Highlighted Year: Jesse Tannehill, 1900

Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates

Age:  26 (July 14)

4^th season with Pirates

Bats – Both, Throws – Left

Height: 5’8”    Weight: 150 

Prior to 1900:

A native of Dayton, Kentucky, Tannehill was the son of a Dayton-area baseball player of the 1860s. He first gained notice playing sandlot baseball in Cincinnati, across the Ohio River from Dayton, and he excelled with the Cincinnati Shamrocks. Signing with the NL’s Cincinnati Reds in 1894, he was unimpressive in five appearances, going 1-1 with a 7.14 ERA. With the Richmond Blue Birds of the Virginia State League in 1895, Tannehill was more successful with a 22-10 record and 2.45 ERA with 149 strikeouts over 272 innings. Again with Richmond in 1896 he posted a 27-14 tally with a 1.93 ERA. Drafted by the Pirates in 1897 his record was 9-9 with a 4.25 ERA and he was also utilized as a utility outfielder. Tannehill broke out in 1898 by going 25-13 with a 2.95 ERA, 34 complete games, and 93 strikeouts over 326.2 innings. A control pitcher featuring a slow curve, he followed up in 1899 by compiling a 24-14 tally with a 2.82 ERA, 33 complete games, and 65 strikeouts over 322 innings.

1900 Season Summary

Appeared in 34 games

P – 29, RF – 4

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 29

Games Started – 27 [20, tied with Doc Newton, Bill Bernhard & Kid Nichols]

Complete Games – 23 [20]

Wins – 20 [2, tied with four others]

Losses – 6

PCT - .769 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [10, tied with eleven others]

Innings Pitched – 234

Hits – 247

Runs – 108

Earned Runs – 75

Home Runs – 3

Bases on Balls – 43

Strikeouts – 50

ERA – 2.88 [6]

Hit Batters – 17 [8]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 0

Batting

PA – 120, AB – 110, R – 19, H – 37, 2B – 7, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 17, BB – 5, SO – 8, SB – 2, CS – N/A, AVG - .336, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 5, SF – N/A

Fielding (P)

Chances – 79

Put Outs – 9

Assists – 64

Errors – 6

DP – 0

Pct. - .924

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The Pirates went 79-60 to finish second in the NL, 4.5 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.06), strikeouts (415), fewest hits allowed (1232), fewest runs allowed (612), and fewest walks allowed (295). With the addition of key players from the defunct Louisville franchise, the Pirates started slowly in April but caught fire in May and entered June at 20-16, in second place. June was a rougher month, featuring a season-high 7-game losing streak. They bounced between second and third through July and August, settling into second place to stay on August 7.

Aftermath of 1900:

The Pirates won the NL pennant in 1901 and Tannehill led the league with a 2.18 ERA and produced an 18-10 record while striking out 118 batters and walking only 36 over 252.1 innings. The Pittsburgh pitching staff was outstanding and the Pirates repeated as NL champs in 1902. Tannehill’s tally was 20-6 with a 1.95 ERA, 23 complete games, and 100 strikeouts with 25 bases on balls over 231 innings. During the season word got out that Tannehill was one of several Pirates who had been negotiating to join the American League the following year. The Pirates released him after the season and he signed with the New York Highlanders (now Yankees) for 1903. Hampered by a sore arm that he blamed on the windy weather at Hilltop Park, New York’s home venue, his record was a disappointing 15-15 in ’03 with a 3.27 ERA 22 complete games, and 106 strikeouts over 239.2 innings. His walk total remained low at 34, for an average of 1.3 per 9 innings. In the offseason the Highlanders traded him to the Boston Americans (now Red Sox) for RHP Tom Hughes. In 1904 Tannehill proved that critics of the trade who believed he was washed up were incorrect by producing a 21-11 tally with a 2.04 ERA, 30 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 116 strikeouts with just 33 walks over 281.2 innings. He also pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in August while Hughes proved to be a bust with the Highlanders. In 1905 as Boston sagged in the standings, Tannehill was an impressive 22-9 with a 2.48 ERA, 27 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 113 strikeouts with 59 walks (2.0 per 9 innings). The Americans landed in the AL cellar in 1906 and Tannehill had the only winning record among the club’s pitchers, posting a 13-11 tally with a 3.16 ERA. Bothered by a sore arm in 1907, he pitched in only 18 games, totaling 131 innings, and went 6-7 with a 2.47 ERA. Once again blaming the weather for his problems, he was dealt to Washington early in the 1908 season. Injuries limited him to a 2-4 tally with a 3.76 ERA. After three appearances in 1909, the Senators sold his contract to Minneapolis of the American Association. After initially refusing to report to the minor league club, Tannehill instead played for local teams back home in Dayton, Kentucky. He reported to Minneapolis in 1910 and was 6-2 when released due to arm trouble. He joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1911 and was let go after one disastrous start, never again to pitch in the major leagues. He spent time with two teams in the Southern Association during the remainder of 1911. The good-hitting Tannehill attempted a minor league comeback as an outfielder in 1912, hit .285 for South Bend in 59 games prior to being released for sowing discord on the club. Following two more brief minor league stops, he retired in 1913.For his major league career, Tannehill compiled a 197-117 record with a 2.80 ERA, 264 complete games, 34 shutouts, 7 saves, and 944 strikeouts with 478 walks surrendered over 2759.1 innings, an average of 1.6 walks per 9 innings. With Pittsburgh he was 116-58 with a 2.75 ERA, 149 complete games, 17 shutouts, 5 saves, and 466 strikeouts with 243 walks issued over 1508 innings. A good hitting pitcher, he batted .255 with 55 doubles, 23 triples, and 5 home runs. He never appeared in the postseason. Following his playing career, Tannehill managed and umpired in the minors and served as a coach with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1920. He died at age 82 in 1956. His brother Lee was an infielder for the Chicago White Sox from 1903-1912.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who don’t otherwise qualify but received MVP votes or were contributors to teams that reached the postseason.