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{{short description|American baseball player (1924–1997)}}
'''Calvin Ross Abrams''' (born ], ], in ]; died ], ], in ]) was an American ] ] baseball player.
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Cal Abrams
|image=Cal Abrams 1953.jpg
|caption=Abrams in 1953
|position=]
|birth_date={{Birth date|1924|3|2}}
|birth_place=], ], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1997|2|25|1924|3|2}}
|death_place=], U.S.
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 20
|debutyear=1949
|debutteam=Brooklyn Dodgers
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 9
|finalyear=1956
|finalteam=Chicago White Sox
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=]
|stat1value=.269
|stat2label=]s
|stat2value=32
|stat3label=]
|stat3value=138
|teams=
*] ({{mlby|1949}}–{{mlby|1952}})
*] ({{mlby|1952}})
*] ({{mlby|1953}}–{{mlby|1954}})
*] ({{mlby|1954}}–{{mlby|1955}})
*] ({{mlby|1956}})
}}
'''Calvin Ross Abrams''' (March 2, 1924 – February 25, 1997), nicknamed "'''Abie'''", was an American ] ]. He played in ] (MLB) between 1949 and 1956 for the ], ], ], ], and ].


==Baseball career== ==Baseball career==
===Minor league===
Abrams was born in ], and signed by Joe Labate, a scout for the ], out of ] in ] in {{Baseball year|1942}}, and assigned to the Olean Oilers of the ] ] (PONY League). He played in 19 games that season.


In January 1943, he was inducted into the Army. He was assigned to Battery B 500th ], and served in Europe and the Pacific with two ]s in the Pacific. Abrams was also awarded the ] with one ]. He was released from the service in January 1946.
Abrams was signed by Joe Labate, a scout for the ], out of ] in ] in 1942, and assigned to the Olean Oilers of the Class D ]. He played in 19 games that season.


He then played for the ] in the Class B Three-I League for the {{Baseball year|1946}} season, hitting .331 and leading the league with 13 triples.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=75a0650a |title=1946 Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League Batting Leaders |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |date= |accessdate=2020-02-03 |archive-date=2022-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320161254/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=75a0650a |url-status=live }}</ref> The next two seasons, Abrams was with the ] in the Class AA ], batting .345 and .337.<ref name="baseball-reference1">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=abrams001cal |title=Cal Abrams Minor Leagues Statistics & History |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |date= |accessdate=2020-02-03 |archive-date=2020-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018235228/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=abrams001cal |url-status=live }}</ref>
In January 1943 was inducted into the Army. He was assigned to Battery B 500th ], and served in Europe and the Pacific with 2 ]s in the Pacific. He was also awarded the ] with 1 ]. He was released from the service in January 1946.


===Major league===
He then played for the Danville Dodgers in the Class B Three-I League for the 1946 season, hitting .345. The next two seasons, Abrams was with the ] in the Class AA ].
On April 20, 1949, he made his Major League debut with the Dodgers, and then was sent to the ] of the AA ] for the rest of the season, where he hit .336. He split {{Baseball year|1950}} between the ] of the AAA ], for whom he hit .333 with a league-leading .502 on base percentage, and the Dodgers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=263e4e97 |title=1950 American Association Batting Leaders |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |date= |accessdate=2020-02-03 |archive-date=2020-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111021200/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=bat&id=263e4e97 |url-status=live }}</ref> A New York Post headline once read: ''Mantle, Schmantle. We Got Abie.''<ref name=nytims19970227>{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06EEDE1531F934A15751C0A961958260|title=Cal Abrams, Part of Lore Of Dodgers, Is Dead at 72|last=Goldstein|first=Richard|date=February 27, 1997|work=The New York Times|accessdate=January 9, 2010|archive-date=March 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320161253/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/27/sports/cal-abrams-part-of-lore-of-dodgers-is-dead-at-72.html|url-status=live}}</ref>


In {{Baseball year|1950}}, he changed his uniform number to 18, explaining later: "18 means a lot." The number 18 stands for the Hebrew word for life. He wore this number for the majority of his career.
Abrams was making just $90 a month in the minors when he got married in 1947, and the most he ever made was $22,000 a year with the Baltimore Orioles.


