{{Short description|American baseball player (1931–2007)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{for|the ''Coronation Street'' character|Ed Bailey (Coronation Street)}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Ed Bailey |image=Ed Bailey 1956.png |caption=Bailey in 1956 |position=Catcher |birth_date={{birth date|mf=yes|1931|4|15}} |birth_place=Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|2007|3|23|1931|4|15}} |death_place=Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |bats=Left |throws=Right |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=September 26 |debutyear=1953 |debutteam=Cincinnati Redlegs |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=April 26 |finalyear=1966 |finalteam=California Angels |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.256 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=155 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=540 |teams= *Cincinnati Redlegs / Reds ({{baseball year|1953}}–{{baseball year|1961}}) *San Francisco Giants ({{baseball year|1961}}–{{baseball year|1963}}) *Milwaukee Braves ({{baseball year|1964}}) *San Francisco Giants ({{baseball year|1965}}) *Chicago Cubs ({{baseball year|1965}}) *California Angels ({{baseball year|1966}}) |highlights= * 6× All-Star (1956, 1957, 1960, 1960², 1961², 1963) }} '''Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr.''' (April 15, 1931 – March 23, 2007) was an American professional baseball player and later served on the Knoxville, Tennessee city council.<ref name="Ed Bailey at Baseball Reference">{{Cite web |title=Ed Bailey Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baileed01.shtml |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Baseball great Ed Bailey honored with adult baseball league">{{cite web |url=https://www.wvlt.tv/home/headlines/Baseball_great_Ed_Bailey_honored_with_adult_baseball_league_122913958.html |title=Baseball great Ed Bailey honored with adult baseball league |publisher=wvlt.tv |access-date=22 February 2019 |archive-date=February 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223074316/https://www.wvlt.tv/home/headlines/Baseball_great_Ed_Bailey_honored_with_adult_baseball_league_122913958.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from {{baseball year|1953}} through {{baseball year|1966}}.<ref name="Ed Bailey at Baseball Reference" /> A six-time All-Star, Bailey was one of the top catchers in the National League in the late 1950s and early 1960s.<ref name="Bailey- Next Catching Great?">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TSwDAAAAMBAJ&q=ed+bailey+baseball+digest&pg=PA49 |title=Bailey- Next Catching Great? |author=Pile, Bob |date=August 1956 |magazine=Baseball Digest |access-date=October 30, 2011 }}</ref>
Born in Strawberry Plains in Jefferson County, Tennessee, Bailey batted left-handed, threw right-handed and was listed as {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} tall and {{convert|205|lb}}. A younger brother, Jim, was a left-handed pitcher who had a brief big-league trial as Ed's teammate on the 1959 Cincinnati Reds.
==Major League career== Ed Bailey signed with the Reds in 1950 as an amateur free agent. He reached the Majors in 1953 and in 1955 he was given a chance as the Redlegs' (the Cincinnati team's nickname from 1953 to 1958) starting catcher, replacing Andy Seminick. When his offensive production floundered, the Redlegs traded Seminick for catcher Smoky Burgess and Bailey was sent down to the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League.<ref name="Bailey- Next Catching Great?"/> With the help of some batting advice from Redlegs manager and former catcher Birdie Tebbetts, his hitting improved in the minor leagues and continued to improve in the Venezuelan Winter League.<ref name="Bailey- Next Catching Great?"/>
Bailey began the 1956 season as the backup catcher to Burgess, but when the team faltered early in the season, Tebbetts decided to shake things up and named Bailey as the Redlegs' starting catcher.<ref name="Bailey- Next Catching Great?"/> By mid-season, he was the leading hitter in the National League with a .335 batting average, helping to spur the Redlegs into first place.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Olan |first=Ben |date=1956-07-10 |title=Mid-Season Finds Ed Bailey and Mantle Leading Hitters |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/fyblxebzsqewxotfrisxpubutmqlljkw_ip-10-166-46-78_1739948097188 |access-date=2025-02-19 |work=The News and Courier |page=2-B |publication-place=Charleston, South Carolina |via=GenealogyBank.com}}</ref><ref name="1956 Cincinnati Redlegs Schedule, Box Scores and Splits">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1956-schedule-scores.shtml |title=1956 Cincinnati Redlegs Schedule, Box Scores and Splits |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 8, 2011}}</ref> His hitting performance earned him a place as the starting catcher for the National League in the 1956 All-Star Game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS195607100.shtml |title=1956 All-Star Game |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref> The Redlegs stayed in the pennant race until the last day of the season, ending up with a 91–63 record, two games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers.<ref name="1956 Cincinnati Redlegs Schedule, Box Scores and Splits"/> Bailey ended the 1956 season with career-highs in batting average (.300), home runs (28), runs batted in (75), and led the league in baserunners caught stealing (23).<ref name="Ed Bailey at Baseball Reference" /><ref name="Bailey- Next Catching Great?"/>
