Davey Dunkle
Encyclopedia
Edward Perks "Davey" Dunkle (August 30, 1872 - November 19, 1941) was a pitcher
in Major League Baseball
. He played all or parts of five seasons in the majors between 1897 and 1904, for the Philadelphia Phillies
, National League
's Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox
, and American League
's Washington Senators
. Dunkle stood at 6' 2" and weighed 220 lbs.
. It was the only MLB campaign in which he finished over .500; writer Bob Carroll
later claimed that he "lost his effectiveness" after that year.
In 1898, Dunkle started the season 1-4 and then returned to the minors. He went 7-2 in the Eastern League
during August and September. The following season, he split time between the National League's Senators and the Eastern League's Providence Grays
, and he stayed with the Grays in 1900 and 1901. In 1901, Dunkle went 26-13 to lead the Eastern League in wins. He moved to the American Association
's Louisville Colonels for 1902 and had another big year, pitching a total of 373 innings and going 30-10. He led the AA in wins, winning percentage
, and innings.
Dunkle got another shot in the majors in 1903. He started the season with the American League's Chicago White Sox. After going 4-4, he was traded to the Washington Senators on July 20 and went 5-9 for them to finish out the year. In 1904, Dunkle won just 2 out of his 11 decisions, and he was sold back to the Louisville Colonels. He won 17 games in 1905 and 16 games in 1906 before retiring from professional baseball.
Dunkle returned to Pennsylvania after his playing days were over. He died in Lock Haven
in 1941.
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 all or parts of five seasons in the majors between 1897 and 1904, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, and American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
's Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. Dunkle stood at 6' 2" and weighed 220 lbs.
Career
Dunkle was born in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania. He started his professional baseball career in 1894 in the Pennsylvania State League. He then had short stints in the Virginia State League, Atlantic League, and Central Pennsylvania League before joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 1897. Dunkle made his major league debut on August 28. Over the last two months of the season, he started seven games for the Phillies, completed all seven, and went 5-2 with a 3.48 earned run averageEarned 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...
. It was the only MLB campaign in which he finished over .500; writer Bob Carroll
Bob Carroll (author)
Robert Nuehardt Carroll, Jr. was an American historian and author.Carroll was best known for his contributions to American football research. He was the founder and executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association , and edited the group's newsletter, The Coffin Corner until...
later claimed that he "lost his effectiveness" after that year.
In 1898, Dunkle started the season 1-4 and then returned to the minors. He went 7-2 in the Eastern League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
during August and September. The following season, he split time between the National League's Senators and the Eastern League's Providence Grays
Providence Grays (minor league)
The minor league Providence Grays was the name of several minor league baseball teams between and . These teams were unconnected to the Major League Baseball Providence Grays....
, and he stayed with the Grays in 1900 and 1901. In 1901, Dunkle went 26-13 to lead the Eastern League in wins. He moved to the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
's Louisville Colonels for 1902 and had another big year, pitching a total of 373 innings and going 30-10. He led the AA in wins, winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
, and innings.
Dunkle got another shot in the majors in 1903. He started the season with the American League's Chicago White Sox. After going 4-4, he was traded to the Washington Senators on July 20 and went 5-9 for them to finish out the year. In 1904, Dunkle won just 2 out of his 11 decisions, and he was sold back to the Louisville Colonels. He won 17 games in 1905 and 16 games in 1906 before retiring from professional baseball.
Dunkle returned to Pennsylvania after his playing days were over. He died in Lock Haven
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
The city of Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, micropolitan statistical area, itself part of the...
in 1941.