New Arrival: Bob Rush, sp, Chicago Cubs
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Bob Rush. You may not know his name all that well now, but if you were a baseball fan in the 1950’s, you almost certainly did.
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Rush had nice 13 season career in the big leagues, mostly with the Cubs, from 1948 through 1960. He retired with a 127-152 record, 110 ERA+ and two All-Star selections. Certainly, above average.
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His best season came in 1952, when he went 17-13 with a 143 ERA+ with Chicago, earning his second All-Star selection. At one point he rattled off seven complete games wins in a row, three of which were shutouts. And don’t think it was because of the Cubs offense, either. During this streak Rush had a 0.70 ERA.
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What was impressive about Rush’s overall career was that he was a workhorse. From 1948 to 1956 he averaged 214.1 innings a season. His 1,927.1 innings pitched during this period was the 6th most in the league. And he wasn’t just grinding away; he was a quality pitcher with a solid 112 ERA+ during that run. And even got to start a World Series game with the 1958 Milwaukee Braves, where he pitched a gem (6 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER), though got the loss.
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Oh, if you are curious who was #1 in innings pitched during this same timeframe: Robin Roberts with…get this…2,608.1 innings. That is INSANE.
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Anway. Rush had a good career. And he epitomizes the caliber of player who sits comfortably between the games super-start and role-players, and who generally makes the game tick.