Harold Joseph Woodeshick (August 24, 1932 – June 14, 2009) was an American left-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 spent eleven seasons in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) with the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

(1956 and 1961),

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

(1958), the original modern Washington Senators franchise (1959–60), the expansion Washington Senators club (1961), Houston Colt .45s / Astros (1962–65), and

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

(1965–67). He was the first closer in the history of the Astros' franchise. He was also a member of the Cardinals' 1967 World Series Championship team. He was nicknamed "The Switchman" for his ability to "turn out the lights" on opposing batters.Reed, Robert. ''A Six-Gun Salute: An Illustrated History of the Houston Colt .45s 1962–1964''. Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing Co., 1999.

Playing career

Baseball nomad

Born on August 24, 1932, in

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( , alternatively or ) is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It ...

, Woodeshick signed with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

as an amateur free agent in 1950.Hal Woodeshick (statistics & history)
''Baseball-Reference.com'' His time with them consisted of only one

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other tea ...

pitched for the Carbondale Pioneers, the Phillies'

North Atlantic League The North Atlantic League was the name of two minor baseball leagues. The first was a Class D affiliated system that operated from 1946 until 1950, and the second was an independent minor league that played from 1995 until 1996. Three of that le ...

team. He split his 1951 campaign with a pair of independent

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

clubs: the Duluth Dukes of the Northern League (three games) and the Youngstown A's of the

Middle Atlantic League The Middle Atlantic League (or Mid-Atlantic League) was a lower-level circuit in United States, American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century. History The Middle Atlantic League played from 1925 in base ...

(two innings). He joined the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

organization in 1952, winning 13 decisions that year with the

Kingsport Cherokees Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It lies along the Holston River and had a population of 55,442 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, wh ...

of the

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden ...

and 14 in 1955 with the

Danville Leafs The Danville Leafs were a professional minor league baseball team that played in the city of Danville, Virginia. During 1935–1942, they were also known as the Danville-Schoolfield Leafs. History Professional baseball first made its appearance ...

of the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

.Hal Woodeshick (minor league statistics & history)
''Baseball-Reference.com'' He served in the

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during the two years between those seasons. He was selected by Detroit in the minor league draft on November 27, 1955. A 12-game winner with the

Charleston Senators The Charleston Senators were an American minor league baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They were the first professional baseball team to play in Charleston, beginning play in 1910. The team was inactive during a few periods, playi ...

in 1956, he made his major league debut later that year on September 14 in a 5–1 defeat to the eventual World Series Champion

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

Briggs Stadium Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-use stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of ...

. He picked up the loss after surrendering four runs in three innings as the starter. His only other appearance with the Tigers came ten days later on September 24 in another start at home which resulted in him yielding four runs again and earning his second straight loss. This time his outing lasted innings in the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

's 14–11 triumph. He returned to the minors in 1957, dividing his time between Charleston and the

Augusta Tigers The Augusta Tigers was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams in Augusta, Georgia. Beginning in 1884, Augusta has hosted numerous teams in various leagues. Baseball Hall of Fame charter member Ty Cobb played for the Augusta Tour ...

. He was traded with

Jay Porter J. W. "Jay" Porter (January 17, 1933 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball player who appeared in the major leagues with five different teams between 1952 and 1959. Porter played in 229 major-league games: 91 as a catcher, ...

to Cleveland for

Hank Aguirre Henry John Aguirre (January 31, 1931 – September 5, 1994), commonly known as Hank Aguirre, was an American professional baseball player and business entrepreneur. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher from 1955 to 1 ...

and Jim Hegan on February 18, 1958. Woodeshick split the 1958 campaign between the Indians and its top farm team in

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where he won ten contests, and began the next one with the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

. He was dealt to the Washington Senators along with Hal Naragon for

Ed Fitz Gerald Edward Raymond Fitz Gerald (May 21, 1924 – June 14, 2020) was an American professional baseball player and coach. A former catcher, he appeared in 807 games played in Major League Baseball over 12 seasons (–) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wa ...

on May 25, 1959. After that franchise moved west and became the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

, he was picked in the

1960 Major League Baseball expansion draft The 1960 MLB expansion draft was held by Major League Baseball on December 14, 1960, to fill the rosters of the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators. The Angels and Senators (who later became the Texas Rangers) were new franchises tha ...

by the second Washington Senators on December 14, 1960. He returned to the Detroit Tigers just under six months later on June 5, 1961, in exchange for

Chuck Cottier Charles Keith Cottier (January 8, 1936 – February 1, 2021) was an American second baseman, manager, coach, and scout in Major League Baseball (MLB). Born in Delta, Colorado, Cottier graduated from Grand Junction High School, where he lette ...

