Cy Buker

Cyril Owen Buker

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 190 lb.
• School University of Wisconsin-Madison
• High School Greenwood (WI) High School
• Debut May 17, 1945
• Final Game September 23, 1945
• Born February 5, 1918 in Greenwood, WI USA
• Died October 11, 2011 in Greenwood, WI USA

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Biographical Information

Cyril "Cy" Buker was an impressive 7-2 during his only season in the majors, with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. Appearing in 42 games, his ERA of 3.30 was better than the team ERA of 3.70. He recorded 5 saves and allowed only 2 home runs in 87 1/3 innings.

Buker was born in Greenwood, WI, in west-central Wisconsin. After attending the University of Wisconsin at the same time as John Sullivan, he played in the minors, appeared in semipro ball and did some teaching. He impressed in 1944 by going 11-3 with St. Paul, and was in the majors in 1945. In 1946, he went 12-7 for Montreal, a team famous for featuring Jackie Robinson. According to Baseball in Wartime, he was briefly in the Army but had asthma and was released. According to his biography by SABR, he held out for a few weeks in 1946 trying to get a better salary, and the dispute may have led to his not making the big club in 1946.

Related Sites

• Cy Buker at the SABR Bio Project
• Cy Buker, 93, a one-season wonder for the Brooklyn Dodgers
• Baseball in Wartime bio