Larry Cheney
From BR Bullpen
Laurance Russell Cheney
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1½", Weight 185 lb.
- Debut September 9, 1911
- Final Game September 26, 1919
- Born May 2, 1886 in Belleville, KS USA
- Died January 6, 1969 in Daytona Beach, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Larry Cheney had great success at the start of his major league career, going 1-0 in a cup of coffeewith the Chicago Cubs in 1911 and then leading the league in victories in his first full season in 1912. In the following two seasons he would also win at least 20 games each year (and get 11 saves in 1913, leading the league). Later, in 1916 he would win 18 victories as part of the pennant-winning Brooklyn Robins effort.
His 26 wins as a rookie are the most ever by a major league rookie except for Pete Alexander. In his first season in 1911 his thumb and nose were injured by a Zack Wheat liner and that caused his pitching style to change for the better in later years.
Cheney's entire major league career was spent in the National League, beginning at age 25. In the 1916 World Series, he appeared in Game 4 in relief.
He led the National League six times in hit batsmen, with a high of 26 in 1914.
After baseball he operated an orange grove in Florida.
SABR has a biography of him. He was a spitballer who learned the pitch from Ed Walsh. A catcher as a youth, his manager at Topeka turned him into a pitcher. He later spent a couple years at Bartlesville and time at Indianapolis and Louisville. After the majors, he had considerable success in the minors while playing for three more years. He wanted to be a scout or coach but that never happened. The "Biographical Encyclopedia of Baseball" spells his first name as "Lawrence" (p 199).
