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Eighty-two years ago today, Boston Red Sox lefty pitcher Buster Ross had a bad day in St. Louis. Very bad.
Ross set an American League record by committing four errors in an 11-6 loss by the Red Sox at Sportsman's Park to the Browns. The Browns picked up just four hits during the game, but one of them was by George Sisler, which extended his hitting streak to 32 games. It would end at 34 and it was just the second longest one of his career. Sisler had a 41-game hitting streak in 1922.
The final damages for Ross in the game included giving up three hits, eight walks, one hit batter, and three strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings pitched.
Ross wouldn't have a distinguished career. He played in just parts of three seasons for the Red Sox and was 7-12 with an ERA of 5.01. He walked 74 batters and struck out just 31.
The 1925 Red Sox had a lot of problems as they finished the season with a 47-105 record, 49 1/2 games behind first place Washington and 21 games behind seventh place New York. The season likely could have been worse if the Red Sox hadn't picked up three wins at the end of the season against the Senators, who had already clinched the pennant and were resting their regulars.
Oddly, Ross made just five errors in his major league career. He apparently just needed to get it out of his system.
And there was one pitcher who did Ross one better. Ed Doheny of the New York Giants committed FIVE errors in a game against Louisville on August 15, 1899. Doheny, like Ross, was a lefty who had issues with the strike zone.
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