Eppa Rixey
| Birthdate | 5/3/1891 |
| Death Date | 2/28/1963 |
| Debut Year | 1912 |
| Year of Induction | 1963 |
| Teams | Phillies, Reds |
| Position | Pitcher |
When Eppa Rixey retired in 1933 he was the NL’s winningest left-handed pitcher. The mark stood until Warren Spahn eclipsed it in 1959.
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One of the most educated men of his day Rixey earned maters degrees in Chemistry & Latin
One of the most educated men of his day Rixey earned maters degrees in Chemistry & Latin
Before embarking on a Hall of Fame pitching career, Eppa Rixey attained an educational level reached by few men of his day. Born in 1891, the 6’5″ Rixey earned a chemistry degree from the University of Virginia where he played both basketball and baseball.
During the major leagues’ off season, National League umpire Cy Rigler worked as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers. He spotted Rixey’s talent and urged him to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Rixey declined, insisting he wanted to become a chemist.
Eventually Rixey relented and signed with the Phillies in 1912. The native Virginian went straight to the big leagues where he won 10 games. It was the first of 14 seasons in which he posted double-digit win totals.
During the offseason Rixey went back to school, earning a masters degree in both chemistry and Latin.
When the University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame opened in 2018, Rixey was among its inaugural class.
In this letter to Hall of Fame pitcher Rixey, a fan writes that he feels it would be an honor to add “…one of the outstanding umpires in the Major Leagues…” to his collection. Rixey responds thusly, “You must have confused me with Cy Rigler, the umpire. I am a pitcher but I am enclosing the autographed cards. Good luck to you, Eppa Rixey”.
Today the much rarer Rigler signature is more desirable to autograph collectors.
Eppa Rixey held the NL record for wins by a southpaw for more than a quarter-century
Eppa Rixey held the NL record for wins by a southpaw for more than a quarter-century
Eppa Rixey found stardom in 1917, his fifth year in the bigs. That season he went 22-10 with a 1.85 ERA. Soon afterward Rixey joined the war effort, serving in the Chemical Warfare Division in Europe. His time in World War I wiped away his 1918 baseball season.
Rixey was rusty in his return. In 1919 and 1920 he went a combined 17-34 for Philadelphia.
In November of 1920 the Phillies traded the left-hander to Cincinnati. Rixey’s performance improved immediately. He won 100 games in his first 5 seasons with the Reds, leading the NL with 25 victories in 1922.
Overall Rixey won 179 contests for the Reds – the most in franchise history. By the time his 21-year career was over, Rixey tallied the most victories by a National League lefty. His 266 wins remained the record for more than a quarter century until Warren Spahn surpassed the mark in 1959.
After concluding his playing career in 1933, Rixey went into the insurance business. Here he writes to former outfielder Babe Herman about his policy and dividend statements. Rixey includes this postscript, “P.S. Let me know how you and the family are. My children have grown up and all well. -Eppa”.
