Kenneth Harlin Gables (January 31, 1919 – January 2, 1960) was a

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 ...

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, ...

for 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 ...

from 1945 to 1947. The right-hander stood and weighed . Gables interrupted his time in the minor leagues when he served in the

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during World War II. As a

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in 1945, 26-year-old Gables was the youngest pitcher on the Pirate staff. He made his major league debut in relief on April 18, 1945 against the

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

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. He earned his first

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on May 24, also in relief, in an 11-inning home game against the

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. Gables pitched in 29 games during his first season, 16 as a starter, and had an 11–7 record with a 4.15

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 ...

. Gables' career totals for 62 games include a 13–11 record, 23

games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games pitched, games that a pitcher has starting pitcher, started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opp ...

, 6

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, 20

games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished (denoted by GF) if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game. Mariano Rivera is the ...

, and 2 saves. He allowed 125

earned runs In baseball, an earned run is any Run (baseball), run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the ...

in 239

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 an

ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...

of 4.69. Gables died in his hometown of Walnut Grove, Missouri, at the age of 40.

Trivia

*Gables gave up just 9

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run ...

in 239 innings, an outstanding average of just one per 26.2 innings pitched. *His nickname was "Coral." *Five other players made their major league debut the same day as Gables: Vic Lombardi, Otho Nitcholas, Bill Salkeld, Jim Wilson, and Jose Zardon.

References

External links

Retrosheet
Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Missouri Pittsburgh Pirates players Indianapolis Indians players 1919 births 1960 deaths People from Greene County, Missouri Sportspeople from the Springfield metropolitan area, Missouri United States Army personnel of World War II 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-baseball-pitcher-1910s-stub