Ben Wade

Who was Ben Wade?

Benjamin Styron Wade was an American pitcher and scout in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. Wade batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Morehead City, North Carolina. His older brother, Jake, was also a major league pitcher.

In a five-season major league career, Wade posted a 19–17 record with 235 strikeouts and a 4.34 ERA in 371-1/3 innings pitched. Wade also pitched 16 seasons in the minor leagues, winning 148 games and pitching over 2000 innings for thirteen different teams.

After his playing career, Wade spent many years as a scout and then director of scouting for the Los Angeles Dodgers, supplying the team with players that would lead it to eight National League championships and four World Series titles during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Wade died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 80.

The book Carl Erskine's Tales from the Dodgers Dugout: Extra Innings includes short stories from former Dodger pitcher Carl Erskine. Wade is prominent in many of these stories.