Jake Early
Encyclopedia
Jacob Willard Early was an American professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
as a catcher
for the Washington Senators
and the St. Louis Browns
. Early was a left-hand hitting batter known for his skill catching the knuckleball
.
. By , he had moved up to the Charlotte Hornetts
of the Piedmont League
where he posted a .316 batting average
in 97 games. Early made his major league debut with the Washington Senators on May 4, 1939
at the age of 24. He served as a reserve catcher, backing up future Baseball Hall of Fame member, Rick Ferrell
. Former catcher and Senators coach Benny Bengough
helped Early develop his catching skills.
The Senators traded Ferrell to the St. Louis Browns in May 1941
, leaving Early to share catching duties with Al Evans
. Early out-hit Evans and ended the season having caught the majority of the team's games with a career-high batting average of .284 along with 54 runs batted in and a team-high 10 home run
s. His hitting performance earned him the starting catcher's job in 1942
. Although his batting average dropped to .204, he led American League catchers in assists
and in baserunners caught stealing
, and finished second in putout
s. Early developed a reputation as a talkative player on the field, using several methods to distract the hitter. These methods of distraction included his imitation of a radio announcer's play-by-play commentary, an auctioneer's sales pitch and even singing.
By 1943
, Early was being recognized as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. He had the arduous task of catching for a Senators' starting pitching staff that included four knuckleball pitchers. Dutch Leonard
, Johnny Niggeling
, Roger Wolff
and Mickey Haefner
all threw the notoriously difficult to catch knuckleball. Further recognition came when he was selected to be the starting catcher for the American League in the 1943 All-Star Game
. The difficulty in catching the knuckleball was evident as Early led the league in passed ball
s allowed.
In December 1943, Early was called into military service and was inducted into the United States Army. He was assigned to an artillery unit attached to the 87th Infantry Division and fought in the Battle of the Bulge
. He lost two years of his baseball career while he served in the Army.
After being discharged from military service, Early returned to play for the Senators in 1946
but, his two years absence from the game showed as he only managed to post a .201 average while sharing catching duties with Evans. In December, the Senators traded Early to the St. Louis Browns for Frank Mancuso
. In 1947
, he platooned
alongside catcher Les Moss
, hitting for a .224 average along with a career-high on base percentage
of .381 in 87 games. Early was traded back to the Senators in March 1948
where, he once again shared catching duties with Evans. He led the league in baserunners caught stealing and in caught stealing percentage, throwing out an impressive 63.8% of baserunners who attempted to steal a base, the eighth highest single-season percentage in baseball history. In 1949
, he split his playing time between the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts
and the Washington Senators. After being released by the Senators in February , he played five more seasons in minor league baseball
, including four seasons with the Minneapolis Millers
before retiring in at the age of 39.
, accumulating 532 hits
in 2,208 at bats for a .241 career batting average along with 32 home runs, 264 runs batted in and an on base percentage of .330. He ended his career with a .976 fielding percentage
. Early led American League catchers twice in baserunners caught stealing, once in caught stealing percentage and once in assists.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played 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...
as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the 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...
and 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...
. Early was a left-hand hitting batter known for his skill catching the knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
.
Baseball career
Early began his professional baseball career in at the age of 21 with the Jacksonville Tars of the South Atlantic LeagueSouthern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
. By , he had moved up to the Charlotte Hornetts
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
of the Piedmont League
Piedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States.- Former :...
where he posted a .316 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in 97 games. Early made his major league debut with the Washington Senators on May 4, 1939
1939 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 65 games, lost 87, and finished in sixth place in the American League. They were managed by Bucky Harris and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Offseason :...
at the age of 24. He served as a reserve catcher, backing up future Baseball Hall of Fame member, Rick Ferrell
Rick Ferrell
Richard Benjamin Ferrell was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout and executive. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. Ferrell was regarded as one of the best catchers in baseball during the...
. Former catcher and Senators coach Benny Bengough
Benny Bengough
Bernard Oliver "Benny" Bengough was a major league baseball catcher who played for ten seasons for the New York Yankees and St. Louis Browns. He was born in Niagara Falls, New York...
helped Early develop his catching skills.
The Senators traded Ferrell to the St. Louis Browns in May 1941
1941 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 70 games, lost 84, and finished in sixth place in the American League. They were managed by Bucky Harris and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Offseason :...
, leaving Early to share catching duties with Al Evans
Al Evans
Alfred Hubert Evans was an American Major League Baseball catcher and a Minor League manager. Listed at 5' 11", 190 lb., Evans batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Kenly, North Carolina....
. Early out-hit Evans and ended the season having caught the majority of the team's games with a career-high batting average of .284 along with 54 runs batted in and a team-high 10 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. His hitting performance earned him the starting catcher's job in 1942
1942 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 62 games, lost 89, and finished in seventh place in the American League. They were managed by Bucky Harris and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Offseason :...
. Although his batting average dropped to .204, he led American League catchers in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
and in baserunners 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...
