Fred Fussell

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Fred Fussell
Pitcher
Born: (1895-10-07)October 7, 1895
Sheridan, Missouri, US
Died: October 23, 1966(1966-10-23) (aged 71)
Syracuse, New York, US
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 23, 1922, for the Chicago Cubs
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 1929, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Win–loss record14–17
Earned run average4.86
Strikeouts103
Teams

Frederick Morris Fussell (October 7, 1895 – October 23, 1966) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. Fussell was 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed 155 pounds.[1]

Career[edit]

Fussell was born in Sheridan, Missouri, in 1895. He started his professional baseball career in 1922 with the Chicago Cubs.[2] That season, he played in three MLB games in September and October and had a win–loss record of 1–1.[3] In 1923, Fussell mostly pitched in relief for Chicago. He appeared in 28 games, going 3–5 and tying for the team-lead with three saves.[4]

Fussell spent the next several years in the minor leagues. He played for the Pacific Coast League's Seattle Indians in 1924 and 1925 and then went to the Texas League's Wichita Falls Spudders. In 1927, he won a career-high 21 games for the Spudders, and he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates that December for Mike Cvengros and Ike Danning.[1][2] He pitched well the following spring and made the Pirates roster.[5]

Fussell was a major league starter during the 1928 season. In 159.2 innings pitched, he went 8–9 with a 3.61 earned run average. In 1929, he was a reliever, and his ERA jumped up to 8.62.[1] He was released after the season and never played in the majors again.[1][5]

During the 1930s, Fussell pitched for various teams in the International League, including the Buffalo Bisons and Syracuse Chiefs.[2] In 1933, he threw a no-hitter in a night game; he was subsequently nicknamed "Moonlight Ace".[6][7] Fussell's professional baseball career ended in 1939. He retired with a career minor league record of 150–118 to go along with his 14–17 major league one.[1][2]

In his later years, Fussell lived in Syracuse, New York, and worked as a lathe operator.[8] Late in Fussell's life, Baseball Hall of Fame historian Lee Allen wrote a piece about him in a Baseball Digest article.[8] He died in 1966.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Fred Fussell Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d "Fred Fussell Minor League Statistics & History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  3. ^ "Fred Fussell 1922 Pitching Gamelogs". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  4. ^ "1923 Chicago Cubs Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Finoli, David and Rainer, Bill (2003). The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia. Sports Publishing LLC. pp. 61-65.
  6. ^ "The Ballplayers - Fred Fussell 1895 - 1966" Archived 2012-08-23 at the Wayback Machine. baseballlibrary.com. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  7. ^ Kavanagh, Jack. "The Ballplayers - Fred Fussell" Archived 2012-08-23 at the Wayback Machine. baseballlibrary.com. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  8. ^ a b James, Bill (1995). Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?. Simon and Schuster. p. 151.

External links[edit]

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