Note: In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) is a measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. WHIP reflects a pitcher’s propensity for allowing batters to reach base, therefore a lower WHIP indicates better performance.
James Richard “Jim” Atchley (August 8, 1923 – October 8, 2013) was born in Battle Creek, Michigan and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization after serving in the military before beginning his pro baseball career in Duluth (MN) in 1946. Subsequent stops included Hopkinsville, Fayetteville (NC), Macon, and Springfield (IL) before joining the Nashville Vols for two seasons in 1950 and 1951. Although he never made it to the majors, Atchley continued to pitch through 1955 for minor league teams in Oklahoma City, Houston, and Tulsa.
1950: 33 games, 8-10, 4.32 ERA, 7 complete games, 1 shutout, 173 innings, 63 strikeouts, WHIP 1.429
1951: 41 games, 12-6, 4.20 ERA, 11 complete games, 2 shutouts, 180 innings, 57 strikeouts, WHIP 1.750
Peter Ignacius “Pete” Modica(January 25, 1925 – ) was born in New Orleans and was of Italian descent. His first three seasons were in Decatur, Illinois and Springfield, Missouri in 1942 and New Orleans before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Returning to pro ball in 1946, he was primarily a reliever with New Orleans and Birmingham in the Southern Association before joining Nashville in 1950 where he led the Southern Association in games pitched in 1952 and spent five seasons. He retired in 1955 and moved to his hometown.
1951: 40 games, 13-6, 5.37 ERA, 5 complete games, 1 shutout, 171 innings, 99 strikeouts, WHIP 1.749
1952: 66 games, 13-9, 3.84 ERA, 0 complete games, 0 shutout, 164 innings, 111 strikeouts, WHIP 1.652
Garmon “Pete” Mallory (July 23, 1918 – January 13, 1989) was a native of Everton, Missouri and played 18 seasons of professional baseball. He spent parts of seven seasons with Nashville after serving in the military, and between 1946 and 1955 played in 182 games for the Vols. He also pitched for Knoxville and Birmingham in the Southern Association but had his best season in 1949 when he was 20-4 for Nashville.
1951: 34 games, 13-15, 4.27 ERA, 14 complete games, 2 shutouts, 211 innings, 91 strikeouts, WHIP 1.512
1952: 32 games, 11-11, 3.94 ERA, 14 complete games, 2 shutouts, 201 innings, 81 strikeouts, WHIP 1.443
Allan Fulton “Al” “Red” Worthington (born February 5, 1929)was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and played baseball at the University of Alabama before becoming a professional. He began his major league career with the Giants as a starter in 1953, pitching two shutouts in his first two major league games. With Nashville in 1951, Worthington won his first two starts and appeared in 23 games (21 starts), posting a 7–10 record and a 4.57 ERA in 124 innings pitched. He did not pitch well to begin the 1952 season, but as the season went on, he improved, evidenced on August 24 when he allowed one run and six hits in 14 innings against the Little Rock Travelers. He led the Southern Association in strikeouts and walks (140) in 1952.
1952: 41 games, 13-13, 3.54 ERA, 13 complete games, 3 shutouts, 221 innings, 152 strikeouts, WHIP 1.511
John Elvin “Jack” Harshman (July 12, 1927 – August 17, 2013) pitched for the New York Giants, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians between 1948 and 1960. In 1951, Nashville general manager experimented with Harshman potentially being a pitcher, letting him take the field in 5 games; but 1953 was Harshman’s breakout year as a full-time pitcher when he returned to the Southern Association Nashville Volunteers and led the league with a .767 winning percentage, games started (34), complete games, and also led with 116 walks.
1953: 40 games, 23-7, 3.27 ERA, 17 complete games, 2 shutouts, 233 innings, 117 strikeouts, WHIP 1.359
William Pierce “Bill” Padget (December 8, 1921- May 11, 1964) was born in Richburg, South Carolina. He started with New Bern, North Carolina, in the Coastal Plain League in 1949 when he was 22-13, and followed that year with his best overall season with a 20-6 record at Tampa in the Florida International League in 1950, earning him a promotion to Springfield, Illinois in the AAA International League. He was moderately successful for then next three years before joining Nashville in 1954 when he led the Southern Association with hits allowed (294) and losses. By 1956 he was relegated to A-ball and in 1958 attempted a comeback but eventually retired with a 90-72 career minor league record.
