Eddie Erautt – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Eddie Erautt’s baseball career wrapped up quietly in 1953, but honestly, his path through America’s pastime is a story about grit and sticking with it during some tough baseball years. The righty pitcher from Portland, Oregon spent six seasons in Major League Baseball, splitting his time between the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals from 1947 to 1953.

Erautt put together a 15-23 record with a 4.86 ERA in 164 major league games, but his real success showed up in the minor leagues where he won 15 or more games a season pretty consistently. World War II military service interrupted his career, like it did for so many players back then, but he still managed to come back and pitch in the big leagues.

From his first days at Lincoln High School in Portland to his last professional season in 1957, Erautt’s story really highlights the struggles players faced when trying to break through on tough teams. His journey through pro baseball shines a light on a time when the minors sometimes offered more success than the majors, and when family ties to the sport ran deep.

Early Life and Family Background

Edward Lorenz Sebastian Erautt was born into a baseball-crazy immigrant family in Portland, Oregon, on September 26, 1924. His parents, William Erautt from Hungary and Katherine Merck Erautt from Russia, raised two sons who both made it to Major League Baseball.

Childhood in Portland, Oregon

Eddie Erautt grew up as the second son in a family that had settled in Portland after emigrating from Europe. His dad, William, came from Werchetz, Hungary, and his mom, Katherine, was born in Russia.

The Erautt home buzzed with baseball activity almost every day. Eddie and his older brother Joe spent endless hours tossing a ball around in the backyard.

They loved the game so much, they actually broke every window in the house. Eddie once joked, “We played every day and night, broke every window in the house.”

Eddie went to Lincoln High School in Portland, but he left after three years in 1939 to chase his baseball dreams. He spent the next couple of years playing American Legion baseball, and that’s where people started to notice his pitching skills.

Early Interest in Baseball

Eddie got his first taste of pro baseball by working as a clubhouse boy for the Portland Beavers in the Pacific Coast League. That job let him be around professional players and coaches, which was a pretty big deal for a young kid.

It was more than just a paycheck. “Working for the Beavers was like a year of pro ball,” Eddie said. “We got to work out with the team.”

When the Beavers hit the road, groundskeeper Rocky Benevento let Eddie and the other clubhouse kids use the field. They’d play games with local kids, then get back to their chores.

In 1941, Eddie’s pitching prowess really showed up during the Oregon American Legion Junior Championship. He struck out 37 batters in just two games, and that arm would take him to the majors.

Role of Joe Erautt in Eddie’s Development

Joe Erautt, Eddie’s older brother, played a huge part in his development as a pitcher. Joe, three years older, acted as both mentor and training partner.

Joe eventually became a professional catcher and spent 13 years in the minors before making it to the majors with the Chicago White Sox in 1950 and 1951. His experience behind the plate made him the perfect coach for Eddie.

Eddie always gave Joe credit for teaching him pitching mechanics and helping him learn new pitches. “My brother Joe was really helpful to me,” Eddie said. “He was a catcher and three years older than me.”

Joe didn’t go easy on him. If Eddie missed the strike zone, Joe would fire the ball back and let him know about it. “Other than Joe and my dad, I didn’t have any real coaching,” Eddie remembered.

Professional Career Overview

Edward Lorenz Sebastian Erautt started his path to Major League Baseball in the Pacific Coast League before making his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1947. The right-hander spent six seasons in the majors, putting up a 15-23 record with a 4.86 ERA over 164 games.

Signing With the Hollywood Stars

Eddie Erautt kicked off his pro baseball career after serving in the Army during World War II. After his military stint, the Portland native caught the eye of scouts in the Pacific Coast League.

The Hollywood Stars signed Erautt as a pitcher. That signing got his professional career rolling.

Hollywood gave him his first shot to work on his skills at the pro level. Those early years helped shape him for what was ahead.

Pacific Coast League Experience

Erautt’s time in the Pacific Coast League was huge for his growth as a pitcher. The PCL was one of the top minor leagues back then, with tough competition and a direct pipeline to the majors.

While pitching in the PCL, Erautt worked on his pitching arsenal. The league’s high quality of play forced him to face good hitters regularly.

Those games built his confidence and sharpened his skills for the majors. Scouts took notice, and the Cincinnati Reds eventually picked him up, seeing his potential as a right-hander.

