Jump to content

Jesse Haines

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jesse Haines
Pitcher
Born:(1893-07-22)July 22, 1893
Clayton, Ohio,U.S.
Died:August 5, 1978(1978-08-05)(aged 85)
Dayton, Ohio,U.S.
Batted:Right
Threw:Right
MLB debut
July 20, 1918, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
September 10, 1937, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Win–loss record210–158
Earned run average3.64
Strikeouts981
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1970
Election methodVeterans Committee

Jesse Joseph Haines(July 22, 1893 – August 5, 1978), nicknamed "Pop",was an Americanprofessional baseballpitcherfor theCincinnati RedsandSt. Louis CardinalsofMajor League Baseball(MLB). After a lengthy stint in minor league baseball, he played briefly in 1918, then from 1920 to 1937. He spent nearly his entire major league career with the Cardinals. Haines pitched on threeWorld Serieschampionship teams. Though he had a kind personality off the field, Haines was known as a fiery competitor during games.

After retiring in 1937 with a 210–158win–loss record,Haines was a coach with theBrooklyn Dodgersin 1938. He left baseball after that season and returned to his native Ohio. He was elected to theBaseball Hall of Famein 1970. In 2014, he was inducted into theSt. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.He ranks second in franchise history in shutouts.

Early life

[edit]

Haines was born inClayton, Ohio,but he grew up in nearbyPhillipsburg,where he attended local schools. His father Elias worked as an auctioneer.[1]Haines wanted to play baseball for the local team in Phillipsburg. His parents did not approve of him playing baseball on Sundays, so Haines used to sneak away, hiding his uniform in acorn criband changing clothes in a cornfield. He left town to play semipro baseball inDaytonin 1912. Soon thereafter, he was signed to play for a minor league team in Dayton.[2]

Spending several seasons in minor league baseball, Haines also pitched for teams inSaginaw,Fort Wayne,Springfield(Springfield Reapers),TopekaandTulsa.He had played briefly in the major leagues with theCincinnati Redsin 1918, but he returned to the minor leagues.[1]Across his minor league career, he compiled a 107–61 record and 1.93 ERA over 187 games.[3]

Branch Rickeyof theSt. Louis Cardinalsnoticed Haines while he was pitching inKansas City,but the team was struggling with money. He convinced a group of the team's stockholders to take out a $10,000 loan for the purchase of Haines's contract.[1]

During his minor league days, Haines married Carrie M. Weidner. They had one child.[1]

Major league career

[edit]

Haines became a fixture in the Cardinals starting rotation in 1920. Despite a 13–20 record, he pitched 30123innings,the highest output of his career, and recorded a 2.98earned run average(ERA).

Author Paul Doutrich writes that while Haines was a mild-mannered individual, he had no patience for losing games and "became a raging bull when on the mound."[2]Haines threw ano-hitteron July 17, 1924, against theBoston Braves;more than 50 years passed before a St. Louis pitcher threw another no-hitter at home.[4]

Haines pitched on three World Series championship teams, winning two games in the1926 World Series.[5]In game seven of that series, Haines developed a bleeding blister and had to be removed from the game with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.Grover Cleveland Alexanderwas inserted into the game and struck outTony Lazzeri.[6]

As his career went on, Haines became known as "Pop" because of the influence he exerted on younger teammates. His use of theknuckleballallowed him to extend his career after his other pitches became ineffective. Unlike other knuckleball pitchers who gripped the pitch with their fingertips, Haines actually held the ball with his knuckles, throwing it as hard as he could.[7]

Haines began to pitch fewer games in 1932. By 1936, managerFrankie Frischthought that Haines had become too old and held him out of any games until May. However, he got more opportunities that year as the St. Louis pitching staff struggled with injuries. By June, he made relief pitching appearances three days in a row.[8]

He retired in 1937, having pitched to the age of 43. He won 20 games or more three times for the Cardinals and won threeWorld Serieschampionships (1926,1931,and1934), though he did not pitch in the 1931 series. In the 1926 World Series against the Yankees, he went 2–0 with a 1.08 ERA. He retired with a 210–158 record, 981 strikeouts, 3.64 ERA, and 320823innings pitched.

Later life

[edit]
Haines' plaque at theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Haines worked on the coaching staff of theBrooklyn Dodgersin 1938. After that, he was an auditor for almost 30 years inMontgomery County, Ohio.[1]

After failing to gain more than 8.3% of the votes for induction into theBaseball Hall of Fameover a 12-year period, Haines was voted in by theVeterans Committeein1970.Frankie Frisch,a member of the VC, also shepherded the selections of his teammatesDave BancroftandChick Hafeyin1971,Ross Youngsin1972,George Kellyin1973,Jim Bottomleyin1974,andFreddie Lindstromin1976.[9]After the committee selected Haines, Frisch commented that Haines was "a worthy, worthy man... a great competitor, a fine fellow off and on the field."[5]SabermetricianBill Jameshas listed Haines as one of ten examples of Hall of Fame inductees who do not deserve the honor.[10]

He died in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio after a 28-year career as Montgomery County (Ohio) Assessor.[11] His grave in Clayton, Ohio, which incorporates the sundial that the Cardinals gave Haines upon his retirement, has become a local attraction.[12]

Legacy

[edit]

In January 2014, the Cardinals announced Haines among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into theSt. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museumfor the inaugural class of2014.[13]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdePorter, David L. (2000).Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: G-P.Greenwood Publishing Group.p. 616.ISBN978-0-313-31175-8.
  2. ^abDoutrich, Paul E. (December 16, 2010).The Cardinals and the Yankees, 1926: A Classic Season and St. Louis in Seven.McFarland. p. 34.ISBN978-0-7864-6178-3.RetrievedDecember 13,2014.
  3. ^"Jesse Haines Minor League Statistics & History".Baseball-Reference.RetrievedDecember 13,2014.
  4. ^"Forsch hurls no-hitter".Lodi News-Sentinel.April 17, 1978.RetrievedDecember 13,2014.
  5. ^ab"Frick, Haines, Combs in Hall".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.February 2, 1970.RetrievedDecember 13,2014.
  6. ^Dewey, Donald; Acocella, Nicholas (January 1, 2002).The New Biographical History of Baseball: The Classic—Completely Revised.Triumph Books. p. 175.ISBN978-1-62368-734-2.
  7. ^Cohen, Robert W. (August 22, 2013).The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History.Scarecrow Press. pp. 149–153.ISBN978-0-8108-9216-3.
  8. ^Kahan, Oscar (July 1, 1936)."Jess Haines refuses to lose his stuff".Spartanburg Herald-Journal.RetrievedDecember 13,2014.
  9. ^Jaffe, Jay (July 28, 2010)."Prospectus Hit and Run: Don't Call it the Veterans' Committee".Baseball Prospectus.Prospectus Entertainment Ventures, LLC.RetrievedNovember 3,2011.
  10. ^"Bill James Answers All Your Baseball Questions",an April 2008 entry from theFreakonomicsblog
  11. ^"Jesse Joseph Haines".RetrievedApril 14,2016.
  12. ^"Sundial Grave of Baseball's Jesse Haines".RetrievedApril 14,2016.
  13. ^Cardinals Press Release (January 18, 2014)."Cardinals establish Hall of Fame & detail induction process".stlouis.cardinals.mlb.RetrievedJanuary 29,2014.
[edit]
Preceded by No-hitter pitcher
July 17, 1924
Succeeded by