Al Widmar

Albert Joseph Widmar (March 20, 1925 – October 15, 2005) was an American starting pitcher, pitching coach,[1] and scout in Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-handed.[2] As a big league coach, Widmar worked with the Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, and Toronto Blue Jays.[1] For three seasons, he also played professional basketball.[3]

Al Widmar
Pitcher
Born: (1925-03-20)March 20, 1925
Cleveland, Ohio
Died: October 15, 2005(2005-10-15) (aged 80)
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 25, 1947, for the Boston Red Sox
Last MLB appearance
April 17, 1952, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record13–30
Earned run average5.21
Strikeouts143
Innings pitched388⅓
Teams
As player
As coach

Career

Widmar was born in Cleveland, Ohio, attending Cleveland's Cathedral Latin High School. He was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox in 1942 (prior to the draft),[2] and played Minor League Baseball (MiLB) throughout the war years.[4] Between 1947 and 1952, Widmar played for the BoSox (1947), St. Louis Browns (1948, 1950–51), and Chicago White Sox (1952).

In a five-season major league career, Widmar posted a 13–30 record, with 143 strikeouts, and a 5.21 earned run average (ERA), in ​388 1⁄3 innings pitched.[2]

Widmar played part of two Major League seasons as a reliever with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns. He made his MLB debut with the Red Sox in 1947,[2] and was sent to the Browns before the 1948 season in the same trade that brought Vern Stephens to Boston. After an unspectacular year with the Browns, he was demoted to the MiLB International League Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis' Triple-A affiliate team.[4]

Beginning in the late-1940s, Widmar began to play professional basketball in the off-season — in order to keep himself in shape. He played for the Binghamton Triplets of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL), and the Scranton Miners and Allentown / Carbondale Aces of the American Basketball League (ABL).[3]

In 1949, Widmar won 22 games with Baltimore.[4] A year later, he returned to the Browns as a starter. After going 11–24 in two seasons, Widmar was traded to the Chicago White Sox, along with Sherm Lollar, for Dick Littlefield, Joe DeMaestri, Gus Niarhos, and Jim Rivera.[2] Widmar finished the 1952 season with the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League, and remained with the team through half of the 1955 season. At that point, he donned a Tulsa Oilers uniform; Widmar became the team's player/manager from 1956 through 1958.[4]

Following his playing career ended, Widmar became a successful minor league manager, spending six seasons at the helm.[4] He also was an MLB pitching coach for the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers.[1]

After the 1979 season, Widmar was named the Toronto Blue Jays’ pitching coach;[1] he kept the job for the next ten seasons. In 1985, Widmar was guiding a rotation that featured Dave Stieb, Doyle Alexander, Jim Clancy, and Jimmy Key, as the Jays won their first American League East title. After spending a year as a Blue Jays’ special assignment scout, team management promoted Widmar to special assistant to the vice president and general manager in 1991.

On October 15, 2005, Widmar died of colon cancer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age 80.[5]

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References
  1. "Al Widmar". retrosheet.org. Retrosheet. 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  2. "Al Widmar Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  3. Wolf, Gregory H. (2013). "Al Widmar". SABR.org. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  4. "Al Widmar Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  5. "Former Jays coach dies of colon cancer". Ocala, Florida: Ocala Star-Banner. October 18, 2005. p. 2D. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
Preceded by
Bob Lemon
Larry Shepard		 Philadelphia Phillies pitching coach
1962–1964
1968–1969		 Succeeded by
Cal McLish
Ray Rippelmeyer
Preceded by
Bob Shaw		 Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach
1973–1974		 Succeeded by
Ken McBride
Preceded by
Bob Miller		 Toronto Blue Jays pitching coach
1980–1989		 Succeeded by
Galen Cisco
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