Paul Minner

Paul Edison Minner
(Lefty)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 5", Weight 210 lb.
• High School New Wilmington High School
• Debut September 12, 1946
• Final Game June 12, 1956
• Born July 30, 1923 in New Wilmington, PA USA
• Died March 28, 2006 in Lemoyne, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

17-year-old, 6' 5" left-hander Paul Minner was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1941 season. He was 0-4 his first year out pitching for two teams, the Thomasville Lookouts of the Georgia-Florida League and the Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association. He was in the two-team situation again in 1942, but this time around the results were a little different. "Lefty" went 19-2 for the year, with a 2.33 ERA, winning 18 for the Elizabethton Betsy Red Sox and one for the Knoxville Smokies. This exhibition was the best winning percentage (.905) in all of professional baseball in 1942.

Minner was then inducted into the United States Army and spent the next three seasons (1943-1945) in the military during World War II. Paul was back in time for the 1946 season and promptly went 16-11 for the Mobile Bears, plus getting into 3 games for the Brooklyn Dodgers, losing his only decision.

"Lefty" was back with the Dodgers in 1949, came up with a 3-1 record in 27 games and would never return to the minors again. He made one appearance in the 1949 World Series, with no decision, as the New York Yankees beat Brooklyn, 4 games to 1. History was made in the 9th inning of Game 5, when the Ebbets Field lights were turned on, making it the first World Series game finished under artificial lights. The first scheduled Series night game would not be held until 1971.

On October 14, 1949 the Chicago Cubs forked over $100,000 to Brooklyn for the left-hander. Paul spent the rest of his baseball career (1950-1956) with the Cubs' organization with his worst season coming in 1951 when he went 6-17 and led the National League in losses. He didn't waste time thinking about it and came right back in 1952 with a 14-9 record with a 3.74 ERA. Paul was a fixture in the Cubs' starting rotation and was 69-84 lifetime with a 3.94 ERA, but was a St. Louis Cardinals killer, with a 21-8 mark against the St. Louis club.

Minner spent ten seasons in pro baseball overall, with five of those coming in the minor leagues; during his stay in the minors, he built a record of 49 wins and 30 losses with a 2.93 ERA.

After baseball, Minner worked as a chief of field investigation for the State Insurance Department in Harrisburg, PA. Minner died on March 28, 2006 in Lemoyne, PA at the age of 83.

Notable Achievements

• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 3 (1951, 1953 & 1954)

Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• Paul Minner at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Minors page