Books and articles about Edd Roush

Roush was the National League's most feared hitter in the dead-ball era, batting more than .300 11 straight years, and capturing the batting title in 1917 and 1919. He was also the highest-paid outfielder of his day. Contemporaries called him hardworking, classy, game, and stubborn. As a baserunner, he thought nothing of going out of his way to spike an infielder. He hated spring training, was always in shape, and frequently held out - once for a whole year (1930).

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Born lefthanded, Roush learned to throw with his right arm when lefthanded gloves were scarce. He broke in as a shortstop with Evansville (Kitty League) in 1912. A shoulder injury weakened his right arm, and he went back to throwing lefthanded, moving to the outfield. After a brief stint with the White Sox in 1913, making $100 a month, he jumped to the Federal League and earned $2,000 for the season with Indianapolis. In 1915 Newark (FL) paid'Sh)''him $4,000. Then the league folded. The better players were put into a pool and sold, the Giants buying Roush for $10,000. After batting .188 through 39 games in 1916, he was traded to the Reds with Christy Mathewson and Bill McKechnie for Buck Herzog and Wade Killefer.

Roush quickly became the NL's premier centerfielder, relying as much on brains as speed. He studied his team's pitchers and opposing hitters, and knew where to move for every pitch. In the thick of the 1919 pennant race, Reds left fielder Sherry Magee was sidelined for a few weeks, with no backup outfielder to replace him. Roush suggested that manager Pat Moran put strong-hitting pitcher Rube Bressler in left. "Greasy Neale (the rightfielder) and I can carry the load," Roush said, "and I'll move Bressler and tell him where to play." At the end of two weeks Bressler told him, "There's nothing to this outfielding. We're right in front of every line drive. What I can't understand is why we have to move around so much."

Though he beat out Rogers Hornsby for the NL batting crown by hitting .341 in 1917 and .321 in 1919, it was in 1921 that Roush reached his career high of .352. He batted .351 in 1923, topping the league with 41 doubles, and in 1924 led with 21 triples. He had 27-game hitting streaks in both 1920 and 1924. In ten full seasons with Cincinnati, the lowest he batted was .323, in 1926. The following February, he was sent to the Giants for George Kelly, and was given a three-year contract at $22,500 a year.

Roush developed an iconoclastic view of Giants manager John McGraw. "McGraw expected every player to be perfectionist. He had his men so scared they couldn't follow his many orders." In 1928 Roush tore stomach muscles diving for a line drive, and in 1929 his legs began to go. As a result, the Giants cut him to $15,000 in 1930, and added this clause: if the 1928 abdominal injury returned, there would be a further cut in salary. He refused to sign the contract, and sat out the year. The next spring, he was sold back to the Reds, with whom he played his last season.

Throughout his career, Roush used the heaviest bats in the game, weighing from 46 to 48 ounces. The bats were not long, but had incredibly thick handles, giving them the appearance of being all barrel. With them he could hit to all fields, bunt, drag, and hit-and-run. He is reputed to have slapped seven hits in one season on pitchouts, including a triple. (NLM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 22, 1915: In the FL, Newark takes two from Pittsburgh, winning the opener on Edd Roush's 10th inning inside the park homer. Newark leads by one percentage point over Kansas City, with Pittsburgh 3rd and Chicago 4th, only one 1/2 games separating the teams. The race is so close by season's end Newark will be 5th, six games out. Chicago will win it by one game with 86-66 to St. Louis 87-67 and Pittsburgh's 86-67. There will be nine 20-game winners, led by George McConnell's 25-10 for the Whales, the only year McConnell wins more than eight games. » January 20, 1916: The Giants buy Edd Roush from the Newark Tip Tops (Federal League) for $7,500. Roush will hit just .188 in New York before being packaged to Cincinnati, where he will blossom into a Hall of Famer. Along with Roush come the contracts of C Bill Rariden from the Peps, infielder Bill McKecknie, spitballer Fred Anderson from the Buffalo Bufffeds (AKA the Blues), and Federal League star, the colorful Benny Kauf. The total proce is $65,000. » July 20, 1916: The Reds acquire three future Hall of Famers when Christy Mathewson is traded to Cincinnati with Giants CF Edd Roush and 3B Bill McKechnie for former Giants Buck Herzog and Red Killefer. McKechnie will make it to Cooperstown as a manager, not as a player, but the 23-year-old Roush is a steal for the Reds. A longtime nemesis of the Reds, Mathewson will pitch one game and then manage, and a new team nickname will be coined: "Matties." The Reds lose today, managing just two hits off Pete Alexander, who contributes two doubles himself to the Phils offense. » July 21, 1916: Christy Mathewson, in his first game as the Reds manager, puts Edd Roush in CF, and the future star responds with a two-run triple and goes 3-for-5. But the Phils top Cincy, 6–4. » October 2, 1919: In game 2 after an easy 3 innings, Lefty Williams walks 3 Reds, gives up a single to Edd Roush and a triple to Larry Kopf, and the Reds lead 3-0. Slim Sallee scatters 10 hits as Risberg and Gandil fail in the clutch. The final score is 4-2. Joe Jackson has 3 hits; his .375 BA will make it appear later that he was trying. » June 8, 1920: The Reds' Edd Roush falls asleep in CF during a long argument in the IF. Heinie Groh goes out to wake him, but the ump ejects Roush for delaying the game. » July 23, 1922: Edd Roush ends his holdout and signs with the Reds. » September 20, 1926: With the Cardinals idle, the Reds' nosedive continues as the Braves sweep a pair from Cincinnati, 4–3 and 3–0. In game 1, Edd Roush misses a shoestring catch of a Andy High fly ball, which goes for an inside-the-park home run. Roush also misses an easy fly ball in the 6th. Bob Smith applies the calcimine in game 2, with Dolf Luque on the losing end. » February 9, 1927: The Giants send versatile George Kelly, along with cash, to the Reds for truculent holdout OF Edd Roush. The Giants sent Roush to the Reds in 1916. » May 25, 1929: At the Polo Grounds, the Giants belt four homers -- 2 by Travis Jackson and one by Edd Roush and Jim Welsh -- to whip the Braves, 10–3. Roush's home run is the 2,000th in Giants history. » June 19, 1929: In their second straight doubleheader, The Giants sweep the Phillies, winning 15-14, in 11 innings, and 12-6. Mel Ott has 2 HRs and 4 doubles for the day, while Edd Roush goes 8-for-12. In tomorrow's 11-6 win over the Phils, Ott will have 3 RBI, giving him 11 straight games with at least one ribbie. The 20 year old will have 27 RBI in the 11 games, and will finish the season with 151, second in the NL. » February 27, 1931: Finally cut loose by the New York Giants, for whom he refused to play in 1930 in a season-long holdout over salary terms, 2-time batting champ Edd Roush returns to the Cincinnati Reds. » September 3, 1933: At Cincinnati, the Reds clip the Pirates, 9–3, the first loss for the Bucs in nine games. The Pirates now trail the Giants by eight games. Red Lucas goes all the way for the win, as the Reds shell rookie Ralph Birkofer. After the game, Edd Roush's old-timers defeat Buck Herzog's Nine, 8–5, called after five innings on account of "tiredness." Ninety three old timers turn out and about half take a turn at the plate. Roush's squad includes Pat Duncan, Larry Kopf, Bill Rariden, and Rube Bressler, all stars on the Reds 1919 team. Donie Bush and Honus Wagner are the shortstops. » 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 28, 1962: Edd Roush and Bill McKechnie are added to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. » July 23, 1962: Bob Feller, Jackie Robinson, Bill McKechnie, and Edd Roush are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.