Eppa Rixey
Encyclopedia
Eppa Rixey Jr. nicknamed "Jephtha", was an American left-handed
pitcher
who played 21 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies
and Cincinnati Reds
in Major League Baseball
from 1912 to 1933. Rixey was best known as the National League's
leader in career victories for a left-hander with 266 wins until Warren Spahn
surpassed his total in 1959.
Rixey attended the University of Virginia
where he was a star pitcher. He was discovered by umpire Cy Rigler
, who convinced him to sign directly with the Phillies, bypassing minor league baseball entirely. His time with the Phillies was marked by inconsistency. He won 22 games in 1916, but also led the league in losses twice. In 1915, the Phillies played in the World Series, and Rixey lost in his only appearance. After being traded to the Reds prior to the 1921 season, he won 20 or more games in a season three times, including a league-leading 25 in 1922, and posted eight consecutive winning seasons. His skills were declining by the 1929 season, when his record was 10-13 with a 4.16 earned run average
. He pitched another four seasons before retiring after the 1933 season.
An intellectual
who taught high school Latin during the off-season, earning the nickname "Jephtha" for his southern drawl, Rixey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1963 but died a month after his election.
, and at the age of ten, his father, a banker, moved his family to Charlottesville, Virginia
. His uncles were John Franklin Rixey
a former congressman
and Presley Marion Rixey
the former Surgeon General of the United States Navy
.
He attended the University of Virginia
, where he played basketball and baseball; his brother Bill also played baseball for the University. During the off-season, umpire
Cy Rigler
worked as an assistant coach for the University. He recognized Rixey's talent and tried to sign him to the Philadelphia Phillies
. Rixey originally declined, saying he wanted to be a chemist, but Rigler insisted, even offering a substantial portion of the bonus he received for signing a player. With his family in financial trouble, Rixey accepted the deal. The National League, upon hearing of the deal, created a rule that prohibits umpires from signing players. Neither Rixey nor Rigler received any signing bonus.
. His time with the Phillies was marked by inconsistency. He went 10-10 in his first year, with a 2.50 earned run average
(ERA) and 10 complete game
s in 23 games pitched. He had a three hit shutout
against the Chicago Cubs
on July 18. Rixey was on the losing end of a no-hitter
by Jeff Tesreau
on September 6. After the season, the Chicago Cubs under new manager Johnny Evers
offered an "huge sum" to the Phillies for Rixey, but manager Red Dooin
declined the offer. Prior to the 1913 season, Rixey notified the Phillies of his desire to finish his studies at the University of Virginia and graduate in June, however, after some negotiation, he decided to sign a contract re-joined the team shortly after the season began. That season, he appeared in 35 games, started 19 of them, winning nine games, and had a 3.12 earned run average. In 1914, his record worsened to 2-11, and his earned run average increased to 4.37. Rixey's record improved to 11–12 in 1915, and lowered his earned run average to 2.39 as the Phillies won the National League pennant
and played the Boston Red Sox
in the 1915 World Series
. During Game 5 of the series, Rixey replaced starter Erskine Mayer
for the final six innings of the game. He allowed three runs in the final two innings and lost 5-4.
Rixey went 22-10 in 1916 with a 1.85 ERA and a career high of 134 strikeout
s. On June 29, Rixey pitched a four hit shutout against the New York Giants
, facing the minimum 27 batters, because of three double play
s, and a player caught stealing
. In 1917, despite having a low 2.27 earned run average, Rixey led the league in pitching losses with 21. He also handled 108 chances
without a single error
. Rixey hated losing and was known for destroying the team locker room, or disappear for days at a time after a loss. He missed the 1918 season to serve in the Chemical Warfare Division of the United States army during the war effort
. He struggled upon returning to baseball, going 6-12 with a 3.97 earned run average in 1919, and again leading the league in losses with 22 in 1920. Prior to the 1920 season, rumours circulated that his former manager, Pat Moran
, now with the Cincinnati Reds
, was interested in traded for Rixey. The relationship between Rixey and manager Gavvy Cravath
was never good, and Cravath had let known his desire to trade him, however he stayed with the Phillies that season, working on his delivery with former pitcher Jesse Tannehill who Rixey admitted helped with his pitching delivery.
