Steamboat Struss

Clarence Herbert Struss

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 163 lb.
• Debut September 30, 1934
• Final Game September 30, 1934
• Born February 24, 1909 in Riverdale, IL USA
• Died September 12, 1985 in Grand Rapids, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Steamboat Struss pitched one game for the 1934 Pirates, going seven innings in the second game of a doubleheader on the last day of the regular season. As a hitter, he got a double. This site [1] says he was leading the league in strikeouts when he was called up from the minors, and that he was a "smokeball" pitcher.

Struss has gotten a fair amount of attention on the internet for his unusual name, but he was not the first Steamboat in the majors. That honor goes to Steamboat Williams. A player with a similar first name, Steamer Flanagan, also played for the Pirates, but a generation earlier.

Struss pitched ten seasons in the minors, winning 76 games. He holds the Mississippi Valley League record for walks issued, 170 in 1932.