Red Ames facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red Ames |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: August 2, 1882 Warren, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Died: October 8, 1936 (aged 54) Warren, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 14, 1903, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 15, 1919, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 183–167 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.63 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,702 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Leon Kessling "Red" Ames (born August 2, 1882 – died October 8, 1936) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1903 to 1919. Red Ames played for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, and Philadelphia Phillies. He was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 185 pounds. He threw the ball with his right hand and could bat from either side of the plate.
Red Ames' Baseball Career
Red Ames was born in Warren, Ohio. He became a key pitcher for the New York Giants in the early 1900s. He made his first big league appearance on September 14, 1903. In that game, he pitched a special five-inning no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals. The game ended early because it got too dark to play.
He joined the Giants' main pitching team in 1905. That year was his best, as he won 22 games. His ERA was 2.74, which is very good. These efforts helped the Giants win their first World Series championship in the 1900s. Even though the Giants were often top contenders, injuries sometimes kept him from becoming an even bigger star. His career ERA of 2.63 is the same as the legendary pitcher Cy Young.
Red Ames played in three World Series with the Giants. These were in 1905, 1911, and 1912. He mostly pitched as a relief pitcher in these big games. He only started one World Series game, which was the final game in 1911. He lost that game to the Philadelphia Athletics. Later, in 1913, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. After that, he didn't have as much success as he did with the Giants.
Red Ames was known for his powerful curveball. He also led the National League in saves twice. He had six saves in 1914 and eight saves in 1916. He also led the league in strikeouts per nine innings pitched in 1905, 1906, and 1907.
On April 15, 1909, Red Ames pitched an amazing game on Opening Day. He didn't allow any hits for nine innings against the Brooklyn Superbas. However, neither team had scored any runs, so the game went into extra innings. In the 10th inning, Ames finally gave up a hit. The Giants ended up losing the game 3-0 in the 13th inning. Even though he didn't give up a hit for nine innings, Major League Baseball no longer counts games like this as official no-hitters. Still, it remains the longest Opening Day start for a Giants pitcher.
In 1919, Red Ames was in a minor car accident with two other players, Lee Meadows and Bill Doak. It happened in St. Louis when their car hit a streetcar. Luckily, initial reports said that no one was seriously hurt.
After Baseball
After his time in Major League Baseball, Red Ames continued to play in the minor leagues for three more years. He also worked as a manager for a short time in the minor leagues in 1923. His son, Leon Kessling "Red" Ames Jr., also played baseball. He played for Ohio State in 1927 and then for the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm team for several years.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders
