The Pecan Park Eagle

Ed Stevens played 1st base for 6 seasons with first the Brooklyn Dodgers and then the Pittsburgh Pirates (1945 to 1950).

“Big Ed” Stevens of the old Brooklyn Dodgers has passed away. Born January 22, 1925 in Galveston, Texas the 87-year-old former first baseman died on Sunday, July 22, 1925 at his home in Houston with his wife at his side. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Margie Saxon Stevens, his daughter, Vicki Lynn Porter, his son-in-law, Jim Porter, six grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Sadly, as allows, for any parent, two other daughters, Janice Kay and Barbara Sue preceded Ed in death.

Big Ed Stevens at a Houston SABR meeting in 2009.

Growing up in Galveston with both the passion and talent for baseball, the prototypical lefty hitting and throwing first baseman signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941. By 1945, his .309 batting average with 19 home runs for the Montreal Royals earned Stevens a late season promotion to Brooklyn where he earned his first start with the Dodgers on August 9, 1945.

Big Ed played every one of his over 2100 games at first base. At six feet, one inch and 190 pounds, he was the prototypical first baseman. On the performance level, he batted .252 with 19 homers in five seasons as a big leaguer and .275 with 275 homers in sixteen seasons as a minor league slugger from 1941 to 1961. His best minor league season came in 1954 at AAA Toronto, where Stevens batted .292 with 27 HR. Unfortunately for Ed, in those days of only sixteen major league clubs, what today might be considered enough reason for a shot at the bigs earned nothing for the then 30-year old Ed Stevens. Once the 1950 season ended for Stevens, so did his major league time, but those were different times. Ed continued to play a lot more AAA ball, which was a cut above back then what it has become today.

I’ve saved the biggest factor in the career of Big Ed Stevens until last. It could have been presented first under a title that read something  like “It Had to Happen to Somebody.”

You see, Ed Stevens didn’t just leave first base for the Dodgers when they pulled him out of the lineup and replaced him with a rookie prospect in 1947. Ed Stevens was the man who Jackie Robinson replaced when the latter took the field to break the color line that had thwarted blacks from playing mainstream professional baseball since the late 19th century.

Margie & Ed Stevens, 2009

Ed Stevens most certainly was not the obstacle to change. He was just the man walking up the road of his personal baseball career when the big ball of great social change came rolling down the highway of major league baseball and buried him in its tracks. Stevens had not preformed well enough to have held the first base job in Brooklyn for much longer, anyway, even if Jackie Robinson had not come along when he did. If Robinson had not taken the first base job with Brooklyn in 1947, Gil Hodges would have taken it in 1948, or 1949, for sure.

That being said, Big Ed Stevens still had a career to look back upon and feel good about. The man got to play the game so many of us love for twenty years professionally – and he played it darn well. Then add to that a long life of love with his soulmate and the adoration of his family and the unconditional caring of family that was also included. – Who could want for more?

Services for Ed Stevens are scheduled for 11:00 AM today, Thursday, July 26, 2012, at Forest Park Westheimer.

Rest in Peace, Big Ed Stevens!