Merle Theron Adkins (August 5, 1872 – February 21, 1934) was a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

who played for the

Boston Americans The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

() and

New York Highlanders The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

(). Adkins batted and threw right-handed.

Early life

Adkins was born in Troy, Wisconsin, and he attended

Beloit College Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and ...

Major league career

Adkins made his debut with the

on June 24, 1902 during a 6-7 loss to the Washington Senators. He made four appearances (two starts) with Boston, posting a 1-1 record with an

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...

of 4.05, walking seven and striking out three in 20

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...

. Adkins spent the 1903 season with the

, pitching in two games, one of which was a start. In seven innings of work, he let up eight runs, six of which were earned, on 10 hits and five walks with a 7.71 ERA. His final major League appearance came September 29, 1903 – the last day of the season – in a 10-4 win over the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Minor leagues

After his stint with the Highlanders, Adkins spent eight seasons with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

, winning 132 games in that time. He retired after one season with the

Scranton Miners The Scranton Miners, known as the Scranton Apollos from 1970 to 1977, were a professional basketball team based in Scranton, Pennsylvania that was a member of the American Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association. Arthur Pachter ...

in 1914. Around the same time, he also coached baseball at Trinity College in Connecticut.

Retirement

Adkins attended medical school during his playing career, and he spent his later life as a physician in Durham, North Carolina. He was also active as a youth baseball umpire, Rotarian, Shriner, and church deacon. Adkins also scouted players, notably discovering

Ernie Shore Ernest Grady Shore (March 24, 1891 – September 24, 1980) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox during some of their best years in the 1910s. He was born near East Bend, North Carolina. Shore gradu ...

and calling him to the attention of Jack Dunn, then the owner of the Baltimore Orioles.Brother Gilbert (a.k.a. Philip F. Cairnes),
Young Babe Ruth: His Early Life and Baseball Career, from the Memoirs of Xaverian Brother Gilbert
, p. 115. McFarland and Company, 1999. Adkins died in Durham at age of 63. He is buried at Maplewood Cemetery.

References

External links

BaseballLibraryBaseballLibrary biography by Dave Howell
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adkins, Doc 1872 births 1934 deaths Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Wisconsin Beloit Buccaneers baseball players Boston Americans players New York Highlanders players Milwaukee Creams players Baltimore Orioles (IL) players Scranton Miners players People from Troy, Walworth County, Wisconsin