RIP: Clem Labine

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/sports/baseball/03labine.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Another one of my childhood heroes is gone. Labine help define the role of the bullpen specialist.

Clem Labine, a native of Woonsocket RI, was of French Canadian heritage. Though the Brooklyn Dodgers top farm club at the time was the Montreal Royals, Labine never pitched here.

In 1956, the Dodgers managed only 7 hits over the final three games. The only win of the 3 was Labine's ten inning masterpiece in game 6. While the Dodgers only got 4 hits in that game, they scored its only run in the bottom of the 10th.

The day after this game, they lost 9-0 to Johnny Kucks 3 hitter. The game before, in Yankee Stadium, they lost to Don Larsen, who also pitched a pretty good game against the slumping Bums.