Edd Roush

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Roush was born in Oakland City, Indiana, on May 8, 1893, to parents Laura and William Roush, a dairy farmer. A twin, he and his brother Fred each shared a middle initial of J, which was not short for any name. Edd was left-handed but learned to throw and bat right-handed because left-handed gloves were scarce. He played semi-pro ball for the Oakland City Walkovers in 1909, then for Princeton, Indiana in 1911, and for Evansville in the KITTY League in 1912. His contract was bought by the Chicago White Sox in 1913. He made his major league debut for the White Sox on August 20, 1913, but after nine games was sent to the minors and quit. He joined the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the Federal League in 1914, hitting .325, and continued with the Newark Peppers in 1915. After the Federal League disbanded, the Giants picked him up, and midway through 1916 the Giants traded him to the Cincinnati Reds. Roush won his first batting title in 1917 with a .341 average. In 1918 he finished at .333, .002 behind Zack Wheat; a protested game replayed on August 11 cost him a chance at a second straight title. He won his second batting title in 1919 with .321 and led the Reds to the World Series championship. He held out multiple times for higher salaries, and in 1926 the Reds traded him to the Giants. He returned to the Reds later in his career.

In Their Own Story

One of the most peculiar moments in Roush's career occurred on June 8, 1920. After a lengthy argument on the field, Roush fell asleep while playing center field. Infielder Heinie Groh attempted to wake him but failed, leading to Roush being ejected for delay of game. That same season, he hit .339 and set career highs in hits, doubles, triples, RBI, and total bases. Another significant event involved a protested game on April 29, 1918, against the St. Louis Cardinals. Roush juggled a fly ball before securing it to make an out, but the runner left early. The Cardinals appealed, winning the protest because the runner did not need to wait for the ball to settle in the glove. The game was replayed on August 11; if the original result had stood, Roush's average would have been .336 instead of .333, securing a second straight batting title over Zack Wheat.

Reader's Guide

Edd Roush played center field. He debuted in MLB in 1913 with the Chicago White Sox, then played for the Indianapolis Hoosiers (1914), Newark Peppers (1915), New York Giants (1916, 1927–1931), and Cincinnati Reds (1916–1926, 1928–1930). He was a two-time NL batting champion (1917, 1919). He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.

Did You Know?

• Roush fell asleep in the outfield during a lengthy argument on June 8, 1920, and was ejected for delay of game.
• He once held out for a three-year contract at $18,000 per year, prompting The Sporting News to call him 'the best silence keeper in baseball.'
• Roush's middle initial J was not short for any name, nor was his brother Fred's.
• He learned to throw and bat right-handed because left-handed gloves were scarce in his hometown.