Billy Loes, who pitched for the Orioles from 1956 to 1959 and was an All-Star in 1957, has died. He was 80.
Loes died July 15 at a hospice in Tucson, Ariz., his wife, Irene, confirmed Friday from her home in Chapel Hill, N.C. He had diabetes for several years and had open heart surgery a few years ago, she said.
Loes, a right-hander whose contract the Orioles purchased in 1956 for $20,000, went 12-7 with a 3.24 ERA in 1957. He was 21-30 in four seasons with the Orioles before they dealt him to the San Francisco Giants with Billy O'Dell for Jackie Brandt, Gordon Jones and Roger McCardell.
Loes pitched on three pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers teams in the 1950s and also played for the Giants (1960-61) during an 11-year major league career during which he went 80-63 with 645 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA in over 1,000 innings pitched.
