Ed Reulbach

Edward Marvin Reulbach
(Big Ed)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
• School University of Notre Dame, University of Vermont
• High School Manual Training High School
• Debut May 16, 1905
• Final Game July 13, 1917
• Born December 1, 1882 in Detroit, MI USA
• Died July 17, 1961 in Glens Falls, NY USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Ed Reulbach was a key member of the pitching staff during the greatest years of the Chicago Cubs. He led the National League in winning percentage from 1906 to 1909. In spite of his excellent performances, it was hard to stand out on a team that had a full rotation of top pitchers, with the most prominent being Mordecai Brown. in 1906, he allowed a measly 5.33 hits per 9 innings, the lowest number by anyone until the "Year of the Pitcher", 1968.

He won Game 3 of the 1907 World Series by a score of 5-1 over the Detroit Tigers, pitching all nine innings. He appeared in four different World Series with the Cubs, going 2-0, 3.03 in 7 games (5 starts).

Years later, he was a star in the Federal League in 1915, winning 21 games for the Newark Peppers.

He is the only pitcher to throw a doubleheader shutout, on September 26, 1908; he subdued the Brooklyn Superbas 5-0 in the opener and 3-0 in the nitecap. On June 30, 1909, he won the first game ever played at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, PA; he pitched a complete game to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2.

Notable Achievements

• 3-time NL Winning Percentage Leader (1906-1908)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 7 (1905-1909, 1911 & 1915)
• 20 Wins Seasons: 2 (1908 & 1915)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 7 (1905, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1914 & 1915)
• Won two World Series with the Chicago Cubs (1907 & 1908)

Related Sites

• Ed Reulbach at the SABR Bio Project

Further Reading

• Gary Belleville: "September 26, 1908: Cubs’ Ed Reulbach tosses back-to-back shutouts in doubleheader sweep of Brooklyn," SABR Baseball Games Project.