Addie Joss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Addie Joss |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: April 12, 1880 Woodland, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Died: April 14, 1911 (aged 31) Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 25, 1902, for the Cleveland Bronchos | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 25, 1910, for the Cleveland Naps | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 160–97 | ||
| Earned run average | 1.89 | ||
| Strikeouts | 920 | ||
| WHIP | 0.968 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1978 | ||
| Election Method | Veterans Committee | ||
Adrian "Addie" Joss (born April 12, 1880 – died April 14, 1911) was an amazing American professional baseball pitcher. People called him "the Human Hairpin" because of his unique pitching style. He played for the Cleveland Bronchos, later known as the Naps, in Major League Baseball from 1902 to 1910.
Addie Joss was tall, standing 6 feet 3 inches. He pitched one of only a few perfect games in baseball history. This means no batter reached base against him during the entire game. His career earned run average (ERA) of 1.89 is the second-lowest ever in MLB. His career WHIP (which measures how many batters reach base per inning) of 0.968 is the lowest of all time!
Joss grew up in Wisconsin and played baseball in college. He quickly became known for his pitching talent. After a small contract disagreement, he joined the Cleveland team in 1902. He led the league in shutouts that year. From 1905 to 1908, he had four straight seasons where he won 20 games or more. Outside of baseball, Joss also worked as a sportswriter.
Sadly, Addie Joss became very sick in April 1911 and passed away shortly after his 31st birthday. He finished his career with 160 wins and 45 shutouts. Even though he played for only nine seasons, which is shorter than most Hall of Famers, he was so good that the National Baseball Hall of Fame made a special rule for him. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1978.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Addie Joss was born on April 12, 1880, in Woodland, Dodge County, Wisconsin. His parents were farmers. His father, who made cheese, passed away when Addie was 10 years old. Addie went to high school and then taught himself. He earned a scholarship to St. Mary's College, where he played on the baseball team. He also studied engineering at the University of Wisconsin.
While playing for his college team, Addie developed a special pitching style. He would hide the ball until the very last second before throwing it. This made it hard for batters to see the ball coming. A scout for the Toledo Mud Hens saw him play. In 1900, Joss joined the Mud Hens and won 19 games that season.
Joining the Major Leagues
In 1901, Addie Joss had an amazing season for the Toledo Mud Hens, winning 27 games. He was known as "the god of the Western League." Many major league teams wanted him. There was a bit of a disagreement about which team he would join. But in March 1902, Joss officially signed with the Cleveland Bronchos.
Major League Career Highlights
Starting Strong with Cleveland (1902–1907)
Addie Joss made his first Major League Baseball appearance for the Cleveland Bronchos in April 1902. He almost pitched a no-hitter in his very first game, only giving up one hit! He ended his rookie season with 17 wins and led the American League with five shutouts. A shutout is when a pitcher doesn't let the other team score any runs.
In 1903, Cleveland changed its team name to the "Naps" to honor their star player, Nap Lajoie. Joss continued to pitch well, and his WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) was the lowest in MLB that year. In 1905, he had his first of four seasons winning 20 games or more. He also had a career-high 132 strikeouts that year. In 1906, he won 21 games and had nine shutouts.
The 1907 season was one of his best. Joss won his first 10 games and finished the year with 27 wins. This tied him for the most wins in the American League. He also threw two one-hitters, which means he only allowed one hit in those games.
The Perfect Game of 1908
The 1908 season was very exciting for the Cleveland Naps. They were in a close race for the championship with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox. On October 2, 1908, with only three games left, the Naps played the White Sox. Addie Joss was pitching for the Naps, and future Hall of Famer Ed Walsh was pitching for the White Sox.
It was an incredibly close game. Neither pitcher allowed an earned run. Walsh struck out 15 batters. The Naps scored their only run in the third inning because of a mistake by the White Sox. The crowd was very quiet because of the tension.
