Pitcher, Boston
Beaneaters
Age: 30
3rd season
with Beaneaters
Bats – Left,
Throws – Right
Height: 6’2” Weight: 175
Prior to 1902:
A native of
Greencastle, Pennsylvania, Charles Pittinger played semipro baseball where he
demonstrated an outstanding fastball in addition to bouts of wildness. He also
developed an effective curve. In 1895 he pitched in the Cumberland Valley
League with Martinsburg and Carlisle. Signing with Roanoke of the Virginia
League in 1896 he was released after one appearance and he returned to the
Cumberland Valley League with the Chambersburg Maroons where he posted a 5-7
record and 2.91 ERA with 10 complete games and 44 strikeouts over 99 innings
pitched. Late in August he joined Milton of the Central Pennsylvania League
where he finished out the year. Starting 1897 with a town team in Greensburg,
Pennsylvania, Pittinger excelled and moved on to Brockton of the New England
League where he produced a 14-4 tally and 1.01 ERA with 16 complete games and
52 strikeouts over 170 innings. Signed by the Beaneaters for 1898, during
spring training he was notified of his wife’s illness and went home to care for
her and their daughters. Farmed out to Brockton, Pittinger went 6-0 in seven
appearances and returned to Boston, where he went unused before joining a
semipro team in August. Requesting that the Beaneaters trade or release him,
the club turned down offers for him and he was sent to the Springfield Ponies
of the Eastern League in 1899, where he compiled a 9-5 record before leaving
the team for the remainder of the season due to another apparent episode of bad
health on the part of his wife. He stuck with Boston in 1900 and although the
pattern of family illness again caused his departure from the club, he returned
in June and was sent down to Worcester of the Eastern League where he went 13-5
with 18 complete games. Returning to the Beaneaters in September he experienced
difficulties and finished with a major league record of 2-9 with a 5.13 ERA. Actively
shopped in the offseason, Pittinger returned to Boston in 1901 and showed
improvement as he compiled a 13-16 tally for the fifth-place club with a 3.01
ERA, 27 complete games, and 129 strikeouts over 281.1 innings. Along the way he
suffered a scare when hit in the head by a batted ball in a game against
Brooklyn. Although he lost consciousness, he was back in action a few days
later. Having received overtures from the American League, he signed a contract
with the Beaneaters for 1902. Despite an imposing physique and apart from his
nickname of “Togie”, he was regularly mocked in the press for his appearance
and called “Horse Face” and “Dog Face”.
1902 Season Summary
Appeared in 46
games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]
Pitching
Games – 46 [2]
Games Started –
40 [2]
Complete Games
– 36 [2]
Wins – 27 [2,
tied with Vic Willis]
Losses – 16 [8,
tied with Bill Phillips, Pop Williams & Henry Thielman]
PCT - .628 [9]
Saves – 0
Shutouts – 7 [4]
Innings Pitched
– 389.1 [2]
Hits – 360 [2]
Runs – 139 [4]
Earned Runs – 109
[2]
Home Runs – 4 [3,
tied with Frank Kitson, Mal Eason & Luther Taylor]
Bases on Balls
– 128 [1]
Strikeouts – 174
[3]
ERA – 2.52 [17]
Hit Batters – 16
[3]
Balks – 0
Wild Pitches – 6
[10, tied with four others]
League-leading
bases on balls issued were +17 ahead of runner-up Bill Donovan
Midseason
Snapshot: 11-8, ERA - 3.15, SO - 78 in 168.1 IP
---
Most
strikeouts, game – 9 (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis Cardinals 9/10
10+ strikeout
games – 0
Fewest hits
allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) vs. Pittsburgh 6/14
Batting
PA – 153, AB – 147,
R – 6, H – 20, 2B – 1, 3B – 1, HR – 0, RBI – 10, BB – 1, SO – 56, SB – 0, CS –
N/A, AVG - .136, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 4, SF – N/A
Fielding
Chances – 109
Put Outs – 20
Assists – 83
Errors – 6
DP – 2
Pct. - .945
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The Beaneaters
(aka Nationals) went 73-64 to finish third in the NL, 30.5 games behind the
pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates. The pitching staff led the league in saves
(4, tied with St. Louis Cardinals) & bases on balls issued (372). The slow-starting
Beaneaters finished May in fourth place at 15-19 before rallying in June and
July to advance to third at 42-37. A lesser performance in August and
September, during which Pittinger went 7-7, locked the club into its
third-place finish.
Aftermath of 1902:
Strongly pursued by American League clubs during the 1902 season, Pittinger signed a two-year contract with the Beaneaters at $4000 per year. Prior to 1903 spring training, he injured his arm while practicing with the Dickinson College baseball team and went on to post a disappointing 18-22 record and 3.48 ERA with 35 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 140 strikeouts over 351.2 innings while also leading the league with his 22 losses and in hits allowed (396), home runs allowed (12), and walks issued (143), while also unleashing 14 wild pitches. Furthermore, off the field in a family tragedy, Pittinger’s oldest daughter died. With the Beaneaters disappointed in Pittinger’s pitching performance, he returned in 1904 and had a marginally better season as he compiled a 15-21 tally and 2.66 ERA with 35 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 146 strikeouts over 335.1 innings although he still topped the circuit in walks issued (144). In the offseason, his relationship with the Beaneaters having soured beyond repair, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. On the field with the Phillies in 1905, Pittinger had a fine season, tying for the most pitching appearances in the NL with 46 and posting a 23-14 record with a 3.09 ERA, 29 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 136 strikeouts over 337.1 innings. Off the field there was another tragedy as his wife died from a heart ailment. He held out in 1906 and missed spring training and further lost time due to health problems on his way to a disappointing 8-10 tally and 3.40 ERA in only 20 appearances. Initially refusing to sign with the Phillies for 1907, Pittinger threatened to jump to the Tri-State League but finally reported to the Phillies and went 9-5 with a 3.00 ERA until the effects of diabetes caused him to leave the club and ended his career at age 35.For his major league career he produced a 115-113 record with a 3.10 ERA, 187 complete games, 23 shutouts, and 832 strikeouts and 734 walks over 2040.2 innings. With Boston he went 75-84 with a 3.08 ERA, 141 complete games, 16 shutouts, and 616 strikeouts and 545 walks over 1471.2 innings. Following his playing career he operated a restaurant and grocery store in Carlisle, Pennsylvnia prior to his death from the effects of diabetes in 1909 at age 37, his short life having been mired in tragedy and controversy.
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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.