Chesbro, "Jack" (John D.)
Baseball
b. June 5, 1874, North Adams, MA
d. Nov. 6, 1931
After three mediocre seasons in the minor leagues, the right-handed Chesbro won 40 games while losing only 19 during the next season and a half and was purchased by the Pittsburgh NL team in July of 1899.
Chesbro became a star in 1901, leading the league in winning percentage with a 21-9 record and in shutouts with 6. In 1902, Chesbro added the spitball, then a legal pitch, to his repertoire and led the league in victories with a 28-6 record, including 8 shutouts. Pittsburgh won the NL pennant both years.
The troubled Baltimore AL franchise moved to New York in 1903 and began raiding the NL for players. Chesbro was among those who jumped. After going 21-15 in his first season, he had an incredible year in 1904. He completed 48 of his 51 starts, led the league in winning percentage with a 41-12 record, and struck out 240 hitters in a league-leading 454 innings. Chesbro and Ed Walsh are the only two pitchers to win more than 40 games in a season during the twentieth century.
Chesbro had a 19-13 record in 1905 and a 24-16 record in 1906. He had now pitched 1,407 innings over four seasons and all that work took its toll. He was 10-10 in 1907, 14-20 in 1908, and New York released him during the 1909 season. He finished his career by pitching one game, a loss, for the Boston Red Sox.
In 1911, Chesbro coached baseball at Amherst College in Massachusetts, and he was briefly a coach for the Washington Senators in 1924. Chesbro appeared in 392 games during his 11 major-league seasons, finishing 260 of 332 starts, and he had a 198-132 record, with 35 shutouts and a 2.68 ERA.