Bob Caruthers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bob Caruthers |
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| Pitcher / Outfielder | |||
| Born: January 5, 1864 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Died: August 5, 1911 (aged 47) Peoria, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 7, 1884, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 19, 1893, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 218–99 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.83 | ||
| Strikeouts | 900 | ||
| Batting average | .282 | ||
| Home runs | 29 | ||
| Runs batted in | 359 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Robert Lee Caruthers (born January 5, 1864 – died August 5, 1911) was a famous American baseball player. He was known as "Parisian Bob" because he once handled a contract dispute from Paris. Bob was a right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball. He played mostly for the St. Louis Browns and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.
Bob Caruthers was a star pitcher. He helped his teams win five league championships during his ten-year career. He was one of the best pitchers in the American Association. He led the league in wins and shutouts twice. He also led in winning percentage three times and earned run average once. His 175 wins in the American Association were the second most ever. His ERA of 2.62 was the lowest for any pitcher with over 2,000 innings in that league. He was also the only pitcher to win 40 games in a season for two different teams. His career winning percentage was the best for any pitcher before 1950.
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Bob Caruthers: Early Career in St. Louis
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Bob Caruthers was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He started his career with the St. Louis Browns in 1884. He pitched a great game, allowing only four hits. Caruthers was not a big player, standing 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 138 pounds.
In 1885, he helped the Browns win their first league title. He led the league in many stats that year. These included wins (40), ERA (2.07), shutouts (6), and winning percentage (.755). In 1886, he won 30 games and lost 14. This was after a long contract talk. The Browns won the championship again that year.
When he wasn't pitching in 1886, he played right field. He was a good hitter too, with a batting average of .334. This placed him among the league's top hitters. He also led the league in on-base percentage. On August 16, 1886, he made history. He became the fourth pitcher to hit two home runs in one game. He also hit a double and a triple in that game.
In 1887, Caruthers continued to play well. He won 29 games and lost 9. The Browns won their third straight title. He also batted .357 with 73 runs batted in. After the 1887 season, the team owner, Chris von der Ahe, sold Caruthers' contract. He was sold to the Brooklyn team.
Playing for Brooklyn
In 1888, Caruthers had a record of 29 wins and 15 losses for Brooklyn. His batting average dropped to .230 that year. In 1889, he again led the league in wins (40), shutouts (7), and winning percentage (.784). The Brooklyn team won its first championship. During this time, he mostly pitched and rarely played in the field.
After the 1889 season, Brooklyn joined the National League. Caruthers had 175 wins in his six seasons in the American Association. This was the second-best total in the league's ten-year history. His ERA of 2.62 was the best for any pitcher with at least 2,000 innings.
In 1890, Caruthers won 23 games and lost 11. Brooklyn won the National League title in their first year in the new league. He also played a lot in left field and batted .265. In 1891, his record was 18 wins and 14 losses. He played less in right field but still hit well, with a .281 average.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1892, Caruthers went back to the St. Louis Browns. The Browns had also joined the National League. This was his last season as a pitcher. He won only two games that year. However, he played regularly in right field, hitting .277 with 69 RBI. He also became the team's manager for the last part of the season.
In 1893, the distance for pitching was changed. It went from 50 feet to 60 feet 6 inches. After playing one game for the Chicago Colts, he ended his Major League career. He played a few more games in right field for the Cincinnati Reds. He continued to play in minor leagues until 1898. Later, he became an American League umpire in 1902 and 1903.
During his career, Caruthers pitched 298 complete games out of 310 starts. He had 24 shutouts. His career ERA was 2.83 in over 2,800 innings pitched. He also batted .282 in his career. He hit 29 home runs and had 359 RBI. He was the only pitcher in the 1800s to lead the league in winning percentage three times.
Many sources say he had 218 wins and 99 losses. This would make his .688 winning percentage one of the best of all time. Bob Caruthers died on August 5, 1911, in Peoria, Illinois. He was 47 years old. He had been sick for about a month. At the time of his death, he was working as a minor league baseball umpire.
See also
- List of St. Louis Cardinals team records
- List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
- List of Major League Baseball player-managers