. Woodeshick was also loaned to the Charleston (WV) Marlins for part of the 1961 season. He once reflected on the nomadic nature of the early years of his baseball career, saying, "People talk about pressure now, but pressure was driving a wife and child across the country with no contract, a bad back, and not knowing whether you're going to have a job next year."

Houston Colt .45s/Astros

Woodeshick was on the Houston Colt .45s roster for the

expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...

's inaugural

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

in 1962. His contract had been purchased on October 12, 1961, from the

Denver Bears Denver ( ) is a consolidated city and county, the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Western United States, in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains east of th ...

, the Tigers' American Association affiliate at the time.

General manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

Paul Richards, who had previously managed the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

, was impressed with several of his qualities such as his six-foot-four-inch (1.93 meters) height,

work ethic Work ethic is a belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. Desire or determination to work serves as the foundation for values centered on the i ...

and an ability to throw an effective sinker. The most important one was Woodeshick having his best performances against Richards' old ballclub. In the fifteen games he pitched versus the Orioles, he was 4–1 with a 1.80 earned run average (ERA). The acquisition was a big risk because Woodeshick was prone to wildness with his pitches and had problems with his fielding. He spent most of his first Colt .45s

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

working with Richards and

pitching coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decision ...

Cot Deal Ellis Ferguson "Cot" Deal (January 23, 1923 – May 21, 2013) was an American pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Listed at , , Deal was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. A native of Arapaho, Oklahoma, he grew up in Oklahoma City ...

to correct his inability to make accurate throws to the

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

after cleanly fielding ground balls. The solution was for Woodeshick to jog toward the first baseman and lob an overhand soft toss to him.Anderson, James. "Hal Woodeshick: The First Legitimate Closer in Houston Colt .45s/Astros History", Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, January 22, 2006.
Under Richards' tutelage, he improved his

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

and learned how to throw the slip pitch. Woodeshick started in 26 of his 31 appearances in 1962. In the Colt .45s' second-ever regular season contest on April 11, its first at night, he pitched eight innings and endured a one-hour

rain delay Rainout, washout, rain delay, and rain stopped play are terms regarding an outdoor event, generally a sporting event, delayed or canceled due to rain, or the threat of rain. It is not to be confused with a type of out in baseball, though a basebal ...

in the fourth to earn a 2–0 victory over 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 ...

. He finished the campaign with a 5–16 record due to a pair of nagging injuries. A slow-healing throat infection had left him out of playing shape at midseason. By the time he was released at year's end, his back pain was so debilitating that his wife had to drive him back to their

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

home. After two spinal taps failed to provide a cure, his problem was remedied by a

chiropractor Chiropractic () is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of physical disorder, mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the vertebral column, spine. It is based on sever ...

who prescribed an

exercise Exercise or workout is physical activity that enhances or maintains fitness and overall health. It is performed for various reasons, including weight loss or maintenance, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardio ...

regimen. He returned to the Colt .45s as its first-ever legitimate closer in 1963, winning eleven games with a team-leading ten saves and a 1.97 ERA. His success was based largely on having picked up the slider from

Rusty Staub Daniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub (April 1, 1944 – March 29, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and television color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball for 23 seasons as a right fielder, designated hitter, and first base ...

. Woodeshick pitched two scoreless innings in relief of

Ray Culp Raymond Leonard Culp Jr. (born August 6, 1941) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (–), Chicago Cubs (), and Boston Red Sox (–). Early life Culp was b ...

for the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

in the

1963 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1963 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 34th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, ...

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Television in the Republic of Ireland, Irish television legal drama television series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017, based on ''The Good Wife'' by Robert King (writer), Robert and Michelle King. Prod ...

