Fred Green

Fred Allen Green

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 6' 4", Weight 190 lb.
• High School Titusville (NJ) High School
• Debut April 15, 1959
• Final Game June 14, 1964
• Born September 14, 1933 in Titusville, NJ USA
• Died December 22, 1996 in Titusville, NJ USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Lefthander Fred Green was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 1952 season. The 6' 4" pitcher started out in the Pirates organization in 1952 with the Brunswick Pirates, compiling a 20-11 record and a 2.54 ERA while leading the Georgia-Florida League with 265 strikeouts and making the All-Star team. After tutoring stops with the Hollywood Stars, Salt Lake City Bees and the Columbus Jets along the way, he made it to Forbes Field in 1959. He appeared in 17 games for the Pirates in 1959, going 1-2 with a 3.13 ERA.

In 1960, his first (and only) full season in the majors, Green was a key factor in the team's World Championship season as a left-handed counterpart to Elroy Face out of the bullpen, compiling an 8-4 record with 3 saves in 45 appearances totaling 70 innings. His ERA was 3.21. In addition, he batted 8 times and had 3 hits, including a pair of home runs. He was named to the Sporting News All-Rookie team for 1960. Fred appeared in three games with no decisions in the magical 1960 World Series that the city of Pittsburgh and its fans will remember forever. However, Green was hit hard by the New York Yankees in the series, giving up 11 hits and 10 runs in a total of 4 innings.

Fred also pitched briefly for the Pirates in 1961 and again in 1964, around a short stay with the Washington Senators in 1962. Green spent five years in the majors overall and his lifetime figures show he won nine and lost seven with a 3.48 ERA while appearing in 88 games.

Fred had 12 active up and down seasons in the minors (1952-1965) with a 98-88 record and a 3.91 ERA while pitching 1,582 innings.

For several years during the next decade while he was in the insurance business in Pittsburgh, Green threw batting practice before home games for the Pirates. He later worked in shipping and receiving for a hardware supplies business in Pittsburgh, where he died on December 22, 1996, at age 62.

By playing for Brunswick of the Georgia-Florida League in 1952 - a low-level affiliate of the Pirates, Fred Green became the only major leaguer to play as a teammate of Pirate farmhand and future New York governor Mario Cuomo.

He was the father of major leaguer Gary Green.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960

Sources

Branch Rickey Papers https://www.loc.gov/resource/mss37820.05214/?sp=50
Baseball Players of the 1950s

Further Reading

• Bob Hurte: "Fred Green", in Clifton Blue Parker and Bill Nowlin, ed.: Sweet '60: The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2013, pp. 92-94. ISBN 978-1-93359-948-9

Related Sites

• Fred Green at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page