Lefty Hayden

Eugene Franklin Hayden

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut June 26, 1958
• Final Game July 6, 1958
• Born April 14, 1935 in San Francisco, CA USA
• Died June 13, 2003 in Lodi, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

San Francisco, CA-born Lefty Hayden was obtained by the Cincinnati Redlegs from the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League as part of a minor league working agreement on September 10, 1955. As a nineteen-year-old in 1954 he had built a 10-6 record with the Tucson Cowboys of the Arizona-Texas League. He bettered that in 1955, going 17-10 with the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Northwest League, also winning one of those 17 with a late-season victory with the Rainiers.

Hayden had the best season of his five-year minor league career in 1956 when he went 17-9 with a 3.13 ERA while pitching 215 innings with three different clubs, the Savannah Redlegs, the Nashville Volunteers and again finishing out the season with Seattle in one outing, which he lost this time. Lefty spent 1957 with Seattle, not doing as well, going 4-6 in 40 appearances, mostly in relief and had a 4.24 ERA. Lefty got his one and only shot at the majors with Cincinnati in 1958 getting three brief appearances out of the bullpen in mid-season, with no decisions.

Hayden spent the balance of the 1958 season pitching for the Nashville club again, going 4-7 in 15 appearances, and wrapping up his baseball career with the Havana Sugar Kings going 1-8 in 16 outings. That gave him a minor league career record of 53-46 with a 4.15 ERA while pitching in 165 games. Now 23 years old, Hayden chose to return to Vacaville, CA, where he played some semi-pro and amateur ball while working for a living. Hayden died June 13, 2003 in Lodi, CA.

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page