Former Ill. pro pitcher Blake dies

SWANSEA -- Services are set for Ed Blake, an Illinoisan whose 15 seasons of professional baseball included time spent with the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Athletics.

The East St. Louis native was 83 when he died Wednesday at a Swansea nursing home.

Blake was 17 when he pitched batting practice for the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1943 World Series. He later served in the Army during World War II and was wounded in the Philippines.

He pitched in 15 professional seasons, mostly in the high minor leagues. In six major-league games with the Reds and Kansas City in the 1950s, he was 0-0 with a 6.23 ERA. He pitched a total of eight innings.

He was a retired plumber.

A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Belleville.