WHY I THINK JACK QUINN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK JACK QUINN SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Jack Quinn was a great pitcher who lasted forever. He debuted in 1909, a 25 year old spitballer for the Yankees, and pitched his last game in 1933, a 50 year old reliever for the Reds. He was also a good fielding pitcher and a good enough hitter to be played in the outfield several times in his career. Jack Quinn debuted on April 15, 1909, pitching nine innings without allowing an earned run and finishing the season with nine wins and a 1.97 ERA. He went 18-12 in 1910 with a 2.37 ERA, but fell off a bit and was used more in relief. He jumped to the Federal League in 1914 and posted a record of 26-14 with a 2.60 ERA for the Baltimore Terrapins at the age of 30. After a slow 1915 season, Quinn was banished to the minors for the next two seasons. However, Quinn dominated in class AA and was promoted to the Majors again in 1918 as a member of the White Sox. The Yankees got him back and he had two fine seasons with them in 1919 and 1920. Quinn solidified himself as one of the most consistent starters of the 1920’s, as he won 131 games and posted a 3.50 ERA in the big hitting decade. In 1928, his age 44 season, he went 18-7 with a 2.90 ERA. A master of control, Quinn survived on fastballs, changeups, curveballs, and spitballs (he was one of the 17 pitchers who were allowed to throw them until the end of their careers when the spitball was outlawed in 1920) and allowed an average of just two walks per nine innings. He won 17 more games in the 1930’s, twice led the NL in saves, got his first MVP votes in 1931 (he finished 17th). He was the oldest pitcher ever to start a World Series game (in 1929) and on Opening Day (1931). He finally called it quits in 1933, pitching his last MLB game at the age of 50 (one hit and no earned runs allowed across 1 ⅔ innings). Jack Quinn was a truly great pitcher and had amazing longevity. If he’d gotten started a few years earlier, he would have approached 300 wins and surpassed 4,000 innings. As it is, Quinn is still a very good candidate for the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games Pitched career: 756 season high: 46 in 1914 

Starts career: 443 season high: 42 in 1914 

Complete Games career: 243 season high: 27 in 1914 

Shutouts career: 28 season high: 4 in 1914, 1919, 1922, and 1928 

Games Finished career: 218 season high: 32 in 1932 led AL: 19 in 1911, 29 in 1931, 32 in 1932 

Wins career: 247 season high: 26 in 1914 

Losses career: 218 season high: 22 in 1915 led FL: 22 in 1915 

Winning Percentage career: .531 season high: .720 in 1928 

ERA career: 3.29 season low: 2.37 in 1910 

WHIP career: 1.300 season low: 1.154 in 1910 and 1919 

Innings Pitched career: 3,920 ⅓ season high: 342 ⅔ in 1914 

Strikeouts career: 1,329 season high: 164 in 1914 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 3.1 season high: 4.3 in 1914 

Walks career: 860 season high: 65 in 1914 and 1919 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 1.55 season high: 2.52 in 1914 led AL: 2.10 in 1920 

Saves career: 56 season high: 13 in 1931 led NL: 13 in 1931, 9 in 1932 

Fielding Percentage career: .969 season high: 1.000 in 1927 led AL P: 1.000 in 1927 

Double Plays career: 39 season high: 5 in 1910 

Putouts career: 144 season high: 19 in 1914 

Assists career: 1,240 season high: 111 in 1910 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: .407 season high: .625 in 1924 (Quinn’s caught stealing information from before 1918 is unavailable) 

Pickoffs career: 34 season high: 5 in 1919 (Quinn’s pickoff information from before 1918 is unavailable) 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-won World Series rings with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929 and 1930 

-allowed the fewest home runs per nine innings in the FL in 1914 

-allowed the fewest walks per nine innings in the AL in 1920 and 1927 

-pitched over 200 innings in a season eleven times 

-had a career fielding percentage 17 points above the league average 

-is one of only six MLB players ever to play past the age of 50 

-is the oldest player ever to hit a home run in the American League 

-hit home runs off of Chief Bender, Stan Coveleski, and Urban Shocker 

-was used as a pinch hitter in 15 games 

-ranks 50th in career wins, 45th in innings pitched, and 45th in batters faced 

-among MLB pitchers, ranks eighth in career assists 

-was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2006