Don Liddle
A left-handed pitcher forever linked to a single, historic play: the catch that set up his team's most famous World Series moment.
1925–2000 (age 75)·American baseball player·Birthday: May 25·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Don Liddle's major league career was brief but is permanently etched in baseball history by one sequence of events. The journeyman reliever and spot starter spent four seasons with three clubs, posting modest statistics. His moment arrived in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, pitching for the New York Giants against the heavily favored Cleveland Indians. With the score tied and two men on in the 8th inning, manager Leo Durocher called on Liddle to face the powerful Vic Wertz. Liddle threw one pitch. Wertz crushed it to deep center field, where Willie Mays made his immortal over-the-shoulder catch. Liddle was then removed from the game, famously quipping about his contribution. He earned the win as the Giants triumphed in extra innings, a victory that sparked their stunning four-game sweep. For Liddle, that one pitch defined a career, making him an essential footnote in one of the sport's most legendary tales.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Don was born in 1925, placing them squarely in The Greatest 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 Don Was Born
The biggest hits of 1925
#1 Movie
The Gold Rush
Don's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1925Born
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1930Started school
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1938Became a teenager
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Could drive
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
1943Could vote
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Turned 21
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
1955Turned 30
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 40
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 50
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 60
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 70
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2000Died at 75
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
Key Achievements
- Earned the win in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series for the New York Giants after facing one batter.
- Pitched a complete-game shutout for the Milwaukee Braves in his first major league start in 1953.
- Posted a career-best 3.12 ERA over 75 innings of relief for the Giants in 1954.
Did You Know?
He was the brother-in-law of fellow major league pitcher Johnny Schmitz.
His entire World Series pitching line reads: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K—he faced one batter.
He served in the United States Navy during World War II.
After baseball, he worked as a postal clerk in his hometown of Mount Carmel, Illinois.
“Well, I got my man.”
