Billy Loes

Who was Billy Loes?

William Loes was an American right-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants. He appeared in three World Series with the Dodgers, including the only one won by the franchise when it was based in Brooklyn in 1955.

In an 11-season career, Loes posted an 80–63 record with 645 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA in 1190.1 innings pitched. He made the American League All-Star team in 1957.

The book Carl Erskine's Tales from the Dodgers Dugout: Extra Innings includes short stories from former Dodger pitcher and teammate Carl Erskine. Loes is prominent in many of these stories.

Among Major League Baseball's video archives is a television broadcast of the sixth game of the 1952 World Series, of which Loes was one of the starting pitchers. During the game, announcer Red Barber states that Loes was the son of Greek immigrants who had changed his last name. Further, says Barber, Loes would not tell Barber what his original last name was because, according to Loes, Barber would be unable to pronounce, spell or remember that name.