On October 1, 1950, the Dodgers and ] were playing a game that would determine which team would win the ] pennant. In the bottom of the 9th inning, with nobody out and the game tied 1–1, Abrams was on second base when ] hit a single to short center field. He was waved home by ] ], and was gunned down at the plate by a perfect throw by Phillies center fielder ], who had fielded the ball on one bounce. The play resulted in the preservation of the 1–1 tie, and facilitated the Phils' ]'s 10th-inning pennant-winning home run.<ref name=nytims19970227/>
On April 20, 1949, he made his major league debut with the Dodgers, and then was sent to the ] of the AA ] for the rest of the season, where he hit .333. He split 1950 between the ] of the AAA ] and the Dodgers.


In 1951, his manager ], who was "capable of cruelty", failed to play him on "Cal Abrams Day."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/abrams.asp |title=Cal Abrams |publisher=snopes.com |date= |accessdate=January 3, 2011 |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320161258/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/abrams-traded-manager/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He finished the season with a .419 on-base percentage.<ref name="baseball-reference1"/>
In 1950 he changed his uniform number to 18, explaining later: "18 means a lot." The number 18 stands for the Hebrew word for life.


On June 9, 1952, he was traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the ] for ] and cash. On October 14, 1952, he was traded by the Reds with ] and ] to the ] for ].
On October 1, 1950, the Dodgers and ] were playing a game that would determine which team would win the ] pennant. In the 9th inning, with the game tied 1-1, Abrams was on second base when ] hit a single into the outfield. He was waved home by 3rd base coach Milt Stock, and was gunned down at the plate by Phillies center fielder (and future ]r) ]. The play resulted in the preservation of the 1-1 tie, and facilitated the Phils' ]'s 10th inning pennant-winning home run. Stock was fired after the season for his decision to wave Abrams home.


In {{Baseball year|1953}}, he hit 15 home runs, his career high, and had 13 assists and 3 double plays-leading all NL right fielders.<ref name="baseball-reference1"/>
In 1951 he had a .419 obp.


On May 25, 1954, he was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the ] for ]. In 1954, he was 7th in the AL with a .400 OBP, and 10th in the league with 7 triples.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/abramca01.shtml |title=Cal Abrams Stats {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2018-03-26 |archive-date=2019-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726110437/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/abramca01.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> He came in 26th in the AL MVP voting.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1954.shtml#all_AL_MVP_voting |title="1954 Awards Voting" {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2018-03-26 |archive-date=2009-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807044128/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1954.shtml#all_AL_MVP_voting |url-status=live }}</ref>
In June 1952 he was traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the ] for Rudy Rufer and cash.


In {{Baseball year|1955}}, he had a .413 OBP, was 8th in the league in walks with 89, and was 4th in the league in assists by a center fielder with 6.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> On October 18, 1955, he was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the ] for ].
In October 1952 he was traded by the Cincinnati Reds with Gail Henley and Joe Rossi to the ] for ].


He remained in the Major Leagues into the {{Baseball year|1956}} season, when he was sent to the ] in the AAA ]. The next year Abrams retired from play.
In 1953 he hit 15 home runs, his career high.


In all of his minor league seasons, his lowest batting average was .331.
In May 1954 he was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the ] for ].


He played in 567 major league games with the Dodgers, Reds, Pirates, Orioles, and White Sox.<ref name="baseball-reference1"/>
In 1954 he was 7th in the AL with a .400 obp, and 10th in the league with 7 triples.


In eight seasons, Abrams posted a .269 ] (433-for-1611) with 257 ], 32 ], 138 ], 304 ], .386 ] and .392 ]. Defensively, he recorded a .977 ] playing at all three outfield positions.<ref name="autogenerated1" />
In 1955 he had a .413 obp, and was 8th in the league in walks with 89.


