WHY I THINK DEACON PHILLIPPE SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK DEACON PHILLIPPE SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Deacon Phillippe was an absolutely brilliant control pitcher. He allowed only 363 walks in 2,607 innings, which translates to 1.25 per nine innings, which is the best control of any pitcher since the mound was moved to its present distance (with a minimum of 2,500 innings). His big fastball and tricky curveball helped Phillippe to allow the fewest walks per nine innings in the NL twice and compile a 2.59 career ERA. Phillippe was also a good hitter and an exceptional fielder with a fielding average an impressive 22 points above the league average. Deacon Phillippe started his career with the Louisville Colonels in 1899, going 21-17 with a no-hitter on May 25. He went 20-13 for the Pirates in 1900 and, taking no notion of stopping, he went won 22, 20, and 25 games across the next three seasons. Phillippe slumped to 10-10 in 1904 but won 20 games again in 1905. Phillippe had two more good seasons in 1906-07 but pitched ony 12 innings in 1908. When he returned in 1909, Phillippe was still at the top of his game, as he went 8-3 and helped the Pirates to a World Series title over Ty Cobb’s Tigers. He pitched six scoreless innings in the Series but didn’t match his 1903 performance, when he went 3-2 with five complete games, 22 strikeouts, and only three walks in 44 innings. Phillippe went 14-2 in 1910 and pitched six innings in 1911 before retiring. Deacon Phillippe was a great control pitcher, a consistent winner, and one of the greatest pitchers in World Series history. His lifetime record warrants his induction to the Hall of Fame.

LIFETIME STATISTICS

Games Pitched career: 372 season high: 42 in 1899 

Starts career: 289 season high: 38 in 1899 

Complete Games career: 242 season high: 33 in 1899 

Shutouts career: 27 season high: 5 in 1902 and 1905 

Games Finished career: 72 season high: 19 in 1910 

Wins career: 189 season high: 25 in 1903 

Losses career: 109 season high: 17 in 1899 

Winning Percentage career: .634 season high: .875 in 1910 led NL: .875 in 1910 

ERA career: 2.59 season low: 2.05 in 1902 

WHIP career: 1.105 season low: 1.030 in 1903 led NL: 1.030 in 1903 

Innings Pitched career: 2,607 season high: 321 in 1899 

Strikeouts career: 929 season high: 133 in 1905 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 3.2 season high: 4.4 in 1904 

Walks career: 363 season high: 64 in 1899 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 2.56 season high: 4.69 in 1902 led NL: 4.69 in 1902, 4.24 in 1903, 3.15 in 1904, 3.46 in 1906 

Saves career: 12 season high: 4 in 1910 

Fielding Percentage career: .955 season high: .984 in 1907 

Double Plays career: 17 season high: 3 in 1899 and 1904 

Putouts career: 97 season high: 15 in 1901 

Assists career: 624 season high: 89 in 1901 

DID YOU KNOW?

-started the first modern World Series game ever, pitching a complete game victory over Cy Young and picking up ten strikeouts 

-pitched one scoreless inning with a strikeout during his final MLB game 

-allowed the fewest walks per nine innings in the NL in 1902, 1903, 1905, 1906, and 1907

-is the only starting pitcher in history to allow less than one walk per game he pitched

-pitched 279 innings in 1905 without allowing a home run, which was the most in the NL 

-his three wins and five decisions in the 1903 World Series are still MLB records to the day 

-ranks 49th in career winning percentage, 28th in WHIP, and 16th in the fewest walks allowed per nine innings (1.3) 

-also played three games in the outfield 

-was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1982