1954: 47 games, 10-18, 6.00 ERA, 8 complete games, 0 shutouts, 231 innings, 81 strikeouts, WHIP 1.571
Thomas James “Tom” Acker (March 7, 1930 – January 4, 2021) was born in Patterson, New Jersey and began his professional baseball career with the Oshkosh Giants for two seasons, a minor league baseball team that were members of the Wisconsin State League. He pitched for Knoxville in the Tri-State League in 1950 and spent the next season with Buffalo in the International League before being chosen in the Selective Service draft and joined the US Army as a private. Acker did not play professional baseball from 1952 to 1953, and after a season at Tulsa joined Nashville. His performance with the Vols earned him a call by the Cincinnati Reds where he remained for four full seasons. He retired in 1960.
1955: 34 games, 11-8, 3.26 ERA, 10 complete games, 2 shutouts, 174 innings, 54 strikeouts, WHIP 1.460
Jerald Hal “Jerry” Lane (February 7, 1926 – July 24, 1988) was a native of Ashland, New York. He graduated from Ithaca College in 1953 while in pro ball. He spent most of the 1955 season with Nashville, returning in 1959 for eight games in 1959, his last season of professional baseball He began with Bluefield and Evansville, and during his career pitched for Chattanooga and Atlanta in the Southern Association. As a minor leaguer, he posted a 114–118 mark before leaving the game.
1955: 35 games, 10-11, 3.26 ERA, 11 complete games, 2 shutouts, 179 innings, 107 strikeouts, WHIP 1.447
1956: 41 games, 12-12, 4.01 ERA, 11 complete games, 4 shutouts, 229 innings, 155 strikeouts, WHIP 1.284
John Lawson Brechin (September 5, 1930 – February 28,1983) in was born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Brechin studied at the University of Tulsa where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering. He played four seasons in the minor leagues, beginning his pro career in Columbia, South Carolina and Tulsa in 1951, returning to both clubs for the 1952 season. He was 14-5 at Columba in 1952. After three years of military service in the U.S. Navy, he joined Nashville for the final two years of his baseball career.
1956: 35 games, 11-10, 4.10 ERA, 14 complete games, 0 shutouts, 200 innings, 90 strikeouts, WHIP 1.405
1957: 34 games, 13-8 4.02 ERA, 10 complete games, 1 shutout, 188 innings, 64 strikeouts, WHIP 1.420
Robert Edward “Bob” Kelly (October 4, 1927 – November 27, 2024) played for four seasons for the Chicago Cubs from 1951 to 1953, the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1953 and 1958, and the Cleveland Indians in 1958. He attended Purdue University, where he played college baseball for the Boilermakers from 1946 to 1947. Professionally, he began with Des Moines in the Western League in 1948 and bounced between Los Angeles in the PCL, Springfield, Massachusetts in the International League, and the Cubs until 1954 when he joined Indianapolis, a Cleveland farm club in the American Association. Kelly was in Nashville for two seasons before his career ended in 1958. Kelly led the Southern Association in losses and hits allowed (289) in 1956, but also in games started and strikeouts In 1957, he led the league in wins, complete games, and innings pitched. He is the last surviving Major Leaguer managed by Rogers Hornsby and Frankie Frisch.
1956: 38 games, 13-16, 3.63 ERA, 15 complete games, 2 shutouts, 289 innings, 180 strikeouts, WHIP 1.478
1957: 38 games, 24-11 3.82 ERA, 22 complete games, 4 shutouts, 259 innings, 185 strikeouts, WHIP 1.378
Gerald Lee “Jerry” Davis (July 21, 1932 – March 12, 2004) began his pro career at Ogden (UT) in the Pioneer League where he pitched and played in the outfield. After three years of military service he picked up his career at Columbia (SC) in the SALLY League where he was 18-12 for the Reds farm club, the best success he had in his eight-year career. He became a member of the Nashville Vols andpitched for in innings in 32 games during Nashville’s 1956 season, led the Southern Association in walks with 146, had a brief stint with the Vols again in 1959 and returned for a portion of the 1961 season. His only full season with Nashville was in 1957.
