Highlighted Year: Frank “Noodles” Hahn, 1901

Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds

 Age: 22 (April 29)

3^rd season with Reds

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 160 

Prior to 1901:

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Hahn picked up his nickname “Noodles” in his youth as a result of his mother’s chicken noodle soup, which he either repeatedly expressed a particular liking for, brought to his father for lunch each day at a nearby piano factory, or delivered to a poor neighbor. Whatever the reason, the nickname stuck. At age 16 he joined a Southern Association team that moved from Chattanooga to Mobile during the 1895 season. Staying on with Mobile in 1896, he produced a 7-4 record with a 1.44 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 112.2 innings pitched. In 1897 he joined Detroit of the Western Association and went 17-16 with a 2.82 ERA, 31 complete games, and 144 strikeouts over 313 innings. Splitting 1898 between Detroit and St. Paul he had a mediocre season, going 12-20 with 28 complete games and 144 strikeouts in 266 innings. Recommended to the Reds by St. Paul owner Charles Comiskey, he pitched well in spring training and made the club. With an effective, if not overpowering, fastball and good control, he put together a 23-8 record in 1899 while leading the NL with 145 strikeouts and posting a 2.68 ERA. Hahn ran into difficulty coming to terms on a contract with the Reds for 1900 but settled and produced a 16-20 record for the 62-77 Reds along with a 3.27 ERA and again led the NL in strikeouts with 132. Along the way he pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies, one of the league’s best-hitting teams.

1901 Season Summary

Appeared in 42 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 42 [4]

Games Started – 42 [2]

Complete Games – 41 [1]

Wins – 22 [3, tied with Deacon Phillippe]

Losses – 19 [3, tied with Jack Powell & Jack Taylor]

PCT - .537 [17]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [10, tied with four others]

Innings Pitched – 375.1 [1]

Hits – 370 [2]

Runs – 159 [6, tied with Doc Newton]

Earned Runs – 113 [6]

Home Runs – 12 [2]

Bases on Balls – 69 [14]

Strikeouts – 239 [1]

ERA – 2.71 [8]

Hit Batters – 9

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 10 [4, tied with Bill Donovan & Bill Dinneen]

League-leading complete games were +4 ahead of runner-up Luther Taylor

League-leading innings pitched were +22 ahead of runner-up Luther Taylor

League-leading strikeouts were +13 ahead of runner-up Bill Donovan

Midseason Snapshot: 13-8, ERA - 2.53, SO – 137 in 192 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 16 (in 9 IP) at Boston Beaneaters 5/22

10+ strikeout games – 3

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) vs. Brooklyn 7/14

Batting

PA – 155, AB – 141, R – 9, H – 24, 2B – 3, 3B – 2, HR – 0, RBI – 7, BB – 8, SO – 57, SB – 0, CS – N/A, AVG - .170, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 4, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 105

Put Outs – 14

Assists – 85

Errors – 6

DP – 4

Pct. - .943

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The Reds went 52-87 to finish eighth (last) in the NL, 38 games behind the pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates. The pitching staff finished last in ERA (4.17) and led the league in most hits allowed (1469), most runs allowed (818), and most home runs allowed (51). The rebuilding Reds started well and were 16-12 by the end of May. Tied for first on June 8 they promptly went on a 10-game losing streak that knocked them down to seventh where they remained until a 9-27 finish sealed their fate and put them in the NL cellar for the first time in club history. Other than Hahn, the club suffered from poor pitching. Hahn and slugging outfielder Sam Crawford were the club’s stalwarts.

Aftermath of 1901:

Resisting an offer to jump to the rival American League, Hahn signed a $4200 contract to stay with the Reds, making him the team’s highest-paid player. Cincinnati improved to 70-70 in 1902 and Hahn contributed a 23-12 record with a 1.77 ERA, 35 complete games, 6 shutouts, 321 innings pitched, and 142 strikeouts. He was 22-12 in 1903 with a 2.52 ERA, 34 complete games, and 127 strikeouts. Showing signs of slippage in 1904, he posted a 16-18 tally with a still outstanding 2.06 ERA, 33 complete games among his 297.2 innings, and 98 strikeouts. A sore arm that diminished his fastball limited Hahn to 77 innings and a 5-3 mark with a 2.81 ERA in 1905, and the Reds released him in August. After pitching semi-professionally for the remainder of ’05, he caught on with the AL’s New York Highlanders in 1906. He appeared in just six games before requesting his release and deciding to end his major league career. For that career, he compiled a 130-94 record with a 2.55 ERA, 212 complete games, 25 shutouts, and 917 strikeouts over 2029.1 innings. Nearly all of his production came with the Reds. Having attended Cincinnati Veterinary College during his playing days, he became a veterinary inspector for the US government in Cincinnati for over 30 years. He appeared semiprofessionally on the side for a time and also regularly pitched batting practice for the Reds at Crosley Field until he was well into his 60s. He also had a reputation as a skillful pianist. Moving to North Carolina after retiring from his government job, he died at age 80 in 1960.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20), pitching wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10), or have been participants in the annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.