==After baseball==
On October 18, 1955, he was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the ] for ].
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Abrams owned The Blossom Lounge in ], near ], later University. In the 1960s Abrams was also associated with Camp Iroquois in Peterborough. New Hampshire which was owned by Leo and Rose Trigoboff. Following the devastating ninth inning loss by his former ] team, again to the ] in the final game of a three-game playoff for the National League pennant in 1962, he was asked by an Adelphi student what he thought of the just concluded game. "Who was playing?" Abrams asked in all sincerity. In the 1990s, he was working for the Norwegian Cruise Line, giving talks and signing photographs (Brooklyn) while emphasizing his two outstanding on-base percentage seasons.

He remained in the major leagues into the 1956 season, when he was sent to the ] in the AAA ].

The next year Abrams retired from play.

In all of his minor league seasons, his lowest batting average was .331.

He played in 567 major league games with the Dodgers, Reds, Pirates, Orioles, and White Sox.


==Death== ==Death==
Abrams died in 1997 after suffering a ] in ]. He was buried in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform<ref name=nytims19970227/> in the Garden of Moses section of the Star of David Cemetery in ].<ref>Resting Places: The Burial Places of 14,000 Famous Persons, by Scott Wilson</ref>

Abrams died in 1997, after suffering a heart attack. He was buried in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform.


==Hall of Fame== ==Hall of Fame==
In 1996 Abrams, who was Jewish,<ref name=JSR>{{cite journal |title=Big League Jews|journal=] |date=January–February 2020 |volume=12 |issue=137 |page=18}}</ref> was inducted into the ] Jewish American Sports Hall of Fame, in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Araton |first1=Harvey |title=A Dodger Who Faced Barriers, Too |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/01/sports/a-dodger-who-faced-barriers-too.html |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=] |date=March 1, 1997}}</ref>
In 1996 he was inducted into the ] Jewish American Sports Hall of Fame, in ]


==Miscellaneous== ==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
*He primarily wore number 18.
* ]


==References==
*Abrams was ].
{{reflist}}


==Links== ==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=a/abramca01|fangraphs=1000025|brm=abrams001cal |retro=A/Pabrac101}}
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*{{sabrbio|cal-abrams}}
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*{{Find a Grave|22866}}
*

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{{Authority control}}
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Latest revision as of 06:01, 31 December 2024

American baseball player (1924–1997)

Baseball player
Cal Abrams
Abrams in 1953
Outfielder
Born: (1924-03-02)March 2, 1924
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died: February 25, 1997(1997-02-25) (aged 72)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Batted: LeftThrew: Left
MLB debut
April 20, 1949, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
May 9, 1956, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
Batting average.269
Home runs32
Runs batted in138
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Calvin Ross Abrams (March 2, 1924 – February 25, 1997), nicknamed "Abie", was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1949 and 1956 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago White Sox.

Baseball career

Minor league

Abrams was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and signed by Joe Labate, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, out of James Madison High School in Brooklyn in 1942, and assigned to the Olean Oilers of the Class D Pennsylvania–Ontario–New York League (PONY League). He played in 19 games that season.

In January 1943, he was inducted into the Army. He was assigned to Battery B 500th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, and served in Europe and the Pacific with two battle stars in the Pacific. Abrams was also awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze star. He was released from the service in January 1946.

He then played for the Danville Dodgers in the Class B Three-I League for the 1946 season, hitting .331 and leading the league with 13 triples. The next two seasons, Abrams was with the Mobile Bears in the Class AA Southern Association, batting .345 and .337.

Major league

On April 20, 1949, he made his Major League debut with the Dodgers, and then was sent to the Fort Worth Cats of the AA Texas League for the rest of the season, where he hit .336. He split 1950 between the St. Paul Saints of the AAA American Association, for whom he hit .333 with a league-leading .502 on base percentage, and the Dodgers. A New York Post headline once read: Mantle, Schmantle. We Got Abie.

