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Silver King (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Silver King born Charles Frederick Koenig in St. Louis, Missouri
, was a Major League Baseball
player from 1886 through 1897.
In a 10-year career, spent primarily as a pitcher
, King played for Jacksonville Illinois (1885) and St. Joseph Missouri in the Western League (1886), the Kansas City Cowboys
(1886), St. Louis Browns
(1887), Chicago Pirates
(1890), Pittsburgh Pirates
(1891), New York Giants
(1892–93), Cincinnati Reds
(1893), and Washington Senators
(1896–97). The first part of King's nickname was a reference to the color of his hair, while the latter part was a translation of his German
surname
.
King was an unusual pitcher for his time. Gripping the ball with unusually large hands, he delivered the ball without a windup
. He also was one of the first pitchers in major league history to employ a sidearm
delivery. The unconventional methods worked, as he went on to pitch 3,190 innings
, winning 203 games with 1229 strikeout
s and a 3.18 earned run average
in 397 games
. His strong fastball
enabled him to become a notable strikeout artist; he finished among the league's top 10 in that category six times.
King's best season came in 1888, when he led the Browns to their second consecutive American Association
championship. That year, King led the league with 585 innings pitched in 66 games, 45 wins, and a 1.64 ERA. In 1890, he jumped to Chicago of the Players League
and added another ERA title while winning 30 games. On June 21, 1890, King threw a no-hitter
for Chicago, the only one in the league's one-year history. (King lost 1-0, and pitched only eight innings in the loss, so this game is not officially recognized by MLB as a no-hitter.)
After baseball, King returned to his native St. Louis. He died in 1938, at age 70, and was laid to rest at New St. Marcus Cemetery in St. Louis.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, was a 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...
player from 1886 through 1897.
In a 10-year career, spent primarily as a 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...
, King played for Jacksonville Illinois (1885) and St. Joseph Missouri in the Western League (1886), the Kansas City Cowboys
Kansas City Cowboys (National League)
The Kansas City Cowboys were a National League that played one season, . They played at Association Park and finished with a 30-91 record. They finished in seventh place, ahead of another new team, the Washington Nationals. They were not connected to the Union Association Cowboys.The Cowboys were...
(1886), St. Louis Browns
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...
(1887), Chicago Pirates
Chicago Pirates
The Chicago Pirates were a baseball team in the Players' League for a single season in 1890. The team played their home games at South Side Park . Their powerful National League rivals were the Chicago White Stockings. The Pirates recruited most of the White Stocking's players, and for this reason...
(1890), 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...
(1891), New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1892–93), 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....
(1893), and Washington Senators
19th century National League teams
The following is a list of United States Major League Baseball teams that played in the National League during the 19th century.-Major league:*Boston Red Stockings 1876–1900 – now Atlanta Braves...
(1896–97). The first part of King's nickname was a reference to the color of his hair, while the latter part was a translation of his German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
.
King was an unusual pitcher for his time. Gripping the ball with unusually large hands, he delivered the ball without a windup
Pitching position
In baseball, there are two legal pitching positions: the windup, and the set. Each type of pitching position has its strengths and weaknesses. Compared to the set, the windup takes a relatively slower execution, so therefore is better suited for situations in which there are no baserunners, or when...
. He also was one of the first pitchers in major league history to employ a sidearm
Submarine (baseball)
In baseball, a submarine pitch is one in which the ball is released underhand and just above the ground, with the torso bent at a right angle and shoulders tilted so severely that they rotate around a nearly horizontal axis...
delivery. The unconventional methods worked, as he went on to pitch 3,190 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...
, winning 203 games with 1229 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 and a 3.18 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 397 games
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...
. His strong fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
enabled him to become a notable strikeout artist; he finished among the league's top 10 in that category six times.
King's best season came in 1888, when he led the Browns to their second consecutive American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
championship. That year, King led the league with 585 innings pitched in 66 games, 45 wins, and a 1.64 ERA. In 1890, he jumped to Chicago of the Players League
Players League
The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League , was a short-lived but star-studded professional American baseball league of the 19th century...
and added another ERA title while winning 30 games. On June 21, 1890, King threw 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"...
for Chicago, the only one in the league's one-year history. (King lost 1-0, and pitched only eight innings in the loss, so this game is not officially recognized by MLB as a no-hitter.)
After baseball, King returned to his native St. Louis. He died in 1938, at age 70, and was laid to rest at New St. Marcus Cemetery in St. Louis.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions