Bob Swift
Encyclopedia
Robert Virgil Swift was an American
catcher
, coach
, manager
and scout in Major League Baseball
.
Swift is pictured in one of the most famous photographs in American sporting history. He was the catcher for the Detroit Tigers
on August 19, 1951, when St. Louis Browns
owner Bill Veeck
sent midget Eddie Gaedel
to pinch hit during an actual MLB game. The stunt was inspired by the James Thurber
short story You Could Look It Up and Gaedel was allowed to bat when the Browns showed the umpires
a legitimate baseball contract. Swift knelt on the ground to receive pitcher Bob Cain's
offerings — it is this kneeling stance that is captured in the photo — and Gaedel took a base on balls
. He was immediately replaced at first base by a pinch runner
and he never appeared in a big league game again; he had had no baseball experience in the first place.
While Gaedel was a novice, Swift, a native of Salina, Kansas
, played 14 consecutive seasons (1940–53) in the big leagues. Primarily a second-string catcher, he toiled for the Browns (1940–42), Philadelphia Athletics
(1942–43) and Tigers (1944–53), appearing in 1,001 games and hitting
.231. A good defensive catcher, he batted and threw right-handed.
He became a coach and minor league manager immediately upon the end of his playing career, coaching for the Tigers (1953–54; 1963–66), Kansas City Athletics (1957–59), and Washington Senators
(1960). During the 1959 season
, Swift filled in for Kansas City manager Harry Craft
when Craft missed 15 games due to illness, and the Athletics won ten straight games and went 13-2. But Swift was bypassed at season's end when the A's changed managers.
Swift was in his second stint as a Detroit coach in when manager Chuck Dressen
was felled by a mild heart attack
during spring training
. As acting manager, Swift led Detroit to a 24-18 record until Dressen was able to return. The next season, in May 1966
, Dressen suffered his second coronary in as many seasons. Again, Swift took the reins, but in July (with the Tigers 32-25 under his command) he fell ill and was hospitalized during the All-Star game break
for what appeared to be food poisoning. Tests revealed, however, that Swift was suffering from lung cancer
. Coach Frank Skaff
took over July 14 as the team's second acting manager and finished the campaign
.
Three months after stepping aside, on October 17, Swift died in Detroit
at the age of 51. His record in 1965-66 as an interim manager was 56-43 (.566).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
, 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...
and scout in Major League Baseball
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...
.
Swift is pictured in one of the most famous photographs in American sporting history. He was the catcher for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
on August 19, 1951, when St. Louis Browns
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...
owner Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
sent midget Eddie Gaedel
Eddie Gaedel
Edward Carl Gaedel was an American with dwarfism who became famous for participating in a Major League Baseball game....
to pinch hit during an actual MLB game. The stunt was inspired by the James Thurber
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
short story You Could Look It Up and Gaedel was allowed to bat when the Browns showed the umpires
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
a legitimate baseball contract. Swift knelt on the ground to receive pitcher Bob Cain's
Bob Cain
Robert Max Cain [Sugar] was a left-handed pitcher who played Major League Baseball from 1949 to 1954. Cain was born in Longford, Kansas and raised in Salina....
offerings — it is this kneeling stance that is captured in the photo — and Gaedel took a base on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
. He was immediately replaced at first base by 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...
and he never appeared in a big league game again; he had had no baseball experience in the first place.
While Gaedel was a novice, Swift, a native of Salina, Kansas
Salina, Kansas
Salina is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 47,707. Located in one of the world's largest wheat-producing areas, Salina is a regional trade center for north-central Kansas...
, played 14 consecutive seasons (1940–53) in the big leagues. Primarily a second-string catcher, he toiled for the Browns (1940–42), Philadelphia 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....
(1942–43) and Tigers (1944–53), appearing in 1,001 games and hitting
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 :...
.231. A good defensive catcher, he batted and threw right-handed.
He became a coach and minor league manager immediately upon the end of his playing career, coaching for the Tigers (1953–54; 1963–66), Kansas City Athletics (1957–59), and Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1960). During the 1959 season
1959 Kansas City Athletics season
The Kansas City Athletics season was the fifth for the franchise in Kansas City, and its 59th overall. It involved the A's finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 66 wins and 88 losses, 28 games behind the AL Champion Chicago White Sox....
, Swift filled in for Kansas City manager Harry Craft
Harry Craft
Harry Francis Craft was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. Born in Ellisville, Mississippi, he was an center fielder for the Cincinnati Reds from 1937–1942...
when Craft missed 15 games due to illness, and the Athletics won ten straight games and went 13-2. But Swift was bypassed at season's end when the A's changed managers.
Swift was in his second stint as a Detroit coach in when manager Chuck Dressen
Chuck Dressen
Charles Walter Dressen , known as both "Chuck" and "Charlie," was an American third baseman, manager and coach in professional baseball during a career that lasted almost fifty years, and was best known as the manager of the powerful Brooklyn Dodgers of 1951–1953...
was felled by a mild heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. As acting manager, Swift led Detroit to a 24-18 record until Dressen was able to return. The next season, in May 1966
1966 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Frank Robinson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at Busch Stadium: National League, 2–1 ; Brooks Robinson, MVP-Other champions:*College World Series: Ohio State...
, Dressen suffered his second coronary in as many seasons. Again, Swift took the reins, but in July (with the Tigers 32-25 under his command) he fell ill and was hospitalized during the All-Star game break
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
for what appeared to be food poisoning. Tests revealed, however, that Swift was suffering from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. Coach Frank Skaff
Frank Skaff
Francis Michael Skaff was an infielder, coach, manager and scout in American Major League Baseball. Skaff's half-season as acting manager of the Detroit Tigers is one of the most unusual, and tragic, happenstances in baseball annals.Skaff began 1966 as a Detroit coach...
took over July 14 as the team's second acting manager and finished the campaign
1966 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was the 66th consecutive season for the Detroit franchise in the American League. The Tigers, who had finished fourth in the ten-team AL in 1965 with an 89-73 record, won one fewer game in 1966, going 88-74, but moved up to third in the league, ten full games behind the...
.
Three months after stepping aside, on October 17, Swift died in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
at the age of 51. His record in 1965-66 as an interim manager was 56-43 (.566).
External links
See also
- 1945 Detroit Tigers season1945 Detroit Tigers seasonThe Detroit Tigers was the team's 45th since they entered the American League in 1901. The team won the American League pennant, then went on to win the 1945 World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 3. It was the second World Series championship for the Tigers...