Guy Bush
Encyclopedia
Guy Terrell Bush was an American
right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
, nicknamed the Mississippi Mudcat.
Born in Aberdeen, Mississippi
, Bush played in the major leagues from to and again in . The 6 feet (1.8 m) pitcher played for the Chicago Cubs
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, Boston Bees
, St. Louis Cardinals
and Cincinnati Reds
in his seventeen-year professional baseball career.
in for $1,000. After attending the now defunct Tupelo Military Academy in Mississippi
, Bush made his major league debut for the team that year on September 17, . In his only game of the season, Bush came in the ninth inning and gave up one hit
while striking out two. He returned with the Cubs the following season as a dual-duty starter and reliever
. Bush pitched to a 2-5 record in sixteen games, half of which he started. He threw four complete game
s and finished
four others. In 80-2/3 innings
of work, he gave up 91 hits and 36 earned run
s, and struck out 36 batters. In the following few seasons, Bush started to take a larger role as a reliever. Bush led the league in saves in , with four, and again in when he had eight. He also led the league in relief wins that season and the following season.
After finishing the campaign fourth in the league with a 2.86 earned run average
in a primarily relief setting, Bush started more games than he relieved the following season. Despite giving up 79 walks
while only striking out 62 batters, he had a 10-10 record on the year, with a 3.03 ERA. Bush started 22 of his 36 games, including a marathon on May 14, , in which Bush and Boston Braves
starter Charlie Robertson
duelled for eighteen innings. Bush won the game after Robertson tired, surrendering five runs in the 18th inning. In the National League
since then, only Carl Hubbell
in and Vern Law
in have matched Bush's marathon performance. Bush's ERA to 3.83 the next year, but he did post a 15-6 record in 42 games, 24 of which he started.
Bush followed up with a career year in . He finished the year on top of the league in saves and games pitched
, and fourth in the league for wins. Also that year, Bush ranked twelfth in the NL Most Valuable Player Award
voting. Even more impressive, Bush had a streak of eleven straight wins until it was broken by a relief loss on August 12 against the Braves. Bush was a large contributor to the team's pennant-winning season, in which they finished on top of the NL with a 98-54 record. Bush was most dominant in the 1929 World Series
against the Philadelphia Athletics
. Bush pitched two games in the series, starting one and relieving another. Bush started Game 3 and pitched a complete game, surrendering only one run on nine hits. Despite the Cubs' loss of the Series in five games, Bush pitched a total of eleven innings with 4 strikeouts and gave up just one run. After the success of the season, Bush had a disappointing season in . In 225 innings of work, Bush posted a 15-10 record with a 6.20 ERA, one of the worst in the league that season. He gave up 291 hits, fifth highest in the league, and led the league in earned runs allowed with 155 and wild pitch
es with 12. In November , writer F.C. Lane wrote in Baseball Magazine about Bush's unique pitching windup:
Bush had an improved season in , thanks to performances such as a September 13 one-hitter against the Braves. He finished the year with a 16-8 record and a 4.49 ERA, in 180.1 innings of work. The following year, the Cubs again won the pennant behind Bush's 19-11 record and 3.20 ERA. That year, Bush finished the year third in the league for wins and 23rd in the NL MVP voting. The Cubs were pinned up against the New York Yankees
in the 1932 World Series
. It was an infamous matchup, known now for the general tension and fighting between both teams. Bush did not fare well this time around in the World Series. As the starting pitcher for the Cubs in Game 1, Bush gave up eight runs on three hits, and walked five in just five innings of work, en route to a 12-6 Yankees win. Bush started Game 4, and lasted less than an inning. He hit Babe Ruth
and gave up two hits and one earned run and was plucked from the pitching mound. For the series, Bush finished with a 0-1 record and 14.29 ERA, and gave up nine earned runs in less than six innings of work.
Bush bounced back the next year, finishing the year with his first 20-game winning season. Bush had another career year, finishing second in the league in wins and ninth in the league with a 2.75 ERA. Bush followed up with another solid season in , his last with the Cubs. On November 22, , just a little over a month after the season, Bush was traded alongside with outfielder
Babe Herman
and Jim Weaver
to the Pittsburgh Pirates
for left-handed pitcher Larry French
and future Hall of Famer Freddie Lindstrom
, also then playing outfield after spending most of his career at third base
. Bush left the Cubs after twelve years with the team and finished as one of the club's winningest pitchers with a record of 152-101.
