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| Brooks Lawrence | |
|---|---|
 Lawrence in 1957 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1925-01-30)January 30, 1925 Springfield, Ohio, U.S. | |
| Died: April 27, 2000(2000-04-27) (aged 75) Springfield, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 24, 1954, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 1, 1960, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 69–62 |
| Earned run average | 4.25 |
| Strikeouts | 481 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Brooks Ulysses Lawrence (January 30, 1925 – April 27, 2000) was an AmericanMajor League BaseballAll-Starpitcher for theSt. Louis Cardinals (1954–1955),Cincinnati Redlegs (1956–1959), andCincinnati Reds (1960).
Lawrence was born inSpringfield, Ohio, and served in theUS Army duringWorld War II. He enrolled atMiami University inOxford, Ohio in 1947, and played two seasons ofcollege baseball before being signed to a professional contract by theCleveland Indians.[1]
Lawrence's Major League debut came in 1954.[2] As a 29-year-old rookie, Lawrence went 15–6 with a 3.74 ERA while starting and relieving for theSt. Louis Cardinals. He struggled in 1955 and was demoted to Oakland (in thePacific Coast League),[3] but he went 5–1 down the stretch and earned a second chance with the big-league club.
Lawrence's best season came in 1956. Before that year, St. Louis sent Lawrence andSonny Senerchia to theCincinnati Reds in exchange forJackie Collum. With the Reds that season, Lawrence posted a 19–10 record and a 3.99 ERA. He opened the season with 13 consecutive wins and earned a spot on theNational LeagueAll-Star team. That year he led the Reds in wins, innings pitched and shutouts.
Lawrence's career came to a close in 1960, and he retired with an overall record of 69–62 with a 4.25 ERA in1,040+2⁄3 innings pitched. Due largely to his 13-game winning streak and his association with the surprisingly successful 1956 Reds club, Lawrence earned induction into theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1976.
After he retired from baseball, Lawrence worked forInternational Harvester in his hometown ofSpringfield, Ohio. He later worked for the Reds in scouting, minor-league player development, and radio and television.
Lawrence died on April 27, 2000.
· Baseball Almanac