Cal McLish

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title: "Cal McLish" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1925-births", "2010-deaths", "american-league-all-stars", "united-states-army-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "baseball-players-from-oklahoma", "brooklyn-dodgers-players", "chicago-cubs-players", "chicago-white-sox-players", "choctaw-nation-of-oklahoma-people", "cincinnati-reds-players", "cleveland-indians-players", "deaths-from-cancer-in-oklahoma", "deaths-from-leukemia-in-the-united-states", "indianapolis-indians-players", "kansas-city-blues-(baseball)-players", "leones-del-caracas-players", "american-expatriate-baseball-players-in-venezuela", "los-angeles-angels-(minor-league)-players", "major-league-baseball-pitchers", "major-league-baseball-pitching-coaches", "milwaukee-brewers-coaches", "milwaukee-brewers-scouts", "montreal-expos-coaches", "people-from-anadarko,-oklahoma", "philadelphia-phillies-coaches", "philadelphia-phillies-players", "philadelphia-phillies-scouts", "pittsburgh-pirates-players", "san-diego-padres-(minor-league)-players", "sportspeople-from-edmond,-oklahoma", "united-states-army-soldiers", "20th-century-native-american-people", "21st-century-native-american-people", "20th-century-american-sportsmen"] description: "American baseball player (1925–2010)" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_McLish" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American baseball player (1925–2010) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox baseball biography"]

Field	Value
name	Cal McLish
image	Cal McLish 1954 (improved).jpg
width	180px
caption	McLish, circa 1954
position	Pitcher
bats	Switch
throws	Right
birth_date
birth_place	Anadarko, Oklahoma, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Edmond, Oklahoma, U.S.
debutleague	MLB
debutdate	May 13
debutyear	1944
debutteam	Brooklyn Dodgers
finalleague	MLB
finaldate	July 14
finalyear	1964
finalteam	Philadelphia Phillies
statleague	MLB
stat1label	Win–loss record
stat1value	92–92
stat2label	Earned run average
stat2value	4.01
stat3label	Strikeouts
stat3value	713
::

|name=Cal McLish |image=Cal McLish 1954 (improved).jpg |width=180px |caption=McLish, circa 1954 |position=Pitcher |bats=Switch |throws=Right |birth_date= |birth_place=Anadarko, Oklahoma, U.S. |death_date= |death_place=Edmond, Oklahoma, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=May 13 |debutyear=1944 |debutteam=Brooklyn Dodgers |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=July 14 |finalyear=1964 |finalteam=Philadelphia Phillies |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Win–loss record |stat1value=92–92 |stat2label=Earned run average |stat2value=4.01 |stat3label=Strikeouts |stat3value=713 |teams= ;As player

• Brooklyn Dodgers (, )
• Pittsburgh Pirates (–)
• Chicago Cubs (, )
• Cleveland Indians (–)
• Cincinnati Reds ()
• Chicago White Sox ()
• Philadelphia Phillies (–) ;As coach
• Philadelphia Phillies (–)
• Montreal Expos (–)
• Milwaukee Brewers (–) |highlights=
• All-Star (1959²) Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish (December 1, 1925 – August 26, 2010), nicknamed "Bus", was an American professional baseball pitcher and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1944 and 1964 for seven different teams including four seasons with the Cleveland Indians and three seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was a switch hitter and threw right-handed. In a 15-season major-league career, McLish posted a 92–92 win–loss record, with 713 strikeouts, and a 4.01 earned run average (ERA), in 1,609 innings pitched. His coaching career spanned 1965 to 1982.

Background

McLish was born in Anadarko, Oklahoma, on December 1, 1925. His father is listed as "Choctaw by Blood" with a blood quantum of 1/8th on the Dawes Rolls. He was the seventh of eight children. He was named for Calvin Coolidge, Julius Caesar, and Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. He was raised in Oklahoma City, and went to its Central High School.

Playing career

McLish signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers before the 1944 season. He made his Major League Baseball debut with the Dodgers that year, the first time he played organized baseball. He spent 1945 in the United States Army, and was deployed in the Western Front of World War II. He returned to baseball in 1946, playing for the Dodgers.

On May 3, 1947, the Dodgers traded McLish, Hank Behrman, Kirby Higbe, Dixie Howell, and Gene Mauch to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Al Gionfriddo and $100,000 ($ in current dollar terms). In addition to pitching for Pittsburgh in 1948, he also pitched for the Indianapolis Indians of the Class AAA American Association (AA). With McLish, the Indians won the AA pennant. After the 1948 season, the Pirates traded McLish and Frankie Gustine to the Chicago Cubs for Cliff Chambers and Clyde McCullough. He played in the minor leagues for the Los Angeles Angels of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1949.

