Player Profile: Billy Loes

Our next subject is RHP Billy Loes. William Loes was born on the 13th of December, 1929 in Long Island City, NY. His parents were James and Filo Loes. He was an only child. His parents were Greek immigrants who had according to Loes, shortened their surname. He was raised in Astoria which was about a half-hour away from Ebbets Field. His family lived in a small apartment, and they had limited means. His father suffered a debilitating injury while serving in the Merchant Marine in WWI and did not work. His mother provided for the family by working in a furniture store.

By the time he was a teenager, Billy was obsessed with baseball. He worked to save some money and attend an occasional big-league game. Like other kids, he would play on local sandlots and pretend he was pitching to Joe DiMaggio and Bill Dickey. He also began playing on a local YMCA youth team.

He emerged as one of New York City’s best pitchers in his last two years at William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City. After his junior year, he led the Astoria Cubs to the Kiwanis League State title in the summer of 1947 and was selected most valuable player. He was 6’1″ and weighed only 150 lbs. Loes possessed a wicked curveball which allowed him to fashion 5 no-hitters, 4 in his senior year. The last one came in the semifinal game of the 1948 Public School Athletic League championship with a flock of big-league scouts in attendance.

The overly confident teenager often tooted his own horn, angering friends and foes alike. “I was misunderstood in high school,” he said. There is a difference between cockiness and confidence. Loes finished his prep career by tossing a one-hitter and knocking in the winning run to lead coach Vince Starace’s squad to the title. He won a week-long tour with the New York Giants for his MVP performance. Upon returning home, the legend of his head-scratching comments was cemented when he compared himself to Giants pitching star, Larry Jansen and boldly announced “ I forgot more ( about pitching) than he ever knew“.

In post-war baseball, Loes was angling for a big payday with teams lining up to sign him. Tom Yawkey, owner of the Red Sox had been fined for trying to sign a teenager while he was still in high school, a serious transgression at the time. Loes was pitching for the Brooklyn Eagles All-Star team after high school and was competing in a tour against other all-star teams from D.C. and Canada. He was one of the most sought-after pitchers in the New York area. After a great performance in a game where it was said, scouts from all 16 teams were in attendance, he was offered $18,000 dollars by the Indians. But he hesitated. The Dodgers, sensing an opportunity, jumped in and he was offered $21,000 by Branch Rickey and he signed. It was the largest bonus given by the Dodgers at the time.

“ I knew I wasn’t worth no big dough” Loes said, ” but I figured those other kids weren’t worth it either“. Rickey seemed to agree, but he knew it would be a public relations nightmare had a New York kid signed elsewhere. He is about a $10,000 dollar player he said. “But Loes is a local boy and I just cannot let another club sign him.”

In his first year in the system, Loes started at Class-B Nashua in the New England League. He went 11-3, including a no-hitter before being promoted to Fort Worth in the AA Texas League. His combined line was 16-5and a 2.69 ERA. Loes was added to the big league roster in mid-October. Under the bonus rule in effect at the time, he would have been eligible for the amateur draft in November. With that rule, he would have to spend the entire 1950 season with the team.

Obviously not ready for the big time, Loes languished at the far end of Shotton’s bench and pitched only BP and got a total of 12.2 innings and yielded 11 earned runs. His already rusty skills took another hit when he was drafted into the Army in February of 1951. He was stationed at Ft. Devens in Massachusetts. He pitched for the base team in the semi-pro Blackstone Valley League and against other base teams. In mid-October, he received a hardship discharge citing the financial support of his parents. Two years later he would purchase them a house with his World Series earnings from the 52 series.

Loes was itching to play baseball, but only at the big league level. He reportedly told manager Chuck Dressen that he had learned all he could from minor league managers and he would be wasted in the minors. Already considered insufferably conceited by beat writer Roscoe McGowen, Loes had a surprisingly productive spring. He shocked the team with 5 scoreless innings of 2-hit ball to get the win on April 18th against the Giants. In his first big league start against the Pirates on May 15th, he threw a 6 hit shutout. Pitching in relief and starting he was one of Brooklyn’s most effective pitchers sporting a 13-8 record with a 2.68 ERA and four shutouts.

