Deadball Era Fun Facts

I'm always interested in learning fun facts about players from the Deadball Era. I learned a couple today. Post 'em if you got 'em

John "Jack" Chesbro:
-In 1904 he won 41 games (the current single season record holder). That year he pitched in 51 games and threw 48 complete games, while pitching in 454.7 innings. He posted a final record of 41-12.
-He was a spitballer.

William Edward Donovan "Wild Bill":
-He received the nickname "Wild Bill" in the minors (while playing for Hartford) after he walked 9 consecutive batters. He did this after teammate Cy Seymour was returned to the majors after throwing wildly over the fence behind home plate.
-In 1907, "Wild Bill" went 25-4 for the Detroit Tigers as a pitcher.
-In 1923, Donovan died in a train wreck in Forsyth, NY traveling to Chicago for league meetings. He was 47.

And something else of interest:
Spitballs were completely banned from baseball after the 1920 season. The only exception was for those spitballers that were "grandfathered" in. They could continue to use the pitch until they retired.

The 17 Pitchers grandfathered in when the spitball was outlawed are

National League:

• Bill Doak
  
• Phil Douglas
  
• Dana Fillingim
  
• Ray Fisher
  
• Marv Goodwin
  
• Burleigh Grimes
  
• Clarence Mitchell
  
• Dick Rudolph
  

American League:

• Doc Ayers
  
• Ray Caldwell
  
• Stan Coveleski
  
• Red Faber
  
• Dutch Leonard
  
• Jack Quinn
  
• Allan Russell
  
• Urban Shocker
  
• Allen Sothoron
  

I might add that there is one known orphan, Hal Carlson
Barney Dreyfuss, one of the spitball's bitterest enemies, failed to register Carlson's name. As a consequence he was not allowed the use of his spitter and within two years he was back in the minors. However, he toiled diligently to perfect other deceptive deliveries and finally came back to the big time

In 1913 Christy Mathewson set an amazing mark, more Wins than BB surrendered: 25 W, 21 BB.
But the next year he did it again !
24 W, 23 BB.

Five years later it was done again (but not by Matty, who was retired). Slim Salee got 21 W, 20 BB in 1919.

To my knowledge, it wasn't done again until 1994 when Bret Saberhagen turned a 14 W, 13 BB trick.


OK here's another:

26 up, 27 down. Perfect Game? I dunno.

Here is what happened. The starting pitcher walked the leadoff hitter, and was ejected for excessive arguing of the call (and slugging the ump). The relief pitcher comes in, retires the man walked, on a failed steal attempt; then sets down the next 26 batters in a row for the win.
The starting pitcher was Babe Ruth, the reliever Ernie Shore. The date:6/23/17.
Perfect game - you tell me.



https://vbbc.forumotion.com/pre-ww2-cards-f1/your-top-ten-vintage-cards-t117.htm