Bruce Barmes

Bruce Raymond Barmes
(Squeaky)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 165 lb.
• High School Vincennes Lincoln High School
• Debut September 13, 1953
• Final Game September 27, 1953
• Born October 23, 1929 in Vincennes, IN USA
• Died January 25, 2014 in Garner, NC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"A scout for the Washington Senators tagged me 'Squeaky' because I was always hollerin' at batters from my left field position. After a while, my voice would become hoarse." - Bruce Barmes, in Baseball Nicknames

Outfielder Bruce Barmes was signed as an amateur free agent by the Washington Senators before the 1950 season. He was assigned to the Orlando Senators of the Class D Florida State League for his first look at pro baseball and promptly assured the Senators they had not made a bad investment, as he played in 140 games and won the batting title (.372) with a league-leading 271 hits. Bruce made the circuit's All-Star team and helped his club to the league title. He moved up to the Charlotte Hornets of the Class B Tri-State League in 1951, hitting .311 and helping his team win 100 games and win a league title. He was back with Charlotte in 1952 and led the Tri-State League in hitting with a .360 average as well as hits with 182, making the All-Star team and helping his team to the playoff championship.

1953 was Bruce's year to get his one and only chance at the big leagues. He hit .320 for the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern Association in 144 games and, after the end of that league's season, the fifth-place Senators called him to Griffith Stadium. He made his big league debut on September 13th and appeared in five games with five at-bats and one base hit, for a career average of .200. He was back with the Lookouts in 1954, spending the next four seasons (1954-1957) in Chattanooga, averaging just over .300, but having only 6 home runs during this run. He was with the Omaha Cardinals the last of 1957 in 35 games and hit .339. Bruce, or "Squeaky" as he was sometimes known, spent three more seasons before leaving the game, hitting an even .300 for the Atlanta Crackers in 1958 in 140 games. He appeared in 114 outings in 1959 with the Omaha Cardinals, where he hit .314, and finished his career with the Charlotte Hornets and Charleston Senators, with a combined .293 average in 109 games. His 11 seasons of minor league work gave him a lifetime .318 hitting average with just 13 home runs in 1,439 games. He appeared once again for Charlotte in 1966, but did not bat in his only game of action.

Bruce worked as a truck driver for Carolina Delivery Service and was a welder for the Martin-Marietta Company before retiring in the early 1990s. He is the uncle of Clint Barmes. He passed away in 2014, aged 83.

Sources

• Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page