Books and articles about Eppa Rixey

Rixey was a man of contrasts. Playing his entire 21-year career in the National League, he was its winningest lefthander prior to Warren Spahn, and also its outstanding loser, ranking seventh all-time among all pitchers.

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Contemporary accounts describe him as a Virginia gentleman of easy charm and boyish humor. In teammates' memories, he was a fierce competitor, crafty on the mound, but hot-tempered after a loss and destructive to clubhouse furniture.

Despite his height (6'5") and pretzel windup, he was a fielder of agility and precision. His 1195 assists are tenth on the lifetime list; in 1917 he handled 108 chances without an error.

He starred in basketball as well as baseball while earning a degree in chemistry at the University of Virginia, and he was encouraged to become a professional by Cy Rigler, a NL umpire who coached the University of Virginia Cavaliers. Signed by the Phillies in 1912 on Rigler's recommendation, Rixey became one of the few major leaguers to never play a minor league game.

He was 10-10 (2.50) in 1912, but after four seasons had an under-.500 record. He finally blossomed under the patient and expert handling of Pat Moran, the former catcher who managed the Phillies to a pennant in 1915, their only one between 1883 and 1950. Rixey had a good but not overpowering fastball, a swift curve, and a change of pace he used when he got behind in the count. He had only a brief losing appearance in the 1915 World Series, as Moran preferred to use righthanders against the Red Sox' lefthanded power.

Eppa also acquired a middle name: Jephtha. It was invented by a sportswriter inspired by the resonance it had when spoken between "Eppa" and "Rixey." In time, the pitcher accepted it as his own.

In 1916 Rixey went 22-10 (1.85), but despite a 2.27 ERA the following year, lost a league-high 21. He missed the 1918 season, serving overseas with an army chemical-warfare division. In 1920 he finished 11-22, again leading the NL in losses.

