Robert Joseph Thorpe (June 12, 1935 – March 17, 1960) was an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player, a right-handed

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

who experienced instant success at the

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level, had a brief and promising trial with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

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, then was driven from the game by a sore arm and elbow surgery by the end of 1959. Less than a year after his retirement from baseball, Thorpe was working as an

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on power lines in his native city of

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, when he was accidentally

electrocuted Electrocution is death or severe injury caused by electric shock from electric current passing through the body. The word is derived from "electro" and "execution", but it is also used for accidental death. The term "electrocution" was coined ...

at the age of 24. Thorpe stood tall and weighed . He signed with the Cubs in 1953 and his first two seasons in baseball, with the

Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Banner I ...

of the Class C

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, saw him win 44 of 56 decisions.Minor league statistics
from

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In 1954, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player after posting a 28–4 record with the California circuit's top

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

, 2.28, in 300

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

. He threw 32

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

s in 33 assignments as a

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

. The performance earned him a five-level promotion to the Major League Cubs at the outset of the 1955 season. He appeared in two MLB games for the Cubs. In his debut, he worked the final

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of a 14–1 loss at the hands of the

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— but retired the Redbirds in order. In his second and final stint, Thorpe hurled the final two innings of another losing effort, this time against the

Milwaukee Braves The Milwaukee Braves were a Major League Baseball club that played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 1953 to 1965, having previously played in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Boston Braves. After relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966 they were rename ...

, and allowed two runs (one earned) on four

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.1955-4-20 box score from Retrosheet
/ref> Thorpe spent the rest of his career in the higher levels of the minors. He was selected by the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

in the 1957

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, but developed a sore arm. He missed the entire 1958 season after elbow surgery and retired after only three appearances at the Class A level in 1959.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorpe, Bob 1935 births 1960 deaths Accidental deaths by electrocution Accidental deaths in California Baseball players from San Diego Chicago Cubs players Columbus/Gastonia Pirates players Des Moines Bruins players Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players Major League Baseball pitchers Portland Beavers players Stockton Ports players