Joss was pitching perfectly, meaning no White Sox player had reached base. In the ninth inning, with two outs, Joss faced a pinch hitter named John Anderson. Anderson hit a ball that was almost a double but went foul. Then he hit a ball to the Naps' third baseman, Bill Bradley. Bradley bobbled the ball, but quickly threw it to first baseman George Stovall. Stovall caught the ball, getting the final out!
Addie Joss had pitched a perfect game! He did it with only 74 pitches, which is one of the lowest pitch counts for a perfect game. Fans rushed onto the field to celebrate. The Naps finished the season just half a game behind Detroit, missing the World Series.
Later Years and Career Stats
After his amazing 1908 season, Joss faced some challenges. In 1909, he was tired and had to stop playing early. He still finished with a good 14–13 record and a low 1.71 ERA.
On April 20, 1910, Addie Joss pitched his second no-hitter, again against the Chicago White Sox. This made him the first pitcher in MLB history to throw two no-hitters against the same team! However, he played in only 13 games that season because of a torn ligament in his right elbow. He left his last game on July 25 due to arm pain.
Addie Joss's career was shorter than most Hall of Famers, but his stats were incredible. Of his 160 wins, 45 were shutouts. His 1.89 career ERA is the second-lowest ever, and his 0.97 WHIP is the lowest in MLB history. He also had 920 strikeouts.
Joss threw a fastball, a "slow ball" (like a changeup), and a very good curveball. He was known for his unique "corkscrew" windup, where he would turn his back to the batter to hide the ball. He achieved all his success without changing the baseball, which was common for many pitchers at the time.
Life Outside Baseball
Addie Joss was a smart person who thought about his future after baseball. Many players back then didn't have other job skills. After the 1906 season, Joss started working as a sports columnist for the Toledo News-Bee newspaper. He also became their Sunday sports editor. His articles were so popular that the newspaper's sales went up!
He also wrote for the Cleveland Press and covered the World Series. People said he was a great writer and an honest observer of the game. During the offseasons of 1908–1909, Joss even designed an electric scoreboard called the Joss Indicator. This scoreboard was installed at the Naps' home field, League Park, so fans could easily see the balls and strikes.
His Passing and a Special Game
Addie Joss joined the Cleveland team for spring training in 1911. But on April 3, he collapsed during a game. He was taken to the hospital. Doctors first thought he had food poisoning, but later realized he had a serious illness called tuberculous meningitis. Addie Joss passed away on April 14, 1911, just two days after his 31st birthday.
His death was a shock to everyone. He was very well-liked by players and fans. The Naps players wanted to attend his funeral instead of playing their scheduled game against the Detroit Tigers. The American League president, Ban Johnson, eventually agreed. Many Naps players and owner Charles Somers attended the funeral.
To help Addie Joss's family with medical bills, the first "all-star" game was played on July 24, 1911. Players from all seven other American League teams came to play against the Naps. Famous players like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Tris Speaker participated. Walter Johnson said, "I'll do anything they want for Addie Joss' family." About 15,270 fans came to the game, raising almost $13,000 for Joss's family.
Lasting Recognition
Years after his death, people campaigned for Addie Joss to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Sportswriter Red Smith argued that Joss's impact on baseball was so great that he deserved to be in the Hall. Normally, players need to have played for at least 10 seasons to be eligible. Joss had only played nine full seasons.
However, because he was on the Cleveland roster in 1911 and participated in spring training before he got sick, it was argued that he had "participated" in his tenth season. In 1977, the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors made a special exception for Joss. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978. He is the only player in the Hall of Fame whose regular season career was less than 10 years long.
In 1981, baseball historians Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time. They believed that even though his career was cut short, his incredible talent, especially his low ERA, proved he was one of the greatest.
Addie Joss was also inducted into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame on July 29, 2006, recognizing his importance to the team.
See Also
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career WHIP leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career shutout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball perfect games
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
- List of baseball players who died during their careers
