Blethen spent 18 years in organized baseball, almost all of it in the minor leagues. He pitched briefly for the Boston Red Sox in 1923 and did not have another opportunity until 1929, when he played with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In seven major league games, he had no decisions and posted a 7.32 ERA with two strikeouts in 19-2⁄3 innings pitched.\n', '

Blethen suffered an unusual injury while playing for the Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association in 1933. In a game on June 6th the pitcher, who had false teeth and would put them in his hip pocket when he was running the bases, slid into second base, and the false teeth took a bite out of him in what one news account called "a tender spot."\n', '

Following his majors career, Blethen spent seven years with the Atlanta minor league club winning 20 or more games in two seasons. He also played for several teams and managed Leaksville and Savannah in the late 1930s. After that, he took an active part in coaching little leaguers until the mid-sixties.\n', '

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