- Played baseball for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1948-1959.
- Selected to play in the 1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
- In 1953, had the National League's best winning percentage, .769 (20 wins, 6 losses).
- Made major league debut on 25 July 1948.
- Struck out 14 batters in Game 3 of the 1953 World Series, a World Series record that stood until 1963 when Sandy Koufax struck out 15.
- Threw an overhand curve ball.
- Youngest son, Jimmy, has Down's syndrome.
- Has five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, one a girl named "Brooklyn" in honor of his time playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
- Coached baseball at Anderson College in Anderson, Indiana.
- In 2010 he received from the State of Indiana the Sachem Award for achievement and moral virtue.
- Was replaced at the last minute during the 3 October 1951 World Series game at the Polo Grounds by Ralph Branca who gave up Bobby Thompson's famous pennant winning homer for the Giants known as "The Shot Heard Around The World".
- Received the Buck O'Neill Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
