Amos Rusie (1977)


Date of Birth: 5/30/1871
Date of Death: 12/6/1942
Birthplace: Mooresville, Indiana

Amos Rusie played semi-pro baseball in Indianapolis before signing with a professional minor league team in the Central Interstate League in 1889. However, he never played with that team. Later that year, he signed with the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the National League and he played in 33 games with them. When the Hoosiers folded after the 1889 season, Rusie went to the New York Gothams/Giants.

New York Gothams/Giants

Rusie led the NL in strikeouts in 1890, his first season with the Giants. That year, he had career highs in games played (67), innings pitched (548.2), and strikeouts (341 to 289 walks). He had 29 wins and 34 losses and a 2.56 ERA. Defensively, he led all NL pitchers in assists with 129.

Rusie again led the NL in strikeouts in 1891. He finished the season with 33 wins to 20 losses, 337 strikeouts to 262 walks, and a 2.55 ERA in 500.1 innings in 61 games. The next year, he had 31 wins and 31 losses, 288 strikeouts to 267 walks, and a 2.88 ERA in 532.0 innings in 64 games.

Rusie led the NL in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts in 1893. He had 33 wins and 21 losses, 208 strikeouts to 218 walks, and a 3.23 ERA in 482.0 innings in 56 games. He pitched 50 complete games. He again led all NL pitchers in assists with 114.

In 1894, Rusie won the National League Triple Crown for pitchers, leading the league in ERA, wins, and strikeouts. He had a career high 36 wins to 13 losses, 195 strikeouts to 200 walks, and a 2.78 ERA in 444.0 innings in 54 games. He once more led all NL pitchers in assists with 113.

Rusie again led the NL in strikeouts in 1895 with 201 (to 159 walks). He had a 3.73 ERA and a 23-23 record in 393.1 innings in 49 games. He didn't play at all in 1896.

Rusie returned in 1897 to lead the NL in ERA. He finished that season with 28 wins and 10 losses, 135 strikeouts to 87 walks, and a career low ERA of 2.54 in 322.1 innings in 38 games. The next year, he had a 3.03 ERA in 37 games. He had 20 wins and 11 losses in 300.0 innings in 1898.

Final Years as a Player

Rusie left the Giants after the 1898 season due to health issues. He didn't play at all in 1899 or 1900. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1901, but he played in just three games that season, his last in the major leagues.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL Triple Crown
  • Led the NL in ERA (2 times)
  • Led the NL in strikeouts (5 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Rusie in 9 seasons (1889-1898) in the major leagues include:

  • 8 seasons with 20 or more wins, with a high of 36 in 1894
  • 5 seasons with over 200 strikeouts, with a high of 341 in 1890
  • 5 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 2.54 in 1897

Career pitching statistics for Rusie include:

  • 462 games played
  • 3,769.2 innings pitched
  • 245-174 win-loss record
  • 1,934 strikeouts to 1,704 walks
  • 3.07 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Amos Rusie
ESPN - Amos Rusie
Baseball Reference - Amos Rusie

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