Ed Bailey

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=black
bgcolor2=#c6011f
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Ed Bailey
position=Catcher
birthdate =birth date|mf=yes|1931|4|15
deathdate =death date and age|mf=yes|2007|3|23|1931|4|15
bats=Left
throws=Right
debutdate=September 26
debutyear=1953
debutteam=Cincinnati Reds
finaldate=April 26
finalyear=1966
finalteam=California Angels
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.256
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=155
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=540
teams=
*Cincinnati Reds (by|1953-by|1961)
*San Francisco Giants (by|1961-by|1963, by|1965)
*Milwaukee Braves (by|1964)
*Chicago Cubs (by|1965)
*California Angels (by|1966)
highlights=
*National League pennant: 1962
*All-Star (NL): 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1963

Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. (April 15, 1931 – March 23, 2007) was an American catcher who played in Major League Baseball from by|1953 through by|1966. Bailey batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee. His younger brother, pitcher Jim Bailey, also played in the Major Leagues.

Bailey reached the Majors in 1953 with the Cincinnati Redlegs, spending nine and a half years with the Redlegs and Reds teams before moving to the San Francisco Giants (1961-63), Milwaukee Braves (1963-65), again with San Francisco (1965), and the Chicago Cubs (1965-66) and California Angels (1966). His most productive season came in by|1956 with Cincinnati, when he posted career-highs in batting average (.300), home runs (28), and runs batted in (75) in 118 games played. A five-time All-Star, he also appeared in the 1962 World Series with the Giants.

In a 14-season career, Bailey was a .256 hitter (915-for-3581) with 155 home runs and 540 RBI in 1212 games, including 423 runs and a .355 on base percentage.

When his brother Jim joined the Reds in 1959, the Bailey brothers became part of a few brother-batteries in Major League history.

1957 All-Star ballot stuffing

In by|1957, Bailey and six of his Redleg teammates—Roy McMillan, Johnny Temple, Don Hoak, Gus Bell, Wally Post and Frank Robinson—were voted into the National League All-Star starting lineup, the result of a ballot stuffing campaign by Redlegs fans. Bell remained on the team as a reserve, but Post was taken off altogether. Bell and Post were replaced as starters by Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

On television

*In 1956 appeared as a "Mystery Guest" in a "What's My Line?" episode, along with Cincinnati teammates Gus Bell, Smoky Burgess, Ray Jablonski, Johnny Klippstein, Ted Kluszewski, Roy McMillan, Joe Nuxhall, Wally Post, Frank Robinson, and Johnny Temple.

Later life

Bailey later served on the Knoxville, Tennessee city council from 1983 to 1995. He died in Knoxville in 2007, following a battle with throat cancer.

Highlights

*Made the National League All-Star team in 1956-57, 1960-61, and 1963.
*Hit double figures in home runs in eight of his 14 ML seasons.
*Hit three home runs in one 1956 game.
*Had eight pinch-hit homers, including two grand slams.
*Hit a two-run homer in Game 3 of the 1962 World Series.
*Collected eight RBI in a 1965 game.
*Made two unassisted double plays.

ee also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

External links

* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/B/Bailey_Ed.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pbaile101.htm Retrosheet]
* [http://former.imdb.com/title/tt0746519/ "What's My Line?" - IMDb entry]