Russ Van Atta
Encyclopedia
Russell "Sheriff" Van Atta is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He was born on June 21, 1906 in Augusta, New Jersey
. As a 6', 184 pound left-hander, Van Atta chose to attend Penn State University.
, at the age of 27 in historic fashion. Not only did Van Atta shut out the Washington Senators
16-0, he also went 4-for-4 at the plate. He is to date the only American League
pitcher ever to get four hits
in his major league debut, and one of only seven players in AL history to do so in a nine-inning game (one of those being Hall of Famer
Kirby Puckett
). The overall record is five hits, held by Fred Clarke
.
Van Atta's rookie season consisted of a 12-4 record and a 4.38 ERA. Even as a "late bloomer", he had a very successful rookie season, as he led the league in winning percentage
(.750), and he put up good number at the plate (.283 batting average
).
's 18). He posted an even worse ERA the next season, at 6.60, but again he led the league in appearances with 52. Sheriff Van Atta played his final game on May 11, 1939.
Overall in his career, Van Atta went 33-41 with a 5.60 ERA. At the plate, he hit .228 with 2 home run
s, and on the field he showed off a .929 fielding percentage
.
. His body was laid to rest in Frankford Plains Cemetery
in Augusta, New Jersey
.
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...
. He was born on June 21, 1906 in Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta is an unincorporated area located within Frankford Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.Augusta is the home of the New Jersey State Fair and the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show....
. As a 6', 184 pound left-hander, Van Atta chose to attend Penn State University.
Rookie season
On April 25, 1933, Van Atta made his big league debut with the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, at the age of 27 in historic fashion. Not only did Van Atta shut out 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...
16-0, he also went 4-for-4 at the plate. He is to date the only 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...
pitcher ever to get four 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 his major league debut, and one of only seven players in AL history to do so in a nine-inning game (one of those being Hall of Famer
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...
Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett
Kirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases...
). The overall record is five hits, held by Fred Clarke
Fred Clarke
Fred Clifford Clarke was a Major League Baseball player from 1894 to and manager from 1897 to 1915. A Hall of Famer, Clarke played for and managed both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a left fielder and left-handed batter.Of the nine pennants in Pittsburgh franchise...
.
Van Atta's rookie season consisted of a 12-4 record and a 4.38 ERA. Even as a "late bloomer", he had a very successful rookie season, as he led the league 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...
(.750), and he put up good number at the plate (.283 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 :...
).
Remaining career
Van Atta's rookie success did not carry over into the rest of his career. In 1934, he posted a 6.34 ERA. During the winter of 1934, he injured his hand by cutting it and was limited to relief (with some spot-starts) for the rest of his career. In 1935, he went 9-16 with a 5.30 ERA, but still Van Atta managed to lead the league with 58 appearances (his 16 losses were the second highest total in the league, behind only Bobo NewsomBobo Newsom
Louis Norman Newsom was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Also known as "Buck", Newsom played for a number of teams from 1929 through 1953...
's 18). He posted an even worse ERA the next season, at 6.60, but again he led the league in appearances with 52. Sheriff Van Atta played his final game on May 11, 1939.
Overall in his career, Van Atta went 33-41 with a 5.60 ERA. At the plate, he hit .228 with 2 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, and on the field he showed off a .929 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...
.
Transactions
- On May 15, 1935, the St. Louis BrownsBaltimore OriolesThe 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...
purchased Van Atta from the Yankees. - On May 14, 1939, he was purchased by Toronto of the International LeagueInternational LeagueThe 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...
from the Browns.
After baseball
Van Atta died on October 10, 1986 in Andover, New JerseyAndover, New Jersey
Andover is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 606.Andover was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 25, 1904, from portions of Andover Township.-Geography:Andover is located at ...
. His body was laid to rest in Frankford Plains Cemetery
Frankford Plains Cemetery
Frankford Plains Cemetery is a cemetery located in Frankford, New Jersey. One person of note interred here is Russ Van Atta. It has been around since at least 1927 and is located on Plains Road in Frankford.-External links:*...
in Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta, New Jersey
Augusta is an unincorporated area located within Frankford Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.Augusta is the home of the New Jersey State Fair and the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show....
.