Bob Saverine
Encyclopedia
Robert Paul Saverine is a former Major League Baseball
infielder
/outfielder
. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles
as an amateur free agent before the 1959 season and played for the Orioles (1959, 1962–1964) and the Washington Senators
(1966–1967). He was number one in his high school class at Darien High School and was recruited by scouts for both professional baseball and basketball. His grandfather Joseph Saverine is the only person in Georgetown University's history to have captained both the baseball and football athletic teams in a single year.
Saverine made his Major League debut on September 12, 1959 against the Chicago White Sox
at Memorial Stadium
. He entered the game as a pinch runner
in the bottom of the eighth inning
for Billy Klaus
with the Orioles behind 6-0. He advanced to third
on a single
to right by Al Pilarcik
, then scored on a Bob Nieman
single to left. Baltimore lost the game 6-1 to future Hall of Famer Early Wynn
. At the age of 18, Saverine was the youngest player to appear in an American League
game that season.
He may be best known for scoring the only run in a rare battle of complete game
one-hitters between Orioles left-hander Frank Bertaina
and Kansas City Athletics
southpaw Bob Meyer
. On September 12, 1964 he entered the 0-0 game in the bottom of the 8th as a pinch runner for John Orsino
, who had doubled
. He moved to third on a Bertaina sacrifice bunt
and then scored on a sacrifice fly
by Jackie Brandt
.
His best season was 1966 when he was put in the starting lineup 96 times by Senators manager
Gil Hodges
, usually as a second baseman
. He also had career highs in games played
(120), hits
(102), at bats (406), batting average
(.251), home runs (5), runs batted in (24), and runs scored
(54).
Career totals for 379 games include a .239 batting average (206-for-861), 6 HR
, 47 RBI, 114 runs scored, and an on base percentage
of .299. Besides second base, Saverine also played shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions. He played all the positions well, but was especially good at short, where he handled 146 out of 148 total chances
for a fielding percentage
of .986.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
/outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
as an amateur free agent before the 1959 season and played for the Orioles (1959, 1962–1964) and the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1966–1967). He was number one in his high school class at Darien High School and was recruited by scouts for both professional baseball and basketball. His grandfather Joseph Saverine is the only person in Georgetown University's history to have captained both the baseball and football athletic teams in a single year.
Saverine made his Major League debut on September 12, 1959 against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. He entered the game as a pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
in the bottom of the eighth inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
for Billy Klaus
Billy Klaus
William Joseph Klaus was a shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball who played with the Boston & Milwaukee Braves , Boston Red Sox , Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies . He played the end of the 1963 season in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons...
with the Orioles behind 6-0. He advanced to third
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
on a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
to right by Al Pilarcik
Al Pilarcik
Alfred James Pilarcik was an American professional baseball player. An outfielder, he appeared in 668 Major League games between and for the Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox...
, then scored on a Bob Nieman
Bob Nieman
Robert Charles Nieman was a Major League Baseball outfielder and right-handed batter who played for the St. Louis Browns , Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles , St. Louis Cardinals , Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants...
single to left. Baltimore lost the game 6-1 to future Hall of Famer Early Wynn
Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. , nicknamed "Gus", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 25-year baseball career, he pitched for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox...
. At the age of 18, Saverine was the youngest player to appear in an American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
game that season.
He may be best known for scoring the only run in a rare battle of complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
one-hitters between Orioles left-hander Frank Bertaina
Frank Bertaina
Frank Louis Bertaina was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators , and St. Louis Cardinals . Listed at 5' 11", 177 lb., Bertaina batted and threw left-handed...
and Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
southpaw Bob Meyer
Bob Meyer
Robert Bernard Meyer is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1960. Meyer pitched for the Yankees , Los Angeles Angels , Kansas City Athletics , Seattle Pilots , and Milwaukee Brewers...
. On September 12, 1964 he entered the 0-0 game in the bottom of the 8th as a pinch runner for John Orsino
John Orsino
John Joseph Orsino is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1957 season, and played for the San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles , and Washington Senators .Orsino made his major league debut on July 14, 1961 against the...
, who had doubled
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
. He moved to third on a Bertaina sacrifice bunt
Sacrifice hit
In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice...
and then scored on a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
by Jackie Brandt
Jackie Brandt
John George Brandt Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before the 1953 season, and played for the Cardinals , New York Giants , San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , and Houston Astros...
.
His best season was 1966 when he was put in the starting lineup 96 times by Senators manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Gil Hodges
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, usually as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
. He also had career highs in games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(120), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(102), at bats (406), batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(.251), home runs (5), runs batted in (24), and runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(54).
Career totals for 379 games include a .239 batting average (206-for-861), 6 HR
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
, 47 RBI, 114 runs scored, and an on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
of .299. Besides second base, Saverine also played shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions. He played all the positions well, but was especially good at short, where he handled 146 out of 148 total chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
for a fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
of .986.
Trivia
- Saverine set an American LeagueAmerican LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
record by going 0-for-12 in a doubleheaderDoubleheader (baseball)A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against the Baltimore Orioles on June 8, 1966 at Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (Baltimore)Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. - His nickname was "Rabbit": At 18, he led the Appalachian LeagueAppalachian LeagueThe Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
in steals (with 36), and two seasons later he topped the Southern AssociationSouthern AssociationThe Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
with 41. In six minor-league campaigns, he swiped 137 bases (plus 23 more in the majors). - Although only 5'9", Saverine was an All-State basketball player in high school
- His dad was a football star at Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. - Saverine is a distant cousin of baseball writer Jim VittiJim VittiJim Vitti is an award-winning author. He is best known for writing The Cubs on Catalina, which received the international Book of the Year Award from The Sporting News and the Society for American Baseball Research...
.