Ted Abernathy
A rubber-armed relief pioneer whose submarine delivery and remarkable durability made him one of baseball's most used and effective closers of the 1960s.
1933–2004 (age 71)·American baseball player·Birthday: March 6·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ted Abernathy looked unlike any pitcher of his era. With a sidearm, almost underhand delivery that seemed to scrape the dirt, he baffled hitters for 14 major league seasons. His journey was one of resilience; a serious shoulder injury in 1960 forced him to reinvent himself as a full-time reliever and develop his signature 'submarine' style. The result was a second act that defined his career. He became a workhorse, leading the league in games pitched multiple times and saving 148 games, a huge number for that period. Abernathy was the stopper for teams like the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs, entering games in the highest leverage situations with a calm demeanor. In an age before specialized bullpens, his ability to pitch on consecutive days, and often for multiple innings, made him an invaluable and quietly dominant figure.
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.
Ted was born in 1933, 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 Ted Was Born
The biggest hits of 1933
#1 Movie
King Kong
Best Picture
Cavalcade
Ted's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1933Born
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Started school
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
1946Became a teenager
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
1949Could drive
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
1951Could vote
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Turned 21
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1963Turned 30
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 40
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 50
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 60
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 70
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004Died at 71
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
Key Achievements
- Led the National League in saves twice (1965 with 31, 1967 with 28).
- Pitched in a league-leading 84 games for the Chicago Cubs in 1965.
- Recorded 148 career saves, ranking him among the top relievers of his generation.
- Finished in the top ten for the Cy Young Award voting in 1965 and 1967.
Did You Know?
His unique low arm angle earned him the nicknames 'The Submarine' and 'The Old Submariner.'
He and his brother, Bob Abernathy, were MLB teammates on the 1960 Washington Senators.
He once pitched 8.1 innings of relief to earn a win in a 15-inning game in 1963.
After his playing career, he worked as a pitching coach in the minor leagues.
“I had to throw from down there because my arm wouldn't go any other way.”
