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Reb Russell and the 1917 White Sox Photo Gallery
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Pitchers Who Converted to Other Positions
“That boy has everything. He has speed, he has curves, he has control, he has nerve, he has strength. What more could I ask for? –White Sox manager Nixey Callihan, speaking of Reb Russell
Some of you will remember my recent essay on Smoky Joe Wood, a star Dead Ball Era pitcher who became a productive outfielder after sustaining an injury and an eventual “dead arm.” Thanks to one of our readers for pointing out another fine pitcher from the Dead Ball Era who also made the switch to the outfield for similar reasons.
We’ll turn our baseball spotlight today on Ewell “Reb” Russell. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, known for his outstanding control, rising fastball, and coolness under pressure, Russell made his debut with the White Sox on April 18, 1913. The 5’11”, 185-pound lefty put together a spectacular rookie season: 22-16 with a 1.90 ERA, leading the league in games pitched (52), and second in the league in shutouts (8). Mentored by White Sox coach Kid Gleason, he also set a record that still stands with five 1-0 victories, while leading the team in innings pitched (316) and wins (22). It was one of the most impressive rookie seasons in major league history.
Russell suffered through a sophomore jinx season in 1914 (7-12) and was not much better in 1915 (11-10). But in 1916 he was looking good in spring training and was tapped to be the Opening Day starter. He carried his impressive spring into the regular season and compiled a fine 18-11 record, with a league-leading 1.4 bases-on-balls per nine innings, and 0.942 walks-and-hits per innings pitched. His 18 wins led the White Sox staff, as did his 264 innings pitched and five shutouts. Another fine year followed in 1917 (15-5) as the White Sox won the pennant and World Series, defeating John McGraw’s Giants in seven games.
Reb Russell appeared to be on his way to establishing himself as one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game. Comparisons were being made to the American Leagues’ best lefty, Babe Ruth. However, as is so often the case, the injury bug reared its ugly head at the exact wrong time. Arm trouble caused him to tail off to a mediocre 7-5 season in 1918, and he was released in 1919 without appearing in a game. Seemingly on the brink of pitching stardom, just like that he was done, having compiled a seven-year record of 80-59 (.576) with a 2.33 ERA.
But Russell had another arrow in his quiver: he had always been a good hitter. So he accepted his fate and returned to the minors with the goal of reinventing himself as an outfielder and an eventual return to the majors. The plan worked. In 1922, after some solid years in which he established himself as a minor league slugger, he was back in the Big Show, this time with the Pirates. That year he put up some impressive numbers, hitting .368 with 12 home runs, 75 RBIs, and a .423 on-base percentage in 60 games. He tailed off a bit in 1923, but still hit for a respectable .289 average, with nine home runs and 58 RBIs. Despite these stats, his defensive liabilities could not keep him on the roster, and he was released after the 1923 season. Over his two seasons with the Pirates he hit a combined .323; and for his nine-year major league career, .268.
Following his release from the Pirates, Russell was far from finished with professional baseball. He returned to the minor leagues in the American Association (the highest minor league at the time) and became a highly paid star, playing professional baseball through the age of 40. He even posted a .365 batting average at the age of 38 to lead the league.
Reb Russell died on September 30, 1973 aged 84.
Like Smoky Joe Wood, Reb Russell was able to reinvent himself as an outfielder and made a successful return to the majors following arm trouble that ended his days on the mount. As I mentioned in my essay about Steve Dalkowski, it’s too bad Steve didn’t take the same path.
Gary Livacari
Photo Credits: All from Google search
Information: Excerpts edited from Reb Russell Wikipedia page; and SABR biography by Richard Smiley: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/reb-russell/
Check out my latest book, recently nominated for the SABR 2020 Lawrence Ritter award: Reflections On the 1919 Black Sox: Time to Take Another Look now available on Amazon in e-book and paperback. All profits go to the Illinois Veterans Foundation
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