Jouett Meekin
Encyclopedia
George Jouett Meekin was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
from 1891 to 1900. He played for the Louisville Colonels
, Washington Senators
, New York Giants
, Boston Beaneaters
, and Pittsburgh Pirates
. In 1894, he won 33 games for the Giants and helped lead the team to a postseason championship.
in strikeout
s per nine innings. He was reportedly one of the three hardest-throwing pitchers of the 1890s, along with Hall of Famers Cy Young
and Amos Rusie
. That trio was probably the main reason why baseball decided to move the pitching mound back from 50 feet to 60 feet, 6 inches. Meekin was also a "head-hunter." He once stated that when facing a good hitter, the first two pitches should come "within an inch of his head or body."
Meekin posted several below-average pitching seasons early in his major league career; in 1893, he went just 10-15. However, in 1894, he was traded to the New York Giants. He immediately had the best season of his career, teaming up with Rusie to provide the ultimate 1-2 pitching staff of the era. Together, they led New York to a second place regular season finish. Meekin pitched 418 innings and compiled a record of 33-9 to lead the National League
in winning percentage
. He was second only to Rusie in wins and earned run average
. His statistics also reflected both his speed and wildness; he ranked third in the league with 137 strikeouts but also finished third with 176 walks
. In addition, he led all NL hurlers with 22 wild pitch
es. Meekin also hit three triples
in a game that season, on July 4; this set a record for pitchers that has never been equaled.
After the 1894 regular season, New York faced the first place Baltimore Orioles
in the Temple Cup
series. Baltimore is considered by some to be the greatest baseball team of the 19th century, but Meekin and Rusie won two games each to sweep the Orioles in four straight.
Meekin fell off somewhat in 1895. Battling a sore arm, he gave up 30 hits in one game that year, losing 23-2 to St. Louis. For some reason, he was not removed from the game, even though several times, he "staggered when about to pitch." Meekin won just 16 games, and his earned run average rose 1.60 from the previous season. However, he rebounded for two more 20-win seasons in 1896 and 1897. In one game in 1896, Meekin threw the first intentional walk
in baseball history, to slugger Jimmy Ryan. The strategy worked when the next hitter struck out to end the game.
In 1899, Meekin was sold to the Beaneaters, which caused an uproar with the Giants fans. Collusion was suspected between the two teams, but the trade went through. Meekin had short stints with Boston and Pittsburgh before finishing his career in the minor leagues. He pitched in semi-pro games in New York as late as 1905.
Meekin died in 1944, at the age of 77, in his hometown of New Albany, Indiana
.
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...
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...
from 1891 to 1900. He played for the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
, Washington Senators
Washington Senators (1891-1899)
The Washington Senators were a 19th century baseball team. The team was also known as the Washington Statesmen and the Washington Nationals. The team played at Boundary Field....
, 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....
, Boston Beaneaters
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....
, and 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...
. In 1894, he won 33 games for the Giants and helped lead the team to a postseason championship.
Career
Meekin started his professional baseball career in 1887, with Scranton of the Pennsylvania State Association. He then played three years with the Western Association's St. Paul Apostles. In 1891, he jumped to the Colonels. A hard thrower, Meekin led the American AssociationAmerican Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
in 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 per nine innings. He was reportedly one of the three hardest-throwing pitchers of the 1890s, along with Hall of Famers Cy Young
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
and Amos Rusie
Amos Rusie
Amos Wilson Rusie , nicknamed "The Hoosier Thunderbolt", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century...
. That trio was probably the main reason why baseball decided to move the pitching mound back from 50 feet to 60 feet, 6 inches. Meekin was also a "head-hunter." He once stated that when facing a good hitter, the first two pitches should come "within an inch of his head or body."
Meekin posted several below-average pitching seasons early in his major league career; in 1893, he went just 10-15. However, in 1894, he was traded to the New York Giants. He immediately had the best season of his career, teaming up with Rusie to provide the ultimate 1-2 pitching staff of the era. Together, they led New York to a second place regular season finish. Meekin pitched 418 innings and compiled a record of 33-9 to lead 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...
in 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...
. He was second only to Rusie in wins and 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...
. His statistics also reflected both his speed and wildness; he ranked third in the league with 137 strikeouts but also finished third with 176 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
. In addition, he led all NL hurlers with 22 wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
es. Meekin also hit three triples
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....
in a game that season, on July 4; this set a record for pitchers that has never been equaled.
After the 1894 regular season, New York faced the first place Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
in the Temple Cup
Temple Cup
The Temple Cup was a trophy awarded to the winner of a best-of-seven, post-season championship series in the National League, from 1894–1897. The 30-inch-high silver cup was donated by coal, citrus, and lumber baron William Chase Temple, the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates at the time...
series. Baltimore is considered by some to be the greatest baseball team of the 19th century, but Meekin and Rusie won two games each to sweep the Orioles in four straight.
Meekin fell off somewhat in 1895. Battling a sore arm, he gave up 30 hits in one game that year, losing 23-2 to St. Louis. For some reason, he was not removed from the game, even though several times, he "staggered when about to pitch." Meekin won just 16 games, and his earned run average rose 1.60 from the previous season. However, he rebounded for two more 20-win seasons in 1896 and 1897. In one game in 1896, Meekin threw the first intentional walk
Intentional base on balls
In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by IBB, is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the pitched ball...
in baseball history, to slugger Jimmy Ryan. The strategy worked when the next hitter struck out to end the game.
In 1899, Meekin was sold to the Beaneaters, which caused an uproar with the Giants fans. Collusion was suspected between the two teams, but the trade went through. Meekin had short stints with Boston and Pittsburgh before finishing his career in the minor leagues. He pitched in semi-pro games in New York as late as 1905.
Meekin died in 1944, at the age of 77, in his hometown of New Albany, Indiana
New Albany, Indiana
New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, 20,628 people lived in New Albany; in 1910, 20,629; in 1920, 22,992; and in 1940, 25,414. The population was 36,372 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of...
.
External links
- Jouett Meekin at Find-a-Grave