Ben Flowers

Bennett Flowers

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 195 lb.
• School Atlantic Christian College
• High School Charles L. Coon High School
• Debut September 29, 1951
• Final Game September 21, 1956
• Born June 15, 1927 in Goldsboro, NC USA
• Died February 18, 2009 in Wilson, NC USA

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Biographical Information

Before the 1945 season Ben Flowers was signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox assigned him to the Roanoke Red Sox of the class B Piedmont League and the 18-year-old 6'4" righthander won 15 and lost 8 in his initial season. He spent a split season in 1946 with the Wilson Tobs and the Roanoke team again, going 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA. Ben missed the 1947 season due to military service but got back in time to spend 1948 with the Roanoke club again and go 11-13 with a 3.13 ERA.

After winning 17 games for the Scranton Red Sox of the Eastern League in 1951, he made his big league debut with the Red Sox in September by working three scoreless innings in relief against the New York Yankees. From July 25th through August 1st, in 1953, Flowers set a since surpassed major league record of working in eight consecutive games out of the bullpen. Four days later he made his first start and shut out the St. Louis Browns, 5-0. Ben, who was taken from the Red Sox by the Detroit Tigers in the 1954 Rule V Draft, also spent time with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1955 and 1956 and put together a major league record of 3-7 in 76 appearances with a 4.49 career ERA.

Flowers spent the next four years in the AAA minors with the Los Angeles Angels, Denver Bears (where he was the winning hurler for Denver against the Buffalo Bisons in the clinching game of the 1957 Junior World Series) and wound up his pro baseball career with the Richmond Virginians in 1960. He was 33 years old when he retired. Ben had spent 15 active seasons in the pros, (1945-1960). His minor league career stats showed he was not afraid to pitch, appearing in 404 outings, pitching 2,136 innings, winning 124 and losing 120 with a 3.57 ERA.

After baseball Flowers worked as sales manager for an Industrial Electric firm.

Related Sites

• Ben Flowers at the SABR Bio Project
• Obituary