MLB Stats for Bob Lemon

Bob Lemon Rookie Card | 1949 Bowman Baseball Card (#238 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library

Bob Lemon was a third baseman, who became a center fielder, who became a pitcher – one that would eventually be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. How did this take place? We'll let his manager, Lou Boudreau, a Hall of Fame shortstop, explain:

"One problem that surfaced immediately was the realization that we desperately needed a center fielder, which is how Bob Lemon first came into prominence.

"Because we were desperate, and also because Ken Keltner was firmly entrenched at third base, I decided to give Lemon, the rookie third baseman, a chance to play the outfield. He'd hit well in the minors, had a strong arm, could run, and was a good judge of fly balls.

"Lemon had done some pitching in the Navy, but wanted to play every day and was more than willing to switch positions in order to get into the starting lineup.

"It was a move that paid off immediately — though not for the long run — as we beat Chicago, 1-0, in the opener. Lemon made a sensational game-saving catch to preserve the victory for (Bob) Feller.

"On the basis of that first game, it seemed that our center field problem was solved for a long time.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't, as Lemon failed to hit consistently — but that proved to be a blessing in disguise.

"As everyone knows, Lemon became one of the best pitchers in the game, though the conversion didn't happen immediately, and not without considerable resistance on his part.

"I asked Bill Dickey, the Yankee catcher, who'd been in the service with Lemon, for his opinion. Dickey told me what I already knew, that it would be worth a try to see what he could do as a pitcher.

"We eased Lemon in slowly the latter half of the season, when it was obvious we weren't going to be fighting for the pennant.

"I asked myself, why not give Lemon a look? What did we have to lose anyway? (Team President Bill) Veeck agreed, and Lemon made 32 appearances, 27 in relief. While he won only four games while losing five, his earned run average was a sparkling 2.49, offering more than enough hope that he could be a winning pitcher for us. How right we were."

Source: Boudreau, Lou. Lou Boudreau: Covering All the Bases. Sports Publishing, LLC. 7 May 1993. Pages 77-87.

In Bob Feller's Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom (McGraw-Hill Publishing. 9 February 2001.), teammate / hall of famer Bob Feller wrote, "Bob had a good curve, a good slider, and a vicious sinker pitch. He wasn't overly fast, but he always stayed ahead of the hitters and he didn't walk many batters, which is the key to success in the majors." That "success" included seven All-Star appearances (1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1953, 1954), six additional twenty-win seasons, (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956), five-time complete game leader (1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956), induction into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame (1960), his number #21 being retired (June 20, 1998), and a plaque in the National Baseball Hall of Fame!

Bob Lemon | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1976 (HOF)