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Nap Rucker, 1909
Stats: 13-19, 2.24 ERA, 28 CG, 201 SO, 309 1⁄3 IP, 116 ERA+, 2.28 FIP, 1.119 WHIP
Baseball Reference WAR: 7.6
FanGraphs WAR: 4.3
Combined WAR: 5.95
Nap Rucker spent his entire big-league career in Brooklyn. At 2.42, not only does he have one of the lowest ERA’s in Dodgers franchise history, but MLB history as well. Today, we’ll be looking back at his 1909 campaign with the Brooklyn Superbas.
It’s amazing. He finished the season with a 2.24 ERA, and that was the fifth best of his career. At the time, it was the worst of his career! Rucker appeared in 38 games that season, starting 33 of them. All but five of his starts were complete games.
Rucker finished top 10 in the National League in a lot of categories. Here’s where he ranked in the NL:
- 7.6 rWAR (3rd)
- 5.85 SO/9 (2nd)
- 309 1⁄3 IP (3rd)
- 201 SO (2nd)
- 28 CG (3rd)
Another reason why you should never take a look at a win/loss record. He suffered 11 losses that season in which he allowed three runs or fewer.
Game of the year
July 24 vs. St. Louis: 9 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 16 SO // Gamescore: 96
Fun fact: His full name is George Napoleon Rucker. I don’t know why I wanted to include that, but I just think it’s a really awesome name.