Muddy Ruel

Muddy Ruel
Birthdate 2/20/1896
Death Date 11/13/1963
Debut Year 1915
Year of Induction
Teams Browns, Red Sox, Senators, Tigers, White Sox, Yankees
Positions Catcher, Executive, Manager, Pitching Coach

The personal catcher for Walter Johnson, Muddy Ruel scored the tying and winning runs in Game 7 of the Washington Senators only World Series triumph.

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In the collection:

Ruel was the catcher when Carl Mays' beaning caused Ray Chapman's death

Ruel was the catcher when Carl Mays' beaning caused Ray Chapman's death

Catcher Herold “Muddy” Ruel broke into the big leagues with the St. Louis Browns in 1915. He remained in the game for more than 40 years and left behind a lasting baseball legacy. A backup for the first few seasons of his playing career, Ruel became the Yankees regular catcher in 1919. T
Muddy Ruel coined the term

Muddy Ruel coined the term "tools of ignorance" to describe catcher's gear

Baseball has its share of colorful terms and phrases. One such phrase is “the tools of ignorance”. MLB’s glossary of idioms attributes the origin of the term to Muddy Ruel. The MLB website explanation reads, “Coined by catcher Herold ‘Muddy’ Ruel, who played fro
Muddy Ruel's two World Series appearances came under Bucky Harris

Muddy Ruel's two World Series appearances came under Bucky Harris

Muddy Ruel’s 19 big league seasons as a player included two trips to the World Series Both times it was under Washington Senators manager Bucky Harris. The thrilling 1924 Fall Classic against the New York Giants was a seesaw affair. In the deciding Game 7, Ruel scored the tying and winning run
Ruel's most productive seasons came as Walter Johnson's personal catcher

Ruel's most productive seasons came as Walter Johnson's personal catcher

In Spring of 1922 the Red Sox traded Muddy Ruel to the Senators. It is in Washington that Ruel enjoyed his greatest on-field success. His second season in the capital city saw the staff ERA drop by 65 points. With the Senators he became the personal catcher for Hall of Fame hurler Walter Johnson, I
Six years after leaving the game, Dizzy Dean made a start for Ruel's Browns in 1947

Six years after leaving the game, Dizzy Dean made a start for Ruel's Browns in 1947

Muddy Ruel’s lone season as a big league manager came in 1947 with the woeful St. Louis Browns. The season was a forgettable one. Ruel’s crew finished in last place with a 59-95 record. Browns announcer Dizzy Dean whose last big league win came in 1940, said he could pitch better than mo
Ruel served as pitching coach, assistant to the commissioner, manager, farm director, and GM

Ruel served as pitching coach, assistant to the commissioner, manager, farm director, and GM

Muddy Ruel served professional baseball for nearly his entire adult life. A major leaguer in 1915 at age 19, he played through the 1934 campaign. Ruel’s last season as a player he also served as a de facto pitching coach in Chicago. He stayed in that position alongside White Sox manager Jimmie

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"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball…"

~Jacques Barzun, 1954