In 1921 Manager Moran, now at Cincinnati, gave up outfielder Greasy Neale (better known in his later years as a football coach) and pitcher Jimmy Ring to get Rixey again. Eppa had eight fine years with the Reds, three with 20 or more wins, including 1922 when he led the league with 25. He was a member of two second-place Reds teams, but never another pennant-winner. In 1932, at age 42, he pitched a string of 27 scoreless innings. A year later, he retired to run his insurance agency. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1963, the year of his death. (ADS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 2, 1912: Brooklyn's Tex Erwin cracks a 9th inning homer off Grover Cleveland Alexander to tie and the Superbas tip the Phils, 2–1 in 11 innings. In the nitecap, Eppa Rixey outpitches Nap Rucker to give the Quakers a 2–1 win in 12 innings. » September 6, 1912: Jeff Tesreau pitches a 3–0 no-hitter over the Phils, the first modern rookie to perform the feat. Eppa Rixey takes the loss. New York wins the nitecap as well, 9–8. » May 31, 1913: Before 35,000, the Giants finish a series with the NL-leading Phils by taking all four games. Christy Mathewson wins today, 3–2 over Eppa Rixey, allowing six hits and no walks. The four games draw 100,000 to the Polo Grounds. » October 13, 1915: Back home, the Phils get four runs early off Rube Foster. The Red Sox break a tie in the 9th for the 3rd time, as reliever Eppa Rixey gives up Harry Hooper's 2nd solo home run of the game, and Boston wins the Series 4–1. The Sox victory comes without using Babe Ruth or Carl Mays on the mound. » August 14, 1916: In a Monday doubleheader in Philadelphia, 17,000 fans cheer as the Phils sweep the Giants, winning 9–0 and 7–4. Grover Cleveland Alexander applies the whitewash in the opener and Eppa Rixey wins the nitecap. » September 1, 1916: The Phils whitewash the Dodgers twice, winning 3–0 behind Grover Alexander and 6–0 to back Eppa Rixey. Alexander's win in the opener is his 14th shutout, setting a major league record. The loser is Jack Coombs, who had set the record of 13 shutouts while pitching for the A's in 1910. The Phils will win tomorrow behind Al Demaree's 9th straight win, and twice more to move into 1st place. » September 30, 1916: Behind Eppa Rixey, the Phils take the morning game with Brooklyn, and now lead the NL by a half game. Brooklyn takes the nitecap, 6–1 behind Rube Marquard and they hammer Grover Cleveland Alexander for 11 hits including a homer by Casey Stengel. The Phils also lose SS Dave Bancroft when he breaks his ankle running to 1B. Bancroft had injured the leg earlier in the game while fielding a ball. » May 21, 1917: The Phillies use nine hits—one by each starter—to beat the Cubs, 4–3 and drop the Cubs from first to third. The Phils move into 2nd place behind the Giants. Eppa Rixey is the winner for the Quakers. » September 9, 1917: Grover Alexander beats New York's Jeff Tesreau, 4–1. Ferdie Schupp takes the nitecap, 2–1 for New York, beating the Phils Eppa Rixey. » February 22, 1921: The Reds trade P Jimmy Ring and OF Greasy Neale to the Phils for lefty Eppa Rixey, who led the National League with 22 losses in 1920. Rixey will pitch his way into the Hall of Fame over the next 13 years. Neale is also a future Hall of Famer—for football. He will play just 22 games in Philley before returning to the Reds. » September 2, 1921: In Cincinnati, the Cubs Pete Alexander outpitches his former teammate Eppa Rixey to win, 7–0. Chicago is mired in 7th place. » September 17, 1921: Spitballer Allen Sothoron runs his record to 12–4 as Cleveland beats Washington, 8–4. Sothoron, with his 3rd American League team this year, pitches 178 innings allowing no homers, the only post-dead ball pitcher to accomplish that. The Reds Eppa Rixey almost matches him, allowing one homer in 301 innings. » April 12, 1922: At Cincinnati, the Cubs Pete Alexander stops the Reds, 7–3. Eppa Rixey takes the loss. » June 20, 1925: The Reds IF makes six double plays against the Giants, winning 4-2 for Eppa Rixey's seventh straight win. » September 19, 1925: Eppa Rixey becomes the 2nd Reds P to win 20, this season, beating the Phillies, 7–2. The Reds big three of Donohue, Rixey and Luque will finish 1-2-3 in innings pitched. » May 3, 1926: The Reds pull off a triple steal against the Cards with Sammy Bohne, Val Picinich, and Walt Christensen doing the swiping. Cincy wins, 9–6 with Eppa Rixey getting the victory. » May 15, 1926: Behind Pete Donohue, the Reds whip the Giants, 11–6, and move into first place. Led by the National League's two top hitters—C Bubbles Hargrave at .353 and OF Cuckoo Christensen at .350—and the pitching of Pete Donohue, Carl Mays, and Eppa Rixey, they'll stay in 1st until mid-July. » June 19, 1927: At Cincinnati, Phils pitcher Jack Scott performs an ironman feat by pitching two complete games of a doubleheader, beating the Reds 3–1 before losing, 3–0. The 35-year-old is the last to pitch two complete games in one day. Scott allows six hits in the opener and nine in the nitecap, with two going for extra bases. The Reds score in each of the first three innings of the nitecap and Eppa Rixey scatters seven hits to win. Carl Mays loses the opener. » May 12, 1929: With Eppa Rixey on the mound, the Reds win 9–3 over the Braves. Boston makes 25 assists. » February 16, 1934: Eppa Rixey of the Cincinnati Reds announces his retirement after 21 seasons and a career 266-251 mark. The next day Urban "Red" Faber retires, leaving a 20-year career mark of 254-212, all with the Chicago White Sox. » September 21, 1959: The Braves Warren Spahn notches his 20th win, 8-6, and his 266th NL victory to tie Eppa Rixey of the Phils and Reds for the career high in wins by a lefthander. The Braves and the Dodgers are now tied for the lead in the 3-team pennant race. » September 26, 1959: At Milwaukee the Braves beat the Phillies 3-2 behind Warren Spahn's 21st win. He is now ahead of Eppa Rixey as the winningest NL lefty. » February 4, 1960: For the 2nd straight year, the BBWAA voters fail to elect a new Hall of Fame member. Edd Roush gets 146 votes, but 202 are necessary for election. Sam Rice (143) and Eppa Rixey (142) are next in line. » January 27, 1963: The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee votes in Sam Rice, Eppa Rixey, Elmer Flick, and John Clarkson. » October 2, 1966: Sandy Koufax clinches the 3rd Los Angeles pennant in four years, working with just two days rest for a 6–3 win at Philadelphia. Koufax sets Los Angeles records with 27 wins and a 1.73 ERA. Philadelphia wins the first game, beating reliever Don Drysdale, behind Chris Short's 20th victory, 4–3. Short is the first Philley lefty to win 20 games since Eppa Rixey in 1916.