Cal Abrams

Infobox MLB retired
name=Cal Abrams
position=Outfielder
birthdate= March 2, 1924
deathdate=death date and age|1997|2|25|1924|3|2
bats=Left
throws=Left
debutdate=April 20
debutyear=1949
debutteam=Brooklyn Dodgers
finaldate=May 9
finalyear=1956
finalteam=Chicago White Sox
stat1label=AVG.
stat1value=.269
stat2label=HR
stat2value=32
stat3label=R
stat3value=257
teams=
*Brooklyn Dodgers (by|1949-by|1952)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|1952)
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|1953-by|1954)
*Baltimore Orioles (by|1954-by|1955)
*Chicago White Sox (by|1956)
highlights=

Calvin Ross Abrams, nicknamed Abie, (March 2, 1924, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – February 25, 1997, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) was an American left-handed Major League Baseball player.

Baseball career

Abrams was signed by Joe Labate, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, out of James Madison High School in Brooklyn in by|1942, and assigned to the Olean Oilers of the Class D PONY League. He played in 19 games that season.

In January 1943, he was inducted into the Army. He was assigned to Battery B 500th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, and served in Europe and the Pacific with 2 battle stars in the Pacific. He was also awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal with 1 bronze star. He was released from the service in January 1946.

He then played for the Danville Dodgers in the Class B Three-I League for the by|1946 season, hitting .345. The next two seasons, Abrams was with the Mobile Bears in the Class AA Southern Association.

Abrams was making just $90 a month in the minors when he got married in 1947, and the most he ever made was $22,000 a year with the Baltimore Orioles. [http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Abrams.Cal.Obit.html]

On April 20, 1949, he made his Major League debut with the Dodgers, and then was sent to the Fort Worth Cats of the AA Texas League for the rest of the season, where he hit .333. He split by|1950 between the St. Paul Saints of the AAA American Association and the Dodgers.

In by|1950, he changed his uniform number to 18, explaining later: "18 means a lot." The number 18 stands for the Hebrew word for life. He wore this number for the majority of his career.

On October 1, 1950, the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were playing a game that would determine which team would win the National League pennant. In the 9th inning, with the game tied 1-1, Abrams was on second base when Duke Snider hit a single into the outfield. He was waved home by third base coach Milt Stock, and was gunned down at the plate by Phillies center fielder Richie Ashburn. The play resulted in the preservation of the 1-1 tie, and facilitated the Phils' Dick Sisler's 10th inning pennant-winning home run. Stock was fired after the season for his decision to wave Abrams home. [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=22866]

On June 9, 1952 he was traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Cincinnati Reds for Rudy Rufer and cash. On October 14, 1952 he was traded by the Reds with Gail Henley and Joe Rossi to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Gus Bell.

In by|1953, he hit 15 home runs, his career high.

On May 25, 1954, he was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Baltimore Orioles for Dick Littlefield. In 1954, he was 7th in the AL with a .400 obp, and 10th in the league with 7 triples.

In by|1955, he had a .413 obp, and was 8th in the league in walks with 89. On October 18, 1955, he was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago White Sox for Bobby Adams.

He remained in the Major Leagues into the by|1956 season, when he was sent to the Miami Marlins in the AAA International League. The next year Abrams retired from play.

In all of his minor league seasons, his lowest batting average was .331.

He played in 567 Major League games with the Dodgers, Reds, Pirates, Orioles, and White Sox.

Death

Abrams died in 1997, after suffering a heart attack. He was buried in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform.

Hall of Fame

In 1996 Abrams, who was Jewish, was inducted into the B'nai B'rith Jewish American Sports Hall of Fame, in Washington, D.C.

External links

* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Cal_Abrams_1924&page=summary Baseball Library profile]
* [http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Abrams.Cal.Obit.html Obit]