Eppa Rixey (1963)


Date of Birth: 5/3/1891
Date of Death: 2/28/1963
Birthplace: Culpeper, Virginia
College: University of Virginia

Eppa Rixey was a top pitcher at the University of Virginia. He also played on their basketball team. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in June, 1912.

Philadelphia Phillies

Rixey pitched in 23 games for the Phillies in 1912. He had a 10-10 record and a 2.50 ERA in 162.0 innings. He struck out 59 batters and walked 54. The following season, he pitched in 35 games. He finished the 1913 season with 9 wins and 5 losses, 75 strikeouts to 56 walks, and a 3.12 ERA in 155.2 innings.

Rixey had a 4.37 ERA in 24 games in 1914. He had just 2 wins and 11 losses in 103.0 innings. He struck out 41 batters and walked 45. He had a much better season in 1915, when he had 11 wins and 12 losses and a 2.39 ERA in 29 games. He struck out 88 batters and walked 64 in 176.2 innings.

In 1916, Rixey had a career low ERA of 1.85. He had 22 wins and 10 losses in 287.0 innings in 38 games. He struck out a career high 134 batters and walked 74. His 1917 season was almost as good, with a 2.27 ERA in 39 games. He had 16 wins and 21 losses and 121 strikeouts to 67 walks in 281.1 innings.

Rixey suspended his baseball career in 1918 to serve in World War I. After returning to the Phillies, he struggled in the 1919 and 1920 seasons. He had a 3.97 ERA with 6 wins and 12 losses in 154.0 innings in 23 games in 1919. The following season, he had a 3.48 ERA and an 11-22 record in 284.1 innings in 41 games.

Cincinnati Reds

The Phillies traded Rixey to the Cincinnati Reds on November 22, 1920. In 1921, he had a 2.78 ERA in 40 games. He had 19 wins and 18 losses and 76 strikeouts to 66 walks in 301.0 innings. He also played well defensively, leading all NL pitchers in assists with 97.

Rixey had one of his best seasons in 1922, leading the NL in wins and in innings pitched. He had a 3.53 ERA, a career high 25 wins to 13 losses, and 80 strikeouts to 45 walks in 40 games. He pitched a career high 313.1 innings that season. The next season, his ERA dropped to 2.80. He finished the 1923 season with 20 wins and 15 losses and 97 strikeouts to 65 walks in 309.0 innings in 42 games.

Rixey led the NL in shutouts in 1924, pitching four shutout games that season. He played in 35 games and he had a 15-14 record, 57 strikeouts to 47 walks, and a 2.76 ERA in 35 games. The following season, he had a 2.88 ERA in 39 games. He finished the 1925 season with 21 wins and 11 losses and 69 strikeouts to 47 walks in 287.1 innings.

Rixey's ERA went up to 3.40 in 1926. He had 14 wins and 8 losses in 233.0 innings in 37 games. He had control issues, walking almost as many batters as he struck out (61 strikeouts to 58 walks). He continued to have control issues for the rest of his career, often walking more batters than he struck out.

In 1927, Rixey had a 3.48 ERA, and the following season, it was 3.43. He had 12 wins and 10 losses and 42 strikeouts to 43 walks in 219.2 innings in 34 games in 1927. The next year, he played in a career high 43 games. He finished the 1928 season with 19 wins and 18 losses and 58 strikeouts to 67 walks in 291.1 innings.

Rixey struggled in 1929 and 1930, finishing with a 4.16 ERA in 1920, and a 5.10 ERA in 1930. He had 10 wins and 13 losses in 1929, and a 9-13 record the following season. He struck out just 37 batters each year, and he walked 60 batters in 1929, and 47 batters in 1930. He pitched 201.0 innings in 35 games in 1929, and 164.0 innings in 32 games in 1930.

Rixey's playing time diminished in his last three seasons in the major leagues. He pitched in 22 games in 1931, in 25 games in 1932, and in just 16 games in 1933. He had a 3.91 ERA and 4 wins and 7 losses in 126.2 innings in 1931. The following season, his ERA improved to 2.66 with a 5-5 record in 111.2 innings. In his final season, he had a 3.15 ERA and 6 wins and 3 losses in 94.1 innings.

Career Statistics

Statistics for Rixey in 21 seasons (1912-1917, 1919-1933) in the major leagues include:

  • 4 seasons with 20 or more wins, with a high of 25 wins in 1922
  • 9 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 1.85 in 1916

Career pitching statistics for Rixey include:

  • 692 games played
  • 4,494.2 innings pitched
  • 266-251 win-loss record
  • 1,350 strikeouts to 1,082 walks
  • 3.15 ERA

Post Playing Years

Rixey died of a heart attack on February 28, 1963, one month after his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Eppa Rixey
ESPN - Eppa Rixey
Baseball Reference - Eppa Rixey

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