thumb|left|Bailey in 1961 In 1957, the Redlegs were once again in first place at mid-season, but faltered to finish the season in fourth place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1957-schedule-scores.shtml |title=1957 Cincinnati Redlegs Schedule, Box Scores and Splits |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=June 29, 2011}}</ref> Bailey earned his second consecutive start for the National League All-Star Team, led National League catchers with a 46.2 Caught Stealing percentage and finished second to Roy Campanella with a .992 fielding percentage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NLS/NLS195707090.shtml |title=1957 All-Star Game |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1957-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1957 National League Fielding Leaders |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref> He remained as the Reds' starting catcher for the rest of the 1950s up until 12 games into the 1961 season, when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for second baseman Don Blasingame and catcher Bob Schmidt.<ref name="Ed Bailey Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=baileed01 |title=Ed Bailey Trades and Transactions |publisher=Baseball-almanac.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref>
In 1962, Bailey platooned with catcher Tom Haller, as the two players—both left-handed hitters—combined to give the Giants 35 home runs and 100 runs batted in from the catcher's position.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1962.shtml |title=1962 San Francisco Giants |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref> In June of that year, Bailey had a streak of 3 clutch home runs in four games that propelled the Giants into first place.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1962-06-30 |title=Ed Bailey Puts Giants Back On Top |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-news-ed-bailey-puts-giants-bac/166147025/ |access-date=2025-02-19 |work=The Miami News |page=2B |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> The Giants battled the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tight pennant race as the two teams ended the season tied for first place and met in the 1962 National League tie-breaker series.<ref name="1962 National League standings and statistics">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1962.shtml |title=1962 National League standings and statistics |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref> The Giants won the three-game series to clinch the National League championship.<ref name="1962 National League standings and statistics"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3617483|title=Tiebreaker Playoff Results|work=ESPN.com|date=September 30, 2008|access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref> Bailey appeared in six games of the 1962 World Series, hitting a home run in Game 3 as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees in seven games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baileed01.shtml#batting_postseason |title=Ed Bailey post-season batting statistics |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1962_WS.shtml |title=1962 World Series |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref> He had another strong year in 1963, hitting 21 home runs with 68 runs batted in, earning his fifth and final All-Star berth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS196307090.shtml |title=1963 All-Star Game |publisher=Baseball-reference.com |access-date=October 30, 2011}}</ref>
In December 1963, Bailey was traded along with Felipe Alou and Billy Hoeft to the Milwaukee Braves for Del Crandall, Bob Hendley and Bob Shaw.<ref name="Ed Bailey Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac"/> He served as Joe Torre's back up for two seasons with the Braves before being traded back to the Giants in February 1965.<ref name="Ed Bailey Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac"/> After just fourteen games of the 1965 season, he was traded again, this time to the Chicago Cubs, where he served as a backup catcher to Vic Roznovsky.<ref name="Ed Bailey Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac"/> On July 22, 1965, Bailey hit a grand slam home run, a three-run home run and a run-scoring single to drive home eight runs during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bailey Batting Downs Phillies |agency=United Press International |work=The Bend Bulletin |page=8 |date=July 23, 1965 |access-date=November 24, 2010 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jJwSAAAAIBAJ&pg=1212,4241954&dq=ed+bailey&hl=en}}</ref> After the {{Baseball year|1965}} season, he was traded to the California Angels and was released after appearing in only five games of the 1966 season.<ref name="Ed Bailey Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac"/>
==Career statistics== In a fourteen-season major league career, Bailey played in 1,212 games with 915 hits in 3,581 at bats for a .256 batting average along with 155 home runs and 540 runs batted in, including 423 runs, a .355 on-base percentage and a .986 fielding percentage.<ref name="Ed Bailey at Baseball Reference" /> He was a six-time All-Star and led National League catchers in baserunners caught stealing and caught stealing percentage once each.<ref name="Ed Bailey at Baseball Reference" /> At the time of his retirement, he ranked 11th overall for career home runs by a catcher.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/8coffhr.htm|title=Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers 800 Games Caught - Offensive Home Runs|website=members.tripod.com}}</ref> His younger brother, pitcher Jim Bailey, also played in the Major Leagues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baileji01.shtml|title=Jim Bailey Stats - Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> When his brother joined the Reds in 1959, the Bailey brothers became one of the few brother-batteries in Major League history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brother Batteries |url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/brother_batteries.htm |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers}}</ref>