Transition to Major League Baseball

Erautt made his Major League debut on April 16, 1947, with the Cincinnati Reds at just 22. He faced the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching 7.2 innings, giving up 12 hits and 4 earned runs in a tough loss.

Jumping from the PCL to the majors brought new challenges. He appeared in 36 games in his rookie season, started 10, and posted a 4-9 record with a 5.07 ERA.

His best season came in 1949 when he managed a 3.36 ERA and 126 ERA+, even though he finished 4-11. The Reds struggled that year, ending up 62-92, which didn’t help his win-loss record.

Erautt’s big league run lasted six seasons, from 1947 to 1951 and again in 1953, split between the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.

Major League Baseball Accomplishments

Eddie Erautt finished his career with 15 wins and 23 losses in 164 Major League games with the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. One of his standout moments came in 1947, when he witnessed Jackie Robinson’s historic debut in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Reds Tenure

Erautt spent most of his MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds, from 1947 to 1951. The Reds picked him up after paying $25,000 for his contract following his stellar 1946 Pacific Coast League season, where he led the league with 234 strikeouts.

With Cincinnati, Erautt mainly worked as a starter. Over his six seasons, he posted a 4.86 ERA. His best stretch came in 1949, when he notched three wins by May 29, helping keep the Reds close to the top of the standings.

Standing 5 feet 11 inches and weighing 185 pounds, he showed flashes of brilliance but often struggled with consistency.

1947 Rookie Debut

Erautt made his big league debut on April 16, 1947, against the St. Louis Cardinals at age 22. He started the second game of the season, threw seven scoreless innings, but ran into trouble in the eighth and took a 4-1 loss.

His rookie year was rough—he finished 4-9 with a 5.07 ERA in 119 innings. Reds manager Johnny Neun still believed in his potential, though.

That 1947 season meant more than just stats. Erautt was there when Jackie Robinson played his first game in Cincinnati on May 13. He later talked about the huge turnout of African Americans and admired Robinson’s calm under pressure.

Notable Achievements and Statistics

Career Statistics:

• Games Played: 164
• Win-Loss Record: 15-23
• ERA: 4.86
• Teams: Cincinnati Reds (1947-1951), St. Louis Cardinals (1953)

Erautt picked up his first major league win on May 15, 1947, throwing a complete game against the Philadelphia Phillies. That 10-hit complete game was a big milestone.

His most memorable outing came on May 29, 1949, when he pitched a four-hit complete game to beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1. That win kept the Reds in the thick of the National League race.

World War II service interrupted his pro career. He served in the Army from 1943 to 1945, played baseball in Hawaii, and even made the Army All-Star team for the 1944 Service World Series.

Career Highlights From the Pacific Coast League

Eddie Erautt made a name for himself in the Pacific Coast League both before and after his time in the majors. His strikeout numbers and solid performances with the San Diego Padres from 1954 to 1957 turned him into one of the league’s standout pitchers.

Leading the PCL in Strikeouts

Erautt showed off serious strikeout ability in the Pacific Coast League. He racked up 234 strikeouts in the PCL, proving he could dominate hitters.

He started with the Salem Senators in 1942, but quickly jumped to the Hollywood Stars in the PCL at just 17.

That knack for striking out batters became his trademark. It helped him move smoothly between the minors and his six years in the majors.

Memorable Games and Seasons

Erautt’s PCL career was full of highlights. He started playing pro ball in 1942 and stayed in the PCL through 1957, making it a 15-season run.

His early days with the Hollywood Stars gave him valuable experience against older players. Veteran teammates didn’t make it easy on rookies, but those tough times built his mental strength.

After his major league days ended in 1953, Erautt went back to the PCL. His minor league numbers were impressive: 108 wins, 87 losses, and a solid 3.28 ERA over 281 games.

Role With the San Diego Padres

Erautt joined the San Diego Padres in 1954 after finishing up in the majors. He became one of their most dependable pitchers over four seasons from 1954 to 1957.

His best year was 1955, when he led all Padres pitchers with an 18-10 record and a 2.76 ERA. That season, he was clearly the ace of the staff.

The Padres later honored him with a memorial at Lane Field. A wind glyph of a pitcher represents him alongside Ted Williams—pretty cool, right? It shows just how much he meant to the franchise.

