Clarence Blethen
Encyclopedia
Clarence Waldo Blethen was an American professional baseball
pitcher
with the Boston Red Sox
and Brooklyn Robins
of Major League Baseball
as well as 18 seasons in minor league baseball. Blethen batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
.
Blethen attended the University of Maine
.
Blethen spent 18 years in organized baseball, almost all of it in the minor leagues
. He pitched briefly for the Boston Red Sox in 1923 and did not have another opportunity until 1929, when he played with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In seven major league games, he had no decisions and posted a 7.32 ERA
with two strikeout
s in 19-2⁄3 innings pitched
.
Blethen, who had false teeth and would put them in his back pocket when he was running the bases, only reached base once in his big-league career — in 1923 with the Red Sox. He slid into second base that day, and the false teeth took such a big bite out of his posterior that he was removed from the game because of excessive bleeding.
Following his majors career, Blethen spent seven years with the Atlanta
minor league club winning 20 or more games in two seasons. He also played for several teams and managed
Leaksville
and Savannah
in the late 1930s. After that, he took an active part in coaching little league
rs until the mid-sixties.
Blethen died in Frederick, Maryland
at the age of 79.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and Brooklyn Robins
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
of 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...
as well as 18 seasons in minor league baseball. Blethen batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Dover-Foxcroft is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States, and the county's largest town and county seat. As of the 2000 census, the population was 4,211.-History:...
.
Blethen attended the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
.
Blethen spent 18 years in organized baseball, almost all of it in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. He pitched briefly for the Boston Red Sox in 1923 and did not have another opportunity until 1929, when he played with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In seven major league games, he had no decisions and posted a 7.32 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
with two strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in 19-2⁄3 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
Blethen, who had false teeth and would put them in his back pocket when he was running the bases, only reached base once in his big-league career — in 1923 with the Red Sox. He slid into second base that day, and the false teeth took such a big bite out of his posterior that he was removed from the game because of excessive bleeding.
Following his majors career, Blethen spent seven years with the Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
minor league club winning 20 or more games in two seasons. He also played for several teams and managed
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...
Leaksville
Leakesville, Mississippi
Leakesville is a town located along the Chickasawhay River in Greene County, Mississippi, United States located around the junction of route 57 and route 63. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,026...
and Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
in the late 1930s. After that, he took an active part in coaching little league
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
rs until the mid-sixties.
Blethen died in Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
at the age of 79.