Jock Menefee
From BR Bullpen
John Menefee
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 165 lb.
- Debut August 17, 1892
- Final Game September 7, 1903
- Born January 15, 1868 in Rowlesburg, WV USA
- Died March 11, 1953 in Belle Vernon, PA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Jock Menefee was a two-way player, appearing in 139 games as a pitcher, 55 as an outfielder, and 27 in the infield. As a pitcher he twice won in double figures, while as a batter he hit .257 for the 1901 Chicago Orphans, a team which hit .258. He came up to the big leagues in 1892-94, then popped up again at age 30 in 1898, and then came back for a third time in 1900-03 when he had the bulk of his major league appearances.
One of his performances which at first glance seems unimpressive was in fact quite good. With the 1894 Louisville Colonels he went 8-17 with a 4.29 ERA, which doesn't seem very good. However, the team ERA was 5.50, and Jock's ERA was best among the starters. The league ERA was 5.33, so Jock was over a run better than the league average ERA. As for his winning percentage of .320, it was better than his team's winning percentage of .271.
He had his best major league success while in Chicago under managers Tom Loftus and Frank Selee. At the time, Jock was a veteran in his 30's.
He was beaned in 1905 and was said to be near death. He was playing at the time for the Monangahela team. It was stated that he owned a profitable business at the time and was one of the wealthiest of the retired ballplayers. He survived, and was still pitching in 1908, refusing to use a glove. His son Fred died in 1910 when he was buried in a bin of dirt at a factory his father owned.
He died at age 85 in 1953.
