Johnny Niggeling
Encyclopedia
John Arnold Niggeling was an American
right-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
. He was a knuckleball
specialist who pitched for nine seasons (1938–1946) with the Boston Bees/Braves
, Cincinnati Reds
, St. Louis Browns
and Washington Senators
.
Born in Remsen
, Iowa
, Niggeling broke into the majors at the age of 35. He won a career-high 15 games with the Browns before joining the wartime Senators, who fielded a starting rotation featuring four knuckleballers. He finished in the top ten in league earned run average
three times, and twice in strikeout
s. His career record was 64-69 with a 3.22 ERA.
In later years, Niggeling worked as a barber in Le Mars, Iowa
.
Niggeling died at age 60 in LeMars, having committed suicide
by hanging
himself in his hotel room. He had been suffering from back pain the last few years of his life and had recently divorce
d from his wife.
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...
. He was a knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
specialist who pitched for nine seasons (1938–1946) with the Boston Bees/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....
, 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....
, St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and 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...
.
Born in Remsen
Remsen, Iowa
Remsen is a city in Plymouth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,762 at the 2000 census.-History:Remsen was named for Dr. William Remsen Smith, a pioneer Sioux City physician who became an extensive landowner in the area. Dr. Smith had a good friend who suggested the name Smithville,...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, Niggeling broke into the majors at the age of 35. He won a career-high 15 games with the Browns before joining the wartime Senators, who fielded a starting rotation featuring four knuckleballers. He finished in the top ten in league 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...
three times, and twice in strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. His career record was 64-69 with a 3.22 ERA.
In later years, Niggeling worked as a barber in Le Mars, Iowa
Le Mars, Iowa
Le Mars is a city in and the county seat of Plymouth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,237 at the 2000 census. Le Mars is the home of Wells' Dairy, the world's largest producer of ice cream novelties in one location and is the self-proclaimed "Ice Cream Capital of the World". Wells...
.
Niggeling died at age 60 in LeMars, having committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
himself in his hotel room. He had been suffering from back pain the last few years of his life and had recently divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d from his wife.