Talk:Vern Bickford

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Vern Bickford/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Go Phightins! (talk · contribs) 02:49, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

I can review this article. Go Phightins! 02:49, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

• My only big concern after an initial read through is the lack of information on his life outside of baseball. This source might help with that. Note for posterity: Secret and I discussed this GA review in a non-substantive manner via IRC, but please note no canvassing, nor other items of substance transpired. All substantive portions of the review will take place here. Go Phightins! 03:06, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

Miscellaneous notes

Lead

• A right-handed starting pitcher, he played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves from 1948 to 1953 in the National League and one game for the Baltimore Orioles of the American League in 1954. This sentence seems a little ... strange. First off, link National League like you did American League, and I think it needs a comma after National League.
  • Fixed Secret ^account 01:45, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
• Obviously, we need a little more on his early life in the lead, but that cannot happen until more about his early life is added.
• He is best known for throwing a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 11, 1950. I think this would fit better if it were presented chronologically with the remainder of the pro career stuff in the lead.
  • I don't necessarily agree.. the last paragraph on the lead should be what the player is best known for.

Early life

• Expound, if possible, on the WWII thing, and where that occurred chronologically (after he played semi-pro, before ... if it was before he played semi-pro, the semi-pro tidbit belongs in the minor league career section.
  • Only information is SABR which I'm redundant to use because of it's sometime unreliable bios, I used a direct quote from there however. If I plan to extend this to FA I might research it further but this is all the information I got. Also semi-pro is not minor leagues. Secret ^account 01:45, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Minor league career

• Allegedly, Bickford stayed as part of the Braves organization due to a flip of a coin at a local bar. We can use a direct quote, if necessary, but "allegedly" seems to me to be a violation of WP:WTW.
  • I used the word allegedly as the sources conflict, I think it's a given fact about the flip of the coin but I can remove it if needed. Secret ^account
• Perini later recalled on why he selected Bickford. Brooklyn's general manager Branch Rickey had interest in the young right-hander, and Perini thought that "if Bickford was good enough for Rickey, he was good enough for the Braves".[3] Instead Bickford played for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1947, where he had a 9–5 win-loss record with a 3.78 earned run average in 29 games, 14 of which were starts.[2] Um ... how did he get to the Brewers? We were discussing the Pirates and the Braves, and all of a sudden jumped to the Brewers with an ambiguous "instead".
  • Fixed Secret ^account 01:45, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Major League career

• Link "control", even if just to the glossary of terms entry.
• Of which team is he a member in the first paragraph? The last team mentioned was the Milwaukee Brewers ...
  • Already mentioned Secret ^account 01:45, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
• He finished seventh in the league in complete games (15) and third in games started (36) behind teammate Warren Spahn and Ken Raffensberger of the Cincinnati Reds.[6] With those two stats, he likely finished well in innings pitched as well? If there is a good stat, it might be worth adding; if not, don't worry about it.
  • I don't want to cluster the article with stats. Secret ^account 01:45, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
• His most productive season came in 1950, when he went 19–14 with a 3.47 earned run average and led the National League in games started (39), complete games (27), innings pitched (311.2) and batters faced (1,325). (emphasis mine) When you say "productive", does that mean in terms of innings pitched, ERA, general performance, or what? That seems to be a rather ambiguous term.
  • Yes Secret ^account 01:45, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
• The high point of his career was his 7–0 no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 11, the first no-hitter in the Major Leagues since Rex Barney threw one for Brooklyn in 1948 and the first one for the Braves since Jim Tobin in 1944. The high point of his career was his 7–0 no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 11, the first no-hitter in the Major Leagues since Rex Barney threw one for Brooklyn in 1948, and the first one for the Braves since Jim Tobin in 1944.
• however, he was suffering from bone spurs in his pitching arm. however, he was suffering suffered from bone spurs in his pitching arm. unless there's a compelling reason not to.
• During the 1953 season, Bickford only had a 2–5 win-loss record with a 5.28 earned run average.[6] Ditch "only"
  • Fixed the three above concerns Secret ^account 01:45, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Personal life

• Following his playing career, Bickford worked an odd assortment of jobs, as an automobile dealer, a traveling salesman and a carpenter.[1] We need a direct quote or something ... "odd" seems like an arbitrary term - who says it was odd? All those jobs are typical working class middle class "Heart of America" jobs.
• He died of cancer in Maguire Veterans Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, at age of 39.[1] He spent the last few months of his life hospitalized, dropping 65 pounds, and telling the media a few days before his death about beating the cancer in order to coach professional baseball.[1] This is not chronological, and it bothers me a little. To describe a narrative, we don't want to start with the end state ... I think you ought to flipflop the sentences.
• Can we cite the cemetery?
  • Done all Secret ^account 01:45, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Overall, this is a pretty good article, but its scope needs to be broadened. I am going to put it on hold. By the way, reference number 10 needs an author, and date format needs to be consistent (as this is an American topic, should be standardized to mdy). Go Phightins! 00:50, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

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Looks good, thanks, IAB! Bob305 (talk) 23:55, 15 December 2016 (UTC)