, and finished second in putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s. Early developed a reputation as a talkative player on the field, using several methods to distract the hitter. These methods of distraction included his imitation of a radio announcer's play-by-play commentary, an auctioneer's sales pitch and even singing.
By 1943
1943 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 84 games, lost 69, and finished in second place in the American League. They were managed by Ossie Bluege and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Offseason :...
, Early was being recognized as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. He had the arduous task of catching for a Senators' starting pitching staff that included four knuckleball pitchers. Dutch Leonard
Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher)
Emil John "Dutch" Leonard was an American professional baseball player. He played in in Major League Baseball as a right-handed knuckleball pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Washington Senators , Philadelphia Phillies , and Chicago Cubs...
, Johnny Niggeling
Johnny Niggeling
John Arnold Niggeling was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was a knuckleball specialist who pitched for nine seasons with the Boston Bees/Braves, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators.Born in Remsen, Iowa, Niggeling broke into the majors at the age...
, Roger Wolff
Roger Wolff
Roger Francis Wolff was a right-handed knuckleball pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for seven seasons from 1941-1947: three seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, three seasons with the Washington Senators, and split the 1947 season between the Cleveland Indians and the Pittsburgh...
and Mickey Haefner
Mickey Haefner
Milton Arnold "Mickey" Haefner was an American knuckleball-throwing left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played eight seasons from 1943 to 1950, six and a half of them with the Washington Senators , later joining the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Braves...
all threw the notoriously difficult to catch knuckleball. Further recognition came when he was selected to be the starting catcher for the American League in the 1943 All-Star Game
1943 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1943 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 11th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 13, 1943, at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the home...
. The difficulty in catching the knuckleball was evident as Early led the league in passed ball
Passed ball
In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control. When, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances, the catcher is thereby charged...
s allowed.
In December 1943, Early was called into military service and was inducted into the United States Army. He was assigned to an artillery unit attached to the 87th Infantry Division and fought in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. He lost two years of his baseball career while he served in the Army.
After being discharged from military service, Early returned to play for the Senators in 1946
1946 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 76 games, lost 78, and finished in fourth place in the American League. They were managed by Ossie Bluege and played home games at Griffith Stadium.-Offseason:...
but, his two years absence from the game showed as he only managed to post a .201 average while sharing catching duties with Evans. In December, the Senators traded Early to the St. Louis Browns for Frank Mancuso
Frank Mancuso
Frank Octavius Mancuso was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for two teams between 1944 and 1947. Listed at 6' 0", 195 lb., Mancuso batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Houston, Texas. His older brother, Gus Mancuso, also was a major league catcher...
. In 1947
1947 St. Louis Browns season
The 1947 St. Louis Browns season involved the Browns finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 59 wins and 95 losses.- Regular season :* July 17: Hank Thompson became the first black player to appear in a game for the Browns....
, he platooned
Platoon system
The platoon system in baseball is a method of designating two players to a single defensive position—usually one right-handed and one left-handed. Typically the right-handed half of the platoon is played on days when the opposing pitcher is left-handed and the left-handed player is played otherwise...
alongside catcher Les Moss
Les Moss
John Lester "Les" Moss is a former American professional baseball player, coach, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St...
, hitting for a .224 average along with a career-high on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
of .381 in 87 games. Early was traded back to the Senators in March 1948
1948 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 56 games, lost 97, and finished in seventh place in the American League. They were managed by Joe Kuhel and played home games at Griffith Stadium.-Roster:- Starters by position:...
where, he once again shared catching duties with Evans. He led the league in baserunners caught stealing and in caught stealing percentage, throwing out an impressive 63.8% of baserunners who attempted to steal a base, the eighth highest single-season percentage in baseball history. In 1949
1949 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators won 50 games, lost 104, and finished in eighth place in the American League. They were managed by Joe Kuhel and played home games at Griffith Stadium.- Offseason :...
, he split his playing time between the minor league Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
and the Washington Senators. After being released by the Senators in February , he played five more seasons in minor league baseball
Minor 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...
, including four seasons with the Minneapolis Millers
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, until 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League.The team played first in Athletic Park and later Nicollet Park.The name Minneapolis...
before retiring in at the age of 39.
Career statistics
In an nine-year major league career, Early played in 747 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 532 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....
in 2,208 at bats for a .241 career batting average along with 32 home runs, 264 runs batted in and an on base percentage of .330. He ended his career with a .976 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. Early led American League catchers twice in baserunners caught stealing, once in caught stealing percentage and once in assists.
Later life
Early went on to become a player-manager in the minor leagues, leading the Rock Hill Chiefs in and then managed the Statesville Owls in . He retired from baseball in and returned to Kings Mountain where he worked as a police officer and recreation director. He retired to Florida in 1970 and passed away in Melbourne on May 31, , at the age of 70.External links
- Jake Early: He Was Known as The Chattering Catcher Baseball Digest, November 1985