WHY I THINK BOB CARUTHERS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK BOB CARUTHERS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Bob Caruthers was one of the greatest two way players in history. As I have already explained, two way players are the most talented of all because it is hard enough to succeed as a hitter or a pitcher, forget both. Caruthers was not only one of the best pitchers of the 19th century, but he was also a great hitter. Bob Caruthers started his career with the AA St. Louis Browns in 1884, going 7-2 with a 2.61 ERA. He had his best season on the mound in 1885, winning 40 of 53 decisions and leading the American Association in ERA. Caruthers came into his own as a hitter the following season, batting .334 with a .448 OBP to complement his 30 victories. He followed up with two 29 win seasons and was back up to 40 in 1889. As the strain began to mount on his 25 year old arm, Caruthers began to see fewer innings on the mound and more in the outfield. He had two more quality seasons on the mound, but slipped to 2-10 in 1892. He played 132 games in the field that season, by far more than he had in any other season, and proceeded to tally 100+ hits for the third time in his career. He appeared in 14 games in 1893 (none as a pitcher) before he called it quits. Now it was common for a 19th century pitcher to throw several hundred innings per season, then burn out his arm after five or six seasons. While the same thing essentially happened to Caruthers, he was able to accomplish more in that short window of time than perhaps any other 19th century pitcher. His won-lost record of 218-99 made him the only pitcher in history to win 200 or more games and lose fewer than 100. He led the AA in winning percentage three times and had an excellent 2.83 career ERA. That, and what he was able to accomplish at the plate, make him a viable Hall of Fame candidate. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games Pitched career: 340 season high: 56 in 1889 

Starts career: 310 season high: 53 in 1885 

Complete Games career: 298 season high: 53 in 1885 

Shutouts career: 24 season high: 7 in 1889 led AA: 7 in 1889 

Games Finished career: 29 season high: 6 in 1884, 1889, and 1891 

Wins career: 218 season high: 40 in 1885 and 1889 led AA: 40 in 1885 and 1889 

Losses career: 99 season high: 15 in 1888 

Winning Percentage career: .688 season high: .784 in 1889 led AA: .755 in 1885, .763 in 1887, .784 in 1889 

ERA career: 2.83 season low: 2.07 in 1885 led AA: 2.07 in 1885 

WHIP career: 1.158 season low: 0.996 in 1888 led AA: 1.167 in 1887 

Innings Pitched career: 2,828 ⅔ season high: 482 ⅓ in 1885 

Strikeouts career: 900 season high: 190 in 1885 

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings career: 2.9 season high: 3.9 in 1886 

Walks career: 597 (0 intentional) season high: 107 in 1891 

Strikeouts Per Walk career: 1.51 season high: 3.33 in 1885 

Saves career: 3 season high: 1 in 1889, 1891, and 1892 

Games career: 705 season high: 143 in 1892 

At Bats career: 2,465 season high: 513 in 1892 

Hits career: 695 season high: 142 in 1892 

Doubles career: 104 season high: 23 in 1887 

Triples career: 50 season high: 14 in 1886 

Home Runs career: 29 season high: 8 in 1887 

Runs career: 508 season high: 102 in 1887 

Runs Batted In career: 359 season high: 73 in 1887 

Stolen Bases career: 152 season high: 49 in 1887 (Caruthers’s stolen base information prior to 1886 is unavailable) 

Walks career: 417 season high: 86 in 1892 

Strikeouts career: 140 season high: 40 in 1888 (Caruthers’s strikeout information prior to 1887 is unavailable) 

Batting Average career: .282 season high: .357 in 1887 

On Base Percentage career: .391 season high: .463 in 1887 led AA: .448 in 1886 

Slugging Percentage career: .400 season high: .547 in 1887 

Total Bases career: 986 season high: 199 in 1887 

Sacrifice Hits career: N/A 

Fielding Percentage career: .904 season high: .968 in 1889 led AA P: .971 in 1887 

Double Plays career: 35 season high: 8 in 1892 

Putouts career: 788 season high: 209 in 1892 

Assists career: 657 season high: 105 in 1887 

Caught Stealing Percentage career: N/A 

Pickoffs career: N/A 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Parisian Bob” 

-allowed the fewest walks per nine innings in the AA in 1889 (2.1) and the fewest home runs per nine in 1885 (0.1) 

-led the AA in OPS (.974) in 1886 

-had seven wins and a 2.51 ERA in 147 innings of postseason play, and won the unofficial “World Series” with the Browns in 1886 

-hit two home runs, one triple, and one double on August 16, 1886 

-hit two home runs off of Guy Hecker and one each off of Kid Nichols, Silver King, Bobby Mathews, and Tony Mullane
-went 16-32-2 as a player manager in 1892 

-ranks eighth in career winning percentage (minimum 100 wins) 

-also played 13 games at first base and nine at second base