John Singleton

John Edward Singleton
(Sheriff)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 171 lb.

• Debut June 8, 1922
• Final Game September 22, 1922
• Born November 27, 1896 in Gallipolis, OH USA
• Died October 23, 1937 in Dayton, OH USA

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Biographical Information

John Singleton got a lot of good attention for throwing a shutout early in his tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1922. It turned out to be his only major league victory as he went on to have a record of 1-10 with an ERA of 5.90. It was a lively ball era, so the ERA is not quite as bad as it sounds - the team had an overall ERA of 4.64.

John got his nickname "Sheriff" from the 37-year-old Art Fletcher, his Phillies teammate, who saw John frequently wandering the corridors of the trains when they travelled, and also showing pistols. [1]

John pitched minor league ball in Ohio and then joined the marines and played service ball - he "won a lot of games in France." After World War I he played ball in Gainesville, FL. [2]

Singleton had a long minor league career - at least 14 seasons. He spent three years with the Salt Lake City Bees, winning 21 games in 1924. He finished up in the minors in 1932 and died only a few years later of tuberculosis. [3]

He also played pro football at the relatively advanced age of 33. [4]

Related Sites

• Find-A-Grave Memorial for John Singleton