Vern Handrahan facts for kids

Vern Handrahan (born November 27, 1936 – died November 2, 2016) was a Canadian professional baseball player. He was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Vern played for the Kansas City Athletics in 1964 and 1966.

He was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Vern is special because he was one of only three MLB players from Prince Edward Island. The other two players were George Wood and Henry Oxley.

Vern Handrahan's Baseball Journey

Early Life and Baseball Start

Vern Handrahan was tall for a baseball player, standing 6 feet 2 inches. He threw the ball with his right hand. But when he batted, he used his left hand.

He started playing baseball in his hometown. He played in youth leagues and on local teams. Later, he played in a semi-professional league. This was in Stellarton, Nova Scotia.

In 1959, when Vern was 22, he signed with the Milwaukee Braves. A scout named Lucius "Jeff" Jones found him. Jeff looked for new players in places like New England and Atlantic Canada.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Vern spent four years playing in the Braves' minor league teams. These are like training teams before the big leagues. In 1962, the Kansas City Athletics chose him.

He made it to the Kansas City team in 1964. This was after their spring training. He played in 18 games between April and June. Most of these games were as a relief pitcher. A relief pitcher comes into the game after the starting pitcher.

Vern was sent back to a minor league team called Triple-A. He returned to the Major Leagues in 1966. He played in 16 more games for the Athletics.

He started two games as a pitcher in MLB. One was in 1964 and the other in 1966. In these games, his team lost. He also earned one save. A save happens when a pitcher finishes a close game and helps their team win. This was in his second-to-last MLB game.

After the Major Leagues

After 1966, Vern Handrahan played in minor league baseball until 1970. He played for 12 seasons in total.

In 1968, he was honored. He was chosen for the Prince Edward Island Sports Hall of Fame. This was the very first year they had the Hall of Fame. Vern couldn't go to the ceremony. He was busy pitching for the Vancouver Mounties team.

During his time in MLB, Vern had a record of 0 wins and 2 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was 5.31. ERA shows how many runs a pitcher allows per game. He pitched for 61 innings. He allowed 53 hits and 40 walks. He also struck out 36 batters.

Vern Handrahan passed away in Charlottetown on November 2, 2016.