King Cole (baseball)
King Cole | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Toledo, Iowa | April 15, 1886|
Died: January 6, 1916 Bay City, Michigan | (aged 29)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
October 6, 1909, for the Chicago Cubs | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 20, 1915, for the New York Yankees | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 54–27 |
Earned run average | 3.12 |
Strikeouts | 298 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Leonard Leslie "King" Cole (April 15, 1886 – January 6, 1916) was an American professional baseball player in the early 20th century. He started his baseball career as a pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1909.
With the 1910 Cubs, Cole had a record of 20–4 and helped the team win the National League pennant. On July 31 of that season, he pitched all seven innings in a 4–0 Cubs win over the St. Louis Cardinals, without giving up a hit.[1] It was the second game of a doubleheader: the teams had agreed to end the game at 5 p.m. so they could catch their trains.[2] Due to a 1991 change to the official MLB definition of a no-hitter—it must last at least nine innings—Cole's effort is not recognized by as a no-hitter by MLB.[2]
Cole's 20–4 record in 1910 was the third-best single-season winning percentage (.833) for a Cubs pitcher in the 20th century.[3] Cole was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in May 1912, did not play in the major leagues in 1913, then played for the New York Yankees in 1914 and 1915.[4] On October 2, 1914, Cole gave up a double to Babe Ruth, then a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, for Ruth's first hit in the major leagues.[5]
In 1915, Cole was diagnosed with lung cancer; he died in January 1916.[6]
Ring Lardner wrote about Cole in articles for The Sporting News. Lardner compiled the stories into the Alibi Ike stories.[citation needed]
See also
- List of baseball players who died during their careers
- List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
References
- ^ "Chicago Cubs 4, St. Louis Cardinals 0 (2)". Retrosheet. July 31, 1910. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ a b "Close, but no cigar — No-hitters not officially recognized by MLB". nonohitters.com. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "Chicago Cubs Top 10 Single-Season Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ Retrosheet
- ^ Castrovince, Anthony (July 10, 2014). "Ten facts for 100th anniversary of the Babe's debut". MLB.com. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "'King' Cole, Yank Pitcher Is Dead". The Washington Post. January 7, 1916. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- King Cole at Find a Grave