Gus Weyhing

cooperstownexpert.com
Birthdate 9/29/1886
Death Date 9/4/1955
Debut Year 1887
Year of Induction
Teams Athletics, Colonels
Position Pitcher

While pitching 4′, 3 1/2″ closer than today’s distance, Gus Weyhing averaged 29.5 wins/season; the distance changed & he averaged under 11.

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Gus Weyhing was a dominant pitcher before the distance changed to today's 60'6

Gus Weyhing was a dominant pitcher before the distance changed to today's 60'6"

For the first six seasons of Gus Weyhing’s career he pitched from a shorter pitching distance than today’s 60’6″. Four feet, 3–1/2 inches shorter, according to the Major League Baseball’s Official Historian John Thorn. From his debut year of 1887 though 1892 Weyhing a
Weyhing had four straight 30-win seasons starting in 1889

Weyhing had four straight 30-win seasons starting in 1889

From 1889-1892 Gus Weyhing had a four-year run in which he won at least 30 games each season. The 1889 campaign was pure Weyhing. The typically wild pitcher finished the year second in the American Association in walks, wild pitches, and hit batsmen. With Weyhing pitching, there was good and bad. Hi

A Story about Gus Weyhing

Baseball’s rule change kept pitcher Gus Weyhing from reaching Cooperstown

July 20th, 2020 Leave a comment

Pitcher Gus Weyhing

One of the best hurlers of the 1880s. When pitcher Gus Weyhing began playing professionally in 1887, baseball was a different game than the one we know today. According to the Major League Baseball’s Official Historian John Thorn, the pitching distance was 4 feet, 3–1/2 inches shorter than that of today. Fielders didn’t wear gloves. Playing under those circumstances for the first half of his career, Weyhing was dominant. In his rookie year he won 26 games. Gus was just getting started. Following a 28-win sophomore campaign in 1888, the man they called Rubber-Winged Gus then reeled off four straight 30-win seasons. From 1887 to 1893, Weyhing was consistently among the league leaders in wins, strikeouts, and shutouts. While throwing from the shorter distance, Weyhing was a star swing-and-miss hurler. By the end of his age-26 season Weyhing had 200 career wins. His numbers through his first seven seasons compare favorably to many Hall of Fame hurlers. Everything changed in 1893 Then everything changed. In March 1893, the National League voted to increase the pitching distance to the familiar modern mark of 60’6″. Though Weyhing managed 23 wins in his first year at the new distance, his path to greatness […]

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2 responses to “Gus Weyhing”

  1. Robert Ewing says:

    You could make a case for gus weyhing based on his similarities with Jack Morris For The Record Weyhing is in my hall of fame

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