Harry Brecheen

Harry David Breechen
Nickname: Harry the Cat
Born: Oct. 14, 1914 in Broken Bow, Okla.
Died: Jan. 17, 2004 in Ada, Okla.
Debut: 1940 | Pos: P
H: 5'10" | W: 160 | B: L | T: L

>> Visit the Harry Brecheen biography on Baseball Almanac for complete statistics.

Harry Brecheen, a former Cardinals pitcher who won three games in the 1946 World Series, died on Jan. 17, 2004 in Ada, Okla. He was 89.

In 12 major league seasons, Brecheen posted a 133-92 record and a 2.92 ERA in 1907.2 innings pitched. He started 240 games in his career with 125 complete games and 25 shutouts.

He debuted with the Cardinals in 1940, pitching 3.1 innings in three games. He returned to the Cardinals in 1943 and pitched for the team through the 1952 season. Brecheen finished his career with the St. Louis Browns in 1953.

He appeared in three World Series in his career -- 1943, 1944 and 1946. He compiled a 4-1 record and a 0.83 ERA in 7 World Series games. His most impressive performance came in 1946 when the Cardinals defeated Boston. Brechen started two games in that series and pitched in another, finishing with a 3-0 record -- including wins in Games 6 and 7 -- and a 0.45 ERA in 20 innings.

One of his best seasons came in 1948 when he was 20-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 233.1 innings.
His ERA was the best in the National League and he led the NL with 149 strikeouts and seven shutouts.

Following his career as a player, Brecheen was a coach with Baltimore from 1954-67.

Source: Associated Press obituary