Amos Rusie
| Birthdate | 5/30/1871 |
| Death Date | 12/6/1942 |
| Debut Year | 1888 |
| Year of Induction | 1977 |
| Teams | Giants, Indianapolis Hoosiers, Reds |
| Position | Pitcher |
Amos Rusie thew at least 90 mph and has been widely reported as the main reason MLB changed the pitching distance from 50′ to 60’6″ in 1893.
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Though he pitched in just 10 MLB seasons, Amos Rusie won 246 games
Though he pitched in just 10 MLB seasons, Amos Rusie won 246 games
Amos Rusie broke into the big leagues in 1889 with the Indianapolis Hoosiers. Armed with a fastball that is estimated to be upwards of 90 mph, he was nicknamed the Hoosier Thunderbolt.
After winning 12 games in his first season, Rusie reeled off 8 straight 20-win seasons from 1890-1898. During that run Rusie earned 30 or more victories in four consecutive seasons starting in 1891.
The fireballer led the league in strikeouts five times and tallied at least 300 strikeouts each year from 1890-1892. Though he could throw hard, Rusie struggled with command. He paced the Senior Circuit in walks five straight seasons from 1890-1894.
After his final 20-win campaign in 1898, arm trouble and personal problems kept Rusie off the field. He returned for one final season in 1901, going 0-1 with an 8.59 ERA in three appearances.
Rusie’s career statistics include a 246-174 record, 1,950 strikeouts, and 1,707 walks. The right-hander was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977.
Shown here is a government postcard signed by the Hoosier Thunderbolt.
Rusie's wildness prompted an increase in the pitching distance in 1893 from 50' to 60'6"
Rusie's wildness prompted an increase in the pitching distance in 1893 from 50' to 60'6"
Amos Rusie, the “Hoosier Thunderbolt” was one of the most feared pitchers of his day. He began his career when the pitcher was just 50 feet from home plate.
Known for his wildness, Rusie led the NL in walks 5 times. In part because of his lack of control, the pitching distance was moved from 50 feet in 1892 to today’s more familiar 60’6″ in 1893.
The change in distance did not adversely affect Rusie’s performance. In 1893 he won 33 games and led the league in complete games (50), shutouts (4), strikeouts (218), and walks (208).
The following season Rusie won the NL’s pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (36), ERA (2.78), and strikeouts (195).
In 1897 he threw a fastball that hit future HoFer Hugh Jennings in the head. The beaning put Jennings’ life in jeopardy. After four days in a coma, Jennings woke up and recovered. The same season Rusie again led the NL in ERA.
The 1898 campaign was his final 20-win season. Stricken by arm problems and personal issues, Rusie sat out the next two seasons.
He came back for three appearances in 1901 before leaving the game for good.
Rusie passed away in 1942 in Seattle, Washington at age 71. A quarter of a century later the Veterans Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in 1977.
This piece is a government postcard complete with a postmark from Seattle, Washington where Rusie resided in his final years.
Rusie lived his post-baseball life in Seattle, Washington, dying there on December 6, 1942
Rusie lived his post-baseball life in Seattle, Washington, dying there on December 6, 1942
Government postcards provide aid to authenticating autographs. Collectors sent a postcard to the desired target. When the autograph returned in the mail, it contained a postmark verifying the exact date and place from where it was mailed.
This postmarked reveals a June 1st, 1940 mailing from Seattle, Washington where Rusie died 18 months after he signed this.
Amos Rusie earned baseball's 5th pitching Triple Crown and the first from 60'6"
Amos Rusie earned baseball's 5th pitching Triple Crown and the first from 60'6"
Amos Rusie had four straight 30-win seasons from 1891-1894. The first two of those seasons came when the pitching distance was at 50′; the last two came at the more-familiar 60’6″.
In 1894 Rusie had his finest season, leading the National League in wins (36), ERA (2.78), and strikeouts (208). In doing so, he became the fifth hurler to earn pitching’s Triple Crown and the first to capture it from 60’6″.
The four men who accomplished the feat before Rusie were Tommy Bond (1877), Old Hoss Radbourn (1884), Tim Keefe (1888), John Clarkson (1889). Cy Young followed Rusie with a Triple Crown of his own – the AL’s first – in 1901.
Shown here is a sterling silver lifetime pass presented to Tommy Bond, the first man in big league history to lead the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts in the same season.
Amos Rusie was traded straight up for Christy Mathewson on December 15, 1900
Amos Rusie was traded straight up for Christy Mathewson on December 15, 1900
John T. Brush owned the Reds while eyeing the Giants. After the 1900 season, Brush as Reds owner, “traded” Christy Mathewson straight up for the sore-armed Amos Rusie who hadn’t pitched since 1898.
Bush then sold his share in the Cincinnati club and bought the Giants for whom Matty was pitching.
The moved worked well for both Mathewson and Brush. Together under the field generalship of John McGraw the teamed to win four NL pennants.
This book photo is signed by the Christian Gentleman, one of the first five inductees. With 373 wins and a microscopic lifetime earned run average of 2.13, Mathewson was elected in the very first Hall of Fame election of 1936.
Mathewson autographs are especially difficult as he died 1925.
