Dick Ellsworth

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Dick Ellsworth

| position = Pitcher

| image = Dick Ellsworth.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date|1940|3|22}}

| birth_place = Lusk, Wyoming, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|10|10|1940|3|22}}

| death_place = Fresno, California, U.S.

| bats = Left

| throws = Left

| debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = June 22

| debutyear = 1958

| debutteam = Chicago Cubs

| finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = June 23

| finalyear = 1971

| finalteam = Milwaukee Brewers

| stat2label = Earned run average

| stat2value = 3.72

| statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Win–loss record

| stat1value = 115–137

| stat3label = Strikeouts

| stat3value = 1,140

| teams =

Chicago Cubs ({{mlby|1958}}–{{mlby|1966}})
Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1967}})
Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1968}}–{{mlby|1969}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1969}}–{{mlby|1970}})
Milwaukee Brewers ({{mlby|1970}}–{{mlby|1971}})

|highlights=

All-Star (1964)

}}

Richard Clark Ellsworth (March 22, 1940 – October 10, 2022) was an American professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs (1958, 1960–1966), Philadelphia Phillies (1967), Boston Red Sox (1968–1969), Cleveland Indians (1969–1970), and Milwaukee Brewers (1970–1971). Ellsworth was an All-Star in 1964.

Career

Ellsworth was born in Lusk, Wyoming. When he was three years old, his family moved to Fresno, California.{{Cite web |last=Skelton |first=David E. |title=Dick Ellsworth |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dick-ellsworth/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Society for American Baseball Research |language=en-US}} He played amateur baseball in Fresno as a teammate with future major leaguers Jim Maloney and Pat Corrales.{{Cite news |last=Crane |first=Omer |date=1979-05-14 |title=Dick Ellsworth – A Jock Who Made It |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-bee-dick-ellsworth-a-jock-w/156922238/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Fresno Bee |pages=95 |via=Newspapers.com}} Ellsworth graduated from Fresno High School in 1958.{{Cite web |title=Dick Ellsworth Stats, Height, Weight, Research & History |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=ellswdi01 |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=Baseball Almanac |language=en-us}}

In 1958, Gene Handley scouted and signed Ellsworth for the Chicago Cubs for a reported signing bonus of $70,000.{{Cite news |date=1958-06-18 |title=Sport Thinks |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-bee-sport-thinks/156922366/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Fresno Bee |pages=16 |via=Newspapers.com}} After pitching well in an exhibition game against the Chicago White Sox, the Cubs had Ellsworth make his major league debut on June 22 against the Cincinnati Reds. Ellsworth allowed four runs, two wild pitches, and one hit by pitch before the Cubs took him out of the game. The Cubs sent him to the Fort Worth Cats of the Double A Texas League.{{Cite news |date=1958-07-22 |title=Cats' Ellsworth To Hurl Tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-worth-star-telegram-cats-ellsworth/156922391/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |pages=13 |via=Newspapers.com}} After he spent the rest of the 1958 season and the entire 1959 season in the minor leagues, the Cubs promoted him to the major leagues for good in 1960.

Ellsworth won the National League Player of the Month Award in May 1963 as he allowed six earned runs in 42 innings pitched.{{Cite news |date=1963-06-09 |title=Pitcher Ellsworth Player of Month |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-pitcher-ellsworth-player-of/156922408/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Courier |pages=46 |via=Newspapers.com}} For the 1963 season, he had a 22–10 win–loss record and a 2.10 earned run average (ERA). After the season, he won the Associated Press' Comeback Player of the Year Award, as he had finished the 1962 season with a 9–20 record. On July 28, 1963, Cubs' lefty Dick Ellsworth struck out Stan Musial three times in the Cubs' 5-1 victory over the Cardinals in a game played at Wrigley Field.{{Cite news |date=1963-10-15 |title=Dick Ellsworth Named N.L. Comeback Player |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/vineland-times-journal-dick-ellsworth-na/156922429/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=Vineland Times Journal |pages=4 |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}} Ellsworth made the National League All-Star team in 1964.{{Cite news |date=1964-07-05 |title=National All-Stars |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-lauderdale-news-national-all-stars/156922457/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=Fort Lauderdale News |pages=54 |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}}

After the 1966 season, the Cubs traded Ellsworth to the Philadelphia Phillies for Ray Culp.{{Cite news |date=1966-12-08 |title=Phils Trade Hurler Ray Culp To Cubs For Dick Ellsworth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-paducah-sun-phils-trade-hurler-ray-c/156922519/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Paducah Sun |pages=44 |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}} He had a 6–7 record and a 4.39 ERA for Philadelphia. After the 1967 season, the Phillies traded Ellsworth and Gene Oliver to the Boston Red Sox for Mike Ryan and cash considerations.{{Cite news |date=1967-12-16 |title=Phillies Trade Ellsworth And Oliver To Red Sox For Catcher Ryan, Cash |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-phillies-trade-ellswo/156922571/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Sacramento Bee |pages=22 |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}} He was traded along with Ken Harrelson and Juan Pizarro from the Red Sox to the Cleveland Indians for Sonny Siebert, Vicente Romo and Joe Azcue on April 19, 1969.{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Bill |date=1969-04-20 |title=Bosox Fill Key Spots In Deal With Cleveland |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-bosox-fill-key-spots-in/156922616/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=Hartford Courant |pages=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} On August 7, 1970, the Milwaukee Brewers purchased Ellsworth from Cleveland.{{Cite news |date=1970-08-08 |title=Brewers Obtain Dick Ellsworth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-express-brewers-obtain-dick-ells/156922650/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=Evening Express |pages=11 |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}} Ellsworth returned to Milwaukee for the 1971 season. He had a 4.91 ERA for Milwaukee, and was placed on waivers in June.{{Cite news |date=1971-06-25 |title=Brewers Waive Dick Ellsworth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-brewers-waive-dick-ellsworth/156922677/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Tribune |pages=18 |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}}

In 1963, Ellsworth was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=Current and Past Inductees |url=http://www.fresnoahof.org/current-past-inductees |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731195939/https://www.fresnoahof.org/current-past-inductees |archive-date=July 31, 2017 |access-date= |website=Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame}}

Personal life

During the baseball off-seasons during his career, Ellsworth sold Serta mattresses.{{Cite news |date=1963-10-10 |title=Dick Ellsworth 'Pitches' Here |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-palladium-dick-ellsworth-pit/156922722/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Herald-Palladium |pages=26 |via=Newspapers.com}} After his playing career, Ellsworth went into real estate. In 2005, Ellsworth joined an ownership group that purchased the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League.{{Cite news |last=Davis |first=Jeff |date=2005-08-28 |title=Ellsworth has path back into game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-bee-ellsworth-has-path-back-i/156922750/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Fresno Bee |pages=C1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Hostetter |first=George |last2=Leedy |first2=Matt |date=2006-10-14 |title=Fresno Baseball Club looks beyond the Grizzlies after buying the team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-bee-fresno-baseball-club-look/156922773/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=The Fresno Bee |pages=A1 |via=Newspapers.com}}

He was the father of former MLB pitcher Steve Ellsworth.{{Cite news |last=Newman |first=Howie |date=1988-04-10 |title=Ellsworth has paid his dues |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sun-journal-ellsworth-has-paid-his-dues/111202574/ |access-date=2024-10-11 |work=Sun-Journal |pages=23 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Ellsworth died in Fresno on October 10, 2022, at the age of 82.{{cite web |title=Richard Clark Ellsworth obituary |url=https://www.chapelofthelight.com/obituaries/Richard-Ellsworth-3/ |website=Chapel of the Light |access-date=October 12, 2022}}