Vern Bickford

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#af0039
bgcolor2=#0f437c
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Vern Bickford
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=August 17, 1920
deathdate=death date and age|1960|5|6|1920|8|17
debutdate=April 24
debutyear=by|1948
debutteam=Boston Braves
finaldate=April 24
finalyear=by|1954
finalteam=Baltimore Orioles
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=66-57
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=3.71
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=450
teams=
*Milwaukee / Boston Braves (by|1948-by|1953)
*Baltimore Orioles (by|1954)
highlights=
*All star in 1949
*Led NL in innings pitched in 1950 with 311.7
*Led NL in complete games in 1950 with 27 Vernon Edgell Bickford (August 17, 1920 - May 6, 1960) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Braves in Boston (1948-52) and Milwaukee (1953), and for the Baltimore Orioles (1954). Born in Hellier, Kentucky and raised in Berwind, McDowell County, West Virginia, he batted and threw right handed.

In a seven-season career, Bickford posted a 66-57 record with 450 strikeouts and a 3.71 ERA in 1076.1 innings pitched.

Bickford reached the major leagues with the Boston Braves in 1948 and played on their pennant-winning team. He finished with an 11-5 mark and a 3.27 ERA but lost to the Cleveland Indians in his only World Series appearance.

In 1949, Bickford went 16-11 and made the National League All-Star team. His most productive season came in by|1950, when he went 19-14 and led the NL in games started (39), complete games (27), innings pitched (311.2) and batters faced (1,325). The high point of his career was his no-hitter game against the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 11. He struck out slugger Duke Snider for the final out of the game, with what Bickford later described as "the prettiest curveball I ever threw".

Bickford broke a finger in 1951 and never regained all of his prior form. He played for the Braves when the team moved to Milwaukee before the 1953 season. In 1954 he was sold to the Baltimore Orioles, but a pinched nerve in his throwing arm and an eventual elbow surgery shortened his career. In 1955, he unsuccessfully tried a brief comeback with the Triple-A Richmond Virginians in the International League.

Following his playing career, Bickford worked as an automobile dealer, a travelling salesman and a carpenter. He died of cancer in Concord, Virginia, at age of 39.

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

External links

* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/B/Bickford_Vern.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bickfve01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Bickford.Vernon.Obit.html The Deadball Era]