Legendary Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine passed away on Tuesday at the age of 97, ABC reported.
The respected baseball pitcher passed away at Community Hospital Anderson in his hometown of Anderson, Indiana. according to To ABC. Erskine’s baseball career was remembered for his Dodgers’ legendary “Boys of Summer” in Brooklyn in the 1950s. He played his entire major league career with the Dodgers from 1948 to 1959, helping the team win his five National League championships and his memorable 1955 World Series championship.
The Dodgers are mourning the passing of one of the team’s greatest players, Carl Erskine, at the age of 97. Karl was a champion of equality: an All-Star, a World Series champion, and a true ally of Jackie Robinson. And he was a pioneering advocate and inspiration for people with special needs… pic.twitter.com/1MPNDnz9HR
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 16, 2024
The highlight of Erskine’s career was the 1953 season, when he led the National League with a 20-6 record. One of his most notable performances this year was in Game 3 of his World Series in New York when he took his 14 strikeouts from the Yankees, a record that stood for his entire 10-year career. It wasn’t broken. His career statistics were 122 wins, 78 losses, a 4.00 ERA, and 981 strikeouts, making him one of the best pitchers of his time, ABC said. (Related: MLB managers and umpires get caught up in an old-fashioned shouting match after opposing team’s bizarre strategy)
Mr. Erskine was a figure in the Anderson community, contributing to various local initiatives and serving on the board of directors of Starr Financial Bank. His efforts expanded into the field of developmental disabilities, inspired by his son Jimmy, and led to his influence on the Special Olympics and other related causes, the report said.
Erskine is a champion of humanitarian causes and received the Buck O’Neal Lifetime Achievement Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023, according to ABC.
