WHY I THINK DAVE FOUTZ SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK DAVE FOUTZ SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Shohei Ohtani had an incredible 2021 season. He was the unanimous AL MVP for both his hitting prowess and pitching skills. He went 9-2 on the mound with a 3.18 ERA, and also batted .257 with 46 homers. He was easily the best player in baseball, as he provided much value both at bat and on the mound (something that nobody has been able to do since Babe Ruth, but even Ruth started hitting only after he stopped pitching), but he rightfully fell short of both the Hank Aaron Award (for the best hitter in the league) and the Cy Young Award. Dave Foutz was kind of like that, more of a pitcher than a hitter, but nonetheless the first pitcher to reach 1,000 career hits. He was a lifetime .276 hitter with two .300 seasons and two 100 RBI seasons, but he was one of the greatest pitchers of the 19th century, with a lifetime record of 147-66 (.690) and a 2.84 ERA. Dave Foutz started his career with the St. Louis Browns (American Association) in 1884, and went 15-6 with a 2.18 ERA. He got off to a very late start, as he made his MLB debut shortly before his 28th birthday. Foutz went 33-14 in 1885, completing each of his 46 starts, and had his best season to date in 1886. That season, he led the AA in wins (41), ERA (2.11), winning percentage, and saves. He also started hitting that year, as he batted .280. In 1887, he batted .357 with 108 RBI’s, and also went 25-12 on the mound. He averaged over 100 RBI’s per season over the next three years, and while he was still a good pitcher, he focused more on his hitting, as a broken thumb had inhibited him from throwing as many innings. In 1891, while with the Brooklyn Grooms (today’s Dodgers), he had an off year at the plate, and began to see more innings on the mound. In 1892, he went 13-8 and pitched more innings than he had since 1887. His hitting continued to suffer until 1894 when, at the age of 37, he batted .303. He pitched his final game in 1894 and stuck around until 1896 as an outfielder and first baseman. He died on March 5, 1897. Dave Foutz was a good hitter, a great pitcher, and one of the few successful two way players in history. It takes a lot of focus and practice to make yourself into a good pitcher, and the same goes for the making of a hitter. Most people can’t commit to both, and instead specialize in one. Some very special players, most notably Foutz, Mike Smith, Guy Hecker, Smoky Joe Wood, Bob Caruthers, Cy Seymour, Ruth, and Ohtani, could do both. The second criterion in the Hall of Fame voting system is playing ability, and if this wasn’t enough for Foutz’s induction, then the voters clearly haven’t been doing their jobs. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,136 season high: 140 in 1888 

At Bats career: 4,537 season high: 563 in 1888 

Hits career: 1,253 season high: 156 in 1888 

Doubles career: 186 season high: 26 in 1887 and 1891 

Triples career: 91 season high: 13 in 1887, 1888, and 1890 

Home Runs career: 31 season high: 7 in 1893 

Runs career: 784 season high: 118 in 1889 

Runs Batted In career: 750 season high: 113 in 1889 

Stolen Bases career: 280 season high: 48 in 1891 (Foutz’s stolen base information from before 1886 is unavailable) 

Walks career: 300 season high: 64 in 1889 

Strikeouts career: 183 season high: 34 in 1893 (Foutz’s batting strikeout information from before 1887 is unavailable) 

Batting Average career: .276 season high: .357 in 1887 

On Base Percentage career: .323 season high: .393 in 1887 

Slugging Percentage career: .378 season high: .508 in 1887 

Total Bases career: 1,714 season high: 220 in 1890 

Sacrifice Hits career: 10 season high: 8 in 1894 (Foutz’s sacrifice information from before 1894 is unavailable) 

Games Pitched career: 251 season high: 59 in 1886 

Starts career: 216 season high: 57 in 1886 

Complete Games career: 202 season high: 55 in 1886 

Shutouts career: 16 season high: 11 in 1886 

Games Finished career: 33 season high: 7 in 1892 

Wins career: 147 season high: 41 in 1886 led AA: 41 in 1886 

Losses career: 66 season high: 16 in 1886 

Winning Percentage career: .690 season high: .719 in 1886 led AA: .719 in 1886 

ERA career: 2.84 season low: 2.11 in 1886 led AA: 2.11 in 1886 

WHIP career: 1.178 season low: 0.982 in 1884 

Innings Pitched career: 1,997 ⅓ season high: 504 in 1886 

Strikeouts career: 790 season high: 283 in 1886 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 3.6 season high: 5.1 in 1886 

Walks career: 510 season high: 144 in 1886 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 1.55 season high: 2.64 in 1884 

Saves career: 4 season high: 2 in 1890 led AA: 1 in 1886 led NL: 2 in 1890 

Fielding Percentage career: .966 season high: .979 in 1889 

Double Plays career: 317 season high: 66 in 1889 

Putouts career: 6,763 season high: 1,376 in 1889 led AA P: 57 in 1886, 44 in 1887 

Assists career: 658 season high: 106 in 1885 led AA P: 101 in 1885 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: N/A

Pickoffs career: N/A

DID YOU KNOW? 

-brother of Frank Foutz 

-nicknamed “Scissors” 

-was famous for an unassisted pickoff of Pete Browning off first base that he pulled on September 12, 1886 

-batted .286 with a home run and 9 RBI’s in the 1889 World Series 

-had a 2.64 ERA in World Series play, including an 0.62 in 1885 

-hit two home runs off of Silver King and one each off of Kid Nichols, Cy Young, Mickey Welch, John Clarkson, Mike Smith, Matt Kilroy, and Tony Mullane 

-also played a game at shortstop in 1891

-went 264-257-11 (.507) in four seasons as a player-manager

-ranks fifth in career winning percentage