1-0 for the Dodgers' only win in the '49 World Series. In the 1952 Series, he hurled a complete-game, 5-3 win over New York in Game Three. In his final WS showdown with the Yankees, Game Two in 1953, he gave up a tie-breaking, eighth-inning homer to Mickey Mantle to lose, 4-2. (TG)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 20, 1945: At the age of 17, SS Tommy Brown of the Brooklyn Dodgers is the youngest player to hit a ML home run. Brown belts his homer off Pirates southpaw Preacher Roe into the upper LF section at Ebbets Field. Seven Dodger errors make it easy for Pittsburgh to win, 11-1. » August 30, 1945: Stan Hack of the Cubs becomes No. 82 in the 2,000-hit club when he collects a first inning single off Pirate pitcher Preacher Roe. Earlier in the season the Senators' Joe Kuhel and Red Sox OF Bob Johnson made the list. Hack scores after his safety, but the Pirates win, 6–4 over the first-place Cubs. » February 9, 1946: Pirate southpaw Preacher Roe suffers a brain concussion in an altercation with a referee in an Arkansas basketball game. » May 5, 1946: In a Bucs' doubleheader sweep at Pittsburgh, the Dodgers attract an overflow crowd that spills onto the field and is held back by ropes. There are nine "crowd doubles" as the Pirates win, 5–4 in 11 innings and 4–3. The double loss drops the Bums out of a first place tie with the Cards. In game 2, Preacher Roe relieves Nick Strincevich with two outs in the top of sixth with the score tied 3–3. With a six p.m. curfew looming, pinch runner Bob Ramazzotti tries to steal home on Roe's 1st pitch and is tagged out by C Bill Salkeld. In the bottom of the 6th, Frankie Gustine drives in the winning run with a crowd double, and the game is called, giving Roe a one-pitch win. » December 8, 1947: In a move that will anchor The Boys of Summer, Brooklyn acquires SS Billy Cox, P Preacher Roe, and infielder Gene Mauch from Pittsburgh for pitchers Vic Lombardi, Hal Gregg, and former batting champ, 37-year-old Dixie Walker. In the spring Walker had requested in writing to be traded, but then changed his mind. » July 26, 1948: Leo Durocher makes his 1st appearance at Ebbets Field since taking over the Giants, but a turnaway crowd is disappointed as the Dodgers lose, 13–4. Preacher Roe is the losing pitcher while Sheldon Jones takes the victory. » October 6, 1949: Another 1-0 game, and Preacher Roe wins this one for Brooklyn to knot the Series. Gil Hodges' single drives in Jackie Robinson in the 2nd for the winner. » June 18, 1951: Preacher Roe (16-2) returns after a 10-day absence and subdues the Braves, 5–3. Jackie Robinson snaps a 2–2 tie with a homer in the eighth off Chet Nichols. » June 26, 1951: Fresh from a doubleheader loss on the 24th at Forbes Field, the Dodgers get further bad news at the Polo Grounds. Sal Maglie shuts out Brooklyn on three hits, and Preacher Roe takes his first loss after ten wins. Eddie Stanky and Whitey Lockman hit homers. » July 4, 1951: In a wild doubleheader featuring a double ejection of manager Charlie Dressen, the first-place Dodgers sweep the Giants, winning 6–5 in 11 innings, and 4–2. The Dodgers drive out Sal Maglie in the opener after the Giants built a lead on homers by Mueller and Mays. Brooklyn counters in the eighth with a pinch homer by Campanella, a homer by Reese, and a tying single from Hodges. Bobby Thomson's homer in the 11th puts the Giants ahead by one, but Preacher Roe wins it with a squeeze bunt. Ralph Branca wins the nitecap with homer help from Hodges and Snider. Dressen is tossed in the second inning of game two for protesting pitch calls; after he takes a seat behind the dugout umpire Robb tosses him a second time. The victories put