Lou Bruce

Louis R. Bruce

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 5", Weight 145 lb.
• School Syracuse University, University of Pennsylvania
• High School Central High School (Philadelphia)
• Debut June 22, 1904
• Final Game October 10, 1904
• Born January 16, 1877 in St. Regis, NY USA
• Died February 9, 1968 in Ilion, NY USA

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Biographical Information

“Not even the redoubtable Jimmy Casey, in the heyday of his popularity in Toronto, was ever as warm a favorite as Louis Bruce, the clever twirler and utility man of the Toronto Club. Bruce is a natural ball player. While small in stature, he has tremendous strength and stamina, and unquestioned ability. His remarkable pitching since he played with the Toronto Club has created a sensation. He is also one of the leading batsmen of the Eastern League, and probably without a peer as an emergency hitter.” - Toronto Mail

Lou Bruce played 30 games for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1904. He also pitched in two games that year, finishing both games and throwing 11 innings without a decision. This proved to be the only season he played in the majors. Bruce had substantial success as a two-way player for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1901 to 1904. In 1902, as a pitcher, he went 18-2, and the next year, he was 12-4. As a hitter, he was over .300 from 1901 to 1903 with a peak in 1903 when he hit .356 in 100 games.

Lou was a Native American, the son of a Mohawk chief according to Penn archives. He attended dental school at Penn beginning in 1901 and was captain of the baseball team as well as manager of the football team. While in dental school, he married a woman who was the daughter of a mixed-blood Sioux mother and a Caucasian father. He practiced dentistry in Syracuse, NY and attended the school of theology there. He became a minister at various locations, mostly within the Native American community. He was politically active, supporting suffrage for Native Americans. His son, Louis Bruce, Jr., became U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1969.

Related Sites

• Lou Bruce at the SABR Bio Project