Whammy Douglas

Charles William "Whammy" Douglas (February 17, 1935 – November 16, 2014)[1] was an American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84 kg) during his active career. Douglas was able to forge a professional career despite having lost an eye at age 11.[2] Moreover, his blindness is what gave rise to Douglas's nickname (or at least the most enduring version thereof),[lower-alpha 1] his glass eye giving the appearance of an "evil eye," putting the "whammy" on opposing batters[8][9] (an apparent allusion to "whammy"-wielding Hammond "Evil Eye" Fleegle, a supporting character in cartoonist Al Capp's syndicated Li'l Abner comic strip).[10]

Whammy Douglas
Pitcher
Born: (1935-02-17)February 17, 1935
Carrboro, North Carolina
Died: November 16, 2014(2014-11-16) (aged 79)
Richlands, North Carolina
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 29, 1957, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Last MLB appearance
September 21, 1957, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Win–loss record3–3
Earned run average3.26
Strikeouts28
Innings pitched47
Teams

Career

Although Douglas only played part of one season in Major League Baseball out of his ten-year pro career, he had a measure of success for the 1957 Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in 11 games (eight as a starting pitcher), and posting a respectable 3.26 earned run average. In 47 innings pitched, he allowed 48 hits and 30 bases on balls, with 28 strikeouts. That season, the pitcher also played a supporting role in what has become a famous instance of umpire-baiting by controversial manager Bobby Bragan, when, on July 31, following a disputed call favoring the visiting Milwaukee Braves, Douglas slipped into the stands to purchase the orange drink with which Bragan then confronted the umpires.[11][12]

Douglas also was part of a major trade between the Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds in January 1959. Douglas was sent to Cincinnati in a package of players headlined by Pittsburgh slugger Frank Thomas. In return, the Bucs received Smoky Burgess, Harvey Haddix and Don Hoak[13] — and that trio would play integral roles in the Pirates' 1960 world championship season. Douglas never appeared in an MLB game for the Reds. His minor league record of 82–57 (compiled from 1953–1961; 1965) included a stellar season with the 1954 Brunswick Pirates of the Class D Georgia–Florida League, in which he won 27 games, lost only six and posted a 2.06 ERA.[14] In the months immediately preceding that season, the winter of 1953-54, Douglas earned extra money playing semi-pro basketball.[15][7]

Notes
  1. For more than two years before he was first dubbed "Whammy Douglas" (in two stories from July 1954, by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Dan McGibbeny),[3][4] Douglas was being referred to as William "Wham" Douglas.[5][6][7] The fact that this commenced, without comment, the day after his name first appeared in print lends credence to Douglas's later recollection that the nickname, or at least this version thereof, actually dated back to his childhood.

References
  1. "Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 2014". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  2. Czerwinski, Kevin T. (July 30, 2008). "'Whammy' racked up wins with one eye". MiLB.com. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  3. McGibbeny, Dan (July 2, 1954). "Bucs Breeding Champs Down on the Farms". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  4. McGibbeny, Dan (July 10, 1954). "Dangleis, Gene Freese Blossom on Buc Farms". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  5. Times-News Staff (June 7, 1952). "Graham Defeats Burlington, 5-1; Legion Clubs at Stadium Tonight; Mound Duel Is Feature of Contest; Douglas Fans 17". The Burlington Times-News. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  6. Minor, Richard (June 19, 1953). "Doing O. K.". The Burlington Times-News. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  7. Times-News staff (February 19, 1954). "Swepsonville Tops Saxapahaw by 94-71 Count". The Burlington Times-News. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  8. Middlesworth, Hal (April 10, 1956). "Bertoia Hits One, Garver One-Hits ... And Tigers Win, 10-0". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  9. Skipper, James K. (1992). Baseball Nicknames: A Dictionary of Origins and Meanings. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 73. ISBN 9780786467174.
  10. "Whammy (noun); Definition of whammy; Synonyms for whammy; Did You Know?". Merriam Webster. Retrieved August 24, 2020. See also:
  11. Biederman, Les (August 1, 1957). "Giles Tells Bobby to Mend Ways or Be Suspended". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  12. Caruso, Gary. (1995). The Braves Encyclopedia. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. p. 306. ISBN 1566393841.
  13. Beiderman, Lester J. (January 31, 1959). "Fans Split On Swap: Thomas Traded To Cincinnati In 7-Player Deal: Pirates Get Hoak, Burgess, Haddix". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 1. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  14. "Whammy Douglas Register Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. sports-reference.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  15. Times-News staff (December 11, 1953). "Eli Whitney in 79-60 Win Over Saxapahaw". The Burlington Times-News.

Further reading
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