Highlighted Year: Frank Kitson, 1902

Pitcher, Brooklyn Superbas

Age:  33 (Sept. 11)

3^rd season with Superbas

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 165 

Prior to 1902:

A native of southwestern Michigan, Kitson got his start in baseball pitching for country teams in Allegan County. Pitching for the Muskegon team in the Grand Rapids Western League, he was part of a locally outstanding battery with catcher Ernest Krueger, who was a local contractor with a powerful throwing arm. Moving on to minor league clubs in 1895, ’96, and ’97, Kitson joined the Baltimore Orioles of the National League in 1898 where he saw action in the outfield due to his good hitting, with poor results, as well as on the mound. In 17 pitching appearances, of which 13 were starts, he produced an 8-5 record and 3.24 ERA with 32 strikeouts over 119.1 innings. He also batted .314 with four extra-base hits and 16 RBIs. A raw talent and lacking pitching finesse and poor at fielding his position when he joined the Orioles, he benefited from the tutelage of manager Ned Hanlon, who improved his technique. Kitson broke out in 1899 with a 22-16 tally and 2.78 ERA with 34 complete games and 75 strikeouts over 326.2 innings. With the National League shedding teams prior to the 1900 season, Baltimore was expelled and Kitson joined several of his teammates with Brooklyn, where he was reunited with manager Hanlon. While he tended to struggle when pitching at his home park, Kitson produced a 15-13 record for the pennant-winning Superbas, along with a 4.19 ERA, 21 complete games, and 55 strikeouts over 253.1 innings. The club slipped to third place in 1901 but Kitson had a better performance with a 19-11 tally and 2.98 ERA, 26 complete games, and 127 strikeouts over 280.2 innings.

1902 Season Summary

Appeared in 40 games

P – 32, PH – 8

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 32 [14, tied with Pop Williams]

Games Started – 31 [13]

Complete Games – 29 [10, tied with Mike O’Neill & Deacon Phillippe]

Wins – 19 [8]

Losses – 13 [16, tied with Chick Fraser & Mel Eason]

PCT - .594 [12]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [11, tied with four others]

Innings Pitched – 268.2 [14]

Hits – 258 [15]

Runs – 102 [17]

Earned Runs – 83 [11]

Home Runs – 4 [3, tied with Togie Pittinger, Mal Eason & Luther Taylor]

Bases on Balls – 49

Strikeouts – 114 [9]

ERA – 2.78

Hit Batters – 7

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4 [16, tied with seven others]

Midseason Snapshot: 9-9, ERA - 2.89, SO - 54 in 146.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 9 IP) at NY Giants 7/25

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) at NY Giants 9/29, (in 8 IP) at Phila. Phillies 4/22

Batting

PA – 122, AB – 117, R – 10, H – 32, 2B – 3, 3B – 4, HR – 1, RBI – 11, BB – 3, SO – 12, SB – 0, CS – N/A, AVG - .274, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 1, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 80

Put Outs – 7

Assists – 70

Errors – 3

DP – 1

Pct. - .963

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The Superbas went 75-63 to finish second in the NL, 27.5 games behind the pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates. The pitching staff led the league in fewest hits allowed (1113). The Superbas got off to a slow start and were 17-19 at the end of May, including a 1-3 performance in a series at Pittsburgh. Things picked up in June and July but after rising to second place, there was no chance of catching the dominant Pirates the rest of the way.

Aftermath of 1902:

In the offseason, Kitson jumped to the Detroit Tigers of the American League, moving before the National and American Leagues reached an accord that ended the player-jumping. With the Tigers in 1903, he compiled a 15-16 record for the fifth-place club, and a 2.58 ERA with 28 complete games and 102 strikeouts over 257.2 innings. Detroit dropped to seventh in 1904 and Kitson’s tally was 9-13 with a respectable 3.07 ERA, 18 complete games, and 69 strikeouts over 199.2 innings. Appreciated for his enthusiasm and clean play, he spent one more season with the Tigers in 1905, producing a 12-14 record and 3.47 ERA with 21 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 78 strikeouts over 225.2 innings. In the offseason he was traded to the Washington Senators. In 1906 he went 6-14 with a 3.65 ERA, 15 complete games, and 59 strikeouts over 197 innings. He split the 1907 season between Washington and the New York Highlanders, compiling a combined tally of 4-3 in 17 total appearances. He finished up with the Kansas City Blues of the American Association and concluded his career at age 38. For his major league career, Kitson compiled a 129-118 record with a 3.17 ERA, 211 complete games, 19 shutouts, 7 saves, and 736 strikeouts over 2221.2 innings. With Brooklyn he went 53-37 with a 3.30 ERA, 76 complete games, 10 shutouts, 6 saves, and 296 strikeouts over 802.2 innings. As a batter he hit .240 with 28 doubles, 17 triples, 4 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a .273 on-base percentage. Following his playing career he returned to Michigan and operated a farm where his health began to fail until his sudden death from a heart attack in 1930 at age 60.

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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 also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.