Pete Schneider
Encyclopedia
Peter Joseph Schneider was a starting pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Cincinnati Reds
(1914–1918) and New York Yankees
(1919). Schneider batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Los Angeles
, California
.
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Despite a 5-14 mark in his rookie
season he finished with a 2.92 ERA
. He recorded 14 wins
in 1915 while posting a 2.48 ERA but led National League
pitchers with 19 losses. His most productive season came in 1917 when he posted career-highs with 20 wins and 333-2/3 innings pitched
, but he lost 19 games for the third consecutive year.
In 1918, Opening Day against the Pirates
, Schneider threw a 1–0, one-hit shutout at Crosley Field
. In July, he pitched a 10–0 one-hitter against the Phillies
into the ninth inning, but walked the first six batters. Finally, Cincinnati won 10–9. Schneider pitched briefly for the Yankees in 1919 and continued playing in the minor leagues
until 1926.
In a six-season career, Schneider posted a 59-86 record with a 2.66 ERA in 1274.0 innings. He recorded 10 shutouts among his 59 victories and had a 0.977 strikeout-to-walk ratio (487-to-498).
Schneider died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 61.
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
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...
who played for 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....
(1914–1918) and 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...
(1919). Schneider batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Career
Schneider was a hard-throwing pitcher who struggled with injuries and control problems. At age 18, he made a promising debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 1914 pitching a 1–0 shutoutShutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
against 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...
. Despite a 5-14 mark in his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season he finished with a 2.92 ERA
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 recorded 14 wins
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...
in 1915 while posting a 2.48 ERA but led 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...
pitchers with 19 losses. His most productive season came in 1917 when he posted career-highs with 20 wins and 333-2/3 innings pitched
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...
, but he lost 19 games for the third consecutive year.
In 1918, Opening Day against the 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...
, Schneider threw a 1–0, one-hit shutout at Crosley Field
Crosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
. In July, he pitched a 10–0 one-hitter against the Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
into the ninth inning, but walked the first six batters. Finally, Cincinnati won 10–9. Schneider pitched briefly for the Yankees in 1919 and continued playing in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
until 1926.
In a six-season career, Schneider posted a 59-86 record with a 2.66 ERA in 1274.0 innings. He recorded 10 shutouts among his 59 victories and had a 0.977 strikeout-to-walk ratio (487-to-498).
Schneider died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 61.
Milestone
- Considered a good-hitting pitcher, Schneider had a .221 batting averageBatting averageBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
(96-for-434) with 26 RBIRun batted inRuns batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and 24 extra basesExtra base hitIn baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
, including five home runHome runIn 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. He converted to the outfieldOutfieldThe outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
while playing with the Vernon TigersVernon TigersThe Vernon Tigers were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1909 through 1925. Vernon, California, was and is a small town in Los Angeles County. The Tigers, together with the Sacramento Solons, joined the PCL as new teams in 1909 as the league expanded from...
of the Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast LeagueThe 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...
, as he set league records by hitting five home runs with 14 RBI in a game, during a 35-11 romp over Salt Lake CitySalt Lake BeesThe Salt Lake Bees are a Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bees serve as the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play their home games at Spring Mobile Ballpark, known to fans as the Apiary, which was...
. A sixth home run was missed by two feet when he belted a line-drive doubleDouble (baseball)In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
off the center field fence (May 11, 19231923 in baseball-Champions:*World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*League Award**Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, OF-Statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:...
).