Jack Salveson

Who was Jack Salveson?

John Theodore Salveson was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for five seasons. He played for the New York Giants from 1933 to 1934, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago White Sox in 1935, and the Cleveland Indians in 1943 and 1945.

Salveson had a long and successful minor league career, spanning 22 years. From 1936 to 1942 and 1946 to 1953 he pitched in the Pacific Coast League, where he won 204 games. In 1942, he won 24 games with the Oakland Oaks, enough to earn him a shot at the majors for the first time in eight years.

During his career, Salveson was known for his efficiency, once pitching a full game in just one hour, twenty minutes, and another time completed a game with just 54 pitches. Long-time PCL star Lefty O'Doul dubbed him "the great conservationist".

Salveson also appeared in the movie "Pride of the Yankees", in which he played a pitcher who hit Lou Gehrig in the head with a pitch.