Claude_Willoughby

Claude Willoughby

Claude Willoughby

American baseball player (1898–1973)

Claude William Willoughby (November 14, 1898– August 14, 1973), was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1925 to 1931. He was nicknamed "Weeping Willie" and "Flunky".[1][2] In 219 games pitched, 101 of which were starts, Willoughby recorded a 38-58 win–loss record with a 5.84 earned run average (ERA) and 175 strikeouts in 841+1⁄3 innings pitched over seven seasons.

Quick Facts MLB debut, Last MLB appearance ...

MLB career

In 1929, Willoughby led the Phillies in both wins (15) and ERA (4.99).[3] He also walked the most batters in the National League.[4]

Willoughby pitched poorly the following season, surrendering 241 hits and 68 walks in 153 innings pitched, which resulted in a 7.59 ERA and a 4–17 win–loss record.[2] On November 6, 1930, he was traded to the Pirates, along with shortstop Tommy Thevenow, for shortstop Dick Bartell.[4] Willoughby pitched in just nine games for Pittsburgh, after which his major league career ended.[5]

Later life and death

After his professional baseball career, Willoughby moved back to Kansas, where he pitched for a semipro team located in Chanute in 1938-39 and managed a team in Independence in 1940-41.[6] He worked as a pump mechanic, and moved to McPherson, Kansas in 1948, where he died on August 14, 1973.[7]

References

  1. [1]
    Rives, Bob (2004). Baseball in Wichita. Arcadia Publishing. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-4396-4226-9. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  2. [2]
    Treder, Steve (12 August 2008). "Superduperswingmen (Part 1: 1900-1930)". The Hardball Times. Fangraphs. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  3. [3]
    Kepner, Tyler (2013). The Phillies Experience: A Year-by-Year Chronicle of the Philadelphia Phillies. MVP Books. pp. 57–59. ISBN 978-0-7603-4277-0. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  4. [4]
    Jordan, David M. (2012). Occasional Glory: The History of the Philadelphia Phillies, 2d ed. McFarland & Company. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-0-7864-7028-0. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  5. [5]
    Parker, Clifton Blue (2015). Big and Little Poison: Paul and Lloyd Waner, Baseball Brothers. McFarland & Company. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-7864-8140-8. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  6. [6]
    Eberle, Mark E. (2017). Kansas Baseball, 1858–1941. University Press of Kansas. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-7006-2440-9. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  7. [7]
    Lee, Bill (2015). The Baseball Necrology: The Post-Baseball Lives and Deaths of More Than 7,600 Major League Players and Others. McFarland & Company. p. 429. ISBN 978-1-4766-0930-0. Retrieved 22 June 2023.


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