Eppa Rixey

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox baseball biography Eppa Rixey Jr. (May 3, 1891 – February 28, 1963), nicknamed "Jephtha",Template:Refn was an American baseball player who played 21 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1933 as a left-handed pitcher. Rixey was best known as the National League's leader in career victories for a left-hander with 266 wins until Warren Spahn surpassed his total in 1959.

Rixey attended the University of Virginia where he was a star pitcher. He was discovered by umpire Cy Rigler, who convinced him to sign directly with the Phillies, bypassing minor league baseball entirely. His time with the Phillies was marked by inconsistency. He won 22 games in 1916, but also led the league in losses twice. In 1915, the Phillies played in the World Series, and Rixey lost in his only appearance.<ref name="card">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After being traded to the Reds prior to the 1921 season, he won 20 or more games in a season three times, including a league-leading 25 in 1922, and posted eight consecutive winning seasons. His skills were declining by the 1929 season, when his record was 10–13 with a 4.16 earned run average. He pitched another four seasons before retiring after the 1933 season.

An intellectual who taught high school Latin during the off-season, earning the nickname "Jephtha" for his southern drawl, Rixey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963.

Early life

Eppa Rixey Jr. was born on May 3, 1891, in Culpeper, Virginia, to Eppa Rixey and his wife Willie Alice (Template:Nee). At the age of ten, his father, a banker, moved his family to Charlottesville, Virginia.<ref name="mainbooksource">Template:Sabrbio</ref> His uncles were John Franklin Rixey, a former congressman, and Presley Marion Rixey, a former Surgeon General of the United States Navy.<ref name="secondarybooksource">Template:Cite book</ref> He attended the University of Virginia, where he played basketball and baseball; he was a member of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His brother Bill also played baseball for Virginia.<ref name="mainbooksource"/><ref name=nohitter>Template:Cite news</ref> During the off-season, umpire Cy Rigler worked as an assistant coach for the University. He recognized Rixey's talent and tried to sign him to the Philadelphia Phillies.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> Rixey originally declined, saying he wanted to be a chemist, but Rigler insisted, even offering a substantial portion of the bonus he received for signing a player.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> With his family in financial trouble, Rixey accepted the deal. The National League, upon hearing of the deal, created a rule that prohibits umpires from signing players.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> Neither Rixey nor Rigler received any signing bonus.<ref name="mainbooksource"/>

Baseball career

Philadelphia Phillies

File:Eppa Rixey Baseball.jpg

Rixey warming up while as a member of the Phillies at the West Side Grounds in 1912.

Rixey joined the Phillies for the 1912 season without playing a single game of minor league baseball.<ref name=obit>Template:Cite news</ref> His time with the Phillies was marked by inconsistency. He went 10-10 in his first year, with a 2.50 earned run average (ERA) and 10 complete games in 23 games pitched.<ref name=stats>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He had a three hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs on July 18.<ref name=threehitshutout>Template:Cite news</ref> Rixey was on the losing end of a no-hitter by Jeff Tesreau on September 6.<ref name=autogenerated3>Template:Cite news</ref> After the season, the Chicago Cubs, under new manager Johnny Evers, offered a "huge sum" to the Phillies for Rixey, but manager Red Dooin declined the offer.<ref name=hugeoffer>Template:Cite news</ref> Prior to the 1913 season, Rixey notified the Phillies of his desire to finish his studies at the University of Virginia and graduate in June; however, after some negotiation, he decided to sign a contract and re-joined the team shortly after the season began.<ref name=heldout>Template:Cite news</ref> That season, he appeared in 35 games, started 19 of them, winning nine games, and had a 3.12 earned run average. In 1914, his record worsened to 2–11, and his earned run average increased to 4.37.<ref name=stats/> Rixey's record improved to 11–12 in 1915, and his earned run average was 2.39 as the Phillies won the National League pennant and played the Boston Red Sox in the 1915 World Series. During Game 5 of the series, Rixey replaced starter Erskine Mayer for the final six innings of the game. He allowed three runs in the final two innings and lost 5–4.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Rixey went 22–10 in 1916 with a 1.85 ERA and a career high of 134 strikeouts.<ref name=stats/> On June 29, Rixey pitched a four-hit shutout against the New York Giants, facing the minimum 27 batters, because of three double plays, and a player caught stealing.<ref name=minimum>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1917, despite having a 2.27 earned run average, Rixey led the league in pitching losses with 21.<ref name=stats/> He also handled 108 chances without a single error.<ref name=stats/> Rixey hated losing and was known for destroying the team locker room, or disappearing for days at a time after a loss.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> He missed the 1918 season to serve in the Chemical Warfare Division of the United States army during the war effort.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> He struggled upon returning to baseball, going 6–12 with a 3.97 earned run average in 1919, and again leading the league in losses with 22 in 1920.<ref name=stats/> Prior to the 1920 season, rumours circulated that his former manager, Pat Moran, now with the Cincinnati Reds, was interested in trading for Rixey. The relationship between Rixey and manager Gavvy Cravath was never good, and Cravath had made known his desire to trade him; however, he stayed with the Phillies that season, working on his delivery with former pitcher Jesse Tannehill, who, Rixey admitted, helped with his pitching delivery.<ref name=MoranCravath>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Tannehill>Template:Cite news</ref> On November 22, 1920, Rixey was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Jimmy Ring and Greasy Neale.<ref name=stats/> His record during his eight seasons with the Phillies was 87 wins and 103 losses.<ref name="record">Template:Cite book</ref>