In between, Bailey guided both the Lácteos de Pastora<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.purapelota.com/lvbp/equipotemporada.php?eq=PAS&T=1953-54|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005121316/http://www.purapelota.com/lvbp/equipotemporada.php?eq=PAS&T=1953-54|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 5, 2012|title=purapelota.com|website=www.purapelota.com}}</ref> and Industriales de Valencia<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.purapelota.com/lvbp/equipotemporada.php?eq=VAL&T=1955-56|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005121842/http://www.purapelota.com/lvbp/equipotemporada.php?eq=VAL&T=1955-56|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 5, 2012|title=purapelota.com|website=www.purapelota.com}}</ref> to Venezuela League championship titles,<ref>Gutiérrez, Daniel; Alvarez, Efraim; Gutiérrez (h), Daniel (2006). ''La Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela''. LVBP, Caracas. {{ISBN|980-6996-02-X}}</ref> and later played with them in the Caribbean Series tournament in 1954 and 1956, respectively.<ref>Nuñez, José Antero (1994). ''Serie del Caribe de la Habana a Puerto La Cruz''. JAN Editor. {{ISBN|980-07-2389-7}}</ref>
==1957 All-Star Game ballot stuffing controversy== In {{baseball year|1957}}, Bailey and six of his Redleg teammates—Roy McMillan, Johnny Temple, Don Hoak, Gus Bell, Wally Post and Frank Robinson—were voted into the National League All-Star starting lineup, the result of a ballot stuffing campaign by Redlegs fans.<ref name="1957 All-Star Game at Baseball Almanac">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/asgbox/yr1957as.shtml|title=1957 All-Star Game|website=www.baseball-almanac.com}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000818205359/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/1999/07/06/allstar_voting/ ''Rocking The Vote'', By John Donovan at sportsillustrated.cnn.com] July 6, 1999</ref> Major League Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick intervened, removing Bell and Post from the starting line up and replacing them with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. Frick allowed Bell to remain on the team as a reserve while Post was removed from the team altogether. The Commissioner also transferred the responsibility for All-Star voting to the players, managers and coaches the following year.<ref name="1957 All-Star Game at Baseball Almanac"/>
==On television== *In 1956 appeared as a ''Mystery Guest'' in a ''What's My Line?'' episode, along with Cincinnati teammates Gus Bell, Smoky Burgess, Ray Jablonski, Johnny Klippstein, Ted Kluszewski, Roy McMillan, Joe Nuxhall, Wally Post, Frank Robinson, and Johnny Temple.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://former.imdb.com/title/tt0746519/|title=''What's My Line'', Episode dated 24 June 1956 at IMDb.com|access-date=June 28, 2018|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305061115/http://former.imdb.com/title/tt0746519/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Later life== Bailey later served for 12 years on the Knoxville, Tennessee city council from 1983 to 1995 and, worked for United States Congressman Jimmy Duncan.<ref name="Baseball great Ed Bailey honored with adult baseball league"/> He died in Knoxville in 2007, following a battle with throat cancer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02EFD91230F934A15750C0A9619C8B63|title=Ed Bailey, Five-Time All-Star Catcher, Dies at 75|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 27, 2007|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
==Highlights== *Made the National League All-Star team in 1956–57, 1960–61, and 1963.<ref name="Ed Bailey at Baseball Reference" /> *Hit double figures in home runs in eight of his 14 ML seasons.<ref name="Ed Bailey at Baseball Reference" /> *Hit three home runs in one 1956 game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO195606241.shtml|title=Cincinnati Redlegs at Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score, June 24, 1956 - Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> *Had eight pinch-hit homers, including two grand slams. *Hit a two-run homer in Game 3 of the 1962 World Series. *Collected eight RBI in a 1965 game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN196507220.shtml|title=Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs Box Score, July 22, 1965 - Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> *Made two unassisted double plays in 1963 and 1965.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/doubleudp.htm|title=Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers - Unassisted Double Play Catchers|website=members.tripod.com}}</ref> *Caught Juan Marichal's no-hitter on June 15, 1963.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196306150.shtml|title=Houston Colt .45's at San Francisco Giants Box Score, June 15, 1963 - Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats |br=b/baileed01 |fangraphs=1000421 |retro=Pbaile101 |brm=bailey001lon}} * [https://books.google.com/books?id=TSwDAAAAMBAJ&dq=ed+bailey+baseball+digest&pg=PA49 ''Bailey- Next Catching Great?'', by Bob Pile, Baseball Digest, August 1956] * [https://former.imdb.com/title/tt0746519/ ''What's My Line?'' – IMDb entry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305061115/http://former.imdb.com/title/tt0746519/ |date=March 5, 2016 }} *{{Find a Grave|18570656}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Ed}} Category:1931 births Category:2007 deaths Category:20th-century American politicians Category:Baseball players from Knoxville, Tennessee Category:California Angels players Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:Cincinnati Redlegs players Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:Deaths from cancer in Tennessee Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer in the United States Category:Industriales de Valencia players Category:Lácteos de Pastora players Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:Milwaukee Braves players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:National League All-Stars Category:Ogden Reds players Category:People from Strawberry Plains, Tennessee Category:Sportspeople from the Knoxville metropolitan area Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players Category:San Francisco Giants players Category:Tennessee city council members Category:Tennessee Volunteers baseball players Category:Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players Category:American athlete-politicians