EL1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Trio Of Former Big Leaguers Headline Shrine Class Of 2005

Published on July 2, 2005 under Eastern League (EL1)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies News Release


Binghamton native and eight-year Major League pitcher Rob Gardner will be present when he along with Bob Grim and Jake Pitler are inducted into the Binghamton Baseball Shrine prior to the Binghamton Mets game on Friday, July 15th at NYSEG Stadium. Steve Swisher, the B-Mets first manager and the franchise's only Shrine inductee to date, will be on the field for the 7 PM game as the manager of the Reading Phillies.

The B-Mets and area baseball enthusiasts created the Shrine in 1993 to honor individuals that have made significant contributions to professional baseball and either lived in this region or performed here. With the inclusion of Gardner, Grim & Pitler, 37 people have received this honor.

After graduating from Binghamton Central High School, Gardner-now 50-signed a professional contract with the Minnesota Twins. The New York Mets selected the lefthander in the 1963 first-year player draft, and he broke into the majors at Shea Stadium on September 1, 1965 at age 20. Gardner set a Mets record by tossing 15 shutout innings in an 18-inning scoreless tie against the Phillies in the nightcap of a doubleheader on October 2, 1965. His big league career included appearances for the Mets, Cubs, Indians, Yankees, A's and Brewers. He compiled a 14-18 record and a 4.35 ERA in 109 games.

Prior to the 1969 season, the Yankees traded for Gardner and assigned him to Syracuse, a team managed by Binghamton Baseball Shrine member Frank Verdi. Under Verdi's tutelage, Gardner's career turned around. Gardner won 37 games against 18 losses, including a 16-5 regular season mark for the 1970 Junior World Series Champions, in parts of five years with the Chiefs. He and Verdi were inducted into Syracuse's Baseball Wall of Fame in 1999.

His Triple-A success led to Gardner's best season in the majors, 1972. In 20 games for the Yankees, 14 as a starter, he contributed an 8-5 record with a 3.06 ERA. After that season, New York traded Gardner to Oakland for Matty Alou, the second straight year the Yanks swapped him to Oakland in a deal involving a member of the Alou family (Felipe Alou on April 9, 1971). An elbow injury ended his career in 1976, and Gardner then worked as a firemen and paramedic for the City of Binghamton.

The late Bob Grim burst onto the big league scene as a 20-game winner for the 1954 Yankees earning him the American League's "Rookie of the Year" Award. He posted impressive numbers as a 24-year-old in his first season (Wins-20, Losses-6, ERA-3.26, Innings-199, Hits-175) after starting the year 0-2, and no rookie pitcher since then has reached the 20-win plateau.

His connection to Binghamton occurred three years before as a hurler for the Triplets. For a sub-par team in 1951, the New York City-born right hander finished 16-5 with a 2.39 ERA. He missed the '52 & ‘53 seasons to serve in the United States Marines. His conversion to a full-time reliever with the Yankees took place in 1957 when he appeared in 46 games and led the majors in relief wins (12) and saves (19). Overall in eight big league seasons, Grim posted a 61-41 record in 268 games with 37 saves & a 3.61 ERA for the Yanks, Kansas City A's, Indians, Reds & Cardinals from 1954-62.

Grim's path converged with Jake Pitler, the third inductee in the 2005 Shrine class, when the Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers tangled in the 1955 World Series. In game #1 of the Series, Grim saved the game for winning pitcher & (soon-to-be) fellow Binghamton Baseball Shrine member Whitey Ford. Grim was the starting and losing pitcher in game #5 and appeared in the pivotal game #7 in which his Bronx Bombers fell to Brooklyn, a team Pitler coached from 1946 to 1957. Grim died in 1996.

Pitler, like Grim a New York City native, started his professional baseball career in 1913 as a minor league outfielder but reached the big leagues as a second baseman along side the great Honus Wagner with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1917. That same year, Pitler set the all-time Major League mark for putouts in a game by a player other than a first baseman with 15 (record still stands today). Before his death in 1968 at age 73, Pitler listed his two triples in one game against Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander as a highlight.

Although his big league playing career ended after just two games in 1918, his baseball days continued as a minor leaguer. His career brought him to Binghamton in 1928 as the Triplets second sacker. Starting in 1929, Pitler managed in the Eastern League for Elmira, Hazleton, Scranton & Wilkes-Barre. He moved his family to Binghamton in 1933 and lived in the area for four decades.

As a minor leaguer manager in the Dodgers' chain for Olean (NY) and Newport News (VA), Pitler helped develop several of the "Boys of Summer" like Duke Snider, Ralph Branca & Clem Labine. He was the first to notice Gil Hodges, a Mets Hall of Famer, at a tryout camp as the manager of Olean.

Pitler returned to the majors as a Brooklyn coach for 11 years, six of those resulted in National League pennants. Once the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, Pitler opted to stay put and became a Dodgers scout in the region.

His son Larry, who will accept the Shrine plaque in the pre-game ceremony, established the "Jake Pitler Athletic Award" in 1963 presented annually to a graduating senior male at Binghamton University based on athletic achievement, leadership and other meaningful contributions to athletics. Jake Pitler's grandson Steve Bittman lives in Vestal and owns Rinker's Jewelers.

BINGHAMTON BASEBALL SHRINE INDUCTIONS

1993: George Johnson, Johnny Logan, Wee Willie Keeler

1995: Whitey Ford, Tommy Holmes, Wild Bill Hallahan, Eddie Sawyer

1996: Ron Luciano, John McNamara, Steve Souchock

1997: Deron Johnson, Steve Kraly, Thurman Munson

1998: John Johnson, Lee Thomas, Bill Virdon, James Whitney

1999: Bud Fowler, Steve Swisher, Vic Raschi, Al Downing

2000: Spud Chandler, Bob Taylor, Dr. Eddie Farrell, Bobby Richardson

2002: Clete Boyer, Ralph Terry

2003: Fred Norman, Pete Suder, John "Monte" Ward

2004: Johnny Blanchard, Ken Harrelson, Jerry Toman, Frank Verdi

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Eastern League Stories from July 2, 2005


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