COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — An Indiana native and former Major League Baseball pitcher is being recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Carl Erskine, born in Anderson in 1926, is a former right-handed MLB pitcher. Erskine, a graduate of Anderson High School and Anderson University, played professionally for 11 years.
On Wednesday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., announced Erskine is the recipient of the 2023 “Buck” O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award, which is given out no more than once every 3 years, is meant to honor “an individual for their extraordinary efforts to enhance baseball’s positive impact on society,” according to a post on the hall’s website.
As this year’s recipient, the 96-year-old Erskine will be honored with an awards presentation on Saturday, July 22, as part of Hall of Fame Weekend 2023. He is the sixth-ever winner of the award, which was established in 2007.
Throughout his career, which lasted from 1948 to 1959, Erskine played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers as a standout pitcher. In total, he logged 122 wins, two World Series championships and two no-hitters.
But Erskine’s stellar pitching is not the only reason he is receiving the Buck O’Neil Award.
On its website, the Hall of Fame recognized that Erskine was also a passionate advocate for special needs athletes and a supporter of the Special Olympics.
“For millions of fans, he was a Brooklyn Dodgers hero,” said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the board for the hall. “But for his family and thousands of Special Olympians, Carl Erskine was someone who always believed everything was possible. His legacy is one of deep compassion, and encouragement of the human spirit.”
Erskine, who returned to Anderson and coached his alma mater in baseball after retiring from the MLB, said he is honored to receive the award.
“I’m a little overwhelmed and this is very special to me,” Erskine said. “What an honor this is and it is really unexpected. At this point in my life, this is as big a boost as you can possibly give me.”
Comments are closed.