's final games. Ruth put on a performance, collecting four hits including three home run
s and knocking in six runners. The first home run shot came off pitcher Red Lucas
, while the last two came off Bush. The last home run was Ruth's career home run #714, and was a mammoth of a shot. It was the first home run to clear the right field grandstands at Forbes Field
and was reportedly measured as a 600 feet (182.9 m) bomb. Despite Ruth's goliath performance, Waite Hoyt
, who came in relief for Bush, won the game after he held on to a 11-7 Pirates win. The Pirates sent the 34-year old Bush to the bullpen
for the season. The transition did not go well with Bush as he gave up 49 hits in just 34.7 innings of work, and posted a 5.97 ERA.
bought Bush from the Bees months prior to the start of the season. On May 7, after coming in relief in six games, Bush was released by the Cardinals. Bush's career seemed to be over, however, he did come back to the majors seven years later, at age 43. Since many teams were affected by players leaving to fight in World War II
, ex-players like Bush, Babe Herman
and Hod Lisenbee were signed as replacements.
The Reds signed Bush prior to the season, and used him as a closer
. Despite picking up one save in four relief appearances, the Reds released Bush on June 2, . Bush's career was finished, this time for good. The Mississippi Mudcat finished his career with a 176-136 pitching record and a 3.86 ERA over 2722 innings and 542 games—308 as a starter, 234 in relief.
Guy Bush died at age 83 on July 2, 1985 of cardiac arrest
after working in his garden in Shannon, Mississippi
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
right-handed pitcher
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...
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...
, nicknamed the Mississippi Mudcat.
Born in Aberdeen, Mississippi
Aberdeen, Mississippi
Aberdeen is a city in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Monroe County....
, Bush played in the major leagues from to and again in . The 6 feet (1.8 m) pitcher played for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, 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...
, Boston Bees
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in his seventeen-year professional baseball career.
With the Cubs
Bush was originally drafted and signed by the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in for $1,000. After attending the now defunct Tupelo Military Academy in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Bush made his major league debut for the team that year on September 17, . In his only game of the season, Bush came in the ninth inning and gave up one hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
while striking out two. He returned with the Cubs the following season as a dual-duty starter and reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. Bush pitched to a 2-5 record in sixteen games, half of which he started. He threw four 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...
s and finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
four others. In 80-2/3 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
of work, he gave up 91 hits and 36 earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s, and struck out 36 batters. In the following few seasons, Bush started to take a larger role as a reliever. Bush led the league in saves in , with four, and again in when he had eight. He also led the league in relief wins that season and the following season.
After finishing the campaign fourth in the league with a 2.86 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in a primarily relief setting, Bush started more games than he relieved the following season. Despite giving up 79 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
while only striking out 62 batters, he had a 10-10 record on the year, with a 3.03 ERA. Bush started 22 of his 36 games, including a marathon on May 14, , in which Bush and Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
starter Charlie Robertson
Charlie Robertson
Charles Culbertson Robertson was an American Major League Baseball pitcher.Born in Dexter, Texas, and grew up in Nocona, Texas graduating from Nocona High School in 1915. Charles attended Austin College from 1917 until 1919. He began his career with the Chicago White Sox in 1919 at the age of 23...
duelled for eighteen innings. Bush won the game after Robertson tired, surrendering five runs in the 18th inning. In 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...
since then, only Carl Hubbell
Carl Hubbell
Carl Owen Hubbell was an American baseball player. He was a member of the New York Giants in the National League from 1928 to 1943, and remained on the Giants' payroll for the rest of his life, long after their move to San Francisco.Twice voted the National League's Most Valuable Player, Hubbell...
in and Vern Law
Vern Law
Vernon Sanders Law is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for 16 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Career:Law was a member of the National League All Star Team in...
in have matched Bush's marathon performance. Bush's ERA to 3.83 the next year, but he did post a 15-6 record in 42 games, 24 of which he started.
Bush followed up with a career year in . He finished the year on top of the league in saves and games pitched
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
, and fourth in the league for wins. Also that year, Bush ranked twelfth in the NL Most Valuable Player Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting. Even more impressive, Bush had a streak of eleven straight wins until it was broken by a relief loss on August 12 against the Braves. Bush was a large contributor to the team's pennant-winning season, in which they finished on top of the NL with a 98-54 record. Bush was most dominant in the 1929 World Series
1929 World Series
In the 1929 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs in five games.The famous "Mack Attack" occurred in 1929, named for manager of the Athletics, Connie Mack, in which the Athletics overcame an eight-run deficit by scoring ten runs in the seventh inning of Game 4...
against the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. Bush pitched two games in the series, starting one and relieving another. Bush started Game 3 and pitched a complete game, surrendering only one run on nine hits. Despite the Cubs' loss of the Series in five games, Bush pitched a total of eleven innings with 4 strikeouts and gave up just one run. After the success of the season, Bush had a disappointing season in . In 225 innings of work, Bush posted a 15-10 record with a 6.20 ERA, one of the worst in the league that season. He gave up 291 hits, fifth highest in the league, and led the league in earned runs allowed with 155 and wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
es with 12. In November , writer F.C. Lane wrote in Baseball Magazine about Bush's unique pitching windup:
Bush had an improved season in , thanks to performances such as a September 13 one-hitter against the Braves. He finished the year with a 16-8 record and a 4.49 ERA, in 180.1 innings of work. The following year, the Cubs again won the pennant behind Bush's 19-11 record and 3.20 ERA. That year, Bush finished the year third in the league for wins and 23rd in the NL MVP voting. The Cubs were pinned up against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the 1932 World Series
1932 World Series
The 1932 World Series was played between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs , with the Yankees holding home field advantage. The Yankees swept the Cubs, four games to none...
