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{{Short description|American baseball pitcher (1922–2012)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Cliff Chambers
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|image=Cliff Chambers.jpg
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{Birth date|1922|1|10}}
|birth_place=[[Portland, Oregon]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2012|1|21|1922|1|10}}
|death_place=[[Eagle, Idaho]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 24
|debutyear=1948
|debutteam=Chicago Cubs
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 22
|finalyear=1953
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=48–53
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=4.29
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=374
|teams=
* [[Chicago Cubs]] ({{Baseball year|1948}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{Baseball year|1949}}–{{Baseball year|1951}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{Baseball year|1951}}–{{Baseball year|1953}})
|awards=
* Pitched a [[no-hitter]] on May 6, 1951
}}

'''Clifford Day Chambers''' (January 10, 1922 – January 21, 2012) was an American professional [[baseball]] [[pitcher]] who appeared in 189 [[games pitched|games]] in [[Major League Baseball]] ([[MLB]]) from {{mlby|1948}} to {{mlby|1953}} for the [[Chicago Cubs]], [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] and [[St. Louis Cardinals]]. He threw and batted left-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft|3|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|208|lb}}.

==Biography==
Chambers was born in [[Portland, Oregon]]. He played two seasons of [[college baseball]] for the [[Washington State Cougars baseball|Washington State Cougars]] in 1941–42.<ref name=wsu>{{cite web|title=Washington State University Baseball Players Who Made It to the Major Leagues|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/washington_state_university_baseball_players.shtml|work=Baseball-Almanac.com|accessdate=16 December 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040812200714/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/washington_state_university_baseball_players.shtml|archivedate=12 August 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref> He broke into the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs in 1948, and he was pleasantly surprised to find out that he had been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 1949 season. Chambers said that he had not been happy with his salary in Chicago, and that he was excited to play with a well-regarded organization like Pittsburgh.<ref name="PP">{{cite news|title=Joining Bucs fulfills dream for burly Cliff Chambers|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19490412&id=0V8bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Rk0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4052,5328139&hl=en|accessdate=June 18, 2016|work=[[The Pittsburgh Press]]|date=April 12, 1949}}</ref>

Before the 1950 season, Chambers had threatened not to sign with Pittsburgh unless he made $20,000, a large increase from his $7,500 salary the year before. After Pirates general manager [[Roy Hamey]] called Chambers at his home in [[Bellingham, Washington]], Chambers agreed to sign an extension worth less than $15,000.<ref name="PP2">{{cite news|title=Hamey persuades Chambers to sign|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19500221&id=YlwbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YE0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4683,2173209&hl=en|accessdate=June 18, 2016|work=[[The Pittsburgh Press]]|date=February 21, 1950}}</ref>

On May 6, 1951, while with the Pirates, Chambers [[no-hitter|no-hit]] the [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] 3–0 in the second game of a [[doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] at [[Braves Field]]. It was the first no-hitter by a Pirates pitcher in 44 years.<ref>[https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/may-6-1951-chambers-throws-1st-pirates-no-hitter-in-44-years/ May 6, 1951: Chambers throws 1st Pirates’ no-hitter in 44 years]</ref>

A month later, on June 15, the Pirates traded Chambers and [[Wally Westlake]] to the Cardinals for [[Dick Cole (baseball)|Dick Cole]], [[Joe Garagiola, Sr.|Joe Garagiola]], [[Bill Howerton]], [[Howie Pollet]] and [[Ted Wilks]]. Not until [[Edwin Jackson (baseball)|Edwin Jackson]] in 2010 would a pitcher be traded after hurling a no-hitter earlier in the season.

Over his six MLB seasons, Chambers compiled a 48–53 career [[win–loss record (pitching)|won–lost record]] with an [[earned run average]] of 4.29, with 37 [[complete game]]s and seven [[shutout (baseball)|shutouts]] in 113 [[starting pitcher|starts]]. He allowed 924 [[hit (baseball)|hits]] and 361 [[bases on balls]] in 897<small>{{fraction|1|3}}</small> [[innings pitched]], with 374 [[strikeout]]s. He was an above-average hitter as a pitcher, posting a .235 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (69-for-294) with 24 [[run (baseball)|runs]], three [[home runs]] and 25 [[Run batted in|RBI]].

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters]]

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

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=c/chambcl01}}
*{{Find a Grave}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box |title=[[List of Major League Baseball no-hitters|No-hitter pitcher]] | before=[[Vern Bickford]] |years=May 6, 1951 |after=[[Bob Feller]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day starting pitchers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chambers, Cliff}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Chicago Cubs players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:People from Eagle, Idaho]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Washington State Cougars baseball players]]
[[Category:Bellingham High School (Washington) alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]

{{US-baseball-pitcher-1920s-stub}}

Cliff Chambers - Revision history

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