Brooklyn six 1/2 games up. » August 26, 1951: The Pirates club the Dodgers, 12–11 to win the opener of two with the league leaders. Brooklyn chases Howie Pollet and takes a 9–2 lead but the Bucs roar back with eight runs in the 7th inning. Clyde King, unscored on in his last eight games, is the loser. The Dodgers load the bases in the 9th, and Murry Dickson walks pinch-hitter Cal Abrams to force in a run and make the score 12–11. But Carl Furillo and Pee Wee Reese fail to deliver. Pete Castiglione has two homers for the Pirates. Brooklyn wins the second game, 4–3, when Jackie Robinson homers in the 10th, off Ted Wilks. Andy Pafko homers in the 8th, off Bob Friend, and Preacher Roe (17-2) goes all the way. » August 30, 1951: Brooklyn's Preacher Roe, with relief help from Clyde King, stops the Reds, 3–1, for his 18th win. » September 7, 1951: Preacher Roe walks six Phils, but pushes his record to 19–2, as the Dodgers win 11–6 over Robin Roberts. Carl Furillo hits two homers, Andy Pafko adds #22, and Billy Cox drives in four runs with a bases loaded triple and two doubles. » September 14, 1951: Preacher Roe wins his 20th game against just two losses, as the Dodgers edge the Pirates, 3–1. Andy Pafko hits his 14th homer for Brooklyn, still six games ahead of the Giants. » September 19, 1951: In St. Louis, Preacher Roe is given a Cadillac by his neighbors from the Ozarks, then pitches a 3–0 five hitter over the Cards. Roe is now 21–2. Filling in for the ailing Campanella, backup catcher Mickey Livingston has two RBI. » September 23, 1951: Roy Campanella has four hits, including a homer off 15-game winner Bubba Church, and the Dodgers top the Phillies 6–3. Preacher Roe is the winner, his record going to an amazing 22–2. » September 27, 1951: Trying for his 23rd win, Preacher Roe loses just his 3rd game, 4–3, to Chet Nichols and the Braves. The Dodgers now lead New York by 1/2 game. Future Hall of Fame basketball player Bill Sharman becomes the only man in history to be thrown out of a ML baseball game without ever having played in one. With the score tied at 3-3 in the 8th inning, umpire Frank Dascoli clears the entire Brooklyn bench after a home plate call by him results in a violent protest. Sharman, up from St. Paul (AA) at the end of the season, is one of the players thrown out. Dascoli's safe call at home on Bob Addis's score results in the winning run. » April 15, 1952: In the last home opener in Braves Field in Boston, 4,694 fans watch Warren Spahn lose 3-2 to Brooklyn's Preacher Roe. » October 3, 1952: Brooklyn's Preacher Roe wins in Yankee Stadium 5-3. Brooklyn scores 2 runs in the 9th on Yogi Berra's passed ball. » May 15, 1953: At St. Louis, the Cardinals pound Preacher Roe for six runs in the 2nd enroute to a 9–3 win over the Dodgers. It is the Cards first win against Roe after 10 straight losses: they last beat him August 28, 1950. Last night they beat Carl Erskine after losing seven straight to the lefty. » May 18, 1953: Redlegs P Bud Podbielan walks 13 batters in 10 innings against Brooklyn, but holds on to win 2–1 on a Ted Kluszewski homer off starter Preacher Roe. No one has walked 13 in the National League since 1918. The Dodgers strand 18 against the former Dodger pitcher, tying the NL mark. » December 13, 1954: The Dodgers shed part of an era, sending P Preacher Roe and 3B Billy Cox to Baltimore for two unknowns and cash. The O's will complete this deal next March by sending OF Frank Kellert to Brooklyn for P Erv Palica. » February 17, 1955: The Orioles get P Erv Palica from the Dodgers for 1B Frank Kellert and cash. This replaces the Preacher Roe deal, which fell through when the Brooklyn lefty announced his retirement.