Jesse Haines (1970)


Date of Birth: 7/22/1893
Date of Death: 8/5/1978
Birthplace: Clayton, Ohio

Jesse Haines left home in 1912 to play semi-pro baseball. Later that year, he signed with a minor league team in Dayton, Ohio. From 1913 through 1917, he played minor league ball in the Central League.

Haines was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds in July, 1918, and he played in one game with them that season. In 1919, he played with a Western League team and a Kansas City team in the American Association. Prior to the 1920 season, his contract was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals

In 1920, Haines joined the Cardinals as a starting pitcher. In that season, he had a 2.98 ERA, 13-20 record, and 120 strikeouts to 80 walks in 301.2 innings pitched in 47 games. The following season, he had 18 wins and 12 losses, 84 strikeouts to 56 walks, and a 3.50 ERA in 37 games. He played in only 29 games in 1922, and he had 11 wins and 9 losses and a 3.84 ERA in 183.0 innings.

Haines had control issues in 1923, walking 75 batters and striking out 73. He finished the season with 20 wins and 13 losses and a 3.11 ERA in 266.0 innings in 37 games. He continued to have control issues in 1924, walking 66 batters and striking out 69. He had only 8 wins to 19 losses and a 4.41 ERA in 222.2 innings in 35 games. The only bright spot for Haines and his fans that year was the no-hitter he pitched on July 17th against the Boston Braves.

Haines continued to struggle in 1925 and 1926. He played in just 29 games in 1925, and he had a 4.57 ERA in 207.0 innings. He struck out 63 batters and walked 52. His ERA improved in 1926 to 3.25, but he again had control issues, walking 48 batters while striking out just 46 batters. He had 13 wins and 4 losses in 183.0 innings in 33 games.

Haines had a much better season in 1927, leading the NL in complete games with 25. He had a career high 24 wins to 10 losses, 89 strikeouts to 77 walks, and a 2.72 ERA in 300.2 innings in 38 games. He played well defensively, leading all NL pitchers in assists with 72.

Haines continued to have control issues from 1928 through 1930, walking over 50 batters each season. Despite the control issues in 1928, he managed to finish the season with 20 wins and 8 losses and a 3.18 ERA in 240.1 innings in 33 games. He struck out 77 batters and walked 72. His results were much poorer in 1929, when he finished with a 5.71 ERA in 28 games. That year, he walked 73 batters and struck out just 59. His ERA improved to 4.30 in 1930. He had 13 wins and 8 losses in 29 games, and he struck out 68 batters and walked 54.

In 1931, Haines pitched in just 19 games. He had a 3.02 ERA with 12 wins and 3 losses in 122.1 innings. He split his time between the starting rotation and the bullpen in 1932. He finished the season with 3 wins and 5 losses, 27 strikeouts to 16 walks, and a 4.75 ERA in 85.1 innings in 10 games as a starter and 10 games in relief. The next year, he pitched in 10 games as a starting pitcher and 22 games as a reliever. In 1933, he had a 2.50 ERA in 115.1 innings.

From 1934 through 1937, Haines was primarily a relief pitcher. He finished the 1934 season with a 3.50 ERA in 90.0 innings in 37 games. He pitched more innings (115.1) in fewer games (30) in 1935, finishing with a 3.59 ERA. In 1936, he had a 3.90 ERA in 99.1 innings in 25 games. He pitched in just 16 games in 1937, his last season as a major league player. He had a 4.52 ERA in 65.2 innings.

Career Statistics

Statistics for Haines in 18 seasons (1920-1937) in the major leagues include:

  • 3 seasons with 20 or more wins, with a high of 24 in 1927
  • 3 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 2.50 in 1933

Career pitching statistics for Haines include:

  • 555 games played
  • 3,208.2 innings pitched
  • 210-158 win-loss record
  • 981 strikeouts to 871 walks
  • 3.64 ERA

Postseason statistics for Haines include:

  • 4 postseasons
  • 6 games played
  • 31.0 innings pitched
  • 3-1 win-loss record
  • 12 strikeouts to 16 walks
  • 1.74 ERA

Post Playing Career

Haines returned to major league baseball as a coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Jesse Haines
ESPN - Jesse Haines
Baseball Reference - Jesse Haines

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