Bob Buhl
A crafty pitcher who became a World Series champion with the Milwaukee Braves, known for his sharp control and even sharper competitive fire.
1928–2001 (age 73)·American baseball player·Birthday: August 12·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bob Buhl emerged from Saginaw, Michigan, to carve out a 15-year career on major league mounds. Signed by the Boston Braves, he came into his own after the team moved to Milwaukee, becoming a rotation stalwart alongside Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette. Buhl was not a flamethrower; his game was built on guile, a biting slider, and an unshakable confidence that made him a formidable opponent. His crowning moment came in 1957 when he contributed key innings to help the Braves secure a World Series title over the New York Yankees. Later stints with the Cubs and Phillies showcased his durability, and he retired with a reputation as a tough, consistent winner who knew how to outthink hitters.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bob was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Died at 73
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Key Achievements
- Won the 1957 World Series as a key starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Braves.
- Selected as a National League All-Star in 1960 while with the Milwaukee Braves.
- Pitched a one-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs in 1954, one of the best games of his career.
- Posted a career-best 18 wins during the 1957 championship season.
Did You Know?
He was famously a terrible hitter, finishing his career with a .089 batting average, one of the lowest in MLB history for a non-pitcher position.
In 1962, he and his Cubs teammate Don Cardwell were traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for two players and $75,000.
He once won a game 1-0 despite giving up 12 hits, a testament to his ability to pitch out of jams.
“I just tried to keep the ball down and let them hit it on the ground.”
