Vern Bickford
Born: 8/17/1920 in Hellier, KY, USA
Died: 5/6/1960 in Richmond, VA, USA
MLB Debut: 1948-04-24 | Final Game: 1954-04-24
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: Vernon Edgell Bickford
Biography
Vern Bickford was a professional baseball pitcher who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1954. Born in 1920, Bickford played during an era that was transitioning from the post-war years into a more competitive and diverse league. His career showcased a solid performance on the mound, culminating in a record of 66 wins against 57 losses and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.71. Over the course of his career, he struck out 450 batters and recorded 2 saves, demonstrating his effectiveness as a reliable pitcher during his tenure.
Bickford's talent earned him an All-Star selection, highlighting his recognition among peers and fans alike. He was known for his competitive spirit and an ability to handle pressure situations, qualities that endeared him to teammates and spectators. While his career was relatively brief, Bickford's contributions to the game and his performance in the early 1950s left a lasting impression, exemplifying the skills of pitchers in an era defined by both emerging talents and established stars.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 57 | 182 | 149 | 73 | 9 | 2 | 1076.3 | 1040 | 444 | 76 | 467 | 450 | 3.71 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | BSN | NL | 11 | 5 | 33 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 146.0 | 125 | 53 | 63 | 60 | 3.27 | 474.9 |
| 1949 | BSN | NL | 16 | 11 | 37 | 36 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 230.7 | 246 | 109 | 106 | 101 | 4.25 | -612.7 |
| 1950 | BSN | NL | 19 | 14 | 40 | 39 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 311.7 | 293 | 120 | 122 | 126 | 3.47 | 2565.0 |
| 1951 | BSN | NL | 11 | 9 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 164.7 | 146 | 57 | 76 | 76 | 3.12 | 1863.5 |
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 7 | 12 | 26 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 161.3 | 165 | 67 | 64 | 62 | 3.74 | 1207.6 |
| 1953 | ATL | NL | 2 | 5 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 58.0 | 60 | 34 | 35 | 25 | 5.28 | - |
| 1954 | BAL | AL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9.00 | 0.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 182 | 365 | 23 | 57 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 10 | 85 | 0.156 | 0.179 | 0.167 | 0.346 | -3113.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | BSN | NL | 33 | 49 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0.204 | -288.8 |
| 1949 | BSN | NL | 37 | 81 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 0.185 | -652.8 |
| 1950 | BSN | NL | 40 | 116 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 0.138 | -1244.6 |
| 1951 | BSN | NL | 25 | 52 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0.115 | -535.6 |
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 26 | 51 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0.176 | -391.9 |
| 1953 | ATL | NL | 20 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.067 | 0.0 |
| 1954 | BAL | AL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | WS | BSN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2.70 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | WS | BSN | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2.70 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 182 | 1 | 68 | 202 | 6 | 19 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | BSN | P | 33 | 0 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 1949 | BSN | P | 37 | 0 | 7 | 50 | 1 | 3 |
| 1950 | BSN | P | 40 | 0 | 26 | 45 | 2 | 5 |
| 1951 | BSN | P | 25 | 0 | 14 | 38 | 1 | 4 |
| 1952 | BSN | P | 26 | 0 | 12 | 32 | 1 | 4 |
| 1953 | ML1 | P | 20 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 1954 | BAL | P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 182 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 30th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |