Hank Mason facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hank Mason |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Hank Mason in 2009
|
|||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 19, 1931 Marshall, Missouri |
|||
| Died: May 29, 2020 (aged 88) | |||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 12, 1958, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 24, 1960, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 0–0 | ||
| Earned run average | 10.13 | ||
| Strikeouts | 6 | ||
| Innings pitched | 102⁄3 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Henry Mason (born June 19, 1931 – died May 29, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. He was known as Hank Mason. He was a tall, strong right-handed pitcher, which means he threw the ball to try and get batters out.
Hank played baseball for eight seasons, from 1955 to 1962, mostly in the minor leagues. The minor leagues are like a training ground for players who hope to reach the big leagues. He also had short times playing as a relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1958 and 1960. Hank started his baseball journey with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro American League. He was even chosen as the starting pitcher for a special game called the East-West Game in 1954.
Contents
Hank Mason's Baseball Journey
Hank Mason was a very good pitcher in the Phillies' minor league teams. He had some great seasons where he won many games. For example, in 1955 and 1956, he won 14 and 15 games in the Eastern League. In 1959, he had an impressive record of 12 wins and only 3 losses in the International League.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Hank's first game in Major League Baseball was on September 12, 1958. It was a tough game for his team, the Philadelphia Phillies, who lost 19–2 to the San Francisco Giants. Hank came into the game in the second inning when the Giants were already ahead by a lot. He pitched for five innings, giving up some hits and runs, but he mostly kept the ball in play, only allowing two doubles.
He played in three more games at the beginning of the 1960 Phillies season. In total, Hank Mason played in four Major League games. He pitched for about 10 and two-thirds innings. During these games, he allowed 12 runs that were counted against him. He also gave up 16 hits and seven walks (when a pitcher throws four balls outside the strike zone). He managed to strike out six batters.
Minor League Success
Even though his time in the Major Leagues was short, Hank had a strong career in the minor leagues. He won 60 games and lost 46, which means he won about 55.6% of his games. This is a good winning percentage for a pitcher.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career ended, Hank Mason became a clergyman in Richmond, Virginia. A clergyman is a leader in a church or religious organization. He passed away on May 29, 2020.