On November 22, 1920, Rixey was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Jimmy Ring and Greasy Neale. His record during his eight seasons with the Phillies was 87 wins and 103 losses.
and Greasy Neale. In his first season with the Reds, he won 19 games, and set a Major League record by allowing just one home run in 301 innings pitched. In three of the next four seasons, he had 20 or more victories each season, with a league-leading total of 25 in 1922. He also lead the league in innings pitched and hits
allowed in 1922 and shutouts with four in 1924. In 1926 he had 14 wins, followed by seasons of 12, 19 and 10 wins. Rixey's production began to decline in 1930, when he went 9-13 with a 5.10 ERA, and pitched fewer than 200 innings for the first time since 1919. Beginning in 1931 season through the 1933 season, Rixey played very little, and was used almost exclusively against the Pittsburgh Pirates
. For the 1933 season, he was the only Reds pitcher with a winning record with a 6-3 win-loss record as the Reds finished last in the division with a 58-94 record. He retired prior to the 1934 season stating "the manager wasn't giving me enough work". Rixey completed his major league career with 266 wins, 251 losses, and a 3.15 ERA. He appeared in 692 games and completed 290, and had 20 wins and 14 saves as a relief pitcher
.
Bubbles Hargrave
, former Cincinnati catcher gave this testimonial: "Eppa was just great. He was great as a pitcher, fielder and competitor. I look on him as the most outstanding player I came in contact with in my entire career.".
Rixey's approach to the game is exemplified by the following quote: ""How dumb can the hitters in this league get? I've been doing this for fifteen years. When they're batting with the count two balls and no strikes, or three and one, they're always looking for the fastball and they never get it." - Eppa Rixey (1927)
called Rixey the fourth best pitcher in Reds history behind Bucky Walters
, Paul Derringer
and teammate Dolf Luque
.
His 266 career victories was the record for most wins by a left-handed pitcher in the National League until Warren Spahn
broke it in 1959, however his 251 losses are an all-time record for left-handed pitchers. He also held the longevity record for most seasons pitched by a National League left-hander until Steve Carlton
broke it in 1986. As time passed, support for Rixey to be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame grew. He was also inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1958. In 1960
, Rixey finished third in the balloting behind former teammate Edd Roush
and Sam Rice
(who was later inducted the same year as Rixey). Upon his election to the Hall of Fame on January 27, 1963, he was quoted as saying "They're really scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't they?"
In 1969, he was named the greatest left-handed pitcher in Reds history. The Reds Hall of Fame summed up his career: "He was the best left-hander ever to pitch for the Reds with a 179-148 record, 180 complete games, 23 shutouts and a 3.33 ERA in his 13 seasons."
In 1972 he was inducted into the first class of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Rixey's childhood home in Culpeper still stands; it suffered some damage in the 2011 Virginia earthquake
.
and had two children, Eppa Rixey III and Ann Rixey Sikes. After his retirement from baseball, worked for his father-in-law's successful insurance company in Cincinnati, eventually becoming president of the company. He died of a heart attack on February 28, 1963, one month after his election to the Hall of Fame, becoming the first player to die between election and induction to the Hall of Fame. He is interred at Greenlawn Cemetery in Milford, Ohio
. His is one of two "famous" interments at this cemetery, the other being the shortest duration and 43rd Governor of Ohio, John M. Pattison
(1847 - 1906). Greenlawn Cemetery at Find a Grave
.
When Rixey started playing, he was considered an "anomaly". He came from a well-off family and was college-educated, something that was rare during his era. He wrote poetry, and took graduate school classes in chemistry, mathematics and Latin
. During the off-season, he was a Latin teacher at Episcopal High School
in Alexandria, Virginia
. He was also considered among the best golf
ers among athletes during the time period. He was the subject of hazing in his first few years in the Majors. Eventually he teamed up with other college graduates, Joe Oeschger
and Stan Baumgartner
and the hazing lessed to a degree.
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
who played 21 seasons 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...
and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
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...
from 1912 to 1933. Rixey was best known as the National League's
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...
leader in career victories for a left-hander with 266 wins until Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
surpassed his total in 1959.
Rixey attended the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
where he was a star pitcher. He was discovered by umpire Cy Rigler
Cy Rigler
Charles "Cy" Rigler was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1906 to 1935. His total of 4,144 games ranked fourth in major league history when he retired, and his 2,468 games as a plate umpire still place him third behind his NL contemporaries Bill...
