Tommy Thevenow
Encyclopedia
Thomas Joseph Thevenow was a professional baseball player who played shortstop
in the Major Leagues from 1924–1938. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies
, Boston Bees
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, Cincinnati Reds
, and St. Louis Cardinals
during his career. Thevenow epitomized the good-fielding / weak-hitting shortstops that prevailed in the era, ending his career with a fielding percentage
of .947, but a batting average
of .248 while hitting only two home run
s in his 15-year career. He hit two home runs in 1926, both inside-the-park home run
s, and then never hit another home run in his next 12 seasons, setting a major league record of 3,347 consecutive at bat
s without a home run.
of the Class AA International League
, where he played 140 games that season. He played 23 games for the Cardinals that season, debuting on September 4 and finishing the season with a batting average of .202. He played 50 games with St. Louis in 1925, concluding the season with a .269 average, in addition to 112 games played for Syracuse.
During the 1926 season, Thevenow hit the first home run of his major league career on September 17 off Reds pitcher Jack Knight
, an inside-the-park homer that was part of 10–1 win over the fading Cincinnati Reds
, who would lose seven of their last nine games down the stretch. Five days later, Thevenow would hit another inside-the-park home run, the second and final regular season home run of his career, as the Cardinals beat the Brooklyn Dodgers
by a score of 15-7, putting the Cardinals 2½ games ahead of the Reds for first place in the National League
. Over the rest of the 1926 season and the next 12 years of his major league career, Thevenow would not hit another home run (his final 3,347 at bats), the most consecutive at bats without a home run in major league history. He finished the 1926 season with a .256 batting average and came in fourth in balloting for that season's National League Most Valuable Player, an award won by teammate Bob O'Farrell
.
The Cardinals won the NL pennant and faced the New York Yankees
in the 1926 World Series
. In the second game of the series, Thevenow hit a ball to right field off Yankee pitcher Sad Sam Jones
which Babe Ruth
could not corral as he ran towards the ball at full speed, while Thevenow rounded the bases and scored ahead of Ruth's throw to the plate, with the official scorer
ruling it an inside-the-park home run. Thevenow would go on to get 10 hits in 24 at bats for a .417 batting average, leading the Cardinals to win the series in seven games.
Thevenow's hitting dropped below the Mendoza Line
in 1927, with an average of .194 in 59 games. He picked it up a bit in 1928, ending the season having played 69 games and finishing with a .205 batting average. Following the season, the Cardinals traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies
in exchange for shortstop Heinie Sand
and $10,000.
following his retirement from baseball.
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
in the Major Leagues from 1924–1938. He played for the Philadelphia 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...
, 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....
, 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...
, 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....
, and 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...
during his career. Thevenow epitomized the good-fielding / weak-hitting shortstops that prevailed in the era, ending his career with a fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
of .947, but a batting average
Batting average
Batting 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 :...
of .248 while hitting only two 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 in his 15-year career. He hit two home runs in 1926, both inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
s, and then never hit another home run in his next 12 seasons, setting a major league record of 3,347 consecutive at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s without a home run.
Baseball career
Thevenow was acquired by the Cardinals on September 3, 1924, when he was purchased from the Syracuse StarsSyracuse Stars (minor league baseball)
The Syracuse Stars was the name of several Minor league baseball teams who played between 1891 and 1929. The Stars were based in Syracuse, New York and played in the New York State League , Eastern Association , Eastern League , International League , International Association , and New...
of the Class AA International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, where he played 140 games that season. He played 23 games for the Cardinals that season, debuting on September 4 and finishing the season with a batting average of .202. He played 50 games with St. Louis in 1925, concluding the season with a .269 average, in addition to 112 games played for Syracuse.
During the 1926 season, Thevenow hit the first home run of his major league career on September 17 off Reds pitcher Jack Knight
Jack Knight (baseball)
Elmer Russell "Jack" Knight was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Born in Pittsboro, Mississippi, he played from 1922–1927, pitching in 72 games for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Braves.He worked as a minor league manager for several years after...
, an inside-the-park homer that was part of 10–1 win over the fading 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....
, who would lose seven of their last nine games down the stretch. Five days later, Thevenow would hit another inside-the-park home run, the second and final regular season home run of his career, as the Cardinals beat the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
by a score of 15-7, putting the Cardinals 2½ games ahead of the Reds for first place 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...
. Over the rest of the 1926 season and the next 12 years of his major league career, Thevenow would not hit another home run (his final 3,347 at bats), the most consecutive at bats without a home run in major league history. He finished the 1926 season with a .256 batting average and came in fourth in balloting for that season's National League Most Valuable Player, an award won by teammate Bob O'Farrell
Bob O'Farrell
Robert Arthur "Bob" O'Farrell was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for 21 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants. O'Farrell also played for the Cincinnati Reds, albeit briefly...
.
The Cardinals won the NL pennant and faced 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 1926 World Series
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
. In the second game of the series, Thevenow hit a ball to right field off Yankee pitcher Sad Sam Jones
Sad Sam Jones
Samuel Pond "Sad Sam" Jones was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in the American League with the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox . A native of Woodsfield, Ohio, Jones batted and threw...
which 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...
could not corral as he ran towards the ball at full speed, while Thevenow rounded the bases and scored ahead of Ruth's throw to the plate, with the official scorer
Official scorer
In the game of baseball, the official scorer is a person appointed by the league to record the events on the field, and to send the official scoring record of the game back to the league offices...
ruling it an inside-the-park home run. Thevenow would go on to get 10 hits in 24 at bats for a .417 batting average, leading the Cardinals to win the series in seven games.
Thevenow's hitting dropped below the Mendoza Line
Mendoza Line
The Mendoza Line is an expression in baseball in the United States, deriving from the name of shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose lifetime batting average is taken to define the threshold of incompetent hitting...
in 1927, with an average of .194 in 59 games. He picked it up a bit in 1928, ending the season having played 69 games and finishing with a .205 batting average. Following the season, the Cardinals traded him to the Philadelphia 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...
in exchange for shortstop Heinie Sand
Heinie Sand
John Henry "Heinie" Sand was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from 1923 to 1928 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He debuted on April 17, and played his final game on September 30, . In 1925, he had a .364 on base percentage and 55 runs batted in and was 18th in the voting...
and $10,000.
Personal life
Thevenow died at age 53 on July 29, 1957, due to a cerebral hemorrhage. He had operated a grocery store in his hometown of Madison, IndianaMadison, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
following his retirement from baseball.