Clyde McCullough

Clyde Edward McCullough

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11½", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Hume-Fogg High School
• Debut April 28, 1940
• Final Game July 22, 1956
• Born March 4, 1917 in Nashville, TN USA
• Died September 18, 1982 in San Francisco, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Clyde McCullough played in the majors for 15 years, mostly with the Chicago Cubs, and later was a coach and minor league manager.

McCullough made his pro debut as an 18-year-old with the Lafayette White Sox of the Evangeline League in 1935. He spent the next four years in the New York Yankees system before being sold to the Cubs after the 1939 season. He spent most of 1940 with the Buffalo Bisons, hitting .324 with 27 home runs, but also saw action at the big league level that year. He made his major league debut on April 28th, pinch hitting against Clyde Shoun of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 9th inning and striking out, but did not play for Chicago again until September. Overall, he hit .154 in 9 games for the Cubs that year.

McCullough became Chicago's regular catcher in 1941 and posted career-highs with 9 homers and 53 RBIs. He remained the team's starting backstop until entering the Navy in December 1943. He was discharged in September 1945, just prior to the Cubs World Series against the Detroit Tigers. Commissioner Happy Chandler allowed the club to add him to their postseason roster, and he made an appearance as a pinch hitter in Game 7, striking out facing Hal Newhouser. He is the only player ever to appear in a World Series without playing a regular season game in the same year.

Despite hitting just .209 and splitting time behind the plate with Bob Scheffing and Rube Walker in 1948, McCullough was selected to that year's All-Star Game. Following that season, he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates. After four years with the Pirates, he was traded back to the Cubs. He was again selected to the All-Star Game in 1953. He remained with Chicago through 1956.

After his release from the Cubs he suited up for the semipro Alpine Cowboys as he was added to their team just before the National Semipro Tournament in Wichita, KS. Despite Alpine finishing in third place McCullough was named MVP of the tournament.

In 1957 he played for the Miami Marlins of the International League, his final season as a player.

Following his playing days, McCullough was minor league manager for two seasons. He then was a coach for the Washington Senators in 1960) and remained with the club in 1961, when they became the Minnesota Twins. He was a New York Mets coach in 1963 and managed in their organization through 1969. In his final year in the Mets system, he was named Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News while leading the Tidewater Tides. After spending nearly two years as a manager in the Montreal Expos organization, he suffered a heart attack. He returned to the Mets as a minor league instructor from 1974 to 1976.

McCullough became bullpen coach of the San Diego Padres in 1982. While traveling with the club to San Francisco late in the season, he was found dead in his hotel room. He was 65 years old.

Notable Achievements

• 2-time NL All-Star (1948 & 1953)

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1958	Reading Indians	Eastern League	75-58	2nd	Cleveland Indians
1959	Asheville Tourists	South Atlantic League	70-70	5th	Philadelphia Phillies
1963	Raleigh Mets	Carolina League		--	New York Mets		replaced by Tommy Byrne
1964	Auburn Mets	New York-Pennsylvania League	79-48	1st	New York Mets	League Champs
1965	Auburn Mets	New York-Pennsylvania League	73-55	2nd	New York Mets	none
1966	Auburn Mets	New York-Pennsylvania League	80-49	1st	New York Mets	League Champs
1967	Durham Bulls	Carolina League	74-64	2nd (t)	New York Mets	League Champs
1968	Jacksonville Suns	International League	75-71	4th	New York Mets	League Champs
1969	Tidewater Tides	International League	76-59	1st	New York Mets	Lost in 1st round
1970	Buffalo Bisons/Winnipeg Whips	International League	52-88	7th	Montreal Expos
1971	Winnipeg Whips	International League	32-58	--	Montreal Expos		replaced by Jim Bragan on July 19

Related Sites

• Clyde McCullough dies