Rube Bressler
Raymond Bloom Bressler
- Bats Right, Throws Left
- Height 6' 0", Weight 187 lb.
- School Central State Normal School (Pennsylvania)
- Debut April 24, 1914
- Final Game July 18, 1932
- Born October 23, 1894 in Coder, PA USA
- Died November 7, 1966 in Cincinnati, OH USA
Biographical Information[edit]
"I remember one day I was playing first base for Cincinnati, and we were ahead by one run. We had a young rookie pitching for us that day, I can't recall his name. In the last of the eighth he got in a bit of trouble, two out and then men on second and third. I saw the shortstop and second baseman start in to give him their usual inspirational message, so I ran over real quick, to get there ahead of them. 'Listen,' I said, 'after you get this guy out, be sure to take a good look at that blonde behind the dugout.' Well, you could just see this fellow's face brighten up. You know -- relaxing -- as if to say 'What the heck, I can't be in a very tough jam if this guy's talking about a blonde.' The batter popped a little foul to the catcher, and we're out of the inning. That's the last of the eighth. I went over to the water cooler in the dugout, and as I did I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the pitcher. 'Yeah, she sure is good-looking,' he says to me. 'What? Who's good-looking? What are you talking about?' 'The blonde!' he says. 'Oh,' I said. I'd forgotten all about it. - Rube Bressler, to Lawrence Ritter, The Glory of Their Times
Rube Bressler started out his career as a pitcher, chucking the pill exclusively from 1914, when he first came to the majors as a 19-year-old with the Philadelphia Athletics, until 1917 when he was with the Cincinnati Reds. After two solid seasons, he began to experience arm troubles, and by 1918 began to play in the outfield to prolong his career. Unlike other pitchers who became position players, Bressler had not been particularly impressive with the bat as a pitcher, as his highest average in his four seasons as a full-time pitcher was .216, achieved as a rookie. In 1919, as a two-way player with the Reds, he hit only .206. But he hit .267 in 1920, the last time he took the mound. In 1921, he hit .307 in 109 games as a full-time outfielder, with a career best line of .318/.406/.461 in 136 games with the 1929 Brooklyn Robins. Rube continued to play in the majors until 1932, hitting .301 for his career.
Notable Achievement[edit]
- Won a World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1919 (he did not play in the World Series)
Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]
Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Playoffs | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1934 | Springfield Pirates | Middle Atlantic League | 16-17 | 6th | replaced Al DeVormer (41-48) on August 8 |
Further Reading[edit]
- Lawrence Ritter: The Glory of Their Times, The Macmillan Company, New York, NY, 1966, pp. 190-201.
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