, who convinced him to sign directly with the Phillies, bypassing minor league baseball entirely. His time with the Phillies was marked by inconsistency. He won 22 games in 1916, but also led the league in losses twice. In 1915, the Phillies played in the World Series, and Rixey lost in his only appearance. After being traded to the Reds prior to the 1921 season, he won 20 or more games in a season three times, including a league-leading 25 in 1922, and posted eight consecutive winning seasons. His skills were declining by the 1929 season, when his record was 10-13 with a 4.16 earned run average
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...
. He pitched another four seasons before retiring after the 1933 season.
An intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
who taught high school Latin during the off-season, earning the nickname "Jephtha" for his southern drawl, Rixey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1963 but died a month after his election.
Early life
Rixey was born on May 3, 1891 in Culpeper, VirginiaCulpeper, Virginia
Culpeper is an incorporated town in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,664 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Culpeper County. Culpeper is part of the Culpeper Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Culpeper County. Both the Town of Culpeper and...
, and at the age of ten, his father, a banker, moved his family to Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. His uncles were John Franklin Rixey
John Franklin Rixey
John Franklin Rixey was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from Virginia's 8th congressional district from 1897 to 1907....
a former congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and Presley Marion Rixey
Presley Marion Rixey
Rear Admiral Presley Marion Rixey was a Surgeon General of the United States Navy and personal physician to Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.-Biography:...
the former Surgeon General of the United States Navy
Surgeon General of the United States Navy
The Surgeon General of the United States Navy is the senior-most medical corps officer in the United States Navy.- Establishment of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery :...
.
He attended the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where he played basketball and baseball; his brother Bill also played baseball for the University. During the off-season, umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
Cy Rigler
Cy Rigler
Charles "Cy" Rigler was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1906 to 1935. His total of 4,144 games ranked fourth in major league history when he retired, and his 2,468 games as a plate umpire still place him third behind his NL contemporaries Bill...
worked as an assistant coach for the University. He recognized Rixey's talent and tried to sign him to 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...
. Rixey originally declined, saying he wanted to be a chemist, but Rigler insisted, even offering a substantial portion of the bonus he received for signing a player. With his family in financial trouble, Rixey accepted the deal. The National League, upon hearing of the deal, created a rule that prohibits umpires from signing players. Neither Rixey nor Rigler received any signing bonus.
Philadelphia Phillies
Rixey joined the Phillies for the 1912 season without playing a single game of minor league baseballMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. His time with the Phillies was marked by inconsistency. He went 10-10 in his first year, with a 2.50 earned run average
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...
(ERA) and 10 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s in 23 games pitched. He had a three hit shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
against 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...
on July 18. Rixey was on the losing end of a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
by Jeff Tesreau
Jeff Tesreau
Charles Monroe "Jeff" Tesreau was an American Major League Baseball player.Tesreau initially signed with a minor league team of the St. Louis Browns in 1909. In , his contract was purchased by the New York Giants....
on September 6. After the season, the Chicago Cubs under new manager Johnny Evers
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
offered an "huge sum" to the Phillies for Rixey, but manager Red Dooin
Red Dooin
Charles Sebastian "Red" Dooin was an American catcher and manager in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century. He played 1,219 of his 1,290 games as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies and managed the Phils from 1910 through 1914.-Biography:Born in Cincinnati, Ohio,...
declined the offer. Prior to the 1913 season, Rixey notified the Phillies of his desire to finish his studies at the University of Virginia and graduate in June, however, after some negotiation, he decided to sign a contract re-joined the team shortly after the season began. That season, he appeared in 35 games, started 19 of them, winning nine games, and had a 3.12 earned run average. In 1914, his record worsened to 2-11, and his earned run average increased to 4.37. Rixey's record improved to 11–12 in 1915, and lowered his earned run average to 2.39 as the Phillies won the National League pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
and played the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in the 1915 World Series
1915 World Series
In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one.In their only World Series before , the Phillies won Game 1 before being swept the rest of the way. It was 65 years before the Phillies won their next Series game...
. During Game 5 of the series, Rixey replaced starter Erskine Mayer
Erskine Mayer
Jacob Erskine Mayer was an American baseball player who played for three different Major League Baseball teams during the 1910s...
for the final six innings of the game. He allowed three runs in the final two innings and lost 5-4.
