New York Giants Southpaw Don Liddle (Centerfield Maz)

As I mentioned in the previous post – Centerfield Maz is kind enough to let us grab entire posts. Any opportunity I have to popularize the New York Giants I will grab. I knew nothing about the below until I read Centerfield Maz. If only there were somewhere in Queens where we could learn about former National League baseball teams.

MONDAY, MAY 25, 2009

NY Giants Southpaw Don Liddle – The Catch & The Glove

Don Liddle was born May 25, 1925 at Mt. Carmel, Illinois. The short left hander was drafted by the Boston Braves in 1946 then was traded to the Giants in a big trade before the 1954 season. Liddle went over to New York with pitcher Johnny Antonelli for Bobby Thomson & Sam Calderone. He was used as both a starter and reliever in the ’54 Championship season going 9-4 with a 3.06 ERA.

Liddle was brought in relief of Sal Maglie in Game #1 of the 1954 World Series to pitch to slugger Vic Wertz. With two men on, manager Leo Durocher summoned Liddle to do what was not common in the fifties, pitch to one batter,and get him out. Wertz ripped Liddle’s pitch approximately 450 feet to right enter field in the vast Polo Grounds. Willie Mays tracked it down making the most famous over the shoulder catch in history. Leo came out and pulled Liddle, bringing in pitcher Marv Grissom. In one of the greatest baseball quotes ever, during the exchange of the ball, Liddle looks at Grissom and said “I got my man”.

Liddle was chosen as the starter in Game #4 at Cleveland. He went into the 7th inning allowing five hits, & four runs, but only one of them was earned behind three errors. He got the win as the Giants scored seven runs off Bob Lemon & Hal Newhouser, sweeping the Series for the Championship. After the Series he was honored in his hometown with a parade and a red convertible.

The next season Liddle went 10-4 with a save, his ERA was high, over four. In 1956 he was traded to St. Louis and ended his brief career. (28-18, 4 saves & 3.75 ERA.) After baseball he was a supervisor in a Snap on tool factory in Mt. Carmel, Illinois for 18 years. He passed away from cancer at age 75 in 2000.

THE GLOVE: In 1955 Craig Liddle, Don’s son was visiting in the Giants club house. Willie Mays told the boy he heard he needed a new glove, and gave him his old one. The same glove used to make “the Catch” with in the previous World Series. He told the boy “take care of the glove & it will take care of you”. The boy used it in Little League, then preserved it in a bank vault before donating it to the Baseball Hall of Fame.