In 1950, he changed his uniform number to 18, explaining later: "18 means a lot." The number 18 stands for the Hebrew word for life. He wore this number for the majority of his career.

On October 1, 1950, the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies were playing a game that would determine which team would win the National League pennant. In the bottom of the 9th inning, with nobody out and the game tied 1–1, Abrams was on second base when Duke Snider hit a single to short center field. He was waved home by third-base coach Milt Stock, and was gunned down at the plate by a perfect throw by Phillies center fielder Richie Ashburn, who had fielded the ball on one bounce. The play resulted in the preservation of the 1–1 tie, and facilitated the Phils' Dick Sisler's 10th-inning pennant-winning home run.

In 1951, his manager Charlie Dressen, who was "capable of cruelty", failed to play him on "Cal Abrams Day." He finished the season with a .419 on-base percentage.

On June 9, 1952, he was traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Cincinnati Reds for Rudy Rufer and cash. On October 14, 1952, he was traded by the Reds with Gail Henley and Joe Rossi to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Gus Bell.

In 1953, he hit 15 home runs, his career high, and had 13 assists and 3 double plays-leading all NL right fielders.

On May 25, 1954, he was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Baltimore Orioles for Dick Littlefield. In 1954, he was 7th in the AL with a .400 OBP, and 10th in the league with 7 triples. He came in 26th in the AL MVP voting.

In 1955, he had a .413 OBP, was 8th in the league in walks with 89, and was 4th in the league in assists by a center fielder with 6. On October 18, 1955, he was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago White Sox for Bobby Adams.

He remained in the Major Leagues into the 1956 season, when he was sent to the Miami Marlins in the AAA International League. The next year Abrams retired from play.

In all of his minor league seasons, his lowest batting average was .331.

He played in 567 major league games with the Dodgers, Reds, Pirates, Orioles, and White Sox.

In eight seasons, Abrams posted a .269 batting average (433-for-1611) with 257 runs, 32 home runs, 138 RBIs, 304 bases on balls, .386 on-base percentage and .392 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .977 fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions.

After baseball

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Abrams owned The Blossom Lounge in Garden City South, New York, near Adelphi College, later University. In the 1960s Abrams was also associated with Camp Iroquois in Peterborough. New Hampshire which was owned by Leo and Rose Trigoboff. Following the devastating ninth inning loss by his former Dodgers team, again to the Giants in the final game of a three-game playoff for the National League pennant in 1962, he was asked by an Adelphi student what he thought of the just concluded game. "Who was playing?" Abrams asked in all sincerity. In the 1990s, he was working for the Norwegian Cruise Line, giving talks and signing photographs (Brooklyn) while emphasizing his two outstanding on-base percentage seasons.

Death

Abrams died in 1997 after suffering a heart attack in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was buried in his Brooklyn Dodgers uniform in the Garden of Moses section of the Star of David Cemetery in North Lauderdale.

Hall of Fame

In 1996 Abrams, who was Jewish, was inducted into the B'nai B'rith Jewish American Sports Hall of Fame, in Washington, D.C.

See also

References

  1. "1946 Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "Cal Abrams Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  3. "1950 American Association Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  4. ^ Goldstein, Richard (February 27, 1997). "Cal Abrams, Part of Lore Of Dodgers, Is Dead at 72". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  5. "Cal Abrams". snopes.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  6. ^ "Cal Abrams Stats | Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  7. ""1954 Awards Voting" | Baseball-Reference.com". Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  8. Resting Places: The Burial Places of 14,000 Famous Persons, by Scott Wilson
  9. "Big League Jews". Jewish Sports Review. 12 (137): 18. January–February 2020.
  10. Araton, Harvey (March 1, 1997). "A Dodger Who Faced Barriers, Too". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2024.

External links

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