Sammy Ellis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sammy Ellis |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 11, 1941 Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Died: May 13, 2016 (aged 75) Temple Terrace, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 14, 1962, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 8, 1969, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 63–58 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.15 | ||
| Strikeouts | 677 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Samuel Joseph Ellis (born February 11, 1941 – died May 13, 2016) was an American professional baseball pitcher. A pitcher is a player who throws the baseball from the mound to the batter. Sammy played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the Cincinnati Reds, California Angels, and Chicago White Sox. He was chosen as an MLB All-Star in 1965.
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Sammy's College Baseball Start
Sammy Ellis was born in Youngstown, Ohio. He began his baseball journey in college. He played for the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Mississippi State University. In 1961, he had a great year. He won 12 games and lost 7. He also led his team in strikeouts with 73.
After college, the Cincinnati Reds signed him in 1961. In 2012, he was honored for his achievements. He was added to Mississippi State's Athletics Hall of Fame.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Sammy Ellis made his first big league appearance in 1962. This was on April 14, 1962. He lost that first game. But just ten days later, he earned his first win. He allowed only one hit in that game.
After playing some time in the minor leagues, Sammy returned to the Reds in 1964. He became a reliever, a pitcher who comes into the game after the starting pitcher. He finished that season with a strong record of 10 wins and 3 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was 2.57. An ERA shows how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings.
Becoming an All-Star
The year 1965 was Sammy's best. He was chosen for the All-Star Game. This is a special game where the best players from different teams play against each other. Sammy won 22 games that year. He also pitched 15 complete games and two shutouts. A complete game means the pitcher throws for the whole game. A shutout means the other team scores no runs.
Moving to New Teams
After the 1967 season, Sammy was traded. He went to the California Angels. He played there for one season in 1968. He was both a starting pitcher and a reliever for the Angels. He even earned two saves. A save is when a reliever finishes a close game without letting the other team score.
In 1969, Sammy was traded again. He joined the Chicago White Sox. Later that year, he was traded one more time to the Cleveland Indians. However, he played in the minor leagues after that. He never made it back to the major leagues as a player.
Coaching Baseball
After his playing career, Sammy Ellis became a pitching coach. He helped other pitchers for 12 seasons. He worked for many famous teams. These included the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles.
One famous pitcher, Tommy John, said Sammy helped him a lot. Sammy watched Tommy pitch and gave him advice. This advice helped Tommy improve his throwing style.
Later Life
Sammy Ellis lived in Temple Terrace, Florida for a long time. He passed away on May 13, 2016, at the age of 75.
