Tom Hughes (pitcher, born 1878)

For other people with the same name, see Thomas Hughes (disambiguation).
Tom Hughes
Pitcher
Born: (1878-11-29)November 29, 1878
Chicago
Died: February 8, 1956(1956-02-08) (aged 77)
Chicago
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 7, 1900, for the Chicago Orphans
Last MLB appearance
October 3, 1913, for the Washington Senators
MLB statistics
Win–loss record 131-175
Earned run average 3.09
Strikeouts 1,368
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Thomas James Hughes (November 29, 1878 – February 8, 1956) was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1900 through 1913, Hughes played for the Chicago Orphans (1900–01), Baltimore Orioles (1902), Boston Americans (1902–03), New York Highlanders (1904) and Washington Senators (1904–09, 1911–13). He debuted on September 7, 1900, and played his final game on October 3, 1913. A native of Chicago, Hughes was knicknamed "Long Tom" for his height, a then-impressive 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m). His younger brother, Ed Hughes, also played for Chicago (NL) and Boston (AL), making them the first set of brothers to play for the Red Sox.

Career

In 1901 Hughes completed 32 of his 35 starts for Chicago, including 308-1/3 innings pitched. Despite his 10–23 mark, in part due to low run support, he recorded a 3.24 earned run average while striking out 225 opponents, the third-best ever for a National League rookie. He jumped to the American League the following season, while dividing his playing time between Baltimore and Boston. In 1903 he became the third starter in the Boston rotation, behind Cy Young and Bill Dinneen. Hughes responded with a 20–7 mark and a 2.57 ERA, helping his team to clinch the AL title. He pitched in the first World Series ever, losing Game Three.

Before the 1904 season, Hughes was sent to the Highlanders in exchange for Jesse Tannehill in an unpopular trade in Boston. Hughes came up short in New York and was traded to the Senators during the midseason. Again, he suffered low run support in 1905, when he went 17–20 with a 2.35 ERA. The next three seasons he averaged a 2.89 ERA, with a career-best 2.21 in 1908, and an 18–15 mark the same year.

On August 3, 1906 Hughes became the first pitcher in the modern era to pitch a shutout and hit a home run which accounted for the only run in the game,[1] when he hit a solo shot in the 10th inning off St. Louis Browns pitcher Fred Glade, at Sportsman's Park II, to give Washington a 1–0 victory. Since then, the feat has been matched only by Red Ruffing (1932), Spud Chandler (1938) and Early Wynn (1959) in the American League, and Jim Bunning (1965), Juan Pizarro (1971) and Bob Welch (1983) in the National League.

Hughes was sent to the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association in the 1909 midseason. In 1910 he topped the league with 31 wins (against 12 losses), a .721 W/L %, and 222 strikeouts while pitching 326 innings. The next year he returned to Washington for his last three major league seasons.

In a 13-season career, Hughes posted a 131–175 record with 1368 strikeouts and a 3.09 ERA in 2644 innings, including 25 shutouts and 227 complete games.

Hughes retired from baseball in 1918. He died of pneumonia in Chicago at age 77.

Career stats

G GS W L W-L% ERA CG SHO SV IP SO
399 313 132 174 .431 3.09 227 25 15 2644 1368

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://sabr.org/research/pitchers-dig-long-ball
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