Al Aber

Albert Julius Aber
(Lefty)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 195 lb.
• High School West Technical High School
• Debut September 15, 1950
• Final Game September 11, 1957
• Born July 31, 1927 in Cleveland, OH USA
• Died May 20, 1993 in Garfield Heights, OH USA

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Biographical Information

"I could catch Billy Hoeft with a fielder's glove. Although he's fast, he throws a 'light' ball that makes it easy on the catcher. Al Aber, another leftie on our staff, is tough to catch because he throws a 'heavy' ball." - Frank House, Detroit Tigers catcher, to Sport magazine, June 1956

Left-handed pitcher Al Aber signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1946. His first pro stop was in the PONY League with the Batavia Clippers, where he was 13-6 with a 4.59 ERA. He spent five years in the minors before breaking in with the Indians on September 15, 1950, pitching a complete game victory in allowing only 2 runs to the Washington Senators. He did not play another game in the big leagues until 1953, due to his service in the US military during the Korean War in 1951 and 1952.

Al appeared in six games for the Indians in 1953 before being traded, on June 15th, to the Detroit Tigers with Ray Boone and Dick Weik for Art Houtteman, Owen Friend, Bill Wight and Joe Ginsberg. He spent the next five years with the Tigers, crafting a 22-24 record. On August 27, 1957, he was selected off waivers from the Tigers by the Kansas City Athletics. Al made three appearances for the Athletics and did not return to the majors. He pitched in 1958 with two minor league teams, the Buffalo Bisons and the Little Rock Travelers, going 3-3 before calling it a career. He primarily wore number 22 as a big leaguer.

Aber died in 1993 at age 65 in Garfield Heights, OH.

Sources

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Third Edition
SABR Minor League Database
baseball-reference.com
Baseball Library.com

Related Sites

• Al Aber at the SABR Bio Project
• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Al Aber