Herb Score facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Herb Score |
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Score in 1955
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 7, 1933 Rosedale, New York, U.S. |
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| Died: November 11, 2008 (aged 75) Rocky River, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 15, 1955, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 4, 1962, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 55–46 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.36 | ||
| Strikeouts | 837 | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Herb Score (born June 7, 1933 – died November 11, 2008) was a famous American baseball player. He was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Cleveland Indians from 1955 to 1959. Later, he played for the Chicago White Sox from 1960 to 1962.
In 1955, he was named the Rookie of the Year for the American League (AL). He was also chosen as an AL All-Star in 1955 and 1956. Sadly, an injury in 1957 cut his playing career short. After retiring as a player, Herb Score became a popular television and radio broadcaster for the Cleveland Indians. He worked as an announcer from 1964 to 1997. In 2006, he was honored by being added to the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Herb Score was born in Rosedale, New York, in 1933. When he was three years old, he was hit by a truck. Later, he also had rheumatic fever, a serious illness.
As a teenager, he played both basketball and baseball. He attended Holy Name of Mary School. His family then moved to Lake Worth, Florida. In 1952, he showed amazing talent in baseball. He threw six games where no one on the other team got a hit (called no-hitters). His high school team, Lake Worth Community High School, won its only state baseball championship that year.
On his 19th birthday, June 7, 1952, Herb Score signed a contract to play baseball with the Cleveland Indians. He started his professional career in the minor leagues. He quickly became friends with Rocky Colavito, who would also become a famous player for the Cleveland Indians. By 1954, many people were calling Score "left-handed Bob Feller". This was a huge compliment, as Bob Feller was a legendary pitcher.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Cleveland Indians: A Strong Start (1955–1956)
In 1955, at age 21, Herb Score joined the Cleveland Indians in the major leagues. He quickly became one of the best power pitchers in the American League. This was impressive because the team already had great pitchers like Bob Feller.
Score won 16 games and lost 10 in his first year. His earned run average (ERA) was 2.85, which is very good. He also struck out 245 batters. This was a new record for a rookie pitcher in the major leagues. It was also the first time a starting pitcher struck out more than one batter per inning.
In 1956, Score played even better. He won 20 games and lost 9, with an ERA of 2.53. He struck out 263 batters that season. He also allowed fewer walks and very few hits. This showed he was becoming a top pitcher in baseball.
A Difficult Injury (1957)
On May 7, 1957, during a game against the New York Yankees, something terrible happened. In the first inning, Score threw a fastball to Gil McDougald. McDougald hit the ball very hard, and it flew straight back at Score. The ball hit Score in the face, breaking bones and hurting his eye.
The ball bounced away, and McDougald was thrown out at first base. But instead of going to his dugout, McDougald ran to the mound to help Score. He was very worried about Score's eye. Luckily, Score's vision returned to normal. However, he missed the rest of the 1957 season because of the injury.
Score returned to play in 1958. Many people thought he was afraid of being hit again, but Score said that wasn't true. He explained that he tore a tendon in his arm during a game in 1958. This new injury made him miss the rest of that season too.
In 1959, he changed how he pitched to try and avoid more injuries. Score later said that his pitching motion changed because of his elbow injury. These changes made his pitches slower and led to more injuries. He played the full 1959 season, but his performance was not as strong.
Before his injury, famous players like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra said Herb Score was one of the toughest left-handed pitchers they ever faced.
Chicago White Sox (1960–1962)
On April 18, 1960, Score was traded to the Chicago White Sox. His friend and former roommate, Rocky Colavito, had been traded the day before. Score played for parts of three more seasons with the White Sox. He then retired from playing baseball.
Herb Score finished his major league career with 55 wins and 46 losses. His career ERA was 3.36, and he struck out 837 batters.
Broadcasting Career
After retiring as a player in 1962, Herb Score started a new career. In 1964, he became a television and radio announcer for the Cleveland Indians. He loved this job and stayed with the team for 34 years! He was on TV from 1964 to 1967, then on radio from 1968 to 1997. He became the longest-serving play-by-play announcer for the Indians.
Fans loved Score's calm voice and relaxed style. Sometimes he would even mispronounce the names of players on other teams, which fans found charming. His last game as an announcer was Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.
Later Life and Passing
In October 1998, Herb Score was in a serious car accident. He was driving to Florida after being honored in the Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He was badly hurt, with injuries to his brain, chest, and lungs. He spent over a month in the hospital.
He worked hard to recover and even threw out the first pitch at the Indians' Opening Day in April 1999. In 2002, he had a stroke. Herb Score passed away on November 11, 2008, at his home in Rocky River, Ohio, after a long illness. He is buried in Lakewood Park Cemetery. The Cleveland Indians wore a special patch on their uniforms in 2009 to remember him.
Awards and Honors
Baseball Achievements
High School
- 1952 Florida State Baseball Championship (Lake Worth Community High School)
Professional Baseball
- International League Most Valuable Player Award – 1954
- Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year – 1954
- American League Rookie of the Year – 1955
- Two-time American League All-Star – 1955, 1956
- Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame – 2006
- Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame (class of 1992)
Broadcasting Honors
- Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (class of 1996)
- Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame (class of 1998)
- Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame (class of 1998)
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
