Cecil Kaiser

Cecil Green Kaiser
(Aspirin Tablet Man, Minute Man)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 6", Weight 165 lb.

• Debut 1946
• Final Game 1947
• Born June 27, 1920 in Wytheville, VA USA
• Died February 14, 2011 in Southfield, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Cecil Kaiser was a Negro League and minor league pitcher.

Kaiser got his start on the sandlots of West Virginia and played with minor clubs before he debuted in 1945 with the Homestead Grays. In the winter of 1945-1946, he was 3-3 between Habana and Marianao of the Cuban Winter League. He spent 1946 in the Mexican League, going 6-12 with a 5.00 ERA for the San Luis Potosi Tuneros. His 1946 statistics were originally recorded under the name "Casper". Making $700 per month, he returned to the Grays in 1947 but saw minimal action over the next couple years. He ended his stint with the team in 1949.

In the winter of 1949-1950, Cecil dazzled in the Puerto Rican League, pacing all hurlers in ERA (1.68). He was 0-1 in the 1950 Caribbean Series, giving up four hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. In 1951, he played for the Farnham Pirates as an outfielder-pitcher. He hit .260 and slugged .414 while posting a 14-13, 3.96 record with only 48 walks in 216 innings. He ended his career with the 1952 Tampa Smokers, going 2-2 before his arm died at age 35. He would later play for the Ford Motor Company in the Detroit Industrial Leagues.

Kaiser was known for his breaking pitches and control. He was nicknamed Minute Man because that's how long it took him to strike out a batter. The little left-hander talking about playing with Josh Gibson (his 1945 catcher) during a Negro League art exhibit in Muskegon, MI in January 2011. A month later, he died following a fall at his home in Michigan.

Sources

• Kaiser obituary in the 2/28/11 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History by Jorge Figueredo
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros

Related Sites

• Cecil Kaiser at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page