Nap Rucker

Nap Rucker
Starting pitcher
Born: September 30, 1884(1884-09-30) Crabapple, Georgia
Died: December 19, 1970(1970-12-19) (aged 86) Alpharetta, Georgia
Batted: Right	Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 15, 1907 for the Brooklyn Superbas
Last MLB appearance
September 13, 1916 for the Brooklyn Robins
Career statistics
Record	134-134
Earned run average	2.42
Strikeouts	1,217
Teams
Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers/Robins (1907-1916)
Career highlights and awards
Led the National League in complete games (27), innings pitched (320.1), and shutouts (6): 1910

George Napoleon "Nap" Rucker (September 30, 1884 – December 19, 1970) was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers/Robins. He was born in Crabapple, Georgia.

Rucker threw a no-hitter against the Boston Doves on September 5, 1908 . He led the National League in complete games (27), innings pitched (320.1), and shutouts (6) in 1910. His best year was 1911, when he won 22 games for the Dodgers. He holds the Brooklyn Dodger record for the most shutouts in the National League (38); most strikeouts (16) in a regulation nine-innings game, and the most 1-0 shutouts (3) in a 154 games season. He became strictly a knuckleball pitcher when his speed declined. Sportswriter W.R. Hoefer described the result in poetic terms:

"He used to pitch a ball with lots of smoke; and the stock of curves he carried was no joke. In the days of yesteryear he could burn the atmosphere as he made the slugging biffers swear and choke. But the sizzling speed has left his ancient wing and he throws a floating ball that doesn't sing. Yet he fools the swatters still with his hesitation pill, smiling grimly as the clouters fail to bing. All the stuff he has is just a dinky curve with a clever head and lots of sand and nerve, but the way batters fall for his foolish looking ball shows he's still a winning Hurling Hill Reserve. Nap lobs his fork-hand floaters o'er the plate and the batter sees 'em forty minutes late.”^{[citation needed]}

After his baseball career, Rucker went on to a successful business career and served as mayor of Roswell from 1935 to 1936 and as the city's water commissioner after his mayoral term. Rucker was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1967. Rucker died in Alpharetta, Georgia in 1970 and was interred in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Roswell, Georgia.

His nephew Johnny Rucker played baseball for the New York Giants.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• BaseballLibrary.com
• DiamondFans.com
• New Georgia Encyclopedia entry for Nap Rucker
• Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Bio for Nap Rucker
• Baseball Almanac stats for Nap Rucker
• Georgia Sports Hall of Fame

References

• Roswell, A Pictorial History, Roswell Historical Society, Darlene M. Walsh (Editor), 2nd Edition, 1994, p. 253, ISBN 0-9615854-2-0.

Preceded by Elmer Stricklett Kaiser Wilhelm Cy Barger	Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers Opening Day Starting pitcher 1908 1910 1912-1913	Succeeded by Kaiser Wilhelm Cy Barger Ed Reulbach
Preceded by Hooks Wiltse	No-hitter pitcher September 5, 1908	Succeeded by Bob Rhoads

Persondata
Name	Rucker, Nap
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 30, 1884
Place of birth	Crabapple, Georgia
Date of death	December 19, 1970
Place of death	Alpharetta, Georgia