View source for Herb Score

{{Short description|American baseball player (1933–2008)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Herb Score
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|image=Herb Score 1955.JPG
|caption=Score in 1955
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date|1933|6|7}}
|birth_place=[[Rosedale, New York]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2008|11|11|1933|6|7}}
|death_place=[[Rocky River, Ohio]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 15
|debutyear=1955
|debutteam=Cleveland Indians
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 4
|finalyear=1962
|finalteam=Chicago White Sox
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=55–46
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.36
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=837
|teams=
* [[Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1955}}–{{mlby|1959}})
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1960}}–{{mlby|1962}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1955]], [[1956 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1956]])
* [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|AL Rookie of the Year]] (1955)
* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders|AL strikeout leader]] (1955, 1956)
* [[Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame]]
}}
'''Herbert Jude Score''' (June 7, 1933 &ndash; November 11, 2008) was an American professional [[baseball]] [[pitcher]] and [[announcer]] in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB). He pitched for the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] from 1955 through 1959 and the [[Chicago White Sox]] from 1960 through 1962. He was the [[American League]] (AL) [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] in 1955, and an AL [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] in 1955 and 1956. Due to an on-field injury that occurred in 1957, he retired early as a player in 1962.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sabr.org/latest/remembering-herb-score|title=Remembering Herb Score|first=Stephaie (May 7, 2011)|last=Liscio|work=[[Society of American Baseball Research]]|access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> Score was a television and radio [[Sports commentator|broadcaster]] for the Cleveland Indians from 1964 through 1997. He was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 2006.

==Early life==
Herb Score was born in [[Rosedale, Queens|Rosedale, New York]] in 1933. He was given the middle name "Jude" after [[Jude the Apostle|St. Jude]], to whom his mother prayed during her pregnancy.<ref name="cyo">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Jack |title=Herb Score, Local C.Y.O. Product |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tablet-herb-score-local-cyo-prod/160133812/ |access-date=2 December 2024 |work=[[The Tablet (Brooklyn)|The Tablet]] |date=18 June 1955 |pages=15}}</ref> At 3, he was run over by a truck and later had [[rheumatic fever]].<ref name="Score Florida Obit" /> As a child, he started playing [[CYO]] basketball and baseball at Holy Name of Mary [[Parish (Catholic Church)|parish]] in [[Valley Stream, New York]], where he made his [[First Communion]] and [[Confirmation in the Catholic Church|Confirmation]].<ref name="cyo" />

As a teenager, he moved with his family to [[Lake Worth, Florida]]. In 1952, he threw six [[no-hitters]] for the [[Lake Worth Community High School]] baseball team, when the school won its only state baseball championship.<ref name="Score Florida Obit">[http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/sports/epaper/2008/11/11/1111scoreobit.html "Herb Score, Big League Star who Pitched at Lake Worth, Dies at 75."] ''Palm Beach Post'', November 11, 2008{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |fix-attempted=yes |url=}}</ref>

On June 7, 1952 (his 19th birthday), he signed a baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians. He was sent to [[Indianapolis]] of the American Association where he made 10 pitching starts. In 1953, he moved to Cleveland's Class A affiliate, Reading (Pennsylvania) of the Eastern League. At Reading, he became a roommate and lifetime friend with [[Rocky Colavito]], a near future Cleveland Indians [[home run]] [[Batting (baseball)|hitter]] and [[right fielder]] from [[the Bronx]], [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref name="Wancho">{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/8899e413 |title= Rocky Colavito|first=Joseph|last=Wancho|work=[[Society of American Baseball Research]] |publisher=Baseball Almanac |access-date=February 23, 2019 }}</ref> For the 1954 season, both were promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis. Score won [[The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award|''The Sporting News'' Minor League Player of the Year Award]] and began to be referred to as "left-handed [[Bob Feller]]".<ref name="Score Bio">{{cite web|url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/1b133b89|title=Herb Score - Society for American Baseball Research|work=SABR.org|access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>

==MLB playing career==

===Cleveland Indians (1955–1959)===
In {{Baseball year|1955}}, Score came up to the major leagues (with Colavito) as a rookie with the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] at the age of 21. He quickly became one of the top [[power pitcher]]s in the [[American League]], no small feat on a team that still included Feller, [[Bob Lemon]], and other top pitchers, going 16&ndash;10 with a 2.85 [[earned run average]] in his first year.<ref name="Score Stats">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scorehe01.shtml|title=Herb Score Stats|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref> He appeared on the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' magazine on May 30, 1955.<ref name="Score Bio" /> Score struck out 245 batters in 1955, a major league rookie record that stood until {{Baseball year|1984}}, when it was topped by [[Dwight Gooden]] (Score, Gooden, [[Grover Cleveland Alexander]], [[Don Sutton]], [[Gary Nolan (baseball)|Gary Nolan]], [[Kerry Wood]], [[Mark Langston]], and [[Hideo Nomo]] were the only eight rookie pitchers to top 200 strikeouts in the 20th century). It was the first time in major league history that a regular starting pitcher averaged over one strikeout per inning.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1170229/index.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608033044/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1170229/index.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=June 8, 2010 | title=What Took You So Long? | magazine=Sports Illustrated | date=June 7, 2010 | access-date=June 7, 2010}}</ref>

