Cy Falkenberg
From BR Bullpen
Frederick Peter Falkenberg
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 5", Weight 180 lb.
- School University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Debut April 21, 1903
- Final Game July 4, 1917
- Born December 17, 1880 in Chicago, IL USA
- Died April 14, 1961 in San Francisco, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
"Cy Falkenberg is proving the greatest comeback pitcher in history." - Sporting Life, Sept. 27, 1913
Cy Falkenberg had his best years back-to-back in 1913-14 after learning to pitch the emery ball. [1] He went 23-10 for the 1913 Cleveland Naps and then jumped to the Federal League where he went 25-16 for the 1914 Indianapolis Hoosiers. In both years he had an ERA of 2.22.
Falkenberg, while with the Indians, was a teammate of both the veteran Nap Lajoie, who was six years older, and of the youngster Joe Jackson, who was nine years younger. Falkenberg's real name was not "Cy", so presumably he was nicknamed after Cy Young, who had been a great Cleveland pitcher in the 1890's. Young came back to Cleveland in 1909 and was a teammate of Falkenberg for three years.
Falkenberg also had considerable success in the minors. In 1902 with Worcester he went 18-11 and the following April he was up in the majors for the first time. In 1912 he was 25-8 for Toledo. In 1916 he won 19 games for Indianapolis, and followed that with an 11-6 year for the team. Even in his last season, split between Oakland and Seattle at age 39, he won 15 games, good for second highest on either team.
Falky has exceeded the most sanguine expectations. He started the season by winning ten straight games . . . (after that) in his last six games out, 54 innings in all, he has allowed exactly two runs, winning all six games handily. Falky had a string of 35 consecutive scoreless innings . . . when Sam Crawford tripled and scored." - Sporting Life, Sept. 27, 1913