1957: 34 games, 13-9, 4.01 ERA, 13 complete games, 1 shutout, 213 innings, 186 strikeouts, WHIP 1.657
James Donald “Jim” “Springler” Sprankle (born July 22, 1935) is a native of Lafayette, Indiana, and attended Purdue University for three years. He had an 11-year career in the minor leagues. He pitched for two teams in his inaugural professional season, Shawnee (OK) in the Class D Sooner State League and Newport News in the Piedmont League where he had a combined 6-8 record. Subsequent seasons took him to Great Falls, Idaho, Elmira, New York, and Cedar Rapids before he was elevated to Class AA Nashville in 1957 when he was selected to the Southern Association All-Star team and 1958 when he was 5-5 for the Reds farm club. He had his best season the next year in Savannah (SALLY League) with a 15-13 record. He retired from baseball in 1964 and became a world-famous wildlife sculptor.
1957: 42 games, 8-11, 3.92 ERA, 7 complete games, 2 shutouts, 172 innings, 74 strikeouts, WHIP 1.488
James Wesley “Jay” Hook (born November 18, 1936) was signed as a “bonus baby” signed by the Cincinnati Reds out of Northwestern University, Hook made his major league debut with Cincinnati in 1957, playing in three games. He was assigned to Nashville for 1958. Before the 1962 season, Hook was acquired by the New York Mets in the 1961 MLB Expansion Draft. On April 23, 1962, Hook became the first winning pitcher in Mets franchise history, tossing a complete-game, five-hitter in New York’s 9–1 win over Pittsburgh at Forbes Field.
1958: 33 games, 13-18, 3.70 ERA, 13 complete games, 2 shutouts, 219 innings, 160 strikeouts, WHIP 1.521
Thomas Ervin “Tom” Gibson (October 4, 1936 – October 30, 2009)) spent six seasons in the minor leagues with Seattle in the PCL as his first stop in 1957. Born in nearby Yakima, Washington, where he was a star for his American Legion team, his best season was his first of three years with Nashville in 1959. He retired after the 1964 season when he played in 10 games with the ball club in his hometown and became an automobile salesman in Houston.
1959: 26 games, 11-6, 3.06 ERA, 8 complete games, 2 shutouts, 153 innings, 95 strikeouts, WHIP 1.490
1960: 41 games, 8-5, 5.34 ERA, 6 complete games, 2 shutouts, 160 innings, 66 strikeouts, WHIP 1.794
Lázaro Ramón Gonzalo “Cholly” Naranjo (November 25, 1934 – January 13, 2022) was born in Cuba and was signed in 1952 by the Washington Senators, but he did not play for them. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954, he entered the majors in 1956 with the Pirates, appearing for them in 17 games. His 10-year career included playing for Richmond, Chattanooga, Havana, Charlotte, Hollywood, Columbus (OH), Houston, Jacksonville, and Nashville. He had two 13-win seasons with the Vols.
1959: 33 games, 13-10, 3.85 ERA, 12 complete games, 4 shutouts, 166 innings, 84 strikeouts, WHIP 1.494
1960: 48 games, 13-11, 4.35 ERA, 6 complete games, 0 shutouts, 180 innings, 86 strikeouts, WHIP 1.533
James William “Jim” Maloney (born June 2, 1940) played for the Cincinnati Reds (1960–1970) and California Angels (1971). One of the hardest-throwing pitchers of the 1960s, Maloney threw two no-hitters, won ten or more games from 1963 to 1969, and recorded over 200 strikeouts for four consecutive seasons. After his first season in 1959 with Wichita, the $108,000 “bonus baby” spent most of 1960 with Nashville where he led the league in winning percentage (.737) before being called up to the Reds on July 22.
