Lou Brissie

Leland Victor Brissie (June 5, 1924 – November 25, 2013) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1947 to 1953 for the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians.

Youth and World War II

Brissie began his baseball career in 1940 when at the age of 16 he pitched for Ware Shoals in a textile baseball league. Brissie attracted the attention of Connie Mack and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1941; however his father insisted he finish school.

Brissie attended Presbyterian College before enlisting in the U.S. Army in December 1942. In November 1944, he found himself in heavy fighting in Italy with the 88th Infantry Division (Fighting Blue Devils). On December 2, 1944, his unit suffered an artillery barrage, and a shell exploded which shattered his left tibia and shinbone in 30 pieces. At the Army field hospital, doctors told Brissie that his leg would have to be amputated due to the severity of the injury. Brissie told the doctors that he was a ballplayer and insisted that the leg be saved even if it jeopardized his life. He pitched three innings for the 1949 American League All Star team. Finishing fifth after a spectacular early start, the A's with pitchers Brissie, Alex Kellner, and with diminutive pitcher Bobby Shantz pitching effectively in relief finished fifth in the standings in 1949, one of their best post-World War II seasons.

Brissie was traded to the Cleveland Indians on April 30, 1951. This was part of a three-way trade between the Indians, Athletics and Chicago White Sox. A notable result of the trade was Cleveland utility player Minnie Miñoso going to the White Sox where he became the first black major league player in Chicago's history and soon became an All-Star. Gus Zernial and Dave Philley went to Philadelphia and were key players the following years for the A's. Brissie retired in September 1953 with a career record of 44–48, with 436 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA.

Life after baseball

Following his retirement from baseball, Brissie served as the National Director of the American Legion Baseball program. Subsequently, he served on the President's Physical Fitness Council, worked as a baseball scout and for a South Carolina state worker training agency.

Brissie died at the Augusta VA Hospital in Augusta, Georgia, on November 25, 2013, aged 89. His first wife, Dorothy "Dot" Morgan, died in 1967 after 23 years of marriage. Their son, Ronald Brissie, died in 2002. His widow is the former Diana Ingate Smith, married for 38 years, and their daughter, Jennifer Brissie.