Carl Erskine was an All-Star pitcher and the last of the “Boys of Summer” Dodgers teams of the 1940s and 1950s, who hurled two no-hitters with the team during their most illustrious era.
- Died: April 16, 2024 (Who else died on April 16?)
- Details of death: Died in Anderson, Indiana of pneumonia at the age of 97.
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Carl Erskine’s legacy
Carl Erskine was an Indiana man through and through. Born in Anderson, he passed away there as well, but not before taking a long detour in Brooklyn and Los Angeles as the last of the famed “Boys of Summer,” the nickname given to the great Dodgers teams of the 1940s and ‘50s. He signed with the team after serving a stint with the United States Navy in 1945-46.
Erskine broke into the major baseball leagues just as the Brooklyn Dodgers — soon to be the Los Angeles Dodgers — were entering perhaps the most illustrious period of their history. He pitched in five World Series with the squad, including a record-setting game in which he struck out 14. He won 20 games in 1953 with 187 strikeouts, was with the 1955 World Series-winning team, and hurled two no-hitters, one in 1952 and another in 1956.
Erskine retired in 1959, after the team moved to Los Angeles, and returned to Indiana. There, he became a bank president, college baseball coach and, more notably, a humanitarian. Erskine did extensive work with the Special Olympics; toiled at the Hopewell Center, which aids people with disabilities; donated part of his land to the Anderson Community School System; and more. In 2010, he earned the state’s highest honor, the Sachem Award, for his efforts. Erskine was also awarded the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with the Special Olympics.
Tributes to Carl Erskine
Full obituary: MLB.com
