Dick McCleney

Richard Franklin McCleney

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 175 lb.

• School Wake Forest University

• Born June 20, 1929
• Died July 29, 2008 in Foxfire Village, NC USA

BR register page

Biographical Information

Dick McCleney pitched in the minors and for the USA national team.

McCleney was at Wake Forest when that school represented the US in the 1951 Pan American Games and won the Silver Medal. He turned pro in 1951 with the Wilson Tobs, going 13-7 with a 2.57 ERA. He tied Red Benton for 10th in the Coastal Plain League in wins and was 5th in ERA. The Terre Haute Phillies took him in the Class B portion of the 1951 Rule V Draft but he returned to Wilson the next summer. In 1952, he improved to 18-10, 1.85 for the Tobs. He was 5th in wins (two of the pitchers with more wound up in the majors), 7th in ERA, led in games pitched (42, one ahead of Gene Host) and 4th in IP 258, between Harry Storch and Ted Abernathy).

He had another solid campaign in '53, going 15-7 with a 3.83 ERA for the Bradford Phillies in the Philadelphia Phillies chain. He tied Bob Rauber for 5th in the PONY League in wins. He was 0-2 for the 1954 Portsmouth Merrimacs before injury ended his pro career at 46-26.

He then coached Shelby High School to numerous golf and basketball titles and won many golfing club championships.

Sources include Shelby Star Obituary