Charlie Root
Encyclopedia
Charles Henry Root was an American
right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
for the Chicago Cubs
for sixteen seasons from 1926 through 1941. He holds the club record for games, innings pitched, and career wins with 201.
Born in Middletown
, Ohio
, Root began his career on April 18, 1923 with the St. Louis Browns
. On October 1, 1932, he threw the pitch that Babe Ruth
allegedly predicted he would hit into the seats in the 1932 World Series
at Wrigley Field
in Chicago (see: Babe Ruth's Called Shot
). Root, however, said that Ruth had not pointed to the bleachers, stating that, "If he pointed to the bleachers, I would have put one in his ear and knocked him on his ass".
His best season was in 1927, where, despite a 3.76 ERA, he won 26 games. He had a career-low 2.60 ERA in 1933 while winning 15 games. He went to four World Series with the Cubs and lost all four.
He died at age 71 in Hollister
, California
. As quoted by Baseball Legends: The Charlie Root Story, by Joseph E. Bennett, Jan. 1995 Knight Templar magazine "Root was one of the fiercest competitors the game ever knew... his cigar-chomping, no-nonsense visage was one of the most intimidating tools in his baseball arsenal."
According to his daughter Della, two days before his death he told her, "I gave my life to baseball, and I'll only be remembered for something that never happened".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
right-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...
for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for sixteen seasons from 1926 through 1941. He holds the club record for games, innings pitched, and career wins with 201.
Born in Middletown
Middletown, Ohio
Middletown is an All-America City located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Formerly in Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the Ohio General Assembly on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Root began his career on April 18, 1923 with 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...
. On October 1, 1932, he threw the pitch that Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
allegedly predicted he would hit into the seats in the 1932 World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in Chicago (see: Babe Ruth's Called Shot
Babe Ruth's Called Shot
Babe Ruth's called shot was the home run hit by Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, held on October 1, 1932 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. During the at-bat, Ruth made a pointing gesture, which existing film confirms, but the exact nature of his...
). Root, however, said that Ruth had not pointed to the bleachers, stating that, "If he pointed to the bleachers, I would have put one in his ear and knocked him on his ass".
His best season was in 1927, where, despite a 3.76 ERA, he won 26 games. He had a career-low 2.60 ERA in 1933 while winning 15 games. He went to four World Series with the Cubs and lost all four.
He died at age 71 in Hollister
Hollister, California
Hollister is a city in and the county seat of San Benito County, California, United States. The population was 34,928 at the 2010 census. Hollister is primarily an agricultural town.-History:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. As quoted by Baseball Legends: The Charlie Root Story, by Joseph E. Bennett, Jan. 1995 Knight Templar magazine "Root was one of the fiercest competitors the game ever knew... his cigar-chomping, no-nonsense visage was one of the most intimidating tools in his baseball arsenal."
According to his daughter Della, two days before his death he told her, "I gave my life to baseball, and I'll only be remembered for something that never happened".
See also
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
External links
- Charlie Root at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...