Red Barrett

Charles Henry Barrett

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 183 lb.
• High School Simi Valley High School
• Debut September 15, 1937
• Final Game September 29, 1949
• Born February 14, 1915 in Santa Barbara, CA USA
• Died July 28, 1990 in Wilson, NC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

On August 10, 1944, Red Barrett beat the Cincinnati Reds, 2-0. He gave up just two hits and threw just 58 pitches, a record for fewest pitches in a complete game. The game lasted one hour and 15 minutes and holds the record for the shortest night game in major league history. Although Barrett is generally remembered solely for that game, he also led the National League in victories in 1945, with 23, and he appeared in the 1948 World Series.

Barrett was born in Santa Barbara, CA, in 1915. From 1937-1940, he had brief appearances with the Cincinnati Reds, pitching a total of 44 innings and going 3-0. His ERA was good in the first three of the four seasons. He was not in the majors in either 1941 or 1942. In 1942, he was MVP of the International League with the Syracuse Chiefs. In 1943, at age 28, he became a regular in wartime. He pitched for a couple of seasons with the Boston Braves, who had players such as Eddie Joost and Tommy Holmes.

In May 1945, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He had earned only 2 victories with the Braves, but he added 21 with the Cardinals, leading the league in total victories. It was a performance much like the one of Rick Sutcliffe in 1984 when he came over from the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago Cubs and won the 1984 National League Cy Young Award. There was no such award in existence in 1945, but Barrett was named to the All-Star team, and was 3rd in the MVP voting.

Red was on the cover of Life Magazine on April 1, 1946. He also had an endorsement deal for a baseball glove. He appeared in only 23 games (9 as a starter), and went 3-2. The Cardinals won the World Series, but Barrett did not pitch in the postseason. After the season, the Braves bought him back, and he finished his career with them. In 1947, he was 11-12. In 1948, the famous "Spahn and Sain" year, Barrett actually pitched well. He had a record of 7-8 with an ERA of 3.65, better than Warren Spahn's ERA of 3.73, and approximately the same as Bill Voiselle's 3.63. The league as a whole had an ERA of 3.95. In the 1948 World Series, he pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball, appearing in relief in the 2nd and 3rd games of the Series. He closed out his career with 23 games in relief in 1949.

Lifetime, he pitched 11 years in the big leagues, with an ERA of 3.53 and a record of 69-69. A visit to Dick's Hot Dog Stand in Wilson, NC, will find numerous photos from his baseball career. In 2009, he was elected to the International League Hall of Fame.

Notable Achievements

• 1942 MVP International League Syracuse Chiefs
• NL All-Star (1945)
• NL Wins Leader (1945)
• NL Innings Pitched Leader (1945)
• NL Complete Games Leader (1945)
• 15 Wins Seasons: 1 (1945)
• 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1945)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 4 (1943-1945 & 1947)
• Won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946 (he did not play in the World Series)

Related Sites

• Red Barrett at the SABR Bio project