#50 Billy Pierce

Wooohooo, that's my guy, Billy Pierce.

BP was a Detroit kid who signed with the hometown Tigers in 1945 and appeared in a few games for them that season. He spent the next few years getting some minor league experience and returned to the bigs in 1948. He was knocked around pretty hard and the Tigers traded him to the White Sox and he went on to a sterling career on the South Side and, beginning in 1962, in San Francisco.

Here are his career achievements as listed on Baseball Reference's Bullpen page:

Major League Bests

• Wins: 20 (1956, 1957)
• ERA: 1.97 (1955)
• Innings: 276 1/3 (1956)
• Strikeouts: 192 (1956)
• WHIP: 1.02 (1964)
• Saves: 8 (1963)

Notable Achievements

• 7-time AL All-Star (1953, 1955-1959 & 1961)
• AL ERA Leader (1955)
• AL Wins Leader (1957)
• AL Strikeouts Leader (1953)
• 3-time AL Complete Games Leader (1956-1958)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 8 (1951-1953, 1955-1958 & 1962)
• 20 Wins Seasons: 2 (1956 & 1957)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 9 (1950-1953 & 1955-1959)
• Won a World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1945 (he did not play in the World Series)

He was a member of three pennant-winning clubs over the course of three decades (Detroit 1945, Chicago 1959, and San Francisco 1962)  which is something I'm not sure too many players can claim. He was skipped over for a start in the '59 Series by manager Al Lopez which never sat well with ChiSox fans. He was an All-Star that year with solid numbers so the decision was odd.

Billy a committee member of Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities for 46 years, serving as president of the CBCC for over 20 years. His son, Robert, now serves as chairman.

Some Billy Pierce links:
SABR bio
My Pierce collection summary
Chicago Tribune Obit w/video

Baseball Reference Similarity Scores
Similar Pitchers

•     Vida Blue (957.4)
•     Luis Tiant (922.0)
•     Hal Newhouser (920.2) *
•     Jim Perry (919.8)
•     Catfish Hunter (916.3) *
•     Milt Pappas (909.9)
•     Bob Welch (909.2)
•     Hooks Dauss (904.2)
•     Orel Hershiser (902.9)
•     Rube Marquard (901.9) *

* - Signifies Hall of Famer

Checking out the New Comiskey Stadium statue in 2016

My collection, photo from several years ago.