Fred Fussell

Frederick Morris Fussell
(Moonlight Ace)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10", Weight 155 lb.

• Debut September 23, 1922
• Final Game September 29, 1929
• Born October 7, 1895 in Sheridan, MO USA
• Died October 23, 1966 in Syracuse, NY USA

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Biographical Information

Fred Fussell was nearly 27 when he broke in with the 1922 Cubs, an above-.500 team that featured the 35-year-old Pete Alexander. He stayed with the 1923 Cubs, another above-.500 team, leading the team in games finished.

From 1924-27 he was not in the majors. In December 1927, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired him from Wichita Falls. His best major league season was 1928, when he pitched 159.7 innings, with an ERA that was better than the league average. Fussell was a couple years younger than the star of the pitching staff, Burleigh Grimes. The Pirates went 85-67, continuing Fussell's trend of playing for above-average teams. He stayed with the 1929 Pirates, a team that finished second in the 1929 National League behind his former team, the Chicago Cubs, but he was not effective.

Although his nickname is the "Midnight Ace", he was not given that nickname until he pitched a no-hitter in 1933 in the International League in a twilight game.

Related Sites

Find-A-Grave Memorial for Fred Fussell