Dick Ellsworth

Richard Clark Ellsworth

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 4", Weight 195 lb.
• School Fresno City College
• High School Fresno High School
• Debut June 22, 1958
• Final Game June 23, 1971
• Born March 22, 1940 in Lusk, WY USA
• Died October 10, 2022 in Fresno, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

On June 16, 1958 Dick Ellsworth was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent. He immediately threw a four-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in a mid-season exhibition game. The 18-year-old left-hander then lost his only regular season start before being sent down to the Fort Worth Cats of the AA Texas League.

He wasn't too impressive with the Fort Worth Team, going 1-7 with a 5.47 ERA in 1958, but improved to 10-14 with a 2.60 ERA with the same club in 1959. He started the 1960 season with the Houston Buffs, won his first two starts, giving up only 9 hits in 21 innings with a 0.86 ERA and was called up to the major leagues where he stepped right into the Chicago Cubs' starting rotation and stayed there through 1966.

Dick had his best season in 1963 when he won 22 while losing only 10 with a 2.11 ERA. The following year he won 14 outings, posted a 3.75 ERA and was chosen for the 1964 All-Star Game, although he did not get into the contest. After losing a league-leading 22 games in 1966, Ellsworth was traded to the [Philadelphia Phillies]] on December 7, 1966 for Ray Culp and cash.

Dick would spend 1967 with the Phillies where he went 6-7 with a 4.38 ERA and was traded to the Boston Red Sox on December 15th along with Gene Oliver for Mike Ryan and cash. Dick had one of his most productive years for the fourth-place finishing (86-76) Red Sox in 1968, winning 16 and losing only 7 with a 3.03 ERA. Ellsworth had three years of baseball left in his arm, finishing up his 13-year major league career pitching with the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers from 1969 to 1971 with a career 115-137 record and a 3.72 ERA.

Dick's son, Steve Ellsworth, came up with the Red Sox in 1988 and when he won a game the Ellsworths became the first father-son combination to both win a game for Boston in franchise history. As of 2009 Dick resided in Fresno, CA, where he was in the real estate business.

Ellsworth was the first Wyoming-born player in the major leagues since Bob Harris, who last played 16 years before Ellsworth debuted.

Notable Achievements

• NL All-Star (1964)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 2 (1963 & 1968)
• 20 Wins Seasons: (1963)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 5 (1962-1966)

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com
Baseball Players of the 1950s
SABR MILB Database:page

Related Sites

• Dick Ellsworth at the SABR Bio Project