Bill Cristall
Encyclopedia
William Arthur "Bill" Cristall (born September 12, 1875 in Odessa, Ukraine) is a former pitcher
who played in Major League Baseball
with the Cleveland Indians
(1901). Cristall batted and threw left-handed
. His playing height and weight were listed as 5 foot 7 inches and 145 lbs.
Cristall made his major league debut on September 3, 1901. His time in the major leagues was short, as he only started and pitched in six career games. His career numbers were not so impressive, as his win-loss record would be 1-5, although he did pitch 5 complete games and his one win was a shutout
. Although he had very few at bats, he was a respectable hitter, especially for a pitcher, as he had 7 hits in 20 at-bats, including two hits for triples, and finished with a career .350 batting average
.
Cristall finished his career with a fielding percentage of .957, making only one error in his six starts. His last game would be on September 28, 1901. He was the first professional baseball player to be born in Ukraine and is one of only three players in Major League history, (the other two being Reuben Ewing
and Izzy Goldstein
to have been born in Ukraine. He is also the only Ukrainian baseball player to record a victory, a strikeout, a walk, a win, a loss, a complete game, a shutout, and a hit batter in major league history. Bill died on January 28, 1939 in Buffalo, New York
.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
with the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1901). Cristall batted and threw left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
. His playing height and weight were listed as 5 foot 7 inches and 145 lbs.
Cristall made his major league debut on September 3, 1901. His time in the major leagues was short, as he only started and pitched in six career games. His career numbers were not so impressive, as his win-loss record would be 1-5, although he did pitch 5 complete games and his one win was a shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
. Although he had very few at bats, he was a respectable hitter, especially for a pitcher, as he had 7 hits in 20 at-bats, including two hits for triples, and finished with a career .350 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.
Cristall finished his career with a fielding percentage of .957, making only one error in his six starts. His last game would be on September 28, 1901. He was the first professional baseball player to be born in Ukraine and is one of only three players in Major League history, (the other two being Reuben Ewing
Reuben Ewing
Reuben Ewing was a Jewish Russian-American baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals.Ewing was born in Odessa, Ukraine to Jewish-Russian parents and emigrated with them to the United States in 1904. As a child he showed brilliant athletic talent, a foreshadow of his later achievement of making...
and Izzy Goldstein
Izzy Goldstein
Isidore "Izzy" Goldstein was a 6'0" right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Born in Odessa, Russian Empire, Goldstein played only one season in the major leagues, appearing in 16 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1932...
to have been born in Ukraine. He is also the only Ukrainian baseball player to record a victory, a strikeout, a walk, a win, a loss, a complete game, a shutout, and a hit batter in major league history. Bill died on January 28, 1939 in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
.