Ellis Kinder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ellis Kinder |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: July 26, 1914 Atkins, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| Died: October 16, 1968 (aged 54) Jackson, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 30, 1946, for the St. Louis Browns | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 8, 1957, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 102–71 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.43 | ||
| Strikeouts | 749 | ||
| Saves | 104 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Ellis Raymond "Old Folks" Kinder (born July 26, 1914 – died October 16, 1968) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. A pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the mound to the batter. Kinder played for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Chicago White Sox. His career in the MLB lasted from 1946 to 1957.
Ellis Kinder was born in Atkins, Arkansas. He batted and threw with his right hand.
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A Long Career in Baseball
Even though Ellis Kinder started his MLB career when he was 31 years old, which is older for a rookie, he played for more than ten years. A rookie is a player in their first season. He is one of the few pitchers in baseball history to achieve a special record. He either won or "saved" a combined total of at least 200 games. A "save" happens when a relief pitcher finishes a game and protects a lead. He was also a "starting pitcher" for at least one-third of his career. A starting pitcher is the one who begins the game.
Ellis Kinder's Best Seasons
In 1949, Kinder was one of the best starting pitchers in the American League. He won 23 games and only lost 6. He also led the league in "shutouts" with 6. A shutout means the pitcher doesn't let the other team score any runs during the entire game. His "winning percentage" was very high at .793. This means he won almost 80% of the games he started.
Later, in 1951, the Red Sox team needed a "relief pitcher." A relief pitcher comes into the game after the starting pitcher. Kinder moved to this role and became the best relief pitcher in the American League until 1955.
Career Statistics
During his 12 years in baseball, Ellis Kinder had impressive statistics.
- He had a "win–loss record" of 102 wins and 71 losses.
- He recorded 749 strikeouts. A strikeout is when a batter misses three pitches.
- His "Earned Run Average" (ERA) was 3.43. ERA measures how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings.
- He pitched 56 "complete games." A complete game is when a pitcher pitches the entire game without being replaced.
- He had 10 shutouts.
- He made 102 saves.
- He pitched 1479.2 "innings pitched" in 484 games. An inning is a section of a baseball game.
The Famous Seagull Incident
On May 17, 1947, something unusual happened while Kinder was pitching for the St. Louis Browns. A seagull flew over Fenway Park and dropped a three-pound fish called a "smelt" right on him! Even with this strange event, Kinder still helped his team beat the Boston Red Sox 4–2.
Ellis Kinder's Achievements
Ellis Kinder had many notable achievements during his baseball career:
- He was in the Top 10 for the MVP award twice (in 1949 and 1951).
- He led the league in winning percentage twice (1949, 1951).
- He led the league in shutouts once (1949).
- He led the league in games pitched twice (63 games in 1951; 69 games in 1953).
- He led the league in saves twice (1951, 1953).
- In 1951, he pitched a 10-inning scoreless relief win-game. On July 12, 1951, Kinder came into the game in the eighth inning. He kept the Chicago White Sox from scoring for 10 innings! The Red Sox finally scored a run in the 17th inning to win the game 5–4.
- He won The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1949.
Later Life and Passing
Ellis Kinder passed away in Jackson, Tennessee, when he was 54 years old. He died after undergoing open-heart surgery.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders
