Playing career George Strickland (baseball)

1 playing career

1.1 prior majors
1.2 pittsburgh pirates
1.3 cleveland indians

playing career
prior majors

strickland born in new orleans, louisiana on january 10, 1926. star shortstop @ city s s.j. peters high school, 1 of teammates mel parnell. strickland played southwest sectional champions representing hometown @ american legion baseball world series in miles city, montana in 1943. after tournament, signed new orleans pelicans, brooklyn dodgers farm team @ time, , made professional debut on september 5, 1943. appeared in 3 games season, third baseman, , collected 2 singles in 8 @ bats.

strickland s baseball career interrupted when drafted united states navy in march 1944. stationed specialist mailman 16 months in saipan after american forces had captured island imperial japanese army in july of same year. given honorable discharge in may 1946.

he returned pelicans, had become boston red sox affiliate prior 1946 campaign, , played latter half of schedule @ third base. after spending little more season scranton red sox, assigned louisville colonels in 1948, becoming full-time shortstop. best year in minors in 1949 when batted .261 in 128 games birmingham barons.

pittsburgh pirates

strickland selected pittsburgh in rule 5 draft on november 17, 1949. made major league debut on may 7, 1950 in 3–2 loss dodgers @ forbes field. during 3 years team, pirates relegated bottom 2 positions in national league standings. season starting shortstop 1951 when batted .216 in 138 contests , committed major-league-high 37 errors. traded ted wilks indians john beradino, charlie ripple , $50,000 on august 18, 1952.

cleveland indians

upon arrival in cleveland, strickland supplanted ray boone become starting shortstop through 1955. strickland s first full season team in 1953 best @ plate hit .284 in 123 matches. .976 fielding percentage in 1955 led regular shortstops in majors during campaign. in 8 years ballclub, indians finished no lower second place in american league (al) 5 times.

he key member of 1954 al champions ended new york yankees run of 5 straight pennants , 111 regular-season victories established junior circuit record lasted until yankees won 114 games in 1998, mark surpassed when seattle mariners won 116 in 2001. world series year, in indians swept in 4 games new york giants, strickland s postseason experience. went hitless in 9 at-bats in first 3 contests. in top half of opening inning of 6–2 defeat in game 3 @ cleveland stadium, committed throwing error attempting complete double play, leading giants first run of match. replaced sam dente in series-ending 7–4 loss in game 4.

cleveland s acquisition of chico carrasquel after 1955 season reduced strickland s role utility infielder. after stepping away sport year, returned indians in 1959 , made 122 starts, 72 @ third base. final game player indians 4–2 triumph on red sox @ fenway park on july 23, 1960. entered contest 1 out in boston eighth substitute @ third base bubba phillips, sent left field replace jimmy piersall, had been ejected arguing home plate umpire ed hurley on distraction of batter ted williams. strickland s playing career ended when released on august 3.