Ed Rile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ed Rile |
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Rile with the 1930 Detroit Stars
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| Pitcher / First baseman | |||
| Born: June 30, 1900 Columbus, Ohio |
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| Died: June 8, 1971 (aged 70) Grove City, Ohio |
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| debut | |||
| 1918, for the Dayton Marcos | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1936, for the Brooklyn Royal Giants | |||
| Teams | |||
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Edward Rile (born June 30, 1900 – died June 8, 1971), known as "Huck", was a talented American baseball player. He played in the Negro leagues as both a pitcher and a first baseman. His career spanned from 1918 to 1936, playing for many different teams.
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Early Baseball Days
Ed Rile was born in Columbus, Ohio, on June 30, 1900. He started his professional baseball journey at just 18 years old. In September 1918, he made his debut as a pitcher for the Dayton Marcos. He continued to pitch for Dayton in 1919.
In 1920, Rile joined the Indianapolis ABCs in the new Negro National League. Later that year, he moved to the independent Lincoln Giants. He played for the Giants in September and October.
Rile stayed with the Lincoln Giants at the start of 1921. By September, he was playing for the Columbus Buckeyes. A big moment for him was throwing a no-hitter against Indianapolis. He also won both games of a doubleheader against the Chicago Giants. In October, Rile, along with other stars, helped the Kansas City Monarchs. They played against the Kansas City Blues from the American Association.
Becoming a Star Pitcher
In 1922, Rile joined the Chicago American Giants. He had a good season, winning 6 games and losing 5. His ERA was 3.09. A highlight was when he allowed only two hits and struck out 14 batters. This happened against the Cuban Stars on April 8.
He returned to the American Giants for the 1923 season. He threw a one-hitter against the St. Louis Stars on June 11. That year, Rile had an impressive record of 15 wins and 7 losses. He completed 14 games and led the league with a 2.53 ERA.
In March 1924, Rile and Harold Treadwell pitched a combined no-hitter. This was for Chicago against a team in Dallas, Texas. Later in May 1924, Rile played for the Homestead Grays. The Pittsburgh Courier newspaper called him "one of the most dangerous moundsmen" (pitchers) in baseball. By July, he was back with the American Giants.
Excelling as a Two-Way Player
In 1926, while still with Indianapolis, Rile became a two-way player. This means he was skilled at both pitching and hitting. He had a strong 2.44 ERA as a pitcher. As a first baseman, he hit very well, with a .310 batting average.
Rile joined the Detroit Stars in 1927. He continued to be a great pitcher, with 11 wins and 6 losses. His ERA was 2.43. At the plate, he had his best hitting year. He batted .389 with 11 home runs. He also had a .439 on-base percentage. During the winter of 1927-28, he played in the Cuban League.
In 1928, the Stars got more pitchers. So, Rile mostly played as a first baseman. He led the league with a .425 on-base percentage. He also hit .348 with eight home runs.
Later Career and Legacy
By 1929, Rile played almost entirely as a first baseman for the Detroit Stars. He batted .286 that year. He briefly rejoined the Chicago American Giants later in the season. In 1930, his last full season in the Negro National League, he batted .304 for the Stars.
After 1930, Rile played for independent teams. He made one pitching appearance for the Indianapolis ABCs in 1931. He then played for the Detroit Giants and Brooklyn Royal Giants until 1936. He was both a pitcher and a first baseman. In 1935, he also managed and played for the Syracuse Black Chiefs.
Ed Rile passed away on June 8, 1971, in Grove City, Ohio. He is remembered as a versatile and talented player in the Negro leagues.
