Albert Maxwell Butcher (September 21, 1910 – September 15, 1957) was an American

major league baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("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 attempts to e ...

for the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californ ...

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

and

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 (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

from 1936–45.

Career

Butcher was the opposing pitcher on June 15, 1938 when left-hander

Johnny Vander Meer John Samuel Vander Meer (November 2, 1914 – October 6, 1997) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher, most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds where he became the onl ...

of the visiting

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

threw a second consecutive no-hitter, a feat never duplicated in Major League Baseball since. Butcher was the starting pitcher for Brooklyn in front of an uncommonly large crowd of 38,748, it also being the first night game played at

Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team of the National League (1913–1957). It was also home to five p ...

. Butcher bounced back from a 17-loss 1939 season in 1941 with a 17–12 record for the Pirates that included 19 complete games. In 1944, he went 13–11 for Pittsburgh and ranked among the league leaders in shutouts with five.

Death

Butcher died six days before his 47th birthday in Man, West Virginia, reportedly of a liver disease.

References

External links

* 1910 births 1957 deaths Baseball players from West Virginia Major League Baseball pitchers Brooklyn Dodgers players Philadelphia Phillies players Pittsburgh Pirates players People from Logan County, West Virginia York White Roses players Clarksburg Generals players Beckley Black Knights players Atlanta Crackers players Binghamton Triplets players Baltimore Orioles (IL) players Galveston Buccaneers players Raleigh Capitals players Welch Miners players {{US-baseball-pitcher-1910s-stub