Bob Wiesler Walked Back to the Yankees

Bob Wiesler was a pitcher in the fifties for the Yankees and Senators, best known for being a roommate of Mickey Mantle and for his ability to walk opposing batters.

For his 6-season major league career and over 241 innings, the lefty walked 218 batters while striking out just 113. In 1956 alone his stats would make any SABRmetrician cry: over 123 innings, he walked 112, striking out 49, and giving up 141 hits for a shocking 2.057 WHIP, a 3-12 record and an ERA of  6.44. Even for a bad, bad Senator team, that was bad.

Wiesler's Baseball-Reference page lists a single multi-player trade for his transactions after his initial signing by the Yankees, which sent him from the Yanks to Washington.

However, Wiesler's career continued until the 1961 season, and saw him go from the Senators to the Yankees system again, followed by the Twins and Angels in 1961.

He goes from the Senators to Richmond (Yankees system) in both 1957 and 1958, and I cannot find these deals anywhere. But he is certainly Yankees property again by 1959, as he is in spring training with the big club, sent to Richmond in an article from the News-Herald from Franklin, PA of April 2, 1959:

 “The New York Yankees today returned first - baseman Frank Leja, shortstop Rod Kanehl and pitcher Bob Wiesler to their Richmond farm club in the International League.”

Wiesler stayed with Richmond until just before the 1961 season, when he headed back to the former original Senators, now the Twins, and their Syracuse AAA club. From the Progress-Index from Petersburg, Va of April 11, 1961:

“The Vees did some cutting yesterday, and among those sent away was veteran lefthander Bob Wiesler, who was sold to Syracuse. He has been with the Vees since 1957.”

"Vees" was short for Virginians, the Richmond team nickname.

Wiesler's return to the Senators/Twins system was short-lived, one two-inning, 3-walk, 5-hit, 4-earned-run performance. From the Syracuse Post-Standard of April 25, 1961:

 “The Syracuse Chiefs began "Operation Shakeup'' yesterday by releasing Pitcher Bob Wiesler.”

Weisler finished the season at Dallas-Fort Worth, an Angels minor league team, but I could not find the signing date.

If anyone can fill in the blanks for Wiesler's moves between Richmond and Washington, let me know!

Wiesler photo stolen from http://www.tradingcarddb.com

Toronto Keeps Selling Ray Crone

Ray Crone was a pretty fair pitcher for the Braves and Giants in the mid fifties. His major league career ended in 1958 when the Giants traded him to independent AAA team Toronto.

His transactive career (copyright phrase and new word ME) didn't end there as he bopped around a bit for a few years,

This Milwaukee Sentinel article from July 5, 1959 shows that Toronto found they enjoyed selling Crone so much they did it twice in a week:

"The (Birmingham) Barons have returned veteran pitcher Ray Crone to Toronto and the International League immediately sold him to the Memphis Chicks.
Crone, 27, lost two games during his one week with the Barons. The Birmingham club had purchased him conditionally from Toronto."

So, on or about June 29, 1959, Toronto sold Crone to Birmingham on a conditional deal. Birmingham returned Crone to Toronto July 5, 1959. Toronto sold Crone to Memphis July 5, 1959.

Toronto wasn't done selling Ray Crone. Somehow they get control of Crone back before the 1960 season, according to the Milwaukee Sentinel of Jan. 25, 1960...

"The Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League have bought two former major league pitchers, Ray Crone and Don Johnson, from Toronto of the International League. No price was revealed."

Oddly, Crone and Johnson were traded for each other in the Giants-Toronto deal in 1958.

This Sentinel article, though, messes up in the second graph: "(Crone) was 0-2 for Toronto last season after spending most of the season on the Giants' bench." Crone was not on the Giants at all that year.

Portland, another independent AAA team, moved Crone on to Dallas-Fort Worth and the Athletics' organization...from the Bend Bulletin of June 3, 1960...

"PORTLAND (UPI) - The Portland Beavers released and sold two veteran pitchers Thursday. The Beavers announced they have sold Ray Crone, a former major league miner with Milwaukee, to Dallas-Fort Worth of the American Association and released Bob Alexander."

Crone finished the season at Dallas, and played one more year in single-A before calling it a career.

No word on if Toronto tried selling him after he retired.

Crone card from www.tradingcarddb.com