Bob Miller (millebo02)

Robert John Miller

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 190 lb.
• School University of Detroit Mercy
• High School St. Mary's High School (Detroit)
• Debut September 16, 1949
• Final Game August 10, 1958
• Born June 16, 1926 in Detroit, MI USA
• Died November 27, 2020 in Waterford, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

This Bob Miller was one of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies "Whiz Kids". He may not be remembered as well as Robin Roberts, but he did go 11-6 that season. At age 18, Bob saw combat in World War II in places like New Guinea and the Philippines. When the war ended he remained in the Pacific and played ball in Japan during the summer of 1946.

Following his discharge, he won three games in the 1947 National Amateur Baseball Tournament. He then enrolled at the University of Detroit and attended for two years before he signed a Phillies contract. In 1949, while pitching for the Terre Haute Phillies of the Three I League, his 19 victories and a 2.72 ERA, along with 25 complete games led the league and earned him a berth on the All-Star team. It also convinced the Phillies it was time for him to join the the staff that included Roberts, Curt Simmons, Russ Meyer and Ken Heintzelman towards the end of that season.

In his first start in 1950, he beat Vern Bickford and the Boston Braves, 2-1. With his easy motion and crackling fastball, he then shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds, putting together a string of 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. The sizzling rookie ran his mark to 8-0 and appeared to be a favorite to cop the 1950 National League Rookie of the Year Award when a back injury stopped him for over a month. When Miller returned, he was only able to win three of his final nine decisions and he had a loss in Game 4 of the World Series.

Miller's back and shoulder problems nagged him in 1951. He then spent the 1952 season in the minors when the club decided to keep Karl Drews on its pitching staff. Bob was back up the following season and on August 9, 1953, he enjoyed one of the biggest days of his professional career when he shut out the Chicago Cubs and went 4-for-5 at the plate. In the final laps of Bob's career he was used mostly out of the bullpen, making 131 relief appearances between 1955 and 1958. In 1955 he went 8-4 with a 2.41 ERA and allowed only 80 hits in 89 innings. Miller left baseball after 1959, at age 33, with a major league record of 42-42 and a 3.96 ERA. His career also kept him in the minors for parts of six seasons and he went 41-24 with a 2.63 ERA to show for it.

For many years Bob was in the insurance business in Detroit, MI, where he worked for Chuck Davie, the former fighter. He coached baseball at the University of Detroit (now known as Detroit Mercy) for 38 years (36 as the head man) and in 1979 he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. In 1999, Miller was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall Of Fame.

He was the second of four major leaguers named "Bob Miller". All four were pitchers.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• Bob Miller at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors Page