Joe Oeschger
Encyclopedia
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
. He was soon traded to the Boston Braves
, where he pitched his best seasons.
Oeschger is best known for holding the MLB record for the most innings pitched in a single game (26). In 1920, both Oeschger and Leon Cadore
of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitched 26-innings for their respective teams in a game that was eventually called a tie due to darkness.
He played out the rest of his career for the New York Giants before retiring in San Francisco. Never appearing in a World Series
over his career he had 83 wins and 116 defeats. In San Francisco he was a teacher for the San Francisco Board of Education
for 27 years.
. In 1900 his family moved to Ferndale, California
, where Joe's father bought 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of land and established a dairy ranch
. Joe and his three brothers all attended Ferndale High School, where they played baseball. After high school
, Joe attended and played baseball at Saint Mary's College of California
, graduating in 1914.
in 1914
season. He won four games, while losing eight and a 3.77 earned run average
for the Phillies. He pitched in a handful of games for the 1915 and 1916 season, before becoming a full-time starter in 1917. That season he had 15 wins against 14 losses and a 2.75 earned run average. Oeschger then led the league in losses during the 1918 season with 18, but still had a good earned run average of 3.03. One of the few highlights of his season was his shutout
against the Brooklyn Robins
on April 22. He also was tied for the league lead in saves, with three. On May 27, 1919 Oeschger was traded from the Philles to the New York Giants for Ed Sicking and George Smith
. He only pitched in five games for the Giants before being included in a trade to Boston for Art Nehf
.
went to play the Boston Braves
at Boston, in front of a crowd of 2,000 spectators. Leon Cadore
was starting for the Dodgers. The game was held scoreless until the fifth inning, when Ernie Krueger
scored on Ivy Olson
run batted in
single
. The game was tied in the sixth when Walton Cruise
tripled
, then scored on Tony Boeckel
single. The game was ruled as a tie after 26 innings because of darkness. Oescheger only gave up 9 hits the entire game, while Cadore allowed 15. If they had played one more inning the pitchers would have played the equivalent of three games.
For the rest of the 1920 season Oescheger won 15 games with a 3.46 earned run average.
. He had his only 20 win season that year, which finished third in the National League
. He also had a lack of control, leading the league in walks with 97, and hit by pitch
es with 10.
Oeschger collapsed the next two seasons, having a combined total of 36 losses with only 11 wins, and an earned run average over 5.
On November 11, 1923, Oeschger with Billy Southworth
was traded from Boston to the New York Giants
for Dave Bancroft
and Casey Stengel
(New York Giants moved to San Francisco to become the San Francisco Giants in 1957). Over his career he had 83 wins and 116 defeats and he never appeared in a World Series.
for the San Francisco Board of Education
for 27 years.
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...
who played 12 seasons from 1914 to 1925. After starting his career with 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...
, Oeschger was traded to 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....
. He was soon traded to the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, where he pitched his best seasons.
Oeschger is best known for holding the MLB record for the most innings pitched in a single game (26). In 1920, both Oeschger and Leon Cadore
Leon Cadore
Leon "Caddy" Joseph Cadore was a right-handed American pitcher from 1915 - 1924. Cadore shares a MLB record for the most innings pitched in a single game . In 1920, both Cadore and Joe Oeschger pitched all 26 innings for their respective teams in a game that was eventually called a tie due to...
of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitched 26-innings for their respective teams in a game that was eventually called a tie due to darkness.
He played out the rest of his career for the New York Giants before retiring in San Francisco. Never appearing in a 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...
over his career he had 83 wins and 116 defeats. In San Francisco he was a teacher for the San Francisco Board of Education
San Francisco Board of Education
The San Francisco Board of Education is made of seven Commissioners, elected by voters across the city to serve 4-year terms. It is subject to local, state, and federal laws, and determines policy for all the public schools in the San Francisco Unified School District.- Founding :In October 1849,...
for 27 years.
Early life
Oeschger was born in Chicago, Illinois, one of six children of immigrants from SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In 1900 his family moved to Ferndale, California
Ferndale, California
Ferndale is a city in Humboldt County, California, United States. Known for its well-preserved Victorian buildings, the city's population was 1,371 at the 2010 census, down from 1,382 at the 2000 census...
, where Joe's father bought 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of land and established a dairy ranch
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
. Joe and his three brothers all attended Ferndale High School, where they played baseball. After high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Joe attended and played baseball at Saint Mary's College of California
Saint Mary's College of California
Saint Mary's College of California is a private, coeducational college located in Moraga, California, United States, a small suburban community about east of Oakland and 20 miles east of San Francisco. It has a 420-acre campus in the Moraga hills. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church...
