Bob Trice
*Bob Trice was born on this date in 1926. He was a Black baseball pitcher. A native of Newton, Georgia, Robert Lee Trice's professional career began with the Homestead Grays of the Negro League’s where he played from 1948 to 1950. He was brought to Philadelphia in 1953 after winning 21 games for the Ottawa A's of the International League.
When Trice made his major league debut (September 13, 1953, at Connie Mack Stadium), he became the first Black player in Athletics history. He appeared in three games for the A's that season, winning 2 and losing 1. He lost his first start, 5-2, to Don Larsen and the St. Louis Browns, but then defeated the Washington Senators in each of his other two starts. His finest major league effort came on April 24, 1954, against the New York Yankees. He pitched a 1-0 complete game shutout that day in front of a home crowd of 4,920.
His career totals for 27 games played (26 as a pitcher) include a 9–9 record, 21 games started, 9 complete games, 1 shutout, and 3 games finished. He allowed 98 earned runs in 152 innings pitched, giving him a lifetime ERA of 5.80. He had a strong bat for a pitcher...at the plate he was 15-for-52 (.288) with 1 home run, 6 runs batted in, 8 runs scored, and a slugging percentage of .423. Bob Trice died on September 16, 1988, at the age of 62 in Weirton, West Virginia.
