Ted Wade Abernathy (March 6, 1933 – December 16, 2004) was an American professional baseball player and right-handed pitcher. He appeared in 681 games in Major League Baseball (MLB), 647 as a relief pitcher, for seven different clubs over all or parts of 14 seasons between and , amassed 148 saves, and twice (, ) led the National League (NL) in that category. He batted and threw right-handed, stood tall, and weighed .

Abernathy was a member of the Washington Senators (1955–57, 1960), Cleveland Indians (1963–64), Chicago Cubs (1965–66, 1969–70), Atlanta Braves (1966), Cincinnati Reds (1967–68), St. Louis Cardinals (1970) and Kansas City Royals (1970–72). He compiled a 63–69 record with 765 strikeouts and a 3.46 ERA in 1,147<small></small> innings pitched. He gave up 1,010 hits and permitted 592 bases on balls.

Early life

A native of Stanley, North Carolina, Abernathy was born on March 6, 1933, to Wade and Genora (McGinnis) Abernathy.

In 1953 he married Margie Clemmer. The couple had two sons, Ted Jr. and Todd.

He was assigned to the Class-D Roanoke Rapids Jays in 1952, where he had a 20–13 won–loss record, a 1.69 earned run average (ERA), with 23 complete games and six shutouts. In 1953, he was promoted to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, where he played in only seven games, with a 4–1 record and another stellar ERA (1.56) in 52 innings pitched.

During the Korean War, Abernathy was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving with medics, driving an ambulance and repairing vehicles. He served at Fort McPherson, Georgia. He missed most of the 1953 season, and all of the 1954 season. Abernathy was discharged as a corporal in time to join the Senators for 1955 spring training. He stayed with the Senators all of 1955, with a 5–9 record and 5.96 ERA, starting 14 of the 40 games in which he appeared. He was assigned to the Triple-A Louisville Colonels in the American Association for the majority of 1956, going 12–16 with a 3.90 ERA in 31 games as a starting pitcher, striking out 212 batters in 231 innings pitched. He made the American Association All-Star team. In late September, he suffered a serious arm injury, that would affect him with arm pain for the next three seasons. This was the last season he ever started an MLB game. Every one of his 34 MLB starting pitcher assignments came with the 1955–57 Senators, a struggling, second-division team in the American League. Abernathy threw seven complete games and two shutouts as a starter, but won only eight of 30 decisions during that three-year period.

In 1958, Abernathy played in the Senators minor league system, going 9–9, with a 4.71 ERA. and Triple-A Louisville (now also affiliated with the Milwaukee Braves). Combined, he was able to pitch in 33 games, all in relief, with a 2.44 ERA. In 1962, he pitched 45 games in relief for the Triple-A Jacksonville Suns, with a 5–2 record and 1.88 ERA. At 30-years old, he began the 1963 season with the Suns, pitching 26 innings in 14 games, with a 2–1 record and phenomenal 0.35 ERA. This was the last time he would pitch in the minor leagues until the very end of his career in 1973. His performance fell off significantly in 1964, and his rights were sold to the Chicago Cubs at the beginning of the 1965 season. (again for a second-division team), along with 104 strikeouts and a 2.57 ERA. He also led all major league pitchers in games pitched (84) and games finished (62). After a poor start to the 1966 season, however, the Cubs traded him in late May to the Atlanta Braves for Lee Thomas. After the season ended, the Braves exposed him in the Rule 5 draft, and he was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds. His 28 saves led all major league pitchers, as did his 61 games finished. He tied with Ron Perranoski for the National League lead in games played by a pitcher (70). For major league seasons where he pitched over 31 innings, he averaged career bests with 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings, 3.5 bases on balls per nine innings, and a miniscule .1 home runs per nine innings (giving up only one home run all season). In a player poll conducted by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) in 1967, the players themselves selected Abernathy as the relief pitcher on the first annual All-Players All-Star Baseball Team.

In with the Reds, Abernathy won 10 games with 13 saves, and had a 2.46 ERA. He led the NL in pitching appearances with 78. Abernathy believed he had to pitch frequently to be effective, and did not think he was used enough in the second half of the season, as Clay Carroll became the primary relief pitcher for the Reds. Before the start of the 1969 season, he was traded to the Cubs for Ken Myette, Bill Plummer and Clarence Jones.

Final playing years

In late May 1970, the Cubs traded Abernathy to the St. Louis Cardinals for Phil Gagliano. A little over one month later, the Cardinals traded Abernathy to the Kansas City Royals for Chris Zachary. At 40-years old, after being released by the Royals, He had been perplexed by his release because of his low ERA in 1972, assuming it was because of his age, and even though he had been looking into other work, had not quite gotten baseball out of his system. His career ended just a few miles from where it had started in Roanoke Rapids in 1952.

Career

In Abernathy's 14-year major league career, he pitched in 681 games (34 starts), with a 63–69 record and 149 saves in 1,148.1 innings pitched. His ERA was 3.46, and he averaged .5 home runs per nine innings, 4.6 bases on balls per nine innings, and 6.0 strikeouts per nine innings. He had a 16.6 WAR (wins above replacement). He is interred at the Garden of Four Seasons in Gaston Memorial Park, Gastonia, North Carolina.

See also

  • List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders

References

  • The Deadball Era Obituary