{"id":10604,"date":"2011-01-08T10:48:37","date_gmt":"2011-01-08T17:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seamheads.com\/?p=10604"},"modified":"2011-01-09T08:14:24","modified_gmt":"2011-01-09T15:14:24","slug":"red-ruffing-hof-perseverance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2011\/01\/08\/red-ruffing-hof-perseverance\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Ruffing: HOF Perseverance"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> How does a pitcher start his career 39-96 and end up in the Hall of Fame?\u00c2\u00a0 This is the amazing story of Charles \u00c2\u00a0Herbert \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Red\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ruffing.\u00c2\u00a0 He was born on May 3, 1905 in the tiny village of Granville, Illinois.\u00c2\u00a0 At an early age, \u00c2\u00a0Ruffing dropped out of school and tended to a mine ventilation system.\u00c2\u00a0 Regrettably, he lost four toes on his left foot \u00c2\u00a0when it caught between two coal cars.\u00c2\u00a0 Fortunately, he displayed the ability to surmount obstacles and \u00c2\u00a0prevail over perilous situations.<\/p>\n

In 1924, Ruffing made his Major League debut for the Boston Red Sox pitching in relief against the Washington \u00c2\u00a0Senators.\u00c2\u00a0 At 19, the right-hander appeared overmatched while compiling a 6.65 ERA in 23 innings pitched. \u00c2\u00a0Over \u00c2\u00a0the next five seasons, Ruffing would struggle with run support for the perennial last-place Red Sox leading the \u00c2\u00a0American League in losses during the 1928-29 seasons.\u00c2\u00a0 Few people could have envisioned the meteoric rise his \u00c2\u00a0career was about to embark upon.<\/p>\n

Ruffing was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for backup outfielder Cedric Durst and $50,000 on May 6, 1930.\u00c2\u00a0 The change of scenery altered his career dramatically from a second-rate pitcher to a legendary hurler. \u00c2\u00a0The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Murderer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Row\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Yankees would supply the offense to help define the next fifteen seasons of the right-hander\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s career.\u00c2\u00a0 Ruffing won 231 games and tossed 40 shutouts while pitching on seven AL pennant winners and six world championship teams.<\/p>\n

From 1936-39, Ruffing recorded twenty-or-more wins each season and anchored the Yankees pitching staff to four consecutive World Series titles.\u00c2\u00a0 He compiled a 7-2 record, 2.63 ERA, and eight complete games during ten Fall Classic starts.\u00c2\u00a0 Ruffing performed brilliantly on the biggest stage placing him tied for second place on the all-time wins list during World Series competition.<\/p>\n

In 1943, Ruffing enlisted in World War II despite his physical limitations.\u00c2\u00a0 He was stationed at the Long Beach Army Air Base with the 6th<\/sup> Ferrying Group of the Air Transport Command.\u00c2\u00a0 In July 1945, Ruffing returned to the Yankees pitching effectively down the stretch, posting a 7-3 record in 11 starts.\u00c2\u00a0 Ultimately, the loss of two seasons prevented the hurler from winning 300-games during his career.<\/p>\n

Ruffing finished his playing career with the Chicago White Sox in 1947.\u00c2\u00a0 Upon retirement, he worked for the White Sox and Indians as a minor league manager.\u00c2\u00a0 In addition, he was part of the 1962 New York Mets coaching staff during their inaugural season.<\/p>\n

In 1967, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Red\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ruffing was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his final year of eligibility.\u00c2\u00a0 He compiled a career record of 273-225, 3.80 ERA (highest HOF), and 335 complete-games over a 22-year MLB career.\u00c2\u00a0 An amazing story of perseverance enabled a pitcher from a tiny Illinois town claim baseball immortality after beginning his career as an unheralded starting pitcher.\u00c2\u00a0 His exploits on the diamond were not limited to pitching.\u00c2\u00a0 Ruffing is considered one of the greatest hitting pitchers of all-time.\u00c2\u00a0 He compiled a lifetime .269 average while slugging 36 home runs.<\/p>\n

On February 17, 1986, Charles \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Red\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ruffing died at the age of 80 in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. \u00c2\u00a0The Hall of Fame pitcher overcame many obstacles in his life and proved that a change of scenery could actually alter the course of history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How does a pitcher start his career 39-96 and end up in the Hall of Fame?\u00c2\u00a0 This is the amazing story of Charles \u00c2\u00a0Herbert \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Red\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Ruffing.\u00c2\u00a0 He was born on May 3, 1905 in the tiny village of Granville, Illinois.\u00c2\u00a0 At an early age, \u00c2\u00a0Ruffing dropped out of school and tended to a mine ventilation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":773,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,77],"tags":[12676,589,3902,12645,12640,692,12641,12642,12092,1954,12646,444,4838,12644,12647,9103,12643,835,12639,3510,2224],"class_list":["post-10604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-hall-of-fame","tag-army-air-base","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-change-of-scenery","tag-charles-herbert","tag-coal-cars","tag-complete-games","tag-consecutive-world-series","tag-granville-illinois","tag-josh-robbins","tag-league-debut","tag-meteoric-rise","tag-new-york-yankees","tag-pennant-winners","tag-perilous-situations","tag-physical-limitations","tag-red-ruffing","tag-ventilation-system","tag-washington-senators","tag-world-series-competition","tag-world-series-titles","tag-world-war-ii"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t