Today's New York-Penn League Birthday: Johnny Rutherford (Olean Oilers)

Credits: Topps Co. via The Trading Cards Database

Former PONY (New York-Penn since 1957) League prospect Johnny Rutherford was born on this date in 1925, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in Detroit, Michigan and attended the University of Detroit.

He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a free agent in 1947, and pitched for the Olean Oilers in 1947 (4-2, 4.11 ERA) and 1948 (14-9, 3.04 ERA).

Rutherford played in the minor leagues for eight seasons and pitched in 22 games (7-7, 4.25 ERA) for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952.

After his baseball career ended in 1955, he attended the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and practiced medicine in Dearborn, Michigan.

He died on December 25, 2016, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan at the age of 91.

Source: Baseball Reference

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