Retirement and Life After Baseball

Eddie Erautt wrapped up his professional baseball career in 1953 after six seasons in the majors. He moved on to work in the lumber industry, but he stayed connected to the game by playing amateur ball and coaching.

Retirement in 1953

Eddie Erautt’s major league days ended on September 22, 1953, when he was 28. His final season with the St. Louis Cardinals closed out a six-year MLB run that started in 1947 with the Cincinnati Reds.

He finished with a 15-23 record and a 4.86 ERA in 164 games. He had some bright spots, like in 1949, when he posted a 3.36 ERA even though the Reds struggled and he went 4-11.

By 1953, opportunities dried up and it just seemed like the right time to walk away. Erautt had shown promise early on, especially in 1946 when he led the Pacific Coast League with 234 strikeouts.

Post-Baseball Endeavors

After he retired from professional baseball, Erautt settled down in San Diego and took a job with a local lumber company. This new career gave him steady income and let him stay in California, a place he’d grown to love during his playing years.

He stayed close to baseball by joining amateur leagues. In the fall of 1958, he took on the role of player-manager for the Lemon Grove Merchants in the San Diego Winter Industrial League.

Erautt kept showing up at local baseball events and activities. He married his childhood sweetheart, Ruth Shelley, on May 29, 1948, right in the middle of his playing days, and together they built a life in Southern California.

Legacy in Baseball History

Edward Lorenz Sebastian Erautt’s baseball legacy is about more than just his major league stats. He saw some big moments in baseball, like Jackie Robinson‘s debut in Cincinnati on May 13, 1947.

“Jackie Robinson, I really admire him. We both came up in ’47,” Erautt once said. “He’d get thrown at three times a game and go down, but he’d never say anything. He’d just get back up and get his hits.”

They chose his image to represent pitchers on a memorial wind glyph at the old Lane Field site in San Diego. This honor recognized what he did for Pacific Coast League baseball, especially his standout season in 1946.

Erautt died on October 27, 2013, in La Mesa, California, at 89. His career bridged the gap from baseball’s pre-integration era through the early 1950s, so he saw the sport change in real time.

Personal Life and Commemoration

Eddie Erautt built a life outside baseball with Ruth Shelley, his childhood sweetheart. His family stayed tied to the game through his brother Joe’s own professional career. Eddie’s memory lives on at El Cajon Cemetery and with a special memorial at the old Lane Field spot in San Diego.

Family and Personal Relationships

Edward Lorenz Sebastian Erautt was born in Portland, Oregon, to immigrant parents, William and Katherine (Merck) Erautt. His dad came from Werchetz, Hungary, and his mom was born in Russia.

Baseball really ran in the Erautt family. Eddie’s older brother, Joe Erautt, caught for the Chicago White Sox in 1950 and 1951. Joe spent 13 years in the minors and played a big part in Eddie’s growth as a player.

“My brother Joe was really helpful to me,” Eddie remembered. “He was a catcher and three years older than me. We played every day and night, broke every window in the house.”

Eddie married Ruth Shelley, his childhood sweetheart, on May 29, 1948. They’d known each other since they were kids in Portland, and their wedding happened while Eddie was still playing for the Syracuse Chiefs.

Passing and Burial at El Cajon Cemetery

Eddie Erautt died on October 27, 2013, at his home in La Mesa, California. He was 89 when he passed away.

El Cajon Cemetery in El Cajon, California, is where Eddie rests now. The cemetery sits in the San Diego metro area, not far from where he spent his last years.

His full name, Edward Lorenz Sebastian Erautt, appears on records and memorials. He lived nearly sixty years after retiring from professional baseball in 1953.

Recognition and Memorials

You can find a unique memorial for Eddie Erautt at the old Lane Field site in San Diego. Lane Field used to be the home of the Pacific Coast League’s San Diego Padres from 1936 to 1957.

The memorial shows three wind glyphs on tall poles, each one showing a different baseball position. Ted Williams stands in for both the fielder and the batter, while Eddie Erautt takes the spot of pitcher.

Eddie played for the San Diego Padres in the Pacific Coast League between 1954 and 1957. In 1955, he led all San Diego pitchers with an 18-10 record and a 2.76 earned run average.

Now, the memorial park is pretty much all that’s left of the old Lane Field. Those wind glyphs really keep the memory alive for the players who left their mark on San Diego baseball.