Orval Overall
Encyclopedia
Orval Overall was an American
pitcher
in Major League Baseball
. He was a member of the Chicago Cubs
dynasty of the early 1900s.
. He attended the University of California, Berkeley
, where he was a member of Sigma Nu
and captain of the football team. He was named an All-American in football.
Overall started his professional baseball career in 1904. With the Pacific Coast League
's Tacoma Tigers, he pitched 510.2 innings, going 32-25 with a 2.78 earned run average
. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds
in September. In 1905, his rookie season, he was the ace of the Reds pitching staff and won 18 games. He struggled early in 1906, though, and was traded to the Chicago Cubs
. In 18 games for Chicago, Overall went 12-3 with a 1.88 ERA. The 1906 Cubs set a major league record for wins in a season and won the National League
pennant.
Overall pitched even better in 1907. He went 23-7 with eight shutouts and a 1.68 ERA. He also won a game in the 1907 World Series
, and the Cubs won their first title. In 1908, Overall "slumped" to just 15 wins but also won twice in the 1908 World Series
as Chicago repeated as champions. In the series-clinching game, he shut out the Detroit Tigers
on three hits. In 1909, he won 20 games and set a career-low in ERA (1.42). He also led the NL in strikeout
s, with 205.
Overall retired after the 1910 season. He made a brief comeback in 1913. Overall, he played seven years in the major leagues, compiling a record of 108-71 with a 2.23 lifetime ERA. He was the vice-president and manager of a bank after his baseball career ended.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 member of 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...
dynasty of the early 1900s.
Biography
Overall was born in Farmersville, CaliforniaFarmersville, California
Farmersville is a suburb of Visalia, in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 10,588 at the 2010 census, up from 8,737 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Farmersville is located at ....
. He attended the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he was a member of Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
and captain of the football team. He was named an All-American in football.
Overall started his professional baseball career in 1904. With the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
's Tacoma Tigers, he pitched 510.2 innings, going 32-25 with a 2.78 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...
. He was drafted by the 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 September. In 1905, his rookie season, he was the ace of the Reds pitching staff and won 18 games. He struggled early in 1906, though, and was traded to 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...
. In 18 games for Chicago, Overall went 12-3 with a 1.88 ERA. The 1906 Cubs set a major league record for wins in a season and won 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...
pennant.
Overall pitched even better in 1907. He went 23-7 with eight shutouts and a 1.68 ERA. He also won a game in the 1907 World Series
1907 World Series
The 1907 World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, with the Cubs winning the Series four games to none for their first championship....
, and the Cubs won their first title. In 1908, Overall "slumped" to just 15 wins but also won twice in the 1908 World Series
1908 World Series
The 1908 World Series matched the defending champion Chicago Cubs against the Detroit Tigers in a rematch of the 1907 Series. In this first-ever rematch of this young event, the Cubs won in five games for their second consecutive title....
as Chicago repeated as champions. In the series-clinching game, he shut out the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
on three hits. In 1909, he won 20 games and set a career-low in ERA (1.42). He also led the NL 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, with 205.
Overall retired after the 1910 season. He made a brief comeback in 1913. Overall, he played seven years in the major leagues, compiling a record of 108-71 with a 2.23 lifetime ERA. He was the vice-president and manager of a bank after his baseball career ended.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
External links
- Obituary at The Deadball Era
- Orval Overall at FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
- Four Strikeouts in One Inning at Baseball-Almanac.com
- 1907 cartoon of Overall from the Los Angeles Examiner