It was during the 52 series that more zaniness was added to the Loes legend. He started a controversy before the series when he was asked about his quote that the Yanks would win the series in 6 games. He responded, I never said that, I said they would win in 7. He almost had a chance to foil his own prophecy when he pitched in game 6 and held the Yanks scoreless for 6 innings. His downfall started in the 7th when he was charged with a balk after dropping a ball in his windup. He then misplayed a grounder back to the mound leading to a run. Berra had homered at the beginning of the inning to tie the game at 1. Afterward Loes explained his miscues in his strong NYC accent and gruff profanity-ridden language ( which sportswriters liberally edited ): “I might have had the ***** thing if it wasn’t for the low sun shining in my face!”. Yep, he claimed he lost the grounder in the sun. What a character.

To some fans, he brought back memories of the Daffiness Boys in early Brooklyn history, Casey Stengel and Wilbert Robinson. Babe Herman would have to be on that list too. He was the Dodgers resident RH weirdo. Loes was credited with having a lot of talent, but he could be moody and had a hard time with reporters. He got hit with a paternity suit just weeks after the series and had a warrant issued for his arrest. The team brushed it off and said it was just blackmail. It was thrown out four years later.

He was the Dodger’s best pitcher early in 1953 and had 10 wins by the end of June. But then he was completely lost for two months and started to have shoulder pain that would bother him for the rest of his career. Loes finished 14-8 and started game 4 in Ebbets Field against Whitey Ford. Ford was knocked out after one inning and Loes allowed 3 runs in 8 innings to earn his only World Series victory 7-3. With Billy Martin leading the way, the Yanks won the next two games and had their 5th straight championship.

Called by some a crazy mixed-up kid, he caused another stir in spring training in 54 when he said, “ I hate baseball” and implied he would rather have a 9-5 job. He suffered a severe elbow injury in April and pitched sporadically and poorly afterward leading new Dodger skipper, Walter Alston to chastise him publicly as a “mystery” whose pitches were half-dead. Just when it appeared he had lost it, he threw an overpowering complete-game victory over the Pirates, striking out a career-high 11. He then defied expectations and won his next 8 decisions including 5 in August, keeping the Dodgers in a tight race with the Giants. But he slumped in September, reaggravating his shoulder and elbow injuries. Alston was exasperated and questioned his preparation and commitment as the Dodgers finished 2nd, 5 games back of the Giants.

He had his last productive year as a Dodger in 1955, but his start in the Series was a total flop. His arm was killing him in the spring of 56 and he threatened to quit baseball. He didn’t and the Dodgers finally cut ties with him, sending him to Baltimore on May 14th in a waiver sale. 1956 was basically a lost year as he went 2-8 with a 5.59 ERA. In 1957 he was one of the feel-good stories in Baltimore. With no expectations, he would go 12-7 with the Orioles winning 8 consecutive games at one point. That was the longest winning stretch of his career.

Billy’s good days were now well behind him. The next two seasons he could not repeat the success of 1957 winning a total of 7 games and losing 16. He was traded along with lefty, Billy O’Dell to the Giants for Jackie Brandt, Gordon Jones, and catching prospect, Roger McCardell.

He was a little better with the Giants, going 3-2 in 1960 and 6-5 in 61. After being purchased by the Mets in November of 61, he was returned to the Giants in April and released the same day. His MLB career was over. Overall Loes had an 80-63 record with a 3.89 ERA. As a Dodger, he was 50-26 with a 3.86 ERA in 136 games. Loes wanted to coach, but he had antagonized so many that there were no takers. His transition from baseball was not easy. He did odd jobs including driving a cab. In July of 2010, Loes passed away in Tucson Arizona. He had been ill and suffering from diabetes for several years. His last time in the spotlight was when he was inducted into the Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Fame at the Brooklyn Museum. That was in 1990. Loes will always typify for me the talented player who just did not have the work ethic, but had the tools to be one of the game’s best.