Red Ruffing (1967)


Date of Birth: 5/3/1905
Date of Death: 2/17/1986
Birthplace: Granville, Illinois

Red Ruffing played baseball for a coal mining team when he was a young teenager. He started as both an outfielder and a first baseman. He later played on a semi-pro team. He injured his foot in a mining accident and, since he could no longer run well, he switched to pitching. In 1923, he started playing professional baseball in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in August, 1923.

Boston Red Sox

Ruffing started his major league career with the Red Sox in 1924. He played in just eight games with the Red Sox that season, spending most of the season in the minors. He stayed with the Red Sox for six and a half years but he was not successful in his time with them. In 189 games, he had a 39-96 record and only one season with an ERA under 4.00 (3.89 in 1928).

In most seasons with the Red Sox, Ruffing consistently struck out fewer batters than he walked. His worst season was 1929, when he had just 9 wins to 22 losses and he walked 118 batters while striking out 109. He had a 4.86 ERA in 244.1 innings in 35 games.

New York Yankees

The Red Sox traded Ruffing to the New York Yankees in the middle of the 1930 season. He finished that season with 15 wins and 8 losses and a 4.38 ERA in 221.2 innings in 4 games with the Red Sox and 34 games with the Yankees.

Ruffing struggled in his first full season with the Yankees (1931), pitching 237.0 innings in 37 games with a 16-14 record, 132 strikeouts to 87 walks, and an ERA of 4.41. However, the following season, Ruffing led the AL with 190 strikeouts, the only time in his major league career that he struck out more than 150 batters in one season. He finished the 1932 season with 18 wins and 7 losses and a 3.09 ERA in 259.0 innings.

Ruffing had a much less successful season in 1933, winning just 9 games and losing 14. He struck out 122 batters and walked 93 and he had a 3.91 ERA in 235.0 innings in 35 games. He fared much better in 1934, when he won 19 games and lost 11. He struck out 149 batters and walked 104 that season, finishing with a 3.93 ERA in 256.1 innings in 36 games.

Ruffing's ERA dropped to 3.12 in 1935. He finished the season with 16 wins and 11 losses and 81 strikeouts to 76 walks in 222.0 innings in 30 games.

Ruffing became a star pitcher for the Yankees from 1936 to 1939 when he won 20 or more games each season. He finished the 1936 season with 20 wins and 12 losses, 102 strikeouts to 90 walks, and a 3.85 ERA in 271.0 innings in 33 games.

Ruffing had a strong 1937 season, finishing with a 20-7 record, 131 strikeouts to 68 walks, and a 2.98 ERA in 256.1 innings in 31 games. The following year, he led the AL in wins with 21 (to just 7 losses). He finished the 1938 season with 127 strikeouts to 82 walks and a 3.31 ERA in 247.1 innings in 31 games. He again had a career high 21 wins (once more, to only 7 losses) in 1939. He struck out 95 batters and walked 75 and he had an ERA of 2.93 in 233.1 innings in 28 games.

Ruffing didn't fare as well in 1940, when he had 15 wins and 12 losses in 226.0 innings in 30 games. He struck out 94 batters and walked 76 and he had an ERA of 3.38. He played in just 23 games in 1941, and he finished the season with 15 wins and 6 losses, 60 strikeouts to 54 walks, and a 3.54 ERA in 185.2 innings. His numbers in 1942 were similar: 24 games played, 193.2 innings pitched, 14-7 win-loss record, 80 strikeouts to 41 walks, and a 3.21 ERA.

In 1943 and 1944, Ruffing served in the US military. He returned to the Yankees in 1945 but played in only 11 games with them that season. The following year, his last season as a Yankee, he pitched just 61.0 innings in 8 games.

Chicago White Sox

The Yankees released Ruffing on September 20, 1946. He signed with the Chicago White Sox on December 5, 1946.

In 1947, his last season in the major leagues, Ruffing played in nine games with the White Sox. He pitched in 53.0 innings and he had an ERA of 6.11.

MLB Records

  • Led AL in complete games in 1928
  • Led AL in strikeouts in 1932
  • Led AL in wins in 1938

Career Statistics

Career pitching statistics for Ruffing include:

  • 624 games played
  • 4,344.0 innings pitched
  • 273-225 win-loss record
  • 1,987 strikeouts to 1,541 walks
  • 3.80 ERA

Career postseason pitching statistics for Ruffing include:

  • 10 games played
  • 85.0 innings pitched
  • 7-2 win-loss record
  • 61 strikeouts to 27 walks
  • 2.65 ERA

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a major league player, Ruffing worked as an instructor and coach for the Cleveland Indians. He also held an executive position with them for awhile. Afterwards, he was a coach and scout for the New York Mets.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Red Ruffing
ESPN - Red Ruffing
Baseball Reference - Red Ruffing

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