Bob Caruthers - Legacy

Legacy

During his career Caruthers threw 298 career complete games among his 310 starts, including 24 shutouts, and had a career ERA of 2.83 in 2828⅔ innings pitched. He also batted .282 lifetime with 29 home runs and 359 RBI. He was the only 19th-century pitcher to lead the league in winning percentage three times.

Caruthers is often considered one of the most deserving candidates for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Many sources recognize him as having compiled 218 wins and 99 losses, making his .688 winning percentage third all-time behind only Whitey Ford, and Dave Foutz (his teammate for eight seasons) among pitchers with at least 200 major league decisions. However, that is based on a total of 10 losses in the 1892 season (his last as a pitcher), a total revised from the contemporary record; the official league records for that year, which are recognized by Major League Baseball, charged him with only 8 losses, a figure which some other sources also recognize. The reduction of two losses would increase his career winning percentage to .691, placing him behind only Spud Chandler who compiled a record of .717 over 150 decisions.

On August 5, 1911, Caruthers died after a month-long illness in Peoria, Illinois, where he had lived for three years. He was 47 years old. Caruthers was under a minor league baseball umpiring contract with the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League at the time of his death.