Baseball career Chief Bender

1 baseball career

1.1 career
1.2 later career
1.3 minor leagues
1.4 coaching career

baseball career








early career

bender debuted in major leagues in 1903. 1 of few pitchers in 20th century throw 200 or more innings @ age of 19. walks per 9 innings rate 2.17; few pitchers since 1893 have had rate below 2.2 @ age of 20 or younger. year won game against cy young , met future wife marie.

in 1905, bender earned 18-11 win-loss record 2.83 era, helping s win al pennant, lost world series in 5 games new york giants. bender went 1-1, 1.06 era in series, pitching 4-hit, 3-0 complete game shutout in game 2, striking out 9, , again went distance in game 5, giving 2 earned runs in 8 innings , losing 2-0 christy mathewson.

after solid seasons in 1906 (15-10, 2.53), 1907 (16-8, 2.05), 1908 (8-9 despite 1.75 era) , 1909 (18-8, 1.66), led athletics al pennant in 1910 philadelphia went 102-48, 14 1/2 games ahead of second-place new york yankees. bender led al in winning % @ .821, going 23-5 1.58 era. went 1-1 1.93 era in world series s beat, in 5 games, chicago cubs, had gone 104-50 in regular season. bender pitched complete-game three-hitter in opener, striking out 8 , giving 1 unearned run. lost game 4 of series in complete game effort, 4-3 in 10 innings. bender pitched 9 2/3 innings athletics, striking out 6.

later career

the 4 stars of world champion philadelphia athletics — bender, cy morgan, jack coombs , rube oldring — featured in thanhouser company film, baseball bug (1911)

in 1911 led al in winning percentage again (.773), going 17-5 2.16 era s won second consecutive al pennant, going 101-50 , finishing 13 1/2 games ahead of detroit tigers. in rematch of 1905 world series, athletics got revenge, defeating new york giants , becoming first american league win back-to-back world series (the chicago cubs nl had won back-to-back titles in 1907 , 1908). after losing opener 2-1 christy mathewson, though pitching complete game, giving 5 hits , 2 runs (1 earned run) , striking out 11, returned in game 4, beating giants 4-2 on complete game 7-hitter, , closed out series in game 6 13-2 s victory. bender again went distance (his 3rd complete game of series), 4-hit performance gave no earned runs (the 2 giants runs unearned). went 2-1, 1.04 era , 3 complete games in series.

in 1912 bender 13-8 2.74 era. did not start 40 games late in year , suspended s in september alcohol abuse. next contract had clause saying had abstain drinking earn full salary. in 1913 went 21-10 2.21 era, helping s win third al pennant in 4 years. make 3 world series titles in 4 years defeating giants in 5 games. bender went 2-0 in series complete-game victories in games 1 , 4.

he led al in winning percentage (.850) third time in 1914, going 17-3 2.26 era, , s win fourth al pennant in 5 years. philadelphia swept underdog boston braves, bender losing game 1 7-1 , giving 6 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. world series game failed finish after completing previous 9 starts in fall classic.

when baltimore terrapins of upstart federal league offered bender significant increase in salary, mack knew not hope match , released him. bender went 4-16 terrapins , later regretted leaving philadelphia. after 2 years phillies, left baseball in 1918 work in shipyards during world war i.

over career, win-loss record 212-127, .625 winning percentage (a category in led american league in 3 seasons) , career 2.46 era. talent more noticeable in high-pressure environment of world series; in 5 trips championship series, managed 6 wins , 2.44 era, completing 9 of 10 games started, putting him 2nd in world series history behind christy mathewson. in 1911 series, pitched 3 complete games tie christy mathewson s record of 3 complete games in world series. threw no-hitter on may 12, 1910 beating cleveland indians 4-0.

minor leagues

in 1919, bender pitched in minor leagues richmond colts of virginia league. earned 29-2 record year. spent next 3 seasons player-manager; first 2 seasons new haven weissmen/indians, , third class aa reading aces. 1920 new haven team, bender recorded 25 wins pitcher. record declined 13-7 in 1921 , 8-13 in 1922.

in 1923 , 1924, bender did not manage did pitch minor league baltimore orioles , new haven profs, respectively. went 6-3 5.03 era baltimore, went 6-4 3.07 era new haven.

coaching career

he came majors coach chicago white sox (1925–26) , made cameo appearance on mound in 1925. between 1924 , 1928, bender managed baseball team @ united states naval academy. recorded 42-34-2 record naval academy. in 1931 coached giants , next year managed yankee affiliate in central league. returned athletics worked rest of life scout, minor league manager, , coach.