Cliff Aberson
Ballplayers Decorated in Combat
| Date and Place of Birth: | August 28, 1921 Chicago, IL |
| Date and Place of Death: | June 23, 1973 Vallejo, CA |
| Baseball Experience: | Major League |
| Position: | Outfield |
| Rank: | Sergeant |
| Military Unit: | Company L, 314th Infantry Regiment of the 97th Infantry Division US Army |
| Area Served: | European Theater of Operations |
Clifford A. Aberson was born on August 28, 1921, in Chicago, Illinois.
He was a three-sport standout at Senn High School in Chicago, and had a
trial with Moline of the Three-I League in 1940. Later that year he
attended Philip K. Wrigley's baseball school in Chicago, and was awarded
a contract to play with Janesville of the Class D Wisconsin State League
in 1941. A right-handed hitting outfielder, Aberson played 96 games at
Janesville and batted .232 with 14 home runs, Back with Janesville in
1942, Aberson raised his batting average to .281 and hit 22 home runs.
Aberson entered military service in 1943, and was stationed at Keesler
Field, Mississippi. While playing football at Keesler, he attracted the
attention of Herman Rohrig, ex-Packer and coach of the Keesler Field
football team. Rohrig recommended Aberson to Packers’ coach Curley
Lambeau, who signed him as soon as he left military service in spring
1946. But, before that could happen, Aberson was sent to Europe in 1945,
with Company L, 314th Infantry Regiment of the 97th Infantry Division,
and participated in the Central Europe Campaign. He was awarded a Bronze
Star medal, and earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and a battle star.
He was discharged March 22, 1946, at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin.
Aberson joined the Green Bay Packers and played halfback in 1946,
appearing in 10 games. He carried the ball 48 times and threw 14 passes.
But, it was his baseball playing that proved more successful. In 1947,
playing for the Des Moines Bruins, he led the Class A Western League
with 20 homers and was batting .305, when he was called up by the
Chicago Cubs.
Aberson played 47 games for the Cubs that year and batted .279 with four
home runs and 20 RBIs. "I actually prefer to play football," Aberson
told The Sporting News on September 24, 1947. "But the future in
baseball is much greater, and your playing days should be longer. I
didn't hesitate a minute when the opportunity came to give up football
for a chance in the majors."
He played for the Pacific Coast League's Los Angeles Angels in 1948,
hitting 34 home runs, and was back with the Cubs for 12 games that year.
He made a further four appearances in 1949 to end his major league
career.
In 1950, Aberson played for the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast
League, the Mobile Bears of the Southern Association, and the St. Paul
Saints of the American Association. At the end of the season, he retired
from baseball to try out for the Chicago Cardinals of the National
Football League, but didn't make the team. He re-appeared in the minors
in 1954, playing 20 games for the Pueblo Dodgers of the Class A Western
League. Aberson later worked in real estate and lived in Fairfield,
California.
Cliff Aberson died on June 23, 1973, at Kaiser Hospital in Vallejo,
California, following a long struggle with cancer. He was 51 years old
and is buried at Suisun-Fairfield Cemetery in Fairfield, California.
Date Added January 25, 2018
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