Sloppy Thurston
| Sloppy Thurston | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: Hollis John Thurston June 2, 1899 Fremont, Nebraska | |
| Died: September 14, 1973 (aged 74) Los Angeles, California | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 19, 1923, for the St. Louis Browns | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 1, 1933, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 89–86 |
| Earned run average | 4.24 |
| Strikeouts | 306 |
| Teams | |
Hollis John "Sloppy" Thurston (June 2, 1899 – September 14, 1973) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, and Brooklyn Robins between 1923 and 1933. He batted and threw right-handed.[1]
Biography
Thurston was born in Fremont, Nebraska, and graduated from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School.[2] He played his first professional game on April 19, 1923, with the St. Louis Browns.
On August 22, 1923, Thurston struck out three batters on nine pitches in the 12th inning of a 3–2 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics. He became the second American League pitcher and the sixth pitcher in major league history to accomplish the "immaculate inning". He is also the first pitcher to achieve the feat in extra innings.
In 1924, while pitching for the Chicago White Sox, Thurston led the American League with 28 Complete Games, posting a 20–14 record in 36 starts, while also leading the league in Hits Allowed (330), Earned Runs Allowed (123), and Home Runs Allowed (17) in 291 innings pitched.
Thurston was a screwball pitcher.[3] He played his last game on October 1, 1933.
Thurston was a strong hitting pitcher in his nine-year major league career, posting a .270 batting average (175-for-648) with 65 runs, 5 home runs, and 79 RBI.
Thurston died on September 14, 1973, in Los Angeles. He is interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball pitchers who have struck out three batters on nine pitches
- History of the St. Louis Browns
References
- ^ "Sloppy Thurston Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ^ "Sloppy Thurston". Baseball-Reference.Com. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
- ^ James, Bill; Neyer, Rob (June 15, 2004). The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches. Simon and Schuster. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-7432-6158-6. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Baseball-Reference.com: Sloppy Thurston
- Baseball Almanac: Sloppy Thurston Stats
- Sloppy Thurston at Find a Grave
- Major League Baseball pitchers
- 1899 births
- 1973 deaths
- Baseball players from Nebraska
- Brooklyn Dodgers players
- Brooklyn Robins players
- Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
- Chicago White Sox players
- Chicago White Sox scouts
- Cleveland Indians scouts
- John H. Francis Polytechnic High School alumni
- Minor league baseball managers
- Mission Reds players
- Oakland Oaks (baseball) players
- People from Fremont, Nebraska
- Pittsburgh Pirates scouts
- Salt Lake City Bees players
- San Francisco Seals (baseball) players
- Screwball pitchers
- Seattle Indians players
- St. Louis Browns players
- Tacoma Tigers players
- Washington Senators (1901–1960) players