1960: 22 games, 14-5, 2.79 ERA, 15 complete games, 3 shutouts, 161 innings, 162 strikeouts, WHIP 1.314
Duane Lee Richards (born December 16, 1936) appeared in two games in the major leagues for the 1960 Cincinnati Reds. The Spartanburg, Indiana, native began his career at age 18 in Fort Walton Beach in the Alabama-Florida League before rising through Class D, B, and A ball before being assigned to Nashville in 1960 where he led the league in starts and in hits allowed (243). His career took him to Jersey City, Macon, Buffalo, and Williamsport (PA) through 1964 when he retired with 10 seasons and a 75-85 won-lost record in the minors.
1960: 41 games, 12-17, 5.20 ERA, 8 complete games, 3 shutouts, 207 innings, 101 strikeouts, WHIP 1.628
Oscar Felix Chinique (August 23, 1934 – March 29, 2022) was a native of Havana, Cuba, and was signed by the Washington Senators in 1956. His best season was his first, in Hobbs, New Mexico, in the Southwestern League, when he was 11-3. He joined Nashville in 1961 and after two more seasons he retired. He was a dependable pitcher in the Nashville’s City League beginning in 1964 when he joined manager Larry Schmittou’s Hester Battery team.
1961: 42 games, 6-8, 4.52 ERA, 10 complete games, 0 shutouts, 179 innings, 32 strikeouts, WHIP 1.519
James Estes “Jim” Churchwell (born June 27, 1941) was born in Macon, Georgia, where he played American Legion baseball before signing with the Dodgers and beginning his professional career in his hometown in 1959. He spent two seasons with Great Falls (MT) in the Pioneer League and one year in Salem (OR) in the Northwest League before being sent to Nashville for 1963. After spending 1964 with three teams, he made a final attempt to continue his career with Lynchburg but decided to retire.
1963: 45 games, 7-10, 4.07 ERA, 3 complete games, 0 shutouts, 146 innings, 115 strikeouts, WHIP 1.404
Lawrence John “Larry” DelMargo (born January 16, 1939) was born in Trinidad, Colorado, played American Legion ball, and attended Regis College in Denver. He played six seasons of minor league baseball beginning in Kearney, Nebraska, a farm club of the Yankees, in 1958. He was impressive the next year as part of the mound corps with Fargo-Moorhead (MN) in the Northern League when he was 15-7. He followed that year with an even better season when he was 14-4 with Greensboro in 1960. In 1963, he spent the season in Nashville, his last year as a professional.
1963: 34 games, 8-11, 4.20 ERA, 9 complete games, 1 shutout, 163 innings, 79 strikeouts, WHIP 1.509
Aubrey Lee Gatewood (November 17, 1938 – June 5, 2019) was a graduate of North Little Rock High School and Arkansas State University and began his pro career in 1960 in the Detroit farm system. His early minor league seasons were spent in Durham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Des Moines, Hawaii, and other teams before he was assigned to Nashville in 1963. His year with the Vols earned him a September call-up to the Angels for his first taste of major league service. In his first-ever MLB game, on September 11, 1963, he started against the Boston Red Sox at Chavez Ravine and earned a complete game, 4–1 victory. His major league career included parts of four seasons, and he had 11 seasons in the minors. His last season was in 1971.
1963: 34 games, 6-10, 3.37 ERA, 5 complete games, 2 shutout, 139 innings, 112 strikeouts, WHIP 1.317
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I hit “Vote” without also selecting John Harshman, who would have been my second selection. Also, I would not have bet that the ERAs for both the lefty and righty pitchers generally would have been so high.
For me there are three standout pitchers on this list. Starters during this era were expected to finish what they started and win games. Jack Harshman and Bob Kelly are the only pitchers on this list to have a 20-game win seasons with Nashville. However, Jim Maloney was a dominant pitcher with Nashville in 1960, winning 14 and losing only 5, more strikeouts than innings pitched and basically only played half a season at Nashville, so Jim Maloney is my first pick.
I picked Jack Harshman as my Nashville first baseman in this poll, so I’m going with Bob Kelly as my second righthander. Having Harshman also gives me a 5th starter if needed with my utility man, Rod Kanehle playing first base. My years of experience with Strat-O-Matic have finally paid off!