Joss, "Addie" (Adrian)
Baseball
b. April 12, 1880, Woodland, WI
d. April 14, 1911
Although he was unquestionably a great pitcher, Joss was kept out of the hall of fame for years because of the requirement that a player had to have spent ten years in the major leagues to qualify. The only reason Joss didn't was that he died at 31.
Joss spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians, joining them in 1902, when he led the league in shutouts with 5 and had a 17-13 record. He had the league-leading ERA, 1.59, in 1904. A right-hander, the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder won 20 or more games four consecutive seasons, from 1905 through 1908, leading in victories with a 27-11 record in 1907 and in ERA a second time with a sparkling 1.16 in 1908.
In the heat of the 1908 pennant race, Joss threw a perfect game against the Chicago White Sox on October 2. Opposing pitcher Ed Walsh gave up only 4 hits and struck out 15, but Joss beat him, 1-0.
In 1909, he slipped to a 14-13 record despite a 1.71 ERA, and arm trouble limited him to a 5-5 record in 1910. However, he threw another no-hitter against the White Sox on april 20, again winning 1-0. An unusual aspect of that game was that Joss had 10 assists.
Joss fainted during an exhibition game in Chattanooga before the 1911 season, but came north with the team for an exhibition series in Toledo, his adopted hometown, where he was partner in a poolroom and wrote sports stories for the local newspaper in the off-season.
Joss remained in Toledo while the Indians went north to begin the season. He died two days after his 31st birthday. It's generally believed that Joss died of a kidney disease, but that's not altogether certain.
Billy Sunday, a ballplayer turned evangelist, delivered the eulogy at his funeral, which was one of the largest in Toledo history. The Cleveland game scheduled for that day was postponed so the team could attend.