Major League Baseball Player. He is best remembered for pitching a no-hitter and being the Baltimore Orioles' public-address announcer for 25 years until his death. The right-handed pitcher received a $5,000 bonus in 1943 and was promoted to the Brooklyn Dodgers just months after graduating from high school. On his first pitch in the big leagues, he hit the Cubs' Eddie Stanky in the back. That was a sign of things to come. He wound up walking more batters than he struck out (410 walks and 336 strikeouts in 597 innings). His best season was 1948, when he was 15-13 with a 3.10 earned run average, 12 complete games and four shutouts. That year was the only season he struck out more batters than he walked. It was on Sept. 9 that year he stopped the New York Giants 2-0 with his no-hitter at the Polo Grounds. After the game was delayed by rain for an hour, he had his biggest trouble in the first inning when he walked leadoff batter Jack Lohrke. He then retired Whitey Lockman but threw Sid Gordon's bouncer back to the mound into center field trying for a forceout at second base. Slugger Johnny Mize then walked to fill the bases, but on the first pitch Willard Marshall bounced to second baseman Jackie Robinson, who started a double play. The only other Giant to reach was pitcher Monte Kennedy on Robinson's error in the third. Barney threw 116 pitches, 75 for strikes in the one-hour, 33-minute game. Later in the season, he broke a leg in two places while sliding into second base. The injury upset his pitching rhythm and compounded his wildness. He was 9-8 in 1949 and the following year, at age 25, he had flamed out. "I should have been up there with the greats," he lamented in his autobiography, "I should have gone right up the ladder in 1949, but too many rungs were missing." He was the Orioles' PA announcer for 25 years. He was well known for announcing, "Give that fan a contract," when a spectator made a good play. He suffered a heart attack in 1995, one year after he had a leg amputated because of circulation problems due to diabetes. His lifetime record was 35-31 and a 4.34 ERA.
Major League Baseball Player. He is best remembered for pitching a no-hitter and being the Baltimore Orioles' public-address announcer for 25 years until his death. The right-handed pitcher received a $5,000 bonus in 1943 and was promoted to the Brooklyn Dodgers just months after graduating from high school. On his first pitch in the big leagues, he hit the Cubs' Eddie Stanky in the back. That was a sign of things to come. He wound up walking more batters than he struck out (410 walks and 336 strikeouts in 597 innings). His best season was 1948, when he was 15-13 with a 3.10 earned run average, 12 complete games and four shutouts. That year was the only season he struck out more batters than he walked. It was on Sept. 9 that year he stopped the New York Giants 2-0 with his no-hitter at the Polo Grounds. After the game was delayed by rain for an hour, he had his biggest trouble in the first inning when he walked leadoff batter Jack Lohrke. He then retired Whitey Lockman but threw Sid Gordon's bouncer back to the mound into center field trying for a forceout at second base. Slugger Johnny Mize then walked to fill the bases, but on the first pitch Willard Marshall bounced to second baseman Jackie Robinson, who started a double play. The only other Giant to reach was pitcher Monte Kennedy on Robinson's error in the third. Barney threw 116 pitches, 75 for strikes in the one-hour, 33-minute game. Later in the season, he broke a leg in two places while sliding into second base. The injury upset his pitching rhythm and compounded his wildness. He was 9-8 in 1949 and the following year, at age 25, he had flamed out. "I should have been up there with the greats," he lamented in his autobiography, "I should have gone right up the ladder in 1949, but too many rungs were missing." He was the Orioles' PA announcer for 25 years. He was well known for announcing, "Give that fan a contract," when a spectator made a good play. He suffered a heart attack in 1995, one year after he had a leg amputated because of circulation problems due to diabetes. His lifetime record was 35-31 and a 4.34 ERA.
Bio by: Ron Coons
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