Ed Blake
Ballplayers Wounded in Combat
| Date and Place of Birth: | December 23, 1925 East St. Louis, IL |
| Date and Place of Death: | April 15, 2009 Swansea, IL |
| Baseball Experience: | Major League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Unknown |
| Military Unit: | 40th Infantry Division US Army |
| Area Served: | Pacific Theater of Operations |
Edward J. Blake was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, on December 23,
1925. He wasa teammate of Hank Bauer at Central Catholic High School in
East St. Louis, and the St. Louis Cardinals showed a lot of interest in
Blake at an early age and even had him pitch batting practice during the
1943 World Series when he was 17.
The following year – 1944 - he signed a professional contract with the
Cardinals and split the season between three clubs: the Columbus Red
Birds of the Class AA American Association, the Allentown Cardinals of
the Class B Interstate League and the Mobile Bears of the Class A1
Southern Association.
After the season ended, Blake entered military service with the Army.
"Since I had already played pro ball, everyone told me I'd be in the
special services and not to worry about all the tests they give you," he
told Wally Spiers of the Belleville News Democrat. But he was soon on
his way to the Pacific Theater with the 40th Infantry Division as an
infantryman in the Philippines. "The next time I saw a ball and bat was
when we overran an encampment [Japanese] and I found an old Mel Ott bat
and a couple of balls," he said. "We used them to play catch."
Blake was wounded while in the Philippines and recovery took nine
months, but he reported for spring training with the Cardinals in 1946.
He was assigned to the Columbus Cardinals of the Class A South Atlantic
League, where he opened the season with three straight losses. "I was
really depressed," he said. "Then I won 13 straight."
The young right-hander finished the season with a 16-8 record and a 3.51
earned run average. He split 1947 between the Columbus Cardinals and the
Columbus Red Birds of the American Association, moving up to the
Rochester Red Wings of the Class AAA International League in 1948, where
he worked mostly in relief. Blake was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in
1949 and spent the next two years with the Syracuse Cliefs of the
International League, back in a starting role.
He finally made it to the major leagues in 1951, aged 25, making his
debut as a relief pitcher against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 1.
Blake made two more appearances with the Reds that year before finishing
the season with Columbus of the American Association. In 1952, Blake
made a further two relief appearances for the Reds while playing most of
the year with Milwaukee of the American Association. He was back for
another single relief appearance for the Reds in 1953 and was 14-7 with
Indianapolis of the American Association.
Blake was purchased by Toronto of the International League in 1954. Over
the next three seasons he was 15-9, 17-13 and 17-11, and was drafted by
the Kansas City Athletics in December 1956. The Athletics almost
immediately tried to trade Blake to the Tigers in an eight player deal,
but Commissioner Frick wouldn't approve the deal, stating that Blake,
now 31, should be retained at least through March 25 and be given a
thorough trial by the Athletics.
After an absence of three years, Blake was back in the major leagues in
April 1957, and made two relief appearances for the Athletics before
joining Toronto. He continued to pitch in Toronto through 1959 and ended
his professional career the same yea with the Houston Buffs of the
American Association.
After baseball, Blake spent nearly 50 years in the plumbing business and
was a past president of Plumbers Local 360. Blake's son, Ed Blake Jr.,
also was a talented baseball player who spent four years in the minor
leagues from 1970 to 1973, after being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles.
After a long illness, Ed Blake passed away at Rosewood Care Center on
April 15, 2009, in Swansea, Illinois, aged 83. He is buried at Mount
Carmel Cemetery in Belleville, Illinois.
Date Added December 19, 2017
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