McLish won 20 games for the Angels during the 1950 season. The Cubs sold McLish to the San Diego Padres, also in the PCL, in 1955. In 1956, McLish returned to MLB, pitching for the Cleveland Indians. He had a 16-8 win–loss record for Cleveland during the 1958 season, with a 2.99 earned run average (ERA).

After the 1959 season, the Indians traded McLish with Gordy Coleman and Billy Martin to the Cincinnati Redlegs for Johnny Temple. Disappointed by the trade, McLish said that Indians' general manager Frank Lane "never did like me". McLish played for the Redlegs in 1960. After the season, they traded McLish and Juan Pizarro to the Chicago White Sox for Gene Freese. Before the 1962 season, the White Sox sent McLish to the Philadelphia Phillies when Andy Carey, who they had traded to Philadelphia, refused to report. Carey instead went to the Dodgers, and McLish was sent to the Phillies. In 1963, McLish had a 13–11 win–loss record in 211 innings pitched, the most on the team. He suffered from an injured shoulder the next season, and the Phillies released McLish in July 1964.

McLish also pitched for the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, posting a 14–12 record with a 2.69 ERA and 147 strikeouts in parts of two seasons spanning 1953–1956. He also helped himself with the bat, hitting .358 (54-for-151) with three home runs and 14 runs batted in, being used occasionally as a pinch hitter.

Coaching and scouting career

After his playing career, McLish became a major league pitching coach for the Phillies, under Mauch, the Phillies' manager. He coached for the Phillies in 1965 and 1966, and then spent the next two years scouting for the Phillies. where he served as pitching coach and developed pitchers Bill Stoneman, Carl Morton, Steve Renko, and Ernie McAnally.

The Expos fired Mauch and McLish after the 1975 season. He was soon thereafter hired to coach the Milwaukee Brewers. He coached the Brewers from 1976 through 1982. He then served as a scout for the Brewers. He worked in professional baseball through 2005, when he was an instructor for the Seattle Mariners.

Personal life

McLish was inducted to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

McLish and his wife, Ruth, were married for 60 years. He had a daughter, three sons, and thirteen grandchildren. McLish died of leukemia at his home in Edmond, Oklahoma.

References

References

1. (2019). "Cal McLish Stats". Pelota Binaria.
2. (January 2017)
3. "Search the Dawes Rolls, 1898–1914". [[Oklahoma Historical Society]].
4. (May 21, 1957). "The Ballplayers – Cal McLish". baseballbiography.com.
5. (August 26, 2010). "Oklahoma native, former Major League Baseball player Cal McLish dies at 84". News OK.
6. Blackman, Ted. (March 29, 1972). "McLish's work bears fruit; 20 game winner(s) expected". [[Montreal Gazette]].
7. McGowen, Roscoe. (May 4, 1947). "Higbe, Four Other Dodgers Go to Pirates in a Big Deal; Higbe of Dodgers Traded to Pirates". [[The New York Times]].
8. (September 16, 1948). "Cal McLish Halts Sainds as Indians Even Series: Relieves Injured Jim Bagby and Allows St. Paul Only Four Hits to Earn 8 to 1 Victory". The Milwaukee Journal.
9. (December 9, 1948). "Cubs Land Gustine, Give Up McCullough". The Milwaukee Sentinel.
10. (December 13, 1959). "Cal McLish to Cincinnati: San Francisco Gives Up Spencer, Wagner for Infielder". The Milwaukee Journal.
11. (December 17, 1959). "Martin Happy, Temple, McLish Sad Over Trade". The Milwaukee Sentinel.
12. (December 16, 1960). "Braves, White Sox and Reds Figure In Baseball Trades". [[Ottawa Citizen]].
13. (March 25, 1962). "Dodgers Get Andy Carey From Chisox: Cal McLish Goes to Phillies In Another Deal". The Pittsburgh Press.
14. (July 16, 1964). "Senators Buy Roy Sievers". Gettysburg Times.
15. (October 7, 1968). "Expos sign three new coaches". Montreal Gazette.
16. (May 10, 1973). "Cal McLish Ill". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
17. (November 7, 1975). "McLish Picked, Too". The Milwaukee Journal.
18. (August 26, 2010). "Oklahoma native, former Major League Baseball player Cal McLish dies at 84". News OK.
19. Thursby, Keith. (August 30, 2010). "Cal McLish dies at 84; pitched in first All-Star game played in Los Angeles". [[Los Angeles Times]].

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