Jansen, Larry

 

 

Larry Jansen

 

AURICLE ID:PJanseLar101 bb-ref ID:JanseLa01 rerto ID:PJansL101 SABR pID:6903

Name: Jansen,  Lawrence Joseph “Larry” Type:Player Debut:1947

Born Friday 7/16/1920 at Verboort OR

Played and coached in both MLB and mlb

Position:pitcher Hair:dark eyes:blue BRTR Height:6' 2" Weight:190# Ancestry::Dutch     

Married Eileen Vandehey 19390818              

First game 04/17/1947 with New York Giants Last game 09/25/1956 with Cincinnati Reds

Played in minors 1940-43, 1955-56 & 1957-60, primarily in the Pacific Coast League

Coached in minors, 1957-80 and in the Majors 1955 & 1969-73         

Claimed in some sources to be a WWII Veteran but doubtful if true --- claims under investigation

Hobby:hunting    Farmer Octogenerian           

Turned professional at age 19, rookie at age 26, playing in majors to age 36 and in OB to age 39, retiring at age 53

Played 9 years in the Majors out of 19 in OB plus five non-playing years 47.37% in majors 59.38% as a player

Baseball Register 1947-73

Who’s Who in Baseball, 1947-56

Professional Ballplayers Data Base, Versions 1-2-3-4-5-6

Article on file and reproduced below

Links: BioPROJ BB_REF RETRO SABRenc HRlog WSW TBI PIX1 PIX2 PIX3

 

Birth Name:  Lawrence Joseph Jansen

Born On:   July 16, 1920

Born In:   Verboort, Oregon

Died On:  

Died In:  

 

RHP 1947-1954 Giants, 1956 Reds  (9 years)

 

* Led NL in wins 1951 (23-11)    (1 time)

* Led NL in win % 1947 (.808, 21-5)   (1 time)

* Led NL in shutouts 1950 (5)    (1 time)

* All-Star 1950 & 1951     (2 times)

 

Games  IP Won Lost W-L % ERA K's Shutouts

 291 1766 122 89 .578 3.58 842 17

 

  • In 1947, Larry Jansen was nearly 27 when he arrived in the NL to play for 9 seasons. For his first five seasons
  • (1947-1951), he was one of the National League's best right-handed pitchers – going 96-57 with a 3.33 ERA
  • and winning more than 20 games twice in those years.
  • “I was born and raised here in Verboort. It was a Dutch community then. Now it’s more mixed… We grow a
  • lot of strawberries… wheat… peaches and pears and apples… When I was young we milked a lot of cows…
  • I pitched for the [San Franciso] Seals in 1941 and had a good year, but in 1942 I was having a rough time,
  • and Larry Woodall, one of our coaches, taught me the slider… But during the war I was up here in Oregon,
  • farming, and I had some opportunities to throw the slider playing semipro ball… When I went back to the Seals
  • the last part of 1945 [after the war] I was a much better pitcher than before…” [Baseball’s Forgotten
  • Heroes by Tony Salin, 1999]
  • In 1946, after going 30-6 with a 1.57 earned run average for the Seals, he was purchased by the New York
  • Giants. He then had a magnificent rookie year in 1947, going 21-5 and leading the league in winning percentage.
  • Jansen threw an outstanding overhand curve and a good fastball, and had excellent control. After one of his ten
  • consecutive complete-game wins in 1947.  Giants catcher Walker Cooper commented, "I don't believe he
  • missed the target (catcher's mitt) by more than two inches all day."
  • 1947 was the first year MLB gave a Rookie of the Year Award (starting in 1949 an award was given in each
  • league). Larry Jansen came in second to Jackie Robinson for the first MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947.
  • He won 18 games in 1948 and 19 games in 1950, while tying for the league lead with five shutouts.
  • In 1951, the mild-mannered Jansen combined with Sal Maglie as the Giants' one-two pitching punch in winning
  • the "miracle" pennant. They tied for the league lead in victories with 23 each. Jansen lost his two starts in the
  • 1951 World Series against the Yankees (the Yankees winning the Series 4-2).
  • Jansen was a pitching coach for the Giants in 1955 and from 1969-1971 and then coached for the Cubs in
  • 1972-1973. Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry were two of the pitchers he helped to develop.

 

 

  • September 25, 1947: Giants rookie Larry Jansen wins his 21st game of the season, beating the Braves’ Red
  •                                   Barrett 2-1. It is Jansen's 10th win in a row, all complete games.
  • September 16, 1951: The visiting—and rampaging—Giants sweep the Pirates, 7–1 and 6–4. Larry Jansen
  •                                   wins his 19th and Sal Maglie collects his 23rd. It is Maglie's 11th straight win over the
  •                                   Bucs.  The Giants collect 29 hits in the two games, including six by Al Dark, in handing
  •                                   losses to Howie Pollet and reliever Murry Dickson. The Dodger lead of 4 1/2 is their
  •                                   slimmest since July 4th.
  • September 22, 1951: Larry Jansen stops the Braves on four hits, and wins his 20th game, 4–1. The Giants score
  •                                   three in the 8th off Warren Spahn to win it.
  • September 27, 1951: Monte Irvin clouts a 3-run homer in the 1st inning off Phils righty Andy Hansen and
  •                                   Larry Jansen picks up his 21st win, 10–1.
  • October 5, 1951: The Yanks and Eddie Lopat even up the World Series by winning 3–1 over Larry Jansen. Mickey
  •                             Mantle is injured in the 5th inning when he steps on an exposed water sprinkler while chasing a Willie Mays
  •                             fly ball. Mantle is taken off the field on a stretcher and the injury to his knee will plague him throughout his career.
  •                             He will undergo the first of six knee operations.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com

Excerpts from Larry Jansen interview conducted April 9, 1999, by Jerry Jazz Musician:

 

  • “I was originally signed by the Boston Red Sox but they didn't honor my contract, so Judge Landis made me a
  • Free Agent. I signed with the Salt Lake City Bees after that and then wound up with the San Francisco Seals.
  • Control was my outstanding thing, but my best pitch was my slider.”
  • Who was the toughest hitter you ever faced? “I had lots of them because I didn't strike many people out.
  • I would have to say Stan Musial, Ralph Kiner, Duke Snider… those type of fellows.”
  • “I pitched half a season in 1954 and then they made me a coach that season. After they wouldn't sign me in
  • 1955, I signed with Seattle of the Pacific Coast League, and I was traded to my home team, Portland, and
  • played with them from 1958 - 1960. I went back to the Giants when they were in San Francisco in 1961 as
  • a coach.”
  • When you see the kind of salaries these guys are making, it's got to make you stop and think, no? “I just wish
  • I could pitch for one year!”

appreciation is extended to Del Kelley for this profile of Larry Jansen