Jack Barber
Ballplayers Wounded in Combat
| Date and Place of Birth: | February 13, 1925 Martins Ferry, OH |
| Date and Place of Death: | June 25, 2008 Orlando, FL |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Corporal |
| Military Unit: | Engineers USAAF |
| Area Served: | European Theater of Operations |
Jack C. Barber, the son of Francis and Bertha Barber, was born on
February 13, 1925, in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where his father worked at
the local tin mill. The family later moved to New Castle, Pennsylvania,
where he graduated from Union High School.
Barber entered military service in May 1943, and served with the
Engineers Corps attached to the Army Air Force. Shorly before Christmas
1943, he underwent an operation for appendicitis at the Nashville
Convalescent Center in Tennessee. In June 1944, he served in Europe and
was wounded in Germany on December 29, 1944, recupperating in a hospital
in England.
In April 1947, Barber was one of three young players signed to a Boston
Braves contract by scout Jackie Reider (One of the other youngsters was
Chuck Tanner, who played in the majors for eight seasons and managed for
19). Barber had been pitching for the Union Civics in New Castle's North
County League. He was assigned to the Owensboro Oilers of the Class D
Kitty League, and in 21 appearances he was 7-7 with a 4.93 ERA. The
following season he was almost unstoppable. In 26 appearances for the
Oilers, Barber was 16-2 with a 3.12 ERA. However, at the age of just 23,
that was his last season in organized baseball. He moved to
Massachusetts, where he married Theodora Ballas, and continued to pitch
for the Lowell Hudsons in the Lowell Twilight League into the 1950s.
Barber and his wife were the owners of the Cricket Dress Mfg. Company in
Nashua, New Hampshire. Jack Barber passed away on June 25, 2008, in
Orlando, Florida. He was 83 years old and is buried at Florida National
Cemetery in Bushnell.
Date Added February 27, 2018
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