Joe Cleary
Joseph Christopher Cleary (December 3, 1918 – June 3, 2004), nicknamed "Fire", was a Major League Baseball pitcher for one game in 1945. The right-hander was born in Cork, and he was the last native of Ireland to appear in a major league game until P. J. Conlon debuted for the New York Mets on May 7, 2018. He also holds the major league record for the highest ERA of any pitcher who retired a batter.[1]
| Joe Cleary | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: December 3, 1918 Cork, Ireland | |||
| Died: June 3, 2004 (aged 85) Yonkers, New York | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| August 4, 1945, for the Washington Senators | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| August 4, 1945, for the Washington Senators | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 0–0 | ||
| Earned run average | 189.00 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
| |||
Cleary pitched one game in relief for the Washington Senators on August 4, 1945. In the 4th inning of game 2 of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, he gave up 8 baserunners (5 hits and 3 walks) and 7 earned runs in just 1⁄3 of an inning. World War II amputee Bert Shepard came in to relieve and pitched the final 51⁄3 innings, giving up just one run.
In Cleary's short MLB career he had a 0–0 record with 1 strikeout and an ERA of 189.00.
He died at the age of 85 in Yonkers, New York.
See also
- List of players from Ireland in Major League Baseball
References
- Bevis, Charlie. "Joe Cleary". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)