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Back on this day in 1916, the National League had its first instance of a batter striking out twice in the same inning. And it was no slouch who did it. It was future Hall of Famer Edd Roush of the Cincinnati Reds, who was rung up twice by Philadelphia's George Chalmers in the sixth inning.
The Reds would win the game 4-2 and scored all four of their runs in the sixth inning. The Reds had six of their ten hits in the sixth and Roush struck out the second time with the bases loaded. Roush did hit a triple in the game, but he also committed an error.
Roush had been acquired by the Reds just two days earlier as part of a big trade that saw the Giants send three future Hall of Famers to Cincinnati: Roush, Christy Mathewson (who would take over as Reds manager), and Bill McKechnie (who would make it to Cooperstown as a manager). Heading back to New York were Buck Herzog and Red Killefer.
Roush had a brief tryout with the White Sox in 1913, but made his name in the Federal League in 1914 and 1915, having good seasons for Indianapolis and Newark. After the Federal League folded, Roush ended up with the Giants where he and John McGraw developed an instant and lifelong dislike for each other.
Most players would not have liked going to Cincinnati, one of the lesser lights of the NL, but Roush thrived. In 69 games in Cincinnati, Roush had an OPS+ of 132 and he would put up an OPS+ well above 100 until 1927 when the Giants reacquired him at age 34. And Roush still hated McGraw.
Roush was not an easy player to strike out either. He fanned just 260 times in 18 big league seasons. In 1916, Roush struck out just 23 times in 108 games. But on this day in 1916, Chalmers got him twice in one inning.
Billy Purtell of the White Sox was the first player in either league to strike out twice in one inning. He did it in the sixth inning of a game on May 10, 1910 at Washington. And Purtell was facing Walter Johnson.
Any current comparable players?
Buckner and Boggs may have been the last two guys who were that tough to fan.
Boggs (once per 12.3 AB) struck out more often than Pierre (16.7) or Don Mattingly (15.8).
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