Clem Labine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clem Labine |
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Labine in 1949
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: August 6, 1926 Lincoln, Rhode Island, U.S. |
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| Died: March 2, 2007 (aged 80) Vero Beach, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 18, 1950, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 24, 1962, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 77–56 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.63 | ||
| Strikeouts | 551 | ||
| Saves | 96 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Clement Walter Labine (born August 6, 1926 – died March 2, 2007) was an American baseball player. He was a right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for playing with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960.
Labine was a very important player for the Dodgers in the early 1950s. He helped the team win their first World Series title in 1955. He won one game and made one save in that series. He is one of only eight players in MLB history to win two World Series in a row with different teams.
He held the National League (NL) record for career saves from 1958 to 1962. When he retired, his 96 career saves were the fourth most in MLB history. He also held the Dodgers' team record for career saves and games pitched.
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Early Life and Military Service
Clem Labine was born in Lincoln, Rhode Island. He grew up in a nearby town called Woonsocket. Before playing baseball, he served as a paratrooper in World War II.
Playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Labine had a great start as a rookie for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951. He won 5 games and lost only 1. He also pitched a shutout game against the New York Giants in a playoff.
He became a star relief pitcher for the Dodgers. In 1955, the Dodgers finally won their first World Series. That year, Labine led the NL by playing in 60 games. He also had 10 wins as a relief pitcher and 13 wins overall.
Even though "saves" were not an official stat yet, he was later recognized for leading the NL in saves twice. He had 19 saves in 1956 and 17 in 1957. He was also chosen as an All-Star in both of those years.
Moving to Los Angeles and Later Career
The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles after the 1957 season. Labine went with the team. In 1958, he broke the NL record for career saves. In 1959, he also broke the Dodgers' team record for games pitched. The Dodgers won the World Series again that year.
In 1960, Labine's career seemed to be in trouble. The Dodgers traded him to the Detroit Tigers because his earned-run average (ERA) was high. The Tigers then let him go after he played 14 games for them.
But the Pittsburgh Pirates signed him the very next day. The Pirates needed a good right-handed relief pitcher. Labine became a valuable player for them. He won 3 games and had 3 saves with a very low ERA of 1.48. He helped the Pirates win the NL pennant and the 1960 World Series.
After playing for the Pirates in 1961, he finished his career with the New York Mets. He played in three games during the Mets' first season in 1962. This included one inning in the Mets' very first game.
Over his 13 seasons, Labine played in 513 games. He won 77 games and lost 56, with a 3.63 ERA. He played in 13 World Series games, winning two and losing two. His 96 career saves were among the top in baseball history at the time.
Life After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Clem Labine went back to the Woonsocket area. He became a designer of men's sports clothing. He was a general manager for a company that made sporting goods.
Labine passed away at age 80 in Vero Beach, Florida. He had been working as an instructor at a baseball camp for adults.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
