Ed FitzGerald

Edward Raymond Fitz Gerald (May 21, 1924 – June 14, 2020) was an American professional baseball catcher who appeared in 807 games over 12 major league seasons from 1948 through 1959. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Senators, and Cleveland Indians. Fitz Gerald attended Saint Mary's College of California and served in the United States Army in the European Theater during World War II before beginning his professional career in 1946. Used primarily as a backup, he exceeded 100 games played in two seasons, as a rookie with the 1948 Pirates (102 games) and again with the 1954 Senators (115 games). One of the more frequently cited moments of his career came on June 27, 1958, when he entered as a pinch-hitter against Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox, who was one out from a perfect game; Fitz Gerald doubled on the first pitch to right field, ending Pierce's bid. His career spanned the postwar and 1950s American and National Leagues. He later worked as a coach.