Rixey went 22-10 in 1916 with a 1.85 ERA and a career high of 134 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. On June 29, Rixey pitched a four hit shutout against the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, facing the minimum 27 batters, because of three double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s, and a player caught stealing
Caught stealing
In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder while making the attempt...
. In 1917, despite having a low 2.27 earned run average, Rixey led the league in pitching losses with 21. He also handled 108 chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
without a single error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
. Rixey hated losing and was known for destroying the team locker room, or disappear for days at a time after a loss. He missed the 1918 season to serve in the Chemical Warfare Division of the United States army during the war effort
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He struggled upon returning to baseball, going 6-12 with a 3.97 earned run average in 1919, and again leading the league in losses with 22 in 1920. Prior to the 1920 season, rumours circulated that his former manager, Pat Moran
Pat Moran
Patrick Joseph Moran was an American catcher and manager in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he led two teams to their first-ever modern-era National League championships: the 1915 Philadelphia Phillies and the 1919 Cincinnati Reds...
, now with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, was interested in traded for Rixey. The relationship between Rixey and manager Gavvy Cravath
Gavvy Cravath
Clifford Carlton "Gavvy" Cravath , also nicknamed "Cactus", was an American right fielder and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies...
was never good, and Cravath had let known his desire to trade him, however he stayed with the Phillies that season, working on his delivery with former pitcher Jesse Tannehill who Rixey admitted helped with his pitching delivery.
On November 22, 1920, Rixey was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Jimmy Ring and Greasy Neale. His record during his eight seasons with the Phillies was 87 wins and 103 losses.
Cincinnati Reds
Rixey was traded prior to the 1921 season to the Reds for Jimmy RingJimmy Ring
James Joseph "Jimmy" Ring was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals . Ring batted and threw right-handed.Ring was used sparingly by the Cincinnati Reds from 1917-18...
and Greasy Neale. In his first season with the Reds, he won 19 games, and set a Major League record by allowing just one home run in 301 innings pitched. In three of the next four seasons, he had 20 or more victories each season, with a league-leading total of 25 in 1922. He also lead the league in innings pitched and hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
allowed in 1922 and shutouts with four in 1924. In 1926 he had 14 wins, followed by seasons of 12, 19 and 10 wins. Rixey's production began to decline in 1930, when he went 9-13 with a 5.10 ERA, and pitched fewer than 200 innings for the first time since 1919. Beginning in 1931 season through the 1933 season, Rixey played very little, and was used almost exclusively against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. For the 1933 season, he was the only Reds pitcher with a winning record with a 6-3 win-loss record as the Reds finished last in the division with a 58-94 record. He retired prior to the 1934 season stating "the manager wasn't giving me enough work". Rixey completed his major league career with 266 wins, 251 losses, and a 3.15 ERA. He appeared in 692 games and completed 290, and had 20 wins and 14 saves as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
.
Bubbles Hargrave
Bubbles Hargrave
Eugene Franklin "Bubbles" Hargrave was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Yankees. He won the National League batting title in 1926 while playing for Cincinnati...
, former Cincinnati catcher gave this testimonial: "Eppa was just great. He was great as a pitcher, fielder and competitor. I look on him as the most outstanding player I came in contact with in my entire career.".
Rixey's approach to the game is exemplified by the following quote: ""How dumb can the hitters in this league get? I've been doing this for fifteen years. When they're batting with the count two balls and no strikes, or three and one, they're always looking for the fastball and they never get it." - Eppa Rixey (1927)
Legacy
Originally Rixey had trouble controlling his speed, but eventually became one of the most feared pitchers in baseball according to reporters. Rixey was considered a pitcher with an "peculiar motion", who rarely walked a batter. Throughout his long career, the 210-pound Rixey charmed teammates and fans with his dry wit and big Southern drawl. His nonsensical nickname "Jephtha" seemed to capture his roots and amiable personality. Some writers thought "Jephtha" was a part of Rixey's real name, but it was likely invented by a Philadelphia sportswriter. Rob NeyerRob Neyer
Rob Neyer is a baseball author and writer for SB Nation. He started his career working for Bill James and STATS, and then joined ESPN.com as a columnist from 1996 to January 2011 before becoming SB Nation's National Baseball Editor...
called Rixey the fourth best pitcher in Reds history behind Bucky Walters
Bucky Walters
William Henry "Bucky" Walters was an American Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Walters played for the Boston Braves , Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds...
