Cy Falkenberg
Encyclopedia
Frederick Peter "Cy" Falkenberg (September 17, 1880 – April 13, 1961) was an American baseball pitcher
who played fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball
(MLB) from 1903 and 1917.
Cy Falkenberg attended the University of Illinois
, becoming one of the few university educated ballplayers of the time. He debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates
on April 21, 1903, but struggled his first year in the majors, losing 5 of 6 decisions. He spent 1904 back in the minor leagues. He returned to the majors in 1905, this time with the Washington Senators
, but he did not achieve his greatest success until 1913 with the Cleveland Naps
.
He was known for throwing the "emery ball", a baseball that had been scuffed with a piece of emery board hidden in the heel of his glove. Although this practice is currently against the rules of baseball, it was legal at the time. By scuffing the ball, the ball moves in a less predictable manner, making it harder to hit, giving him a 23-10 record in 1913. By 1915 he was struggling again, and was back in the minors by 1916. He appeared in 15 games in the majors in 1917, and finished his pro career in the minors in 1918 and 1919.
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 fifteen seasons 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...
(MLB) from 1903 and 1917.
Cy Falkenberg attended the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, becoming one of the few university educated ballplayers of the time. He debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on April 21, 1903, but struggled his first year in the majors, losing 5 of 6 decisions. He spent 1904 back in the minor leagues. He returned to the majors in 1905, this time with the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, but he did not achieve his greatest success until 1913 with the Cleveland Naps
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...
.
He was known for throwing the "emery ball", a baseball that had been scuffed with a piece of emery board hidden in the heel of his glove. Although this practice is currently against the rules of baseball, it was legal at the time. By scuffing the ball, the ball moves in a less predictable manner, making it harder to hit, giving him a 23-10 record in 1913. By 1915 he was struggling again, and was back in the minors by 1916. He appeared in 15 games in the majors in 1917, and finished his pro career in the minors in 1918 and 1919.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins