Bill Bailey (baseball)
Encyclopedia
William F. Bailey was an American
left-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
. He played for the St. Louis Browns
(1907–12), Baltimore Terrapins
(1914–15), Chicago Whales (1915), Detroit Tigers
(1918), and St. Louis Cardinals
(1921–22). He had a career record of 38-76 with a 3.57 ERA
. But despite his poor overall record, in the inaugural Federal League season of 1914, Bailey fanned more than one batter per inning (131 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings, or 9.2 strikeouts per 9 innings), a virtually unheard-of feat in that era. In the 1910-19 decade no other pitcher with at least 100 innings pitched even approached that level, with Rube Marquard (7.7 strikeouts per 9 innings in 1911) being a distant second. Nonetheless, poor Bill even had a losing record (7-9) in that season.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He played for the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1907–12), Baltimore Terrapins
Baltimore Terrapins
The Baltimore Terrapins were one of the most successful teams in the short-lived Federal League of professional baseball from to , but their brief existence led to litigation that led to an important legal precedent in baseball...
(1914–15), Chicago Whales (1915), Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1918), and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1921–22). He had a career record of 38-76 with a 3.57 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. But despite his poor overall record, in the inaugural Federal League season of 1914, Bailey fanned more than one batter per inning (131 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings, or 9.2 strikeouts per 9 innings), a virtually unheard-of feat in that era. In the 1910-19 decade no other pitcher with at least 100 innings pitched even approached that level, with Rube Marquard (7.7 strikeouts per 9 innings in 1911) being a distant second. Nonetheless, poor Bill even had a losing record (7-9) in that season.