Editing Don Liddle

{{Short description|American baseball player (1925–2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{more footnotes|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Don Liddle
|image=Don Liddle.jpeg
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date|1925|5|25}}
|birth_place=[[Mount Carmel, Illinois]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2000|6|5|1925|5|25}}
|death_place=Mount Carmel, Illinois, U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 17
|debutyear=1953
|debutteam=Milwaukee Braves
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 19
|finalyear=1956
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=28–18
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.75
|stat3label=[[Strikeouts]]
|stat3value=198
|teams=
*[[Milwaukee Braves (1953–69)|Milwaukee Braves]] ({{baseball year|1953}})
*[[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] ({{baseball year|1954}}–{{baseball year|1956}})
*[[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{baseball year|1956}})
|highlights=
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1954}})
* As a [[starting pitcher]], won decisive Game 4 of the [[1954 World Series]]
}}
'''Donald Eugene Liddle''' (May 25, 1925 – June 5, 2000) was an American left-handed [[pitcher]] in professional [[baseball]] who played four seasons in the [[Major League Baseball|Major Leagues]] for the [[Milwaukee Braves (1953–69)|Milwaukee Braves]], [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] and [[St. Louis Cardinals]] from 1953 through 1956. Born in [[Mount Carmel, Illinois]], he batted left-handed, stood {{convert|5|ft|10|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|165|lb}}.

Liddle is most remembered as the man who, in Game 1 of the [[1954 World Series]], threw the pitch to [[Vic Wertz]] that resulted in [[The Catch (baseball)|The Catch]] — Giant [[center fielder]] [[Willie Mays]]' historic back-to-[[home plate|home-plate]], over-the-shoulder grab of Wertz' long drive with two men on base in the deepest part of center field at the Giants' home field, the [[Polo Grounds]]. Had the ball fallen safely, the opposition [[Cleveland Indians]] would have taken the lead 4–2 late in the game. But Mays' catch preserved a 2–2 tie, the Giants won the game in [[extra innings]], and swept the Series in four straight contests.

Wertz was the only batter Liddle faced that day. Reportedly, he commented after the game was over in the locker room, "Well, I got my man", joking about his good fortune and Mays' athletic performance.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/07/sports/don-liddle-75-pitcher-in-mays-s-catch-dies.html|title=Don Liddle, 75, Pitcher in Mays's Catch, Dies|website=The New York Times|date=June 7, 2000 |access-date=2022-01-14 |last1=Goldstein |first1=Richard }}</ref> Liddle later [[starting pitcher|started]] and [[win (baseball)|won]] the decisive Game 4 in Cleveland, pitching 6{{frac|2|3}} [[inning (baseball)|innings]] and giving up only one [[earned run]].

Earlier in 1954, Liddle was part of a pivotal, five-player trade, coming to the Giants with fellow left-handed pitcher [[Johnny Antonelli]] from the Braves in exchange for 1951 playoff hero [[Bobby Thomson]]. Antonelli won 21 games for the 1954 Giants, leading them to the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] pennant, and topped the Senior Circuit in [[earned run average]].

Liddle appeared in 117 Major League [[games played]], 54 as a starting pitcher. In 427{{frac|2|3}} innings, he gave up 397 [[hit (baseball)|hits]] and 203 [[bases on balls]], [[strikeout|striking out]] 198. He retired from baseball after the 1957 season, which he spent in [[minor league baseball]].

Liddle died, aged 75, in his hometown of Mount Carmel, Illinois.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats |mlb=117755 |espn= |br=l/liddldo01 |fangraphs= |cube= |brm=liddle002don }}

{{1954 New York Giants}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liddle, Don}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Braves players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:New York Giants (baseball) players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Illinois]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players]]
[[Category:People from Mount Carmel, Illinois]]
[[Category:Mount Vernon Kings players]]