Cecil Upshaw

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Cecil Upshaw

|position=Pitcher

|image=Cecil Upshaw.JPG

|birth_date={{birth date|1942|10|22}}

|birth_place=Spearsville, Louisiana, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1995|2|7|1942|10|22}}

|death_place=Lawrenceville, Georgia, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=October 1

|debutyear=1966

|debutteam=Atlanta Braves

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 28

|finalyear=1975

|finalteam=Chicago White Sox

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=34–36

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.13

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=323

|stat4label=Saves

|stat4value=86

|teams=

Atlanta Braves ({{mlby|1966}}–{{mlby|1969}}, {{mlby|1971}}–{{mlby|1973}})
Houston Astros ({{mlby|1973}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1974}})
New York Yankees ({{mlby|1974}})
Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1975}})

}}

Cecil Lee Upshaw Jr. (October 22, 1942 – February 7, 1995) was an American professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher, who had a nine- year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1966–1969, 1971–1975), for the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros of the National League (NL), and the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox of the American League (AL).{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/upshace01.shtml|title=Cecil Upshaw Stats|date=2020|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=February 11, 2020}}

Born in Spearsville, Louisiana, Upshaw attended Bossier High School (Louisiana) and played college baseball at Centenary College of Louisiana, in Shreveport. He is a member of the Centenary Athletics Hall of Fame. While at Centenary, Upshaw was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.

Upshaw was among the top ten in saves four times in the National League between 1968 and 1972. He was primarily a sidearm pitcher.

In the Braves’ division-winning {{baseball year|1969}} campaign, Upshaw had a 6–4 win–loss record, with a 2.91 earned run average (ERA), and a career-high 27 saves (to finish second in the league).{{cite web|url=http://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/revisiting-the-atlanta-braves-first-division-champions-years-later/ljEudFmvuIZzGd1cgau7uL/amp.html|title=Revisiting the Atlanta Braves' first division champions, 50 years later|date=August 8, 2019|last=Tucker|first=Tim|publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|work=ajc.com|access-date=February 11, 2020}}

Upshaw‘s career was cut short due to an unfortunate incident in 1970. He and two other Braves players were walking down a San Diego sidewalk and one of the other players bet him he could not jump up and touch an overhead awning. Upshaw did reach the awning, but a ring on his pitching hand became caught on a projection sticking out from the awning which tore ligaments in his hand.{{cite web|url=https://m.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Herskowitz-Perhaps-Astros-luck-has-taken-good-2023074.php|title=Perhaps Astros' luck has taken good turn|date=June 1, 2001|last=Herskowitz|first=Mickey|publisher=Houston Chronicle|work=chron.com|access-date=February 11, 2020}} He never fully recovered, but was considered one of the better relief pitchers in major league baseball up to that time.

Upshaw was traded four times within a span of two years, including at two consecutive Winter Meetings. First, from the Braves to the Astros for Norm Miller on April 22, 1973.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19730423&id=M8RLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yDUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3305,3896933 "Atlanta trades Upshaw to Astros," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, April 23, 1973.] Retrieved February 22, 2023. Then, from the Astros to the Indians for Jerry Johnson on December 3, 1973.[https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/04/archives/4-trades-made-at-mee-tings-4-trades-made-at-baseball-meetings.html Durso, Joseph. "4 Trades Made at Meetings," The New York Times, Tuesday, December 4, 1973.] Retrieved January 26, 2023. He was acquired along with Chris Chambliss and Dick Tidrow by the Yankees from the Indians for Fritz Peterson, Steve Kline, Fred Beene and Tom Buskey on April 26, 1974. The Yankees were criticized for giving away four pitchers as opposed to the two it got in return and a failure to land a starting second baseman.[https://www.nytimes.com/1974/04/28/archives/yankeeindian-trade-brings-confusion-anger-and-leaves-2dbase.html Chass, Murray. "Yankee-Indian Trade Brings Confusion, Anger and Leaves 2d-Base Question," The New York Times, Sunday, April 28, 1974.] Retrieved April 20, 2020 Finally, from the Yankees to the White Sox for Eddie Leon on December 5, 1974.[https://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/06/archives/major-leagues-set-up-expansion-committee2-majors-set-up-expansion.html Durso, Joseph. "Major Leagues Set Up Expansion Committee," The New York Times, Friday, December 6, 1974.] Retrieved September 27, 2022.

Upshaw finished his career with 87 saves. He had a career ERA of 3.13. Upshaw pitched 563 career innings, in 348 games.

On February 7, 1995, Upshaw died at age 52 as the result of a heart attack in Lawrenceville, Georgia.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/10/obituaries/cecil-upshaw-pitcher-53.html|title=Cecil Upshaw; Pitcher, 53|date=February 10, 1995|agency=Associated Press|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 11, 2020}}