Deacon Phillippe
Encyclopedia
Charles Louis "Deacon" Phillippe (originally Phillippi) (May 23, 1872-March 30, 1952) was a turn-of-the-century pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates
.
Born in Rural Retreat, Virginia
to Andrew Phillippe and Jane Margaret Hackler, Phillippe first appeared in pro baseball with the National League
's Louisville Colonels
in 1899. He had a 21-17 record that year, which was highlighted by a no-hitter
in just his seventh career game.
The Colonels disbanded after the season, before which owner Barney Dreyfuss
shrewdly moved a number of Louisville players, including Phillippe, to the Pirates, a team Dreyfuss co-owned. Phillippe won 20 games for four straight seasons as the Pirates won three straight National League titles between 1901 and 1903.
Phillippe earned the honor of starting the first World Series
game for the Pirates against the Boston Americans
in 1903. In a complete game
victory, Phillippe struck out 10 batters and earned the win
against Cy Young
to start the best-of-9 series. He single-handedly guided the Pirates to a 3-1 series lead, earning the wins in each game, but when his arm wore down due to overuse, the Americans came back to win the series 5 games to 3, with Phillippe losing the last two. His five decisions in the World Series are still a record for a pitcher.
He missed half of 1904 due to a sore arm, before winning 20 for a 6th time in 1905. His years as an ace ended in 1908, when he suffered from another sore arm and missed nearly the entire season.
Phillippe returned in 1909 to play a bit role on a Pirate team which went 110-42. In 1910, he was primarily used as a relief pitcher and had a 14-2 record. He retired after the 1911 season after making only 3 appearances that year.
Phillippe was widely renowned for his control. No pitcher who has debuted since 1893 (when the pitching mound was moved to its present distance of 60 feet and 6 inches away from home plate) has averaged fewer walks per nine innings than Phillippe.
Deacon is a distant relative of actor Ryan Phillippe
, who named his first son Deacon in honor of the pitcher in 2003. (This is despite the different pronunciations of the last names, as Deacon Phillippe pronounced his last name "fill-eep" and Ryan Phillippe pronounces his last name "fill-a-pee".)
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...
.
Born in Rural Retreat, Virginia
Rural Retreat, Virginia
Rural Retreat is a town in Wythe County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,483 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.2 square miles , all of it land....
to Andrew Phillippe and Jane Margaret Hackler, Phillippe first appeared in pro baseball with the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
in 1899. He had a 21-17 record that year, which was highlighted by a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in just his seventh career game.
The Colonels disbanded after the season, before which owner Barney Dreyfuss
Barney Dreyfuss
Bernhard "Barney" Dreyfuss was an executive in Major League Baseball who owned the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise from 1900 to 1932....
shrewdly moved a number of Louisville players, including Phillippe, to the Pirates, a team Dreyfuss co-owned. Phillippe won 20 games for four straight seasons as the Pirates won three straight National League titles between 1901 and 1903.
Phillippe earned the honor of starting the first World Series
1903 World Series
The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball. It matched the Boston Americans of the American League against the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last...
game for the Pirates against the Boston Americans
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in 1903. In a complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
victory, Phillippe struck out 10 batters and earned the win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
against Cy Young
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
to start the best-of-9 series. He single-handedly guided the Pirates to a 3-1 series lead, earning the wins in each game, but when his arm wore down due to overuse, the Americans came back to win the series 5 games to 3, with Phillippe losing the last two. His five decisions in the World Series are still a record for a pitcher.
He missed half of 1904 due to a sore arm, before winning 20 for a 6th time in 1905. His years as an ace ended in 1908, when he suffered from another sore arm and missed nearly the entire season.
Phillippe returned in 1909 to play a bit role on a Pirate team which went 110-42. In 1910, he was primarily used as a relief pitcher and had a 14-2 record. He retired after the 1911 season after making only 3 appearances that year.
Phillippe was widely renowned for his control. No pitcher who has debuted since 1893 (when the pitching mound was moved to its present distance of 60 feet and 6 inches away from home plate) has averaged fewer walks per nine innings than Phillippe.
Deacon is a distant relative of actor Ryan Phillippe
Ryan Phillippe
Matthew Ryan Phillippe , better known as Ryan Phillippe, is an American actor. After appearing on the soap opera One Life to Live, he came to fame in the late 1990s starring in a string of films, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, and 54...
, who named his first son Deacon in honor of the pitcher in 2003. (This is despite the different pronunciations of the last names, as Deacon Phillippe pronounced his last name "fill-eep" and Ryan Phillippe pronounces his last name "fill-a-pee".)
See also
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins