Fred Kipp

Fred Kipp was born in 1931 in Piqua, an unincorporated community in Woodson County.  He played baseball and basketball at Kansas State Teachers College (now Emporia State University).  

Kipp pitched semi-pro ball with the Emporia Rangers, barnstorming Kansas City Monarchs, Chamberlain (SD) Chiefs and Superior (NE) Knights.

In 1953, Kipp received an invitation to a Brooklyn Dodger tryout camp in Vero Beach, Florida.  He took a 40-hour train ride and was signed and began his professional career in Miami.

Later that year, Kipp was drafted into the U.S. Army.  He served until 1955, pitching for the 136th Bearcats at Camp Rucker, Alabama.

Upon discharge from the Military, Kipp went to graduate school at the University of Northern Colorado.  After pitching for Kearney (NE), he joined the Goodland Tigers, managed by Billy Martin.

Later that season, Kipp pitched for the Class AA Mobile (AL) Bears, winning four games and beating the Birmingham Barons twice in the Southern League playoffs.  The Bears went on to beat Shreveport in the Dixie Series.

Kipp went to spring training with the Dodgers in 1956 but was assigned to the AAA Montreal Royals.  He won 20 games and was named the International League’s Rookie of the Year.  He earned a September callup with the Dodgers but did not play.  He was in the Dodger dugout during Don Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series.

Following their World Series loss to the Yankees, Kipp was with the team for a goodwill tour of Japan.  Treated like royalty in Japan, the Dodgers were 14-4-1 in exhibitions against all-star teams and other Japanese teams.  Kipp pitched well, throwing 43 innings and confounding the hitters with a knuckle ball.

In 1957, Kipp was called up by Brooklyn at the end of the year.  In 1958, he moved with the team to Los Angeles and won six games.  He won the National League Silver Slugger Award for pitchers, with his .250 average.

In 1959, Kipp won 14 games for the AAA St. Paul Saints.  He was called up by the Dodgers and pitched in two games duiring their 1959 pennant drive but did not pitch in the World Series.

In 1960, Kipp requested a trade and was sent to the New York Yankees in exchange for two players, one of the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame member Dick Sanders.  Kipp pitched in four games for Yankees and was sent to the Richmond Virginians of the International League.  The IL included the Havana Sugar Kings in Cuba, a year after the government was overthrown by Fidel Castro.  Soldiers were present at Sugar Kings games.

Kipp returned to Richmond in 1961 then married and settled in Kansas City.