NED GARVER

Baseball

Born: December 25, 1925; Ney, Ohio
Died: February 26, 2017; Bryan, Ohio
Position: Pitcher
Played For: St. Louis Browns (1948-1952), Detroit Tigers (1952-1956), Kansas City Athletics (1957-1960), Los Angeles Angels (1961)

Ned Garver, who pitched in the Major Leagues for 14 years, became the only 20th century pitcher to win 20 games in a season for a team that lost 100 games. In 1951, Garver posted a 20-12 record for the St. Louis Browns, who finished a staggering 46 games out of first place. That season, Garver led the American League in complete games with 24, while winning an amazing 38.5 percent of the Browns’ games (the highest percentage between 1922 and 1972). He finished second to the Yankees’Yogi Berra in the AL Most Valuable Player voting that season. His $25,000 contract in 1952 made him the highest-paid player in the history of the Browns. Garver, who once hit .407 in the Ohio State League in 1944, batted .305 in 1951 to lead the Browns. On several occasions Garver hit sixth in the lineup. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers the following year, so he wasn’t with the Browns when the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954.