David Frederick Gerard (August 6, 1936 – October 10, 2001), 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, ...

whose career extended for ten seasons (1955–1964). A native of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, he grew up in Yardley, Pennsylvania. Gerard stood tall and weighed . He appeared in the Major Leagues in 39 games as a

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...

in 1962 for 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 ...

. Gerhard was signed by the Cubs as an amateur free agent. In 58

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 ...

for the ninth-place Cubs, Gerard allowed 67 hits and 28 bases on balls. He struck out 30 and recorded three saves. Shortly before the 1963 season opened, Gerhard was traded to the Houston Colt .45s along with Danny Murphy for

Hal Haydel John Harold Haydel (July 9, 1944 - September 12, 2018) was an American professional baseball player who was a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Haydel signed with the Milwaukee Braves (1953–65), Milwaukee Braves as a free agent in 1962. L ...

, Dick LeMay and Merritt Ranew. He spent the entire season with the Oklahoma City 89ers, the Colt .45s' AAA minor league affiliate. After beginning the 1964 season in Oklahoma City, he was traded to 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 ...

organization and finished his playing career with the AAA Columbus Jets.

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1936 births 2001 deaths Baseball players from Bucks County, Pennsylvania Chicago Cubs players Columbus Jets players Fort Worth Cats players Houston Buffs players Lafayette Oilers players Major League Baseball pitchers Oklahoma City 89ers players Paris Lakers players Salt Lake City Bees players San Antonio Missions players Baseball players from New York City 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-baseball-pitcher-1930s-stub