Bob Garber

Robert Mitchell Garber

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.

• Debut May 13, 1956
• Final Game September 23, 1956
• Born September 10, 1928 in Hunker, PA USA
• Died June 7, 1999 in Redwood City, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Before the 1948 season Bob Garber was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent. The 6'1" nineteen-year-old righthander, was assigned to the Greenville Pirates of the class D Alabama State League where he appeared in 31 games and went 14-7 with a 3.48 ERA. In 1949 Garber was with the Greenville club again, going 10-4 with a 3.03 ERA and finished up the 1949 year with the Davenport Pirates of the class B Three I League, winning 10 and losing 7 with a 2.30 ERA.

In 1950 Bob was with the Charleston Rebels of the class A South Atlantic League, where he led the league in strikeouts with 205 and finished with a 15 won, 9 loss record and a 4.11 ERA. In 1951 and 1952 The United States Military called for Garber and he spent these two years in service at the time of the Korean War.

Garber spent four more years in the minors (1953-1956) before getting a chance with the Pirates in 1956. Bob went 19-8 with the Denver Bears of the class A Western League and made the All-Star team in 1954. He was elevated to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League in 1955, won 20 games and led the league in strikeouts with 199. He was back with Hollywood the following season, won 11 and lost 6 with a 3.56 ERA and spent his only time in the majors that year when he made it into two games out of the Pirates' bullpen, allowing two runs in four innings. He finished with a 2.25 ERA and no decisions in his big league tenure.

He spent two more seasons in baseball, both in the Pacific Coast League, going 10-8 with Hollywood in 1957 and finishing up his pro career with the Seattle Rainiers and the Portland Beavers in 1958 with a 5-10 mark. In Garber's nine active seasons in pro baseball he appeared in 320 contests, winning 117 and losing 81, while pitching 1,641 innings, allowing 1,425 base hits along with 624 base on balls and 609 earned runs for a minor league career 3.47 ERA.

After baseball Bob was a salesman for the Johnson Wax Company before retiring in 1991. He and his wife then traveled the country visiting some 30 states and 40 national parks before he died on June 7, 1999, at age 70 in Redwood City, CA.

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com
Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Third Edition
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page