In {{Baseball year|1956}}, Score improved on his rookie campaign, going 20&ndash;9 with a 2.53 earned run average and 263 strikeouts, while reducing the number of walks from 154 to 129, and allowed only 5.85 hits per 9 innings,<ref name="Score Stats" /> which remained a franchise record until it was broken by [[Luis Tiant]]'s 5.30 in {{Baseball year|1968}}.

====Injury from Gil McDougald's line drive====
On May 7, {{Baseball year|1957}}, during the first inning of a night game against the [[New York Yankees]] at [[Cleveland Stadium|Municipal Stadium]] in [[Cleveland]], Score threw a low [[fastball]] to [[Gil McDougald]] with [[Jim Hegan]] catching. McDougald lined the pitch to the mound and struck Score in the face, breaking Score's facial bones and injuring his eye. The ball caromed to third baseman [[Al Smith (outfielder)|Al Smith]], who threw McDougald out before he rushed to the [[pitching mound]] to aid Score. McDougald, seeing Score hit by the baseball and then lying down and injured, also ran immediately to the pitching mound, instead of [[first base]], to help Score. McDougald reportedly vowed to retire if Score permanently lost his sight in one eye as a result of the accident. Score eventually recovered his 20/20 vision, though he missed the rest of the season.

He returned early in the {{Baseball year|1958}} season.<ref name="Score Bio" /> Though many believe he feared being hit by another batted ball, and thus changed his pitching motion, Score rejected that theory. Score would tell Cleveland sportswriter [[Terry Pluto]] (for ''The Curse of Rocky Colavito'') that, in 1958, after pitching and winning a few games and feeling better than he'd felt in a long time, he tore a tendon in his arm while pitching on a damp night against the [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] and sat out the rest of the season.

In 1959, he shifted his pitching motion in a bid to avoid another, similar injury. "The reason my motion changed", Score told Pluto, "was because I hurt my elbow, and I overcompensated for it and ended up with some bad habits." As a result of the changes Score made in his pitching delivery, his velocity dropped and he incurred further injuries. Score pitched the full {{Baseball year|1959}} season, going 9&ndash;11 with a 4.71 earned run average and 147 strikeouts.<ref name="Score Stats" />

In the book ''The Greatest Team Of All Time'' (Bob Adams, Inc, publisher. 1994), [[Mickey Mantle]]  picked Score as the toughest American League left-handed pitcher he faced (before the injury). [[Yogi Berra]] picked Score for his "Greatest Team Of All Time".

===Chicago White Sox (1960–1962)===
Score was traded to the [[Chicago White Sox]] by Cleveland on April 18, 1960 for pitcher [[Barry Latman]].<ref>''Plain Dealer'', April 19, 1960</ref> Score's roommate, Colavito, was traded to the Detroit Tigers the previous day.<ref name="Wancho"/> Score was reunited on the Chicago team with some former Indians players and manager Al Lopez.<ref name="Score Bio"/> Score pitched parts of the following three seasons before retiring. He finished with a major league career record of 55&ndash;46, a 3.36 earned run average, and 837 strikeouts over eight seasons in 858{{fraction|1|3}} [[innings pitched]].<ref name="Score Stats" />

==Broadcasting career==
Score retired from playing baseball in 1962. Beginning in 1964, he was employed as a television and radio play-by-play announcer with the Cleveland Indians for the next 34 years, first on television from {{Baseball year|1964}} to {{Baseball year|1967}}, and then on radio from {{Baseball year|1968}} to {{Baseball year|1997}}, the longest career for an Indians play-by-play announcer. Score was revered by the Indians fans for his announcing style, including a low voice and a low-key style, as well as a habit of occasionally mispronouncing the names of players on opposing teams.  Score's final Major League Baseball game as an announcer was Game 7 of the [[1997 World Series]].<ref name="Score Obit">{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/ns/herb-score-obituary/120069466|title=Herb Score Obituary on Legacy.com|work=Legacy.com|access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>