, Paul Derringer
Paul Derringer
Samuel Paul Derringer was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three National League teams from 1931 to 1945, primarily the Cincinnati Reds....
and teammate Dolf Luque
Dolf Luque
Adolfo Domingo De Guzmán "Dolf" Luque , was an early 20th century Cuban starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.Luque was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1967....
.
His 266 career victories was the record for most wins by a left-handed pitcher in the National League until Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
broke it in 1959, however his 251 losses are an all-time record for left-handed pitchers. He also held the longevity record for most seasons pitched by a National League left-hander until Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
broke it in 1986. As time passed, support for Rixey to be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame grew. He was also inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1958. In 1960
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1960
Elections to Baseball Hall of Fame for 1960 followed a system established after the 1956 election. The Veterans Committee was meeting only in odd-number years . The Baseball Writers Association of America voted by mail to select from recent major league players and, same as in 1958, it elected no...
, Rixey finished third in the balloting behind former teammate Edd Roush
Edd Roush
Edd J. Roush was a Major League Baseball player who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He played the majority of his career in center field....
and Sam Rice
Sam Rice
Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice was an American pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963....
(who was later inducted the same year as Rixey). Upon his election to the Hall of Fame on January 27, 1963, he was quoted as saying "They're really scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't they?"
In 1969, he was named the greatest left-handed pitcher in Reds history. The Reds Hall of Fame summed up his career: "He was the best left-hander ever to pitch for the Reds with a 179-148 record, 180 complete games, 23 shutouts and a 3.33 ERA in his 13 seasons."
In 1972 he was inducted into the first class of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.
Rixey's childhood home in Culpeper still stands; it suffered some damage in the 2011 Virginia earthquake
2011 Virginia earthquake
The 2011 Virginia earthquake occurred on August 23, 2011, at 1:51 pm EDT in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of Virginia. The epicenter, in Louisa County, was northwest of Richmond and south-southwest of the town of Mineral...
.
Personal life
He was married to Dorothy Meyers of Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and had two children, Eppa Rixey III and Ann Rixey Sikes. After his retirement from baseball, worked for his father-in-law's successful insurance company in Cincinnati, eventually becoming president of the company. He died of a heart attack on February 28, 1963, one month after his election to the Hall of Fame, becoming the first player to die between election and induction to the Hall of Fame. He is interred at Greenlawn Cemetery in Milford, Ohio
Milford, Ohio
Milford is a city in Clermont and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, along the Little Miami River in the southwestern part of the state. It is a part of Greater Cincinnati. Milford, an abbreviated form of mill ford, was so named because it was the first safe ford across the Little Miami...
. His is one of two "famous" interments at this cemetery, the other being the shortest duration and 43rd Governor of Ohio, John M. Pattison
John M. Pattison
John M. Pattison was a Democratic politician from Ohio. Pattison was the 43rd Governor of Ohio, serving for a shorter period than any other person elected to the office before his untimely death.-Biography:...
(1847 - 1906). Greenlawn Cemetery at Find a Grave
Find A Grave
Find 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:...
.
When Rixey started playing, he was considered an "anomaly". He came from a well-off family and was college-educated, something that was rare during his era. He wrote poetry, and took graduate school classes in chemistry, mathematics and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. During the off-season, he was a Latin teacher at Episcopal High School
Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)
Episcopal High School , founded in 1839, is a private boarding school located in Alexandria, Virginia. The Holy Hill's campus houses 435 students from 30 states, the District of Columbia and 17 different countries...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
. He was also considered among the best golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
ers among athletes during the time period. He was the subject of hazing in his first few years in the Majors. Eventually he teamed up with other college graduates, Joe Oeschger
Joe Oeschger
Joseph Carl Oeschger was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 12 seasons from 1914 to 1925. After starting his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, Oeschger was traded to the New York Giants...
and Stan Baumgartner
Stan Baumgartner
-External links:*...
and the hazing lessed to a degree.
Further reading
- Eppa Rixey Files at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and MuseumNational Baseball Hall of Fame and MuseumThe National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in Cooperstown, New York.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball wins champions
External links
- Eppa "Jeptha" Rixey Jr. 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:...