Vern Handrahan

James Vernon Handrahan (November 27, 1936 – November 2, 2016) was a Canadian professional baseball pitcher who appeared in 34 games (32 in relief) for the 1964 and 1966 Kansas City Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born in Charlottetown, he is noted for being one of only three major-league players from Prince Edward Island, the others being 19th-century players George Wood and Henry Oxley.[1]

Vern Handrahan
Pitcher
Born: (1936-11-27)November 27, 1936
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Died: November 2, 2016(2016-11-02) (aged 79)
Charlottetown
Batted: Left Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 14, 1964, for the Kansas City Athletics
Last MLB appearance
September 21, 1966, for the Kansas City Athletics
MLB statistics
Win–loss record0–2
Earned run average5.31
Strikeouts36
Teams

Handrahan threw right-handed, batted left-handed, and was listed as 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg) (13 stone, 3 pounds). He was originally signed by the Milwaukee Braves as a 22-year-old amateur in 1959. After playing sandlot and youth baseball in his native city, then pitching in a semi-professional league for Stellarton, Nova Scotia, in the heart of that province's coal mining country, he was signed by veteran Braves scout Lucius "Jeff" Jones,[2] whose territory encompassed New England and Atlantic Canada. Handrahan spent four years at the lower levels of the Braves' farm system before the Athletics selected him in the 1962 minor league draft. He made the Kansas City roster out of spring training in 1964, and worked in 18 games between April 14 and June 9. Sent to Triple-A, he didn't return to the majors until Kansas City recalled him in the middle of 1966 for a 16-game audition. Handrahan made two starts for the Athletics, one in 1964 and the other in 1966, and they resulted in both of his MLB decisions: defeats at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels on May 5, 1964,[3] and the Chicago White Sox on April 17, 1966.[4] He earned his only big-league save in his penultimate MLB appearance when he worked a scoreless one-third of an inning against the Cleveland Indians to nail down a 1–0 Kansas City triumph on September 15, 1966.[5]

Handrahan returned to minor league baseball in 1967 for the remainder of his 12-season career. He was elected to the Prince Edward Island Sports Hall of Fame in its first year, 1968, but couldn't attended the ceremony because he was pitching across the country for the Triple-A Vancouver Mounties at the time.[2] During his MLB service, Handrahan compiled an 0–2 won–lost record and an earned run average of 5.31. In 61 innings pitched, he permitted 53 hits and 40 bases on balls, and struck out 36.

He died in Charlottetown on November 2, 2016.[6]

References
  1. "George (Dandy) Wood inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame", Journal Pioneer, June 22, 2011.
  2. Moscovitch, Philip (2012), "Right Place, Right Time." Saltscapes
  3. Retrosheet box score (5 May 1964): "Los Angeles Angels 8, Kansas City Athletics 1"
  4. Retrosheet box score (17 August 1966, Game 2): "Chicago White Sox 5, Kansas City Athletics 1"
  5. Retrosheet box score (15 September 1966): "Kansas City Athletics 1, Cleveland Indians 0 (11 innings)"
  6. Island's former major league baseball player dies
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