Lemon, "Bob" (Robert G.)
Baseball
b. Sept. 22, 1920, San Bernardino, CA
A number of major league players, most notably Babe Ruth, have made a successful transition from pitching to an everyday position. Lemon was one of the very few to go the other way.
He entered professional baseball in 1938 and played shortstop, third base and the outfield, briefly joining the AL's Cleveland Indians in 1941 and 1942 as a third baseman. After three years in the U. S. Navy during World War II, he was Cleveland's starting centerfielder in 1946.
Lemon was hitting only .180 when manager Lou Boudreau moved him into the bullpen because of his strong arm. In 1947, he played a few games in the outfield, but was primarily a pitcher, used both as a starter and as a reliever. The following season, he became a full-time starter, had a 20-14 record, and led the league with 10 shutouts, 20 complete games, and 193 2/3 innings pitched. Among his victories was a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers.
When the Indians beat the Boston Braves in a six-game World Series that year, Lemon won the second and sixth games, compiling a 1.65 ERA.
After a 22-10 record in 1949, Lemon led the league in victories with a 23-11 record, complete games with 22, innings pitched with 288, and strikeouts with 170 in 1950. He had a 17-14 record in 1951, then posted three more 20-victory seasons, leading the league in wins with a 23-7 record in 1954, when the Indians won another pennant. However, they were swept by the New York Giants in the World Series and Lemon lost both his starts.
Lemon led the AL in victories for a third time with an 18-10 record in 1955, and he was 20-14 in 1956. Leg and elbow injuries combined to end his playing career after the 1958 season. He then spent several seasons as a pitching coach before becoming manager of the Kansas City Athletics in 1970. He was fired during the 1972 season.
After managing in the minors and coaching in the majors, Lemon became manager of the Chicago White Sox in 1977. He was fired during the 1978 season but took over the New York Yankees, replacing Billy Martin, and the Yankees won the pennant and the World Series.
Lemon also managed the Yankees for parts of the 1979, 1981, and 1982 seasons. As a manager, he had a record of 430 wins and 403 losses, a .516 winning percentage.