august american professional baseball player right handed starting pitcher played seasons major_league_baseball mlb national_league game baltimore_orioles american_league born kentucky raised west_virginia began professional career serving world war majors acquired braves organization flip coin promising national_league pitchers playing career earning star honors leading national_league complete games career soon multiple arm injuries baseball working assortment jobs diagnosed stomach cancer died month illness best known throwing hitter august early life born kentucky raised west_virginia began playing semi professional baseball local team signing class mountain state league year served years armed forces world war later claimed helped improve career got pitching tips professional major_league minor league career relief pitcher minor league baseball played seasons going fight world war came braves system played win loss record earned run average era game promoted indianapolis indians campaign indianapolis owner bought controlling interest pittsburgh pirates organization allegedly stayed braves organization flip coin local bar argument endured braves president braves general manager spring training fate players organization wanting indianapolis players pirates organization gentleman agreement decided split players flip coin flipped coin selection similar sports draft coin landed heads player headed pirates organization landed tails stayed braves organization coin landed tails braves picked took contract later recalled selected brooklyn general manager interest young right thought good good braves played milwaukee brewers win loss record earned run average games starts major_league career expected start season minor leagues lack control friend manager stated likely better starting pitcher reached major league roster major_league debut april loss new_york_giants entered relief fourth inning gave earned runs start inning got hit double play giving single retired end inning career start pirates victory gave hits june pitched hitter victory chicago_cubs throwing perfect innings giving hit start sixth inning finished mark earned run average braves won national_league pennant advanced world series cleveland indians world series appearance started game gave run hits innings pitched charged loss went earned run average team finished seventh league complete games games started teammate cincinnati_reds lost hitter ninth inning games season end alongside teammate created formidable pitching league years best season statistical wise came went earned run average led national_league games started complete games innings pitched batters faced finished eighth league strikeouts high point career hitter august hitter threw brooklyn braves retired batters walking fourth inning overall walked batters hit double play end game stated wanted game hitter helped stay braves pennant race falling games philadelphia_phillies braves finished fourth record games phillies standings struggled near end year falling short games attempt record win season later career win loss record career low earned run average games earned run average good eighth league broke finger hit line drive missed final months season regained prior form earned run average games starts played braves team moved milwaukee season suffered bone spurs pitching arm season win loss record earned run average sold baltimore_orioles undisclosed cash catcher new_york_yankees boston_red_sox interested services general manager decided baltimore offer played game start chicago_white_sox april gave runs earned innings credited loss nerve throwing arm eventual elbow surgery shortened career unsuccessfully tried brief comeback triple richmond international_league pitched games retiring complications arm injuries personal life death following playing career worked assortment jobs automobile dealer traveling salesman carpenter spent months life hospitalized cancer dropping pounds telling media days death beating cancer order coach professional baseball died cancer richmond virginia age left wife sons time death buried virginia
Vern Bickford