, graduating in 1914.
Major League Career
Oeschger began his career with the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia 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...
in 1914
1914 Philadelphia Phillies season
- Offseason :* December, 1913: Doc Miller was purchased from the Phillies by the Cincinnati Reds.* Prior to 1914 season: Vern Duncan jumped from the Phillies to the Baltimore Terrapins.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
season. He won four games, while losing eight and a 3.77 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...
for the Phillies. He pitched in a handful of games for the 1915 and 1916 season, before becoming a full-time starter in 1917. That season he had 15 wins against 14 losses and a 2.75 earned run average. Oeschger then led the league in losses during the 1918 season with 18, but still had a good earned run average of 3.03. One of the few highlights of his season was his 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 Brooklyn Robins
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
on April 22. He also was tied for the league lead in saves, with three. On May 27, 1919 Oeschger was traded from the Philles to the New York Giants for Ed Sicking and George Smith
George Smith (National League pitcher)
George Allen Smith born in Byram, Connecticut was a pitcher for the New York Giants , Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Robins and Philadelphia Phillies ....
. He only pitched in five games for the Giants before being included in a trade to Boston for Art Nehf
Art Nehf
Arthur Neukom Nehf was an American baseball pitcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Braves , New York Giants , Cincinnati Reds , and the Chicago Cubs...
.
Longest Game
On May 1, 1920 the Brooklyn RobinsLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
went to play the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
at Boston, in front of a crowd of 2,000 spectators. Leon Cadore
Leon Cadore
Leon "Caddy" Joseph Cadore was a right-handed American pitcher from 1915 - 1924. Cadore shares a MLB record for the most innings pitched in a single game . In 1920, both Cadore and Joe Oeschger pitched all 26 innings for their respective teams in a game that was eventually called a tie due to...
was starting for the Dodgers. The game was held scoreless until the fifth inning, when Ernie Krueger
Ernie Krueger
Ernest George Krueger born in Chicago, Illinois was a catcher for the Cleveland Naps , New York Yankees , New York Giants , Brooklyn Robins and Cincinnati Reds .-Biography:...
scored on Ivy Olson
Ivy Olson
Ivan Massie Olson born in Kansas City, Missouri was a Major League Baseball Shortstop for the Cleveland Naps , Cincinnati Reds And Brooklyn Robins...
run batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
. The game was tied in the sixth when Walton Cruise
Walton Cruise
Walton Edwin Cruise , born in Childersburg, Alabama, was an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Braves ....
tripled
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, then scored on Tony Boeckel
Tony Boeckel
Norman Doxie "Tony" Boeckel was a former Major League Baseball infielder who played six seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Braves of the National League. He was born in Los Angeles, California....
single. The game was ruled as a tie after 26 innings because of darkness. Oescheger only gave up 9 hits the entire game, while Cadore allowed 15. If they had played one more inning the pitchers would have played the equivalent of three games.
For the rest of the 1920 season Oescheger won 15 games with a 3.46 earned run average.
Later career
On September 8, 1921, Oeschger struck out three batters on nine pitches in the fourth inning of an 8–6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Oeschger became the fourth National League pitcher and the fifth pitcher in Major League history to throw an immaculate inningPitchers who struck out three batters on nine pitches
In Major League Baseball, 43 pitchers have thrown a nine-pitch, three-strikeout half-inning, throwing nothing but strikes...
. He had his only 20 win season that year, which finished third in the 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...
. He also had a lack of control, leading the league in walks with 97, and hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
es with 10.
Oeschger collapsed the next two seasons, having a combined total of 36 losses with only 11 wins, and an earned run average over 5.
On November 11, 1923, Oeschger with Billy Southworth
Billy Southworth
William Harrison Southworth was an American right fielder, center fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Playing in and and from to , he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Southworth managed in and from through...
was traded from Boston to 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....
for Dave Bancroft
Dave Bancroft
David James "Beauty" Bancroft was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1930. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame....
and Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
(New York Giants moved to San Francisco to become the San Francisco Giants in 1957). Over his career he had 83 wins and 116 defeats and he never appeared in a World Series.
Later life
Oeschger later retired to San Francisco, where he taught physical educationPhysical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
for the San Francisco Board of Education
San Francisco Board of Education
The San Francisco Board of Education is made of seven Commissioners, elected by voters across the city to serve 4-year terms. It is subject to local, state, and federal laws, and determines policy for all the public schools in the San Francisco Unified School District.- Founding :In October 1849,...
for 27 years.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball saves champions
- Pitchers who have struck out three batters on nine pitches