. It was an infamous matchup, known now for the general tension and fighting between both teams. Bush did not fare well this time around in the World Series. As the starting pitcher for the Cubs in Game 1, Bush gave up eight runs on three hits, and walked five in just five innings of work, en route to a 12-6 Yankees win. Bush started Game 4, and lasted less than an inning. He hit Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
and gave up two hits and one earned run and was plucked from the pitching mound. For the series, Bush finished with a 0-1 record and 14.29 ERA, and gave up nine earned runs in less than six innings of work.
Bush bounced back the next year, finishing the year with his first 20-game winning season. Bush had another career year, finishing second in the league in wins and ninth in the league with a 2.75 ERA. Bush followed up with another solid season in , his last with the Cubs. On November 22, , just a little over a month after the season, Bush was traded alongside with outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Babe Herman
Babe Herman
Floyd Caves "Babe" Herman was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who was best known for his several seasons with the Brooklyn Robins ....
and Jim Weaver
Big Jim Weaver
James Dement "Big Jim" Weaver , was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of eight seasons in the majors, between and , for the Washington Senators, New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cincinnati Reds.-External links:...
to 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...
for left-handed pitcher Larry French
Larry French
Lawrence Herbert French was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers . A knuckleball specialist, French batted right-handed and threw left-handed...
and future Hall of Famer Freddie Lindstrom
Freddie Lindstrom
Frederick Charles Lindstrom was a National League Baseball player with the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers from 1924 until 1936...
, also then playing outfield after spending most of his career at third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
. Bush left the Cubs after twelve years with the team and finished as one of the club's winningest pitchers with a record of 152-101.
With the Pirates
Bush did not show much improvement in with the Pirates. He did, however, place his name into the record books. On May 25, the Pirates played the Braves in one of Babe RuthBabe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's final games. Ruth put on a performance, collecting four hits including three home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and knocking in six runners. The first home run shot came off pitcher Red Lucas
Red Lucas
Charles Fred Lucas born in Columbia, Tennessee was a pitcher for the New York Giants , Boston Braves , Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates ....
, while the last two came off Bush. The last home run was Ruth's career home run #714, and was a mammoth of a shot. It was the first home run to clear the right field grandstands at Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
and was reportedly measured as a 600 feet (182.9 m) bomb. Despite Ruth's goliath performance, Waite Hoyt
Waite Hoyt
Waite Charles Hoyt was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, one of the dominant pitchers of the 1920s, and the winningest pitcher for the New York Yankees during that decade...
, who came in relief for Bush, won the game after he held on to a 11-7 Pirates win. The Pirates sent the 34-year old Bush to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
for the season. The transition did not go well with Bush as he gave up 49 hits in just 34.7 innings of work, and posted a 5.97 ERA.
Journeyman
Midway through the season, on July 20, , the Pirates released Bush. He was subsequently signed by the Boston Bees (the former Braves). The Bees used him primarily as a starter and his stats improved, as a result. Despite pitching with below a 3.60 ERA in both and , the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
bought Bush from the Bees months prior to the start of the season. On May 7, after coming in relief in six games, Bush was released by the Cardinals. Bush's career seemed to be over, however, he did come back to the majors seven years later, at age 43. Since many teams were affected by players leaving to fight in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, ex-players like Bush, Babe Herman
Babe Herman
Floyd Caves "Babe" Herman was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who was best known for his several seasons with the Brooklyn Robins ....
and Hod Lisenbee were signed as replacements.
The Reds signed Bush prior to the season, and used him as a closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
. Despite picking up one save in four relief appearances, the Reds released Bush on June 2, . Bush's career was finished, this time for good. The Mississippi Mudcat finished his career with a 176-136 pitching record and a 3.86 ERA over 2722 innings and 542 games—308 as a starter, 234 in relief.
Guy Bush died at age 83 on July 2, 1985 of cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
after working in his garden in Shannon, Mississippi
Shannon, Mississippi
Shannon is a town in Lee County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,657 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Shannon is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
.
In Popular Media
- Bush was portrayed by actor Richard TysonRichard TysonRichard Martin Tyson is an American actor.-Biography:His most prominent role was as the villain Cullen Crisp, Sr. in Kindergarten Cop co-starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also starred as high school bully Buddy Revell in the 1987 comedy Three O'Clock High...
in the 1992 Babe Ruth biopic The Babe. The film played up the rivalry between Bush and Ruth.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball saves champions