Fred Baczewski

Frederic John Baczewski
(Lefty)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2½", Weight 185 lb.
• School University of Tennessee
• High School Humboldt High School (St. Paul)
• Debut April 26, 1953
• Final Game April 16, 1955
• Born May 15, 1926 in St. Paul, MN USA
• Died November 14, 1976 in Culver City, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

On October 13, 1949, Fred Baczewski was purchased by the Chicago Cubs from the AA Shreveport Sports for $30,000 and a player to be named later. For the minors in those days, this was a pretty fancy deal. The reason was apparent when one looks at Fred's first three years of minor league stats - he had won 39 games, losing only 18 and had a 3.27 ERA. After the trade, Fred became a little less than spectacular, posting a 21-22 record in his next three years, but it still won him a spot on the Cubs' roster as a left-handed reliever in 1953. He was used very rarely and had no record when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on June 12th, along with Bob Kelly, in return for Bubba Church. The Reds put him in their starting rotation and the left-hander responded with a 11-4 record, completing 10 of his 18 starts and earning him some recognition in the 1953 National League Rookie of the Year Award voting. But after a 6-6 record in 1954, he was gone from the major leagues after appearing in just one game for the Redlegs in 1955. Overall, he went 17-10. Lefty spent the next six years with several teams in the high minors, winning 24 but losing 37, and after a poor start in 1961 decided it was time to retire.

Fred, who played college basketball at the University of Tennessee, was employed with a waste management company in Knoxville, TN and later with Tiger Airlines, the forerunner to Federal Express, prior to his death on November 14, 1976, at age 50 in Culver City, CA.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s by Rich Marazzi and Len Fiorito
SABR MILB Database:page

Related Sites

• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Fred Baczewski