Willie Sudhoff

Who was Willie Sudhoff?

John William Sudhoff was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in the National League for the St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos and St. Louis Cardinals, and with the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators of the American League. Sudhoff batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Predictably, Sudhoff created a controversy when he jumped from the National League Cardinals to the American League Browns, becoming the first to play for all St. Louis clubs. At 5 ft 7 in, 165 lb he was a consistent pitcher who averaged 247 innings and 24 complete games in eight full seasons, with career-highs of 315 and 35 in 1898. He was at his best in 1903, going 21–15 with a 2.27 earned run average and five shutouts. His highlights include a pitching duel with Chief Bender of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1904, during ten innings, without either team scoring. The game ended in a 0–0 tie after being suspended by poor light conditions.

In a ten-season career, Sudhoff posted a 103–135 record with 520 strikeouts and a 3.56 ERA in 2086-1/3 innings.