Bill Hallahan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Hallahan |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: August 4, 1902 Binghamton, New York, U.S. |
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| Died: July 8, 1981 (aged 78) Binghamton, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 16, 1925, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 14, 1938, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 102–94 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.03 | ||
| Strikeouts | 856 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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William Anthony Hallahan (born August 4, 1902 – died July 8, 1981) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played during the 1920s and 1930s. People called him "Wild Bill" because he sometimes had trouble throwing the ball exactly where he wanted it to go. He led the National League in bases on balls (walks) twice.
Even with his "wild" reputation, Hallahan was a fantastic pitcher. He was a big star in the 1931 World Series. He always played his best in important postseason games. Hallahan was also the first starting pitcher for the National League in the very first Baseball All-Star Game in 1933. He lost that game 4–2 to Lefty Gomez. He even gave up a home run to the famous Babe Ruth in the third inning.
Bill Hallahan's Early Baseball Days
Bill Hallahan was born in Binghamton, New York. He spent most of his baseball career playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. He first signed with a team called the Syracuse Stars in 1924. This team was a "farm club" for the Cardinals. Farm clubs help young players get ready for the big leagues.
The next year, in 1925, Hallahan played his first games for the Cardinals. He appeared in six games that season. In 1926, he pitched in 19 games for the Cardinals. He even made a short appearance in the World Series against the New York Yankees.
But Hallahan wasn't quite ready for a full-time Major League career yet. He spent 1927 playing for Syracuse. He won 19 games that year. He also led the league in strikeouts (195) and walks (135). The next season, he won 23 games for the Houston Buffaloes. He led that league in strikeouts with 244. Finally, in 1929, he joined the Cardinals for good.
World Series Star Pitcher
Hallahan became a full-time starting pitcher in 1930. He won 15 games for the Cardinals, who won their league championship. He led the National League in strikeouts (177) and walks (126). In the 1930 World Series against the Philadelphia Athletics, Hallahan had one win and one loss. He pitched a "shutout" in Game 3, meaning the other team scored no runs. He only allowed two "earned runs" in 11 innings. This gave him a great ERA of 1.64. The Athletics won that World Series in six games. This was the only World Series the Cardinals lost with Hallahan.
In 1931, Hallahan again led the National League in strikeouts (159) and walks (112). He won 19 games that year. The Cardinals won their league championship again. They faced the Athletics in a rematch. Hallahan was even better this time. He pitched another shutout in Game 2. He also pitched a "complete game" in Game 5, winning 5–1. A complete game means he pitched the whole game himself. He even helped win the final Game 7 by getting the last out.
Overall, in the 1931 World Series, he gave up only 12 hits and one run in 18 and one-third innings. This was an amazing ERA of 0.36. The Cardinals won the Series in seven games. Hallahan's pitching was especially impressive because the Athletics had many strong right-handed hitters. These included sluggers like Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons.
After two more good seasons, Hallahan had a tougher year in 1934. He won only eight games and lost 12. But his team, the famous "Gashouse Gang" Cardinals, won the National League title. This gave Hallahan another chance to play in the World Series. In Game 2 of the 1934 World Series, he started against the Detroit Tigers. He left the game in the eighth inning with the score tied 2–2. Detroit won that game 3–2. But the Cardinals still won the World Series in seven games.
In total, Hallahan played in seven World Series games. He pitched 39 and one-third innings. He won three games and lost one. His World Series earned-run average was an incredible 1.36. This is still one of the best ERAs ever for a pitcher in postseason games.
Hallahan stayed with the Cardinals until May 31, 1936. Then, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. His pitching statistics were not as good with the Reds. They also weren't as good with his final team, the Philadelphia Phillies. In his last two seasons, 1937 and 1938, Hallahan won four games and lost 17.
Hallahan finished his regular career with 102 wins and 94 losses. He had 856 strikeouts and 779 walks. His career ERA was 4.03 in 1,740 and one-third innings pitched.
Life After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Hallahan worked as a supervisor. He worked for a company called General Aniline and Film Co. (now GAF). He lived a quiet life in Johnson City, New York.
He was a local hero to the kids in his neighborhood. They would often ask him to show them his World Series watches and rings. He always happily showed them. "Wild Bill" would also go to Little League games at Recreation Park. He cheered for the neighborhood kids. The baseball field there is now named in his honor.
Bill Hallahan passed away at age 78 in Binghamton, New York.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
