Major League Baseball Player. He is best known for his place in the Guiness Book of Records. On August 1, 1957, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Canadian, then playing for Omaha of the American Association, established a world record by throwing a baseball 445 feet,10 inches as a pre-game promotion at Omaha Stadium. The toss broke by nine inches the old mark set by Don Grate in Minneapolis on August 27, 1956. Gorbous, who earned $200 for the effort, was given four tries throwing from the right-field corner to the left-field corner to take advantage of a 3 mile-per-hour breeze. He was allowed to take a six-step running start. It was reported that he kept his arm in shape by throwing baseballs at the stadium light towers. He was born in Drumheller, Alberta, and signed with the Brooklyn organization in 1948. He was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds from the Dodgers' Montreal farm club of the International League on Nov. 22, 1954 in the major-league draft. He got into only six games with the Reds before being traded with outfielder Jim Greengrass and catcher Andy Seminick on April 30, 1955 to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Smoky Burgess, outfielder Stan Palys and pitcher Steve Ridzik. The right-handed thrower had 10 outfield assists that year in just 62 games. But he got into only a total of 18 games for the Phillies the next two seasons and wound up being sold to the St. Louis Cardinals, who assigned him to their Omaha farm club in 1957. He was reacquired by the Dodgers and sent to their Spokane team in the Pacific Coast League in 1958. Gorbous had arm surgery after the season and retired from baseball during the 1959 season. The left-handed hitter's three-year stay in the big leagues resulted in a .238 average with four homers and 29 runs batted in. He died in Calgary and is buried there.
Major League Baseball Player. He is best known for his place in the Guiness Book of Records. On August 1, 1957, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Canadian, then playing for Omaha of the American Association, established a world record by throwing a baseball 445 feet,10 inches as a pre-game promotion at Omaha Stadium. The toss broke by nine inches the old mark set by Don Grate in Minneapolis on August 27, 1956. Gorbous, who earned $200 for the effort, was given four tries throwing from the right-field corner to the left-field corner to take advantage of a 3 mile-per-hour breeze. He was allowed to take a six-step running start. It was reported that he kept his arm in shape by throwing baseballs at the stadium light towers. He was born in Drumheller, Alberta, and signed with the Brooklyn organization in 1948. He was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds from the Dodgers' Montreal farm club of the International League on Nov. 22, 1954 in the major-league draft. He got into only six games with the Reds before being traded with outfielder Jim Greengrass and catcher Andy Seminick on April 30, 1955 to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Smoky Burgess, outfielder Stan Palys and pitcher Steve Ridzik. The right-handed thrower had 10 outfield assists that year in just 62 games. But he got into only a total of 18 games for the Phillies the next two seasons and wound up being sold to the St. Louis Cardinals, who assigned him to their Omaha farm club in 1957. He was reacquired by the Dodgers and sent to their Spokane team in the Pacific Coast League in 1958. Gorbous had arm surgery after the season and retired from baseball during the 1959 season. The left-handed hitter's three-year stay in the big leagues resulted in a .238 average with four homers and 29 runs batted in. He died in Calgary and is buried there.
Bio by: Ron Coons
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