Books and articles about Earl Torgeson

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A graceful, lefthanded first baseman, Torgeson was an immediate hit with the Braves as a rookie in 1947, batting .281 with 16 homers. In the 1948 World Series, he led all hitters with a .389 batting average (7-for-18). He hurt his left shoulder trying to break up a double play in mid-May 1949 and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. Although the injury hampered him throughout his career, he returned in 1950 to lead the NL with 120 runs scored and in 1951 had career highs of 24 HR and 92 RBI. After he dropped to .230 in 1952, he was sent to the Phillies in a four-team trade, and never had another big season. He appeared with the White Sox in the 1959 WS, was released in 1961, and signed with the Yankees as a player-coach for the final month of the season, and his career. Like Hall of Famer Earl Averill, Torgeson was a native of Snohomish, WA, and inherited Averill's nickname, The Earl of Snohomish. (AL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 30, 1947: In the first of two, Earl Torgeson of the Braves does not record a single putout at 1B, a record of idleness shared in the National League by Rip Collins (twice) and Dolf Camilli of the Phillies in 1937. Later Gary Thomasson and Len Matuszek will have zero putouts in a full game at 1B. Torgy does have one chance, but muffs a popup. Torgeson scores a pair as Warren Spahn wins his 8th in a row, 6–3. Red Barrett then shuts out the Dodgers in game 2, 3–0, dropping Brooklyn to 4th place. The Braves pull off a double steal in each game, and each time it is Stanky's high throw to the plate that allows it. Boston is now in 3rd place, a game behind the Giants. » May 15, 1949: Boston's Vern Bickford stops the Dodgers, 4–0, allowing just four singles. One is by Gil Hodges, extending his hitting streak to 17 games. Jim Russell switch hits a homer and double to pin the loss on Morrie Martin. The Braves start Al Lakeman at 1B in place of Earl Torgeson, who separated his shoulder yesterday when he attempted to block Jackie Robinson on a double play. Torgeson will be operated on tomorrow and will be sidelined several months. » May 6, 1950: The Boston Braves hit five home runs in a 15–11 trouncing of the Reds. This gives them a National League record 13 home runs in three consecutive games, breaking the Giants mark of 12 set in July 1, 2, 3, 1947. Luis Olmo, Earl Torgeson, Bob Elliott, Willard Marshall, and Sid Gordon hit the five today. » June 30, 1951: The Braves make it easy for new manager Tommy Holmes' first appearance in front of the home crowd. Boston tallies eight runs in the seventh inning and seven runs in the eighth inning, to squash to Giants 19–7. Backing Vern Bickford's pitching, Earl Torgeson racks up seven RBIs in the two innings, including a grand slam off Sal Maglie, the first time the Barber's been clipped for a slam. » September 25, 1951: The Dodgers continue to slide. After the Dodgers lose two out of three in Philadelphia, Boston sweeps two from Brooklyn. Warren Spahn wins the opener 6–3 over Branca, his 4th straight loss, and Jim Wilson coasts to a 14–2 three-hit win in the 2nd game. Earl Torgeson drives in six runs in the nitecap. Meanwhile, the Giants win 5–1 over Robin Roberts and the Phils to move a single game in back of the Dodgers. » February 16, 1953: The Braves send 1B Earl Torgeson to the Phils for P Russ Meyer. They then send Meyer to Brooklyn for Rocky Bridges and Jim Pendleton, and complete the day's activities by sending Bridges to the Reds for slugger Joe Adcock. » July 18, 1954: The NL awards a forfeit victory over the Cards to the Phils for a stall that follows a first-inning brawl featuring Phils manager Terry Moore and 1B Earl Torgeson, and Cards C Sal Yvars. The Cardinals are under the impression that local ordinances prevent lights being turned on to continue a game. Down 8-1 in the fifth inning of game two, St. Louis begins stalling. » May 7, 1955: Behind Carl Erskine, the Dodgers beat Robin Roberts and the Phils, 6–3, for their 9th straight win. All the Phils scoring is on solo homers -- two by Willie Jones and one by Del Ennis. For the Phils, it is their 8th loss in a row while the Brooks have now won 20 out of 22 games. The game is almost forfeited in the 7th after plate ump Art Gore chases Roberts, Earl Torgeson, and Jack Meyer from the Phils bench. Fans rain dozens of beer cans down on Gore and fellow ump Jocko Conlan. » June 15, 1955: The Tigers buy Earl Torgeson from the Phillies to replace Ferris Fain at 1B. » July 17, 1955: Earl Torgeson of the Tigers steals home in the 10th to beat the Yanks 6-5. » August 28, 1960: In a battle of New York's chief rivals for the American League pennant, Baltimore's Milt Pappas has Chicago down 3–0 in the 8th. An apparent 3-run home run by Ted Kluszewski is nullified because umpire Ed Hurley calls time just before Pappas delivers. Hurley spotted Floyd Robinson and Earl Torgeson warming up along the RF sideline. The Sox argue for 15 minutes, with Nellie Fox and Al Lopez being tossed, before Klu hits again and lines out. The O's prevail 3–1 and take over 2nd place, two games behind the Yankees, and the Sox are three 1/2 back. » July 28, 1961: The Yanks buy 1B Bob Hale from Cleveland. This will make vet Earl Torgeson, signed on June 17, expendable. They'll release Torgy as a player in early September and sign him as a coach.