==Retirement and death==
On October 8, 1998, while driving to [[Florida]] after being inducted into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20081208044443/http://www.broadcastershalloffame.com/ Broadcasters Hall of Fame]}}</ref> the night before, Score was severely injured in a traffic accident.<ref>Scholz, Karin. 1998. Herb score hospitalized after truck slams auto. ''Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland, Ohio), October 9, 1998.</ref> He pulled into the path of a westbound tractor-trailer truck near [[New Philadelphia, Ohio]], and his car was struck in the passenger side.<ref name=cpd1>{{cite news|last=Dolgan|first=Bob|title=Former Indians broadcaster Herb Score dies at age 75|url=http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2008/11/former_indians_broadcaster_her.html|work=Cleveland Plain Dealer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419183454/http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2008/11/former_indians_broadcaster_her.html |archive-date=2009-04-19|date=November 11, 2008}}</ref><ref>Score has condition upgraded, stays in intensive care. 1998. ''Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland, Ohio), October 10, 1998.</ref>  He suffered trauma to his brain, chest, and lungs. The [[orbital bone]] around one of his eyes was fractured, as were three ribs and his sternum. He spent over a month in the [[intensive care unit]], and was released from MetroHealth Hospital in mid-December.<ref>Hoynes, Paul. 1998. Score moved out of intensive care. ''Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland, Ohio), November 13, 1998.</ref><ref>1998. Score out of hospital, still doesn't recall crash. ''Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland, Ohio), December 12, 1998.</ref> He was cited for failure to stop at a stop sign.<ref>Associated Press. 1998. Score, in hospital, cited for failure to yield. ''Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland, Ohio), October 12, 1998.</ref>

He went through a difficult recovery, but managed to throw out the first pitch at the Indians' [[Opening Day]] on April 12, 1999.<ref>Crump, Sarah. 1999. First pitch Score's on opening day. ''Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland, Ohio), April 9, 1999.</ref> He suffered a stroke in 2002, and died on November 11, 2008, at his home in [[Rocky River, Ohio]], after a lengthy illness.<ref name=cpd1/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081111&content_id=3674156&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle|title=Indians legend Score passes away|work=MLB.com|access-date=April 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225082608/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081111&content_id=3674156&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle|archive-date=2012-02-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is interred at Lakewood Park Cemetery in Rocky River. The Indians wore a memorial patch on their uniform during the 2009 season to honor him.

==Awards and honors==

===Baseball===

====High school====
* 1952 Florida State Baseball Championship ([[Lake Worth Community High School]])<ref name="Score Florida Obit" />

====Professional====
* [[International League]] Most Valuable Player Award – 1954<ref name="Score Bio" />
* ''[[Sporting News]]'' Minor League Player of the Year – 1954<ref name="Score Bio" />
* [[American League]] [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] – 1955<ref name="Player Stats"/>
* Two-time American League [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] – 1955, 1956<ref name="Player Stats">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scorehe01.shtml#pitching_standard::none|title=Herb Score Stats - Baseball-Reference.com|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>
* Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame – 2006<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060711&content_id=1552065&vkey=pr_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle|title=Indians Hall of Fame returns|work=MLB.com|access-date=April 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211034434/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060711&content_id=1552065&vkey=pr_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle|archive-date=2015-02-11|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame (class of 1992)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clevelandsportshall.com/category/name/s-v/|title=S-V - Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame|work=ClevelandSportsHall.com|access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>

===Broadcasting===
* Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (class of 1996) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cabcleveland.com/CAb_Cleveland/Hall_of_Fame.html|title=Hall of fame|work=CABCleveland.com|access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>
* Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame (class of 1998)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pressclubcleveland.com/hall-of-fame-archives.aspx|title=The Press Club of Cleveland - Serving and honoring communications professionals since 1887 - Hall of Fame Archives|first=thunder::tech :: an integrated marketing|last=agency|work=PressClubCleveland.com|access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>
* Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame (class of 1998)<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140302120526/http://www.broadcastershalloffame.com/year.htm Ohio Broadcasters HOF]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=s/scorehe01}}
* {{Find a Grave}}
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/sports/baseball/12score.html?_r=0 ''New York Times'' Obituary]
* [http://obits.cleveland.com/Cleveland/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=120066958 Obituary] in ''Cleveland Plain Dealer''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111003084310/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/0905/si.cover.history.may24/images/herb-score.jpg Herb Score &ndash; ''Sports Illustrated'', May 30, 1955 (cover)]

{{Cleveland Indians}}
{{AL Rookie of the Year}}
{{AL strikeout champions}}
{{Cleveland Indians Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Major League Baseball on CBS Radio}}
{{AA MVPs}}
{{The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award}}
{{Sporting News MLB Rookie of the year}}
{{Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Score, Herb}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners]]
[[Category:American League strikeout champions]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians announcers]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians players]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Indians players]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters]]
[[Category:Reading Indians players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Queens, New York]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Lake Worth Beach, Florida]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Palm Beach County, Florida]]
[[Category:American Association (1902–1997) MVP Award winners]]
[[Category:Burials at Lakewood Park Cemetery]]
[[Category:People from Rosedale, Queens]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Cleveland]]
[[Category:Catholics from New York (state)]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]