Rip Coleman

Walter Gary Coleman

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 185 lb.
• School Syracuse University, Wake Forest University
• Debut August 15, 1955
• Final Game May 5, 1960
• Born July 31, 1931 in Troy, NY USA
• Died May 14, 2004 in Wolfeboro, NH USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Rip Coleman pitched parts of five seasons in the big leagues. In a statistical oddity, he went 0-7 for the Kansas City Athletics in 1957, but was credited with a complete game shutout. It came on May 19, against the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of a doubleheader. Rip pitched five innings and the game was played to a scoreless tie. He is the last pitcher to be credited with a shutout in a season in which he did not record a single win.

As a rookie with the New York Yankees in 1955, he appeared in one game in the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, allowing a run and five hits in an inning of work. His finest season was 1956, going 3-5 with a 3.67 ERA in 29 games, but did not appear in that year's Fall Classic. 1960 was Coleman's final season in the majors. He went 0-2 with a 11.25 ERA in five games for the Baltimore Orioles, which included one start. Although he started a game, he pitched in only four innings, walking five batters and striking out none. In fact, in the game he started, he lasted only 1/3 of an inning, allowing two earned runs. The player most similar to him is Mike Willis (according to similarity scores, through 2019).

Rip died at 72 in 2004 and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, NY.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1956 (he did not play in the World Series)

Related Sites

• Rip Coleman at the SABR Bio Project