Eddie Plank
Edward Stewart Plank (August 31, 1875 - February 24, 1926), nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie", was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is the first left-handed pitcher to win 200 games and then 300 games, and now ranks third in all-time wins among left-handers with 326 career victories (eleventh all time) and first all-time in career shutouts by a left-handed pitcher with 66.
Plank was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
Early life
History books often erroneously state that Plank graduated from Gettysburg College. He attended Gettysburg Academy, a prep school affiliated with the college, but Plank never attended or graduated from the college. However, he did play for the Gettysburg College baseball team.
Career
Plank made his major league debut on May 13, 1901, for the Philadelphia Athletics, a team he would play for until 1914. Over this time, he would be one of the most consistent pitchers in the game, winning over 20 games seven times and contributing to two World Series championships, one in 1911, the other in 1913 (He sat out the 1910 Series due to a sore arm).
Plank was known as a finesse pitcher with a good sidearm sweeping curveball. He was also known for his long pauses on the mound, which some claimed lengthened the duration of the games in which he pitched.
In 1915, Plank played for the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League, and won 21 games, the eighth and final time he would reach the 20-win plateau. Some baseball reference works decline to acknowledge the Federal League as a "major league", and therefore give Plank credit for only seven 20-win seasons and 305 total wins.
In 1916 and 1917 Plank played for the St. Louis Browns. He retired after the 1917 season. His final game was a 1-0 11-inning complete game loss to Walter Johnson and the Washington Senators on August 6, 1917.
Over his career, Plank amassed a 326-194 record, a 2.35 ERA, and 2,246 strikeouts. He won 305 games in the American League, making him that league's winningest left-handed pitcher. In addition, he was the winningest pitcher (left or right-handed) in the American league until 1921, when he was surpassed by Walter Johnson.
Honors and later life
In addition to Plank's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946, in 1999 he ranked 68th on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
Plank is mentioned in the poem "Line-Up for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash:
Line-Up for Yesterday
P is for Plank,
The arm of the A's;
When he tangled with Matty
Games lasted for days.
Plank is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg.
See also
References
- ^ "Baseball Almanac". http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_line.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
External links
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Plank, Eddie |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
August 31, 1875 |
| Place of birth |
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |
| Date of death |
February 24, 1926 |
| Place of death |
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |