Wade Blasingame

Wade Allen Blasingame (born November 22, 1943) is an American former professional <a href="/facts/Baseball/42bEQy1Y">baseball</a> player and <a href="/facts/Left-handed/wb7Urd7u">left-handed</a> <a href="/facts/Pitcher/08gAFpa3">pitcher</a> who appeared in 222 <a href="/facts/Games_pitched/83GgvGYP">games</a> in <a href="/facts/Major_League_Baseball/4WW9yef3">Major League Baseball</a> for the <a href="/facts/Milwaukee_Braves_(1953%25E2%2580%259365)/URCv8fet">Milwaukee</a> / <a href="/facts/Atlanta_Braves/0HetuQDF">Atlanta Braves</a>, <a href="/facts/Houston_Astros/YVwXLuEM">Houston Astros</a> and <a href="/facts/New_York_Yankees/FFNE7F0J">New York Yankees</a> from <a href="/facts/1963_Major_League_Baseball_season/fVLuLTkw">1963</a> through <a href="/facts/1972_Major_League_Baseball_season/94617pch">1972</a>. Born in <a href="/facts/Deming%2c_New_Mexico/RI1vMT4A">Deming, New Mexico</a>, he was listed as 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg).
Blasingame was a pitching star at <a href="/facts/Theodore_Roosevelt_High_School_(Fresno)/2LMCpbnv">Theodore Roosevelt High School</a> in <a href="/facts/Fresno%2c_California/BG9ekUd4">Fresno, California</a>, prior to his professional career, compiling a perfect, 26–0 <a href="/facts/Win%25E2%2580%2593loss_record_(pitching)/PRk4tDUz">won–lost record</a> over the course of his schoolboy career. He signed with the Braves in 1961 for a $125,000 bonus. After beginning his career at the <a href="/facts/Class_C_(baseball)/7vFxYneR">Class C</a> level, he rose through the Milwaukee organization, spending parts of both 1963 and <a href="/facts/1964_Major_League_Baseball_season/v21RWQCa">1964</a> with the Braves before sticking with the <a href="/facts/1965_Major_League_Baseball_season/pCmKyLpE">1965</a> <a href="/facts/1965_Milwaukee_Braves_season/WHRyFuvB">edition</a>, the team's last year in <a href="/facts/Milwaukee/Ucx5PVHn">Milwaukee</a> before relocating to <a href="/facts/Atlanta/8hPVGb78">Atlanta</a>. In 38 games, including 36 <a href="/facts/Starting_pitcher/Dv4dCJ93">starts</a>, Blasingame set personal bests in games won (16), <a href="/facts/Complete_game/lNWv7Fk0">complete games</a> (10), <a href="/facts/Innings_pitched/q4AVyC6m">innings pitched</a> (2242⁄3) and <a href="/facts/Strikeout/LVyhvjnh">strikeouts</a> (117). He also was the top-fielding pitcher in the <a href="/facts/National_League_(baseball)/xTHwLBAD">National League</a>, handling 62 <a href="/facts/Chance_(baseball)/sNDEUq6p">chances</a> without an <a href="/facts/Error_(baseball)/YGrIxenw">error</a>.
But Blasingame was beset by finger and shoulder woes in <a href="/facts/1966_Major_League_Baseball_season/qFmV3Eut">1966</a>, and he struggled to a 3–7 record. The following June, he was traded to Houston, where he won only 17 of 45 <a href="/facts/Decision_(baseball)/PRk4tDUz">decisions</a> over all or parts of six seasons, not including a 16-game stint with <a href="/facts/Triple-A_(baseball)/4Rtp9SYL">Triple-A</a> <a href="/facts/Oklahoma_City_89ers/6r2gUnAM">Oklahoma City</a> in 1970. Blasingame finished his MLB career with the Yankees in 1972 pitching mainly out of the <a href="/facts/Bullpen/DQBjtNtR">bullpen</a>.
In his ten seasons in MLB he had a 46–51 record in 222 games pitched (128 as a starter), with a 4.52 <a href="/facts/Earned_run_average/vcs2BnI3">earned run average</a> and a 1.462 <a href="/facts/Walks_plus_hits_per_innings_pitched/s7MU2QYP">WHIP</a>. He was credited with 16 complete games, two <a href="/facts/Shutout_(baseball)/FU1v0GzA">shutouts</a>, 31 <a href="/facts/Games_finished/PyPb7kFy">games finished</a> and five <a href="/facts/Save_(baseball)/jRnJLEyv">saves</a>. In 8632⁄3 innings pitched, he allowed 891 <a href="/facts/Hit_(baseball)/STnUHCvq">hits</a>, 486 <a href="/facts/Run_(baseball)/IP2KJrgQ">runs</a>, 434 <a href="/facts/Earned_run/rkT4D7Rp">earned runs</a>, 75 <a href="/facts/Home_runs/op1enhjP">home runs</a> and 372 <a href="/facts/Bases_on_balls/4wXWn8VN">bases on balls</a>. He had 512 strikeouts, 30 <a href="/facts/Hit_batsmen/QLG3VAtG">hit batsmen</a> and 62 <a href="/facts/Wild_pitch/KLfnftAz">wild pitches</a>, while facing 3,763 batters. He was charged with 32 <a href="/facts/Intentional_walk/suhahF0R">intentional walks</a> and one <a href="/facts/Balk_(baseball)/nNaR3jY1">balk</a>.
In 1985, Blasingame was inducted into the <a href="/facts/Fresno_County%2c_California/Pca3bSkn">Fresno County</a> Athletic Hall of Fame.

Wade Blasingame open-in-new

Wade Blasingame