Cincinnati Reds

File:EppaRixeyGoudeycard.jpg

Eppa Rixey 1933 Goudey card.

In his first season with the Reds, Rixey won 19 games, and set a Major League record by allowing just one home run in 301 innings pitched.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> In three of the next four seasons, he had 20 or more victories each season, with a league-leading total of 25 in 1922.<ref name=stats/> He also led the league in innings pitched and hits allowed in 1922 and shutouts with four in 1924.<ref name=stats/> In 1926 he had 14 wins, followed by seasons of 12, 19 and 10 wins.<ref name=stats/> Rixey's production began to decline in 1930, when he went 9–13 with a 5.10 ERA, and pitched fewer than 200 innings for the first time since 1919. From 1931 through 1933, Rixey pitched very little, and was used almost exclusively against the Pittsburgh Pirates.<ref name=HoFarticle>Template:Cite news</ref> For the 1933 season, he was the only Reds pitcher with a winning record, at 6–3  as the Reds finished last in the National League at 58–94.<ref name=retirement>Template:Cite news</ref> He retired prior to the 1934 season, stating "the manager wasn't giving me enough work".<ref name=HoFarticle/> Rixey completed his career with 266 wins, 251 losses, and a 3.15 ERA. He appeared in 692 games and completed 290, and had 20 wins and 14 saves as a relief pitcher.<ref name=stats/><ref name="record"/>

Rixey was a better than average hitting pitcher, posting a .191 batting average (291-for-1,522) with 95 runs, 33 doubles, 3 home runs, 111 RBI and 49 bases on balls. He was also better than average defensively, recording a .978 fielding percentage which was 20 points higher than the league average at his position.<ref name="stats" />

Bubbles Hargrave, former Cincinnati catcher, gave this testimonial: "Eppa was just great. He was great as a pitcher, fielder and competitor. I look on him as the most outstanding player I came in contact with in my entire career."<ref name="card" /> For his part, Rixey described his approach to the game in 1927 as follows: "How dumb can the hitters in this league get? I've been doing this for fifteen years. When they're batting with the count two balls and no strikes, or three and one, they're always looking for the fastball and they never get it."<ref name="stats2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Legacy

Originally Rixey had trouble controlling his speed, but eventually, weighing in at 210 pounds, he became one of the most feared pitchers in baseball.<ref name=retirement/> Rixey was considered a pitcher with a "peculiar motion," who rarely walked a batter.<ref name=HoFarticle/> Throughout his long career, Rixey charmed teammates and fans with his dry wit and big Southern drawl. His nonsensical nickname "Jephtha" seemed to capture his roots and amiable personality.<ref name="record"/> Some writers thought "Jephtha" was a part of Rixey's real name, but it was likely invented by a Philadelphia sportswriter.<ref name="record"/> Rob Neyer called Rixey the fourth best pitcher in Reds history behind Bucky Walters, Paul Derringer and teammate Dolf Luque.<ref name="Neyersource">Template:Cite book</ref>

His 266 career victories stood as the record for most wins by a left-handed pitcher in the National League until Warren Spahn broke it in 1959; however, his 251 losses are an all-time record for left-handed pitchers.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> He also held the record for most seasons pitched by a National League left-hander until Steve Carlton broke it in 1986.<ref name="record"/> As time passed, support for Rixey to be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame grew. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1958.<ref name=obit/><ref name="redshall">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1960, Rixey finished third in the balloting behind former teammate Edd Roush and Sam Rice (who was later inducted the same year as Rixey).<ref name=1960halloffame>Template:Cite news</ref> Upon his election to the Hall of Fame on January 27, 1963, he was quoted as saying "They're really scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't they?"<ref name="mainbooksource"/>

