Dave Foutz
David Luther Foutz
(Scissors)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 161 lb.
- Debut July 29, 1884
- Final Game May 14, 1896
- Born September 7, 1856 in Carroll County, MD USA
- Died March 5, 1897 in Waverly, MD USA
Biographical Information[edit]
". . . Foutz is one of the greatest ball players this country has ever produced. . . Foutz was one of the mainstays of the Browns, alternating with Caruthers in the box. These two men were the star pitchers of the Association. . . Foutz is a great pitcher, good outfielder, an excellent first baseman, a fair base-runner and one of the hardest and surest batters in the profession. He is a tall, lanky fellow . . . " - Sporting Life, November 1, 1890
Dave Foutz was a 19th Century pitcher who had one of the best winning percentages of all time. He was also a hitter who had some very good years with the bat.
Foutz was born in Maryland in 1856, and died there at the age of 40, only one year after he had been playing in the majors.
Except for the last two years of his career, Foutz was never completely a pitcher or completely a position player. He did both. For example, in 1887 he played 50 games in the outfield, 40 as a pitcher, and 15 at first base, while the next year, 1888, he had 78 in the outfield, 42 at first base, and 23 as a pitcher.
Although he won 33 games in 1885 and 27 games in 1887, his biggest year was 1886 when he led the league with 41 victories, and had the best ERA with 2.11. He also had the best winning percentage.
As a hitter, his best year was 1887, when he was in the top ten in the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and RBI.
He could steal bases - in 1889, he had a peak of 64 stolen bases.
Breaking in at the age of 27, his whole major league career was spent with two teams - St. Louis in the American Association, and Brooklyn in the National League. His teams played in an equivalent of the World Series five times.
Interestingly, the similarity scores method shows the most similar player as Dizzy Dean.
His career is closely tied with that of "Parisian" Bob Caruthers, who pitched with him for several years on the St. Louis team and then for several years on the Brooklyn team. Caruthers also had a very high winning percentage, and although seven years younger than Foutz, had his career end several years earlier than Foutz.
He also managed the Brooklyn team as as player/manager in 1893-1896, although he played less as the years went by. Before his major league career began, he was player/manager for the Bay City, MI entry in the Northwestern League for part of the 1883 season.
A photo of him ([1]) shows a patrician-looking fellow, tall, somewhat balding, slender, with a certain intensity in his eyes. He was called "Scissors" because he was so skinny.
He was the brother of Frank Foutz.
His obituary says he died of asthma, that he had been forced to retire from baseball due to ill health, and that he had applied to become an umpire. One source [citation needed] said he played his entire baseball career while suffering from asthma.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 2-time League Saves Leader (1886/AA & 1890/NL)
- AA ERA Leader (1886)
- AA Wins Leader (1886)
- AA Winning Percentage Leader (1886)
- 15-Win Seasons: 4 (1884-1887)
- 20-Win Seasons: 3 (1885-1887)
- 30-Win Seasons: 2 (1885-1886)
- 40-Win Seasons: 1 (1886)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 5 (1884-1887 & 1892)
- 300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 3 (1885-1887)
- 400 Innings Pitched Seasons: 2 (1885-1886)
- 500 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1886)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1889 & 1890)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 2 (1887 & 1889)
| Preceded by John Ward |
Brooklyn Grooms/Bridegrooms Manager 1893-1896 |
Succeeded by Billy Barnie |
Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883 | Bay City | Northwestern League | -- | none | Replaced by William Montgomery | ||
| 1893 | Brooklyn Grooms | National League | 65-63 | 7th | Brooklyn Grooms | ||
| 1894 | Brooklyn Grooms | National League | 70-61 | 5th | Brooklyn Grooms | ||
| 1895 | Brooklyn Grooms | National League | 71-60 | 5th | Brooklyn Grooms | ||
| 1896 | Brooklyn Bridegrooms | National League | 58-73 | 10th | Brooklyn Bridegrooms |
Records Held[edit]
- Putouts, pitcher, season, 57, 1886
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.