Claude William Willoughby (November 14, 1898– August 14, 1973), was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1925 to 1931. He was nicknamed "Weeping Willie" and "Flunky".[1][2] In 219 games pitched, 101 of which were starts, Willoughby recorded a 38-58 win–loss record with a 5.84 earned run average (ERA) and 175 strikeouts in 841+1⁄3 innings pitched over seven seasons.
| Claude Willoughby | |
|---|---|
_Claude_Willoughby.jpg) | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: November 14, 1898 Buffalo, Kansas, U.S. | |
| Died: August 14, 1973 (aged 74) McPherson, Kansas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 18, 1925, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 28, 1931, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 38–58 |
| Earned run average | 5.84 |
| Strikeouts | 175 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
MLB career
editIn 1929, Willoughby led the Phillies in both wins (15) and ERA (4.99).[3] He also walked the most batters in the National League.[4]
Willoughby pitched poorly the following season, surrendering 241 hits and 68 walks in 153 innings pitched, which resulted in a 7.59 ERA and a 4–17 win–loss record.[2] On November 6, 1930, he was traded to the Pirates, along with shortstop Tommy Thevenow, for shortstop Dick Bartell.[4] Willoughby pitched in just nine games for Pittsburgh, after which his major league career ended.[5]
Later life and death
editAfter his professional baseball career, Willoughby moved back to Kansas, where he pitched for a semipro team located in Chanute in 1938-39 and managed a team in Independence in 1940-41.[6] He worked as a pump mechanic, and moved to McPherson, Kansas in 1948, where he died on August 14, 1973.[7]
References
edit- ^ Rives, Bob (2004). Baseball in Wichita. Arcadia Publishing. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-4396-4226-9. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Treder, Steve (August 12, 2008). "Superduperswingmen (Part 1: 1900-1930)". The Hardball Times. Fangraphs. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Kepner, Tyler (2013). The Phillies Experience: A Year-by-Year Chronicle of the Philadelphia Phillies. MVP Books. pp. 57–59. ISBN 978-0-7603-4277-0. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Jordan, David M. (2012). Occasional Glory: The History of the Philadelphia Phillies, 2d ed. McFarland & Company. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-0-7864-7028-0. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Parker, Clifton Blue (2015). Big and Little Poison: Paul and Lloyd Waner, Baseball Brothers. McFarland & Company. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-7864-8140-8. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Eberle, Mark E. (2017). Kansas Baseball, 1858–1941. University Press of Kansas. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-7006-2440-9. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Lee, Bill (2015). The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others. McFarland & Company. p. 429. ISBN 978-1-4766-0930-0. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
External links
edit- Career statistics from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
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