In 1969, he was named by Reds fans as the greatest left-handed pitcher in Reds history.<ref>Template:Bbhof</ref> The Reds Hall of Fame declared Rixey "was the best left-hander ever to pitch for the Reds with a 179–148 record, 180 complete games, 23 shutouts and a 3.33 ERA in his 13 seasons."<ref name="redshall"/>

In 1972 he was inducted into the first class of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.<ref name="Va">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2017 he was inducted into the inaugural class of the University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Rixey's childhood home in Culpeper still stands, although it suffered some damage in the 2011 Virginia earthquake.<ref name="earthquake">"EARTHQUAKE IN CULPEPER: The damage done" from the Culpeper Star Experiment</ref>

Personal life

Rixey was married to Dorothy Meyers of Cincinnati and had two children, Eppa Rixey III and Ann Rixey Sikes; and five grandchildren, James Rixey, Eppa Rixey IV, Steve Sikes, Paige Sikes, and David Sikes.<ref name="record"/> After his retirement from baseball, Rixey worked for his father-in-law's successful insurance company in Cincinnati, eventually becoming president of the company.<ref name="record"/><ref name="Fleitz, 137">Fleitz, p. 137</ref> He died of a heart attack on February 28, 1963, one month after his election to the Hall of Fame, becoming the first player to die between election and induction to the Hall of Fame.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> He is interred at Greenlawn Cemetery in Milford, Ohio.<ref name=stats/><ref name="stats2"/>

When Rixey started playing, he was considered an "anomaly." He came from a well-off family and was college-educated, something that was rare during his era. He wrote poetry, and earned masters degrees in chemistry and Latin.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> During the off-season, he was a Latin teacher at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia.<ref name="mainbooksource"/> He was also considered among the best golfers among athletes during the time period.<ref name=obit/> Nonetheless, he was the target of hazing in his first few years in the major leagues. Eventually he teamed up with other college graduates Joe Oeschger and Stan Baumgartner and the hazing lessened to a degree.<ref name="mainbooksource"/>

See also

• List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
• List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders
• List of baseball players who went directly to Major League Baseball

Bibliography

Further reading

• Eppa Rixey Files at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book Template:ISBN
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Baseball Hall of Fame profile
• {{#if:||* }}Career statistics from {{#invoke:String|join|Template:Space·Template:Space|{{#if: 121255

| MLB | {{#if: Template:Wikidata | Template:Wikidata MLB Template:EditAtWikidata}} }}|{{#if: 26817 | ESPN | {{#if: Template:Wikidata | Template:Wikidata ESPN Template:EditAtWikidata}} }}|{{#if: r/rixeyep01 | Baseball Reference | {{#if: Template:Wikidata | Template:Wikidata.shtml Baseball Reference Template:EditAtWikidata}} }}|{{#if: 1011008 | Fangraphs | {{#if: Template:Wikidata | Template:Wikidata Fangraphs Template:EditAtWikidata}} }}|{{#if: rixey-001epp | Baseball Reference (Minors) | {{#if: Template:Wikidata | Template:Wikidata Baseball Reference (Minors) Template:EditAtWikidata}} }}|{{#if: R/Prixee101 | Retrosheet | {{#if: Template:Wikidata | Template:Wikidata.htm Retrosheet Template:EditAtWikidata}} }}|{{#if: | Baseball Almanac | {{#if: Template:Wikidata | Template:Wikidata Baseball Almanac Template:EditAtWikidata}} }}}}{{#if: r/rixeyep01 rixey-001epp 26817 1011008 121255 R/Prixee101

         Template:Wikidata Template:Wikidata Template:Wikidata Template:Wikidata Template:Wikidata Template:Wikidata Template:Wikidata Template:Wikidata
  | 
  | Template:Main other Error: Template:Baseballstats must contain at least one valid parameter name.
  }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check
  | unknown = Template:Main other
  | preview = Page using Template:Baseballstats with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"
  | ignoreblank = y | br | brm | espn | fangraphs | id | mlb | retro | nobullet | almanac
  }}

• Template:SABR Baseball Biography Project
• Template:Findagrave