Carl Duser

Carl Robert Duser

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 1", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut September 15, 1956
• Final Game April 23, 1958
• Born July 22, 1932 in Hazleton, PA USA
• Died January 5, 2023 in Sayre, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Left-hander Carl Duser was signed as an amateur free agent by the Philadelphia Athletics before the 1954 season and spent his first season in pro ball with the Lancaster Red Roses of the Class B Piedmont League going 7-9 with a 3.84 ERA. He spent his second season with the Columbus Jets of the International League, winning 8 and losing 7 with a 4.32 ERA.

The 25-year-old Korean War veteran stayed with the Columbus club for the 1956 season, going 6-7 and oddly enough the now-Kansas City Athletics saw something in the pitcher that warranted givi ng him a late-season look. He debuted in the major leagues on September 15th. Duser would split a pair of decisions in two starts for the |Athletics with his only big league victory coming against the Washington Senators. One of his teammates in that late-season trial was none other then Tommy Lasorda.

Carl had a split season in 1957 with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League and the Little Rock Travelers of the Southern Association where he went 8-13 with a 5.26 ERA. Lo and behold, he garnered another look by the Athletics the following season, making a lone appearance out of the bullpen on April 23, [[1958. This finished Carl's time in the majors with a 1-1 record and a 7.88 ERA. Coincidentally, one of his teammates on the '58 squad was Roger Maris.

Carl hung on and in 1958 appeared with the Albany Senators, Denver Bears and the Sacramento Solons putting together a 3-2 record but suffered a serious knee injury in a head-on automobile crash that year that ended his career at age 26. This finished up his minor league record at 32-38 with a 4.57 ERA while appearing in 129 games. Duser also appeared in the 1958 Caribbean Series, pitching for the Panama team.

Duser worked in sales for Bethlehem Steel before retiring in 1983, and later managed a private club, the Heights Athletic Club, in Bethlehem, PA.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page