Red Ruffing
From BR Bullpen
Charles Herbert Ruffing
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1 1/2", Weight 205 lb.
- Debut May 31, 1924
- Final Game September 15, 1947
- Born May 3, 1905 in Granville, IL USA
- Died February 17, 1986 in Mayfield Heights, OH USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1967
[edit] Biographical Information
Red Ruffing was a Hall of Fame pitcher who spent most of his career with the New York Yankees. He never had a winning season in his first six seasons with the Boston Red Sox, who were a terrible team, but he was a big winner with the Yankees.
Ruffing broke a 7-year streak of strikeout titles by Lefty Grove in the American League.
He originally played outfield but switched to pitching after losing four toes as a teenager in a mining accident. With the New York Yankees, he was the winning pitcher in seven World Series games (for a 7-2 lifetime mark) and was a twenty game winner in four consecutive seasons. He was also known as a very good hitting pitcher, smashing 36 homers in his career.
The 37-year-old Ruffing was inducted into the Air Force in December 1942 and was discharged in June 1945.
After his playing days ended, he became a coach for the White Sox and the expansion New York Mets in 1962.
Ruffing quote: "I always figured World Series games the easiest to pitch. The other team didn't know you...and on the Yankees, we used to figure the National League champion only good enough to finish third or fourth in the American League."
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 6-time AL All-Star (1934, 1938-1942)
- AL Wins Leader (1938)
- AL Strikeouts Leader (1932)
- AL Complete Games Leader (1928)
- AL Shutouts Leader (1939)
- 15 Wins Seasons: 11 (1930-1932 & 1934-1941)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 4 (1936-1939)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 14 (1925 & 1928-1940)
- Won six World Series with the New York Yankees (1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939 & 1941)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1967