Joe Pepitone Joseph Anthony Pepitone (October 9, 1940 – March 13, 2023) was an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Braves ...

in the sixth and

Bob Allison William Robert Allison (July 11, 1934 – April 9, 1995) was an American professional baseball outfielder who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), with the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins. Allison attended the University of ...

and

Harmon Killebrew Harmon Clayton Killebrew Jr. (; June 29, 1936May 17, 2011), nicknamed "the Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. He spent most of his 22-year career in Major League ...

in the seventh. The only two baserunners he allowed were

Zoilo Versalles Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez (; December 18, 1939 – June 9, 1995), nicknamed "Zorro", was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball, most notably for the Minnesota Twins/Washington Senators. ...

(

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...

) and

Brooks Robinson Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (May 18, 1937 – September 26, 2023) was an American baseball player who played his entire 23-year career in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "Mr. Hoove ...

(

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

), both in the sixth. His best year in the majors was

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

when he led the senior circuit in saves with 23.

Later career

trade deadline In professional sports within the United States and Canada, a trade is a sports league transaction between sports clubs involving the exchange of player rights from one team to another. Though player rights are the primary trading assets, draft ...

deal on June 15, 1965, sent him, along with Chuck Taylor, to the Cardinals for

Mike Cuellar Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana (; May 8, 1937 – April 2, 2010) was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher in 1959 and from 1964 through 1977, most prominently as a memb ...

and Ron Taylor. Used exclusively out of the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...

, Woodeshick led the team in saves with 15 in 1965. He was replaced as the closer by

Joe Hoerner Joseph Walter Hoerner (November 12, 1936 – October 4, 1996) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher, who played 14 years in Major League Baseball (MLB), for seven different teams. A native of Dubuque, Iowa, he grew up in nearby Ke ...

the following year.Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M. & Neft, Michael L. ''The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball 2000''. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2000. As a member of the

1967 World Series The 1967 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1967 season. The 64th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National Leag ...

Champions, Woodeshick's only appearance in the Fall Classic was a scoreless bottom half of the eighth inning in relief of

Ray Washburn Ray Clark Washburn (born May 31, 1938) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1961 to 1969 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1970. Baseball career Washburn was b ...

in Game Six. After getting both George Thomas and

Joe Foy Joseph Anthony Foy (February 21, 1943 – October 12, 1989) was an American professional baseball player who played third base in Major League Baseball. Early life Foy was born on February 21, 1943, in New York City, just seven blocks from Ya ...

each to ground out, he surrendered a single to

Mike Andrews Michael Jay Andrews (born July 9, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. After his playing career, he served ...

, who was retired when the next batter,

Carl Yastrzemski Carl Michael Yastrzemski Sr. ( ; born August 22, 1939), nicknamed "Yaz", is an American former professional baseball player who played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He started his career primarily as a ...

, hit into a

fielder's choice In baseball, fielder's choice (abbreviated FC) refers to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance. Fielder's c ...

. Woodeshick's professional baseball career ended when he was released by the Cardinals on October 20, 1967, only eight days after The Series concluded.

Overview

In 11 major league seasons he had a 44–62 win–loss record, 427 games, 62 games started, 7 complete games, 1 shutout, 197 games finished, 61 saves, 847.1 innings pitched, 816 hits allowed, 400 runs allowed (335 earned), 40 home runs allowed, 389 walks allowed (61 intentional), 484 strikeouts, 35 hit batsmen, 55 wild pitches, 3,717 batters faced, 5 balks and a 3.56 ERA.

Death

He died on June 14, 2009, at age 76 after a long illness.Footer, Alyson. "Original Colt .45 Woodeshick passes", Houston Astros, Monday, June 15, 2009.
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodeshick, Hal 1932 births 2009 deaths Augusta Tigers players Carbondale Pioneers players Charleston Marlins players Charleston Senators players Cleveland Indians players Danville Leafs players Detroit Tigers players Duluth Dukes players Houston Astros players Houston Colt .45s players Kingsport Cherokees players Major League Baseball pitchers National League All-Stars St. Louis Cardinals players San Diego Padres (minor league) players San Juan Marlins players Sportspeople from Charleston, West Virginia Baseball players from Houston Baseball players from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Washington Senators (1961–1971) players 20th-century American sportsmen Youngstown A's players