Books and articles about Pat Seerey

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Seerey, just 5'10" but 200 lbs, hit the ball a long way, but he also led AL batters in strikeouts in all four of his seasons as a regular (1944-46 and 1948). Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau exercised great patience with the young slugger in 1946, when Seerey hit a career-high 26 HR, but benched him in 1947. On June 2, 1948, the White Sox sent Bob Kennedy to Cleveland in a much-criticized trade for Seerey and pitcher Al Gettel. That July 18, Seerey became the fifth ML player to hit four homers in a game, blasting two mammoth shots off Philadelphia's Carl Scheib, and one each off Bob Savage and Lou Brissie in an 11-inning, 12-11 Chicago victory. His 16 total bases in the game tied an AL record. But he struck out 102 times in just 363 at-bats that season, and was released early in 1949. Kennedy's career lasted nine more years. (RL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 13, 1946: The Boston Red Sox clinch the AL pennant, edging the Cleveland Indians 1-0 on Ted Williams's inside-the-park HR, the only one of his career. Williams punches the ball over the shift when LF Pat Seerey pulls in behind the SS position. The Boston margin at the season's end will be 12 games. » June 2, 1948: The White Sox acquire Fat Pat Seerey and P Al Gettel from Cleveland for 3B Bob Kennedy. » July 18, 1948: Pat Seerey, chunky Sox left fielder, hits four home runs, the last in the 11th inning, to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 12–11 victory over the Athletics in Philadelphia. Seerey is the 5th ML player to accomplish the feat and is the only player in ML history to twice reach 15 or more total bases in a game, having totaled 15 bases in 1945. Fat Pat's first shot is over the LF bleacher roof off Carl Scheib, the next two —off Scheib and Bob Savage—are on the roof, and the last, off Lou Brissie, into the upper LF stands. Brissie, the 5th pitcher, is the loser against Howie Judson. The A's take the 2nd game, 6–1, in five innings as Seerey is 0-for-2. On the 24th, Seerey will become the first player to strike out seven times in a doubleheader. » August 21, 1948: After shutting out the White Sox for eight innings, Bob Lemon weakens and Chicago scores three runs to beat the Indians 3–2. Pat Seerey walks and Aaron Robinson and Dave Philley hit homers for Chicago. The runs break the 47-inning scoreless streak by Indians pitchers that started with the last three innings of the first game on August 15. The 1903 Cleveland team had had a run of 41 scoreless innings and Baltimore will extend the record in 1974 to 54 innings.