George Caster

Caster was born in Colton, California, in 1907. He played baseball and football at Colton High School. Caster played shortstop until his senior year, when injuries to Colton's pitchers led to his taking up pitching. He also played two years of baseball at San Bernardino Junior College and was an athlete at the University of Southern California for part of a year before beginning his career as a professional baseball player. Caster was also a pitcher for the Colton Cement Dusters in 1928. ==Professional baseball career==

Pacific Coast League Caster signed with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1929. He was farmed out to the San Bernardino Padres in the California State League for the 1929 season. Philadelphia Athletics In September 1934, Caster made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics. He compiled a 3–2 record for the A's in 1934 and returned to the team in 1935. He appeared in 25 games for the 1935 A's, all but one as a relief pitcher. He finished the season with a 1–4 record and 6.25 ERA. Caster was optioned by the Athletics to the Portland Beavers for the 1936 season, which proved to be the best of Caster's career. In 44 games for Portland, he compiled a 25–13 record and a 2.79 ERA – a career high in wins and a career low in ERA. In a front page profile, The Sporting News credited Caster's turnaround to overcoming his lack of control and adding a slow knuckleball to his blazing fastball and sharp-breaking curve. After a strong showing in Portland in 1936, Caster was recalled by the A's for the 1937 season. In 1939, Caster pitched on opening day for the Athletics against the Washington Senators in Washington, D.C. President Franklin Roosevelt attended the game, in which Caster pitched a shutout; Caster later described the opening day shutout in front of the President as one of the greatest thrills of his baseball career. St. Louis Browns On November 16, 1940, Caster was selected off waivers by the St. Louis Browns from Philadelphia. In 1941, Luke Sewell converted Caster into a relief pitcher, and he had the best seasons of his major league career as the Browns' lead reliever from 1942 to 1944. As a reliever, his Adjusted ERA+ ratings skyrocketed to 133, 159, and 150 between 1942 and 1944. Caster won five straight games for Detroit before finally losing a game. The 1945 Tigers went on to win the American League pennant and defeated the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Caster appeared in 22 games for the 1945 Tigers, all in relief, compiling a 5–1 record and 3.86 ERA in 51 innings. He also pitched of an inning of no-hit baseball in the World Series. In a lengthy feature story on Caster at the end of the regular season, The Sporting News credited Caster's contributions with this headline: "Caster Helps to Keep Tiger Wagon Rolling With Smooth Relief Hurling: 36-Year Fireman Cops Five Straight in Smothering Blazes." Caster returned to the Tigers in 1946 and compiled a 2–1 record (5.66 ERA) in 26 relief appearances. He pitched his final major league game on September 16, 1946, at age 39. Return to minor leagues On December 12, 1946, Caster was released by the Tigers. He played for San Diego and Hollywood in the Pacific Coast League during the 1947 season. In 1948, he was a player/manager for the Riverside Rubes in the Sunset League. He attempted a comeback five years later, serving as a player-coach and appearing in eight games for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western International League in 1953. ==Personal life and death==

Caster and Daisy Jennie Herlinger married in November 1929. They had two daughters, born in 1933 and 1935. Caster's father, Ira, was employed by the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department and became the chief criminal deputy in the 1930s. Caster also worked as a deputy sheriff for the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department in the off-season during his baseball career. Caster died in 1955 at age 48 in Lakewood, California. ==See also==