It’s Briefly “Sonny” in Philadelphia

When left-handed pitcher Niles "Sonny" Jordan made his major league debut in the second game of a double header at Shibe Park on August 26, 1951, he was by his own account "awestruck." His opponent, the Cincinnati Reds, featured imposing slugger, Ted Kluszewski, as well as veteran hitters like Johnny Wyrostek and Connie Ryan. Whatever worries Jordan must have had that day, though, he had seen worse. On April 7, 1945, while he was serving on the destroyer USS Bennett in the Pacific, his ship was struck by a Japanese kamikaze fighter jet. Seven of Jordan's shipmates died in the attack and 14 others were seriously injured. Surely, the Cincinnati Reds presented a less formidable challenge. Jordan shut them out on three hits, winning 2-0.

Sonny Jordan was a star athlete at Sedro-Woolley High School in Washington State. After the war, he was pitching for the local city league when he was signed by Phillies' scout Don McShane. He worked his way through the Phillies minor league system, first at Klamath Falls (Oregon) in the Class D Far West League, then to Terre Haute (Illinois) in the Class B Three-I League, and then another Clas B stop with the Wilmington Blue Rocks in 1951. He had winning records throughout his minor league career and put up an eye-popping 21-3 record at Wilmington. On August 13 the Phillies optioned struggling righty Bob Miller to Wilmington and called up Jordan. 

The Phillies had already lost the first game of the day, 4-2, with ace Robin Roberts taking the loss. The Phillies were having a disappointing season in their follow-up to the 1950 pennant winning year. As Jordan took the mound, the Phillies were 60-63, in fourth place, 18 games behind the league leading Brooklyn Dodgers. The Reds were just 54-68 in sixth place. Jordan's mound opponent was Willie "The Knuck" Ramsdell, a veteran knuckleballer.

Pitching with what the Philadelphia Inquirer's Stan Baumgartner called "an overhand, crossfire motion," Jordan set the Reds down easily in the first three innings, allowing only a lead-off single in the third to shortstop Virgil Stallcup. The Phillies got to Ramsdell for a run in the bottom of the third with the help of an error. Phillies catcher, Andy Seminick singled and as Jordan tried to get a bunt down, was picked off first. Reds' catcher Johnny Pramesa threw wildly, however, and Seminick steamed around to third base on the error. Leadoff hitter Eddie Waitkus then hit a sacrifice fly to left field and the Phillies had the lead.

In the fourth, Jordan walked Lloyd Merriman leading off the inning, but Seminick came to his aid by throwing out Merriman trying to steal. Singles by Connie Ryan and Stallcup put two men on in the fifth, but Jordan worked out of it by inducing two popups. In the seventh, Phillies leftfielder Bill "Swish" Nicholson dropped a fly ball for an error that allowed Ryan to get to second base with one out. Jordan again wriggled out of the jam by inducing two fly ball outs.

The Phillies doubled their lead in the eighth on a Granny Hamner double, a Putsy Caballero bloop single, and a sacrifice fly by pitcher Jordan. In the bottom of the ninth Jordan set Wyrostek, Kluszewski, and Ryan down on three routine ground balls and walked off the mound to the handshakes of his new teammates and the cheers of the 13,899 in attendance. Jordan had struck out four, walked only two, and allowed just the three singles. The Phillies managed only three hits in the game off hard luck loser Ramsdell.

Jordan's gem was the finest Phillies pitching debut in memory. The Inquirer's Baumgartner said it was even more impressive than Curt Simmons 1947 debut when he beat the New York Giants 3-1. Jordan made four more starts for the Phillies and finished the season with a 2-3 record and respectable 3.19 ERA. It looked like the Phillies had found a left-handed starter to complement Curt Simmons in the rotation. Alas, it was not to be. Those five starts would be Jordan's only appearances with the Phillies.

On December 10, Jordan was traded to those same Cincinnati Reds, along with Andy Seminick, Dick Sisler, and Eddie Pelligrini, for Smoky Burgess, Howie Fox, and Connie Ryan. Jordan appeared in three games for the Reds in 1952 but spent most of the season at Tulsa in the Texas League. After 1952, he never appeared in another major league game. Jordan spent five more seasons in the high minors before hanging up his spikes. He had a record of just 2-4 in eight major league games but was an impressive 108-66 in the minors.

After his retirement from baseball, Jordan returned home to Sedro-Woolley and worked for many years for a lumber company there. He spent his leisure time golfing. He often said that his greatest thrill in pitching in the major leagues was pitching alongside his hero, Robin Roberts. He said, "Pitching with [Roberts] was mind-boggling." Sonny Jordan passed away in 2008.

Niles "Sonny" Jordan