Bill Chamberlain (baseball)

Summary

William Vincent Chamberlain (April 21, 1909 – February 6, 1994) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox in 1932.

Bill Chamberlain
Pitcher
Born: (1909-04-21)April 21, 1909
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Died: February 6, 1994(1994-02-06) (aged 84)
Brockton, Massachusetts
Batted: Right
Threw: Left
MLB debut
August 2, 1932, for the Chicago White Sox
Last MLB appearance
September 23, 1932, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record0–5
Earned run average4.57
Strikeouts11
Teams

Biography edit

Chamberlain grew up in Milton, Massachusetts, and played college baseball at Saint Anselm College. Chamberlain was pitching for Harwich in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) in the summer of 1932 when he was noticed by a White Sox scout. He was playing in Chicago by the end of the season.[1][2]

In his only major league campaign, Chamberlain appeared in 12 games for the 1932 White Sox, posting a 4.57 ERA in 41.1 innings.[3] He gave up three big league home runs, two to Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane, and one that was the 200th home run of Hall of Famer Al Simmons' illustrious career.[1] Perhaps Chamberlain's most memorable outing came on August 29 in the second game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. In a 4-3 White Sox loss, Chamberlain held Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hitless over five innings, and helped his own cause with a single off Hall of Fame hurler Red Ruffing.[4]

Chamberlain continued to play professionally in the minor leagues through 1938. While serving a one-month suspension from the New York–Pennsylvania League in 1937, he returned to play again for the CCBL's Harwich club.[5][6] After his baseball career had ended, Chamberlain spent 30 years with the Boston Police Department, retiring in 1970.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Dick Thompson. "Bill Chamberlain". sabr.org. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  2. ^ "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  3. ^ "Bill Chamberlain". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  4. ^ "Chicago White Sox at New York Yankees Box Score, August 29, 1932". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "Hexing Harwich". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. August 6, 1937. p. 10.
  6. ^ "Cape League Chatter". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. August 13, 1937. p. 8.

External links edit

  • Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
  • Bill Chamberlain biography from Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)