Tommy Byrne, a hard-throwing left-hander who pitched in four World Series and was known for struggles with his control, died on Friday in Wake Forest, N.C. He was 87.
A Baltimore product who grew up idolizing Babe Ruth, Byrne was signed by the Yankees in 1940 and debuted in New York in 1943. He pitched two stints with the Bombers, winning 15 games in both 1949 and '50 before returning to win a career-high 16 games in 1955.
Byrne's erratic control earned him the nickname "Wild Bill." Byrne walked 179 batters in 1949 and 160 batters in 1950, and despite his high win totals in both seasons, he was dealt to the St. Louis Browns in June 1951 for left-handed pitcher Stubby Overmire.
Byrne was also known as a strong-hitting pitcher, one used frequently by Yankees manager Casey Stengel in pinch-hitting appearances. He sometimes batted seventh or eighth on the days he pitched.
Byrne batted .238 with 14 home runs and 98 RBIs in 601 career at-bats. With the White Sox on May 16, 1953, Byrne hit a pinch-hit grand slam off Yankees hurler Ewell Blackwell into the right-field seats at Yankee Stadium.
After spending time with the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox, Byrne returned to the Yankees in 1954 at Stengel's urging and finished his career in New York, pitching a complete-game victory in Game 2 of the 1955 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Byrne would lose the decisive Game 7, to Johnny Podres, as Brooklyn celebrated the World Series victory with a 2-0 decision. Retiring after the 1957 season, Byrne had a career record of 85-69 with a 4.11 ERA in 281 Major League games.
In his post-baseball career, Byrne returned to Wake Forest, where he had attended college, and served as the town's mayor from 1973-87.
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