Edd J. Roush (May 8, 1893 – March 21, 1988) was an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player and
coach. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
as a
center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
from 1913 to 1931, most prominently as a member of the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
where he was a two-time
National League (NL) batting champion and led the team to the
1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 1919 Major League Baseball season, 1919 season. The 16th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion 1919 Chicago White Sox season, ...
championship. He also played for the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
as well as the
Newark Peppers
The Newark Peppers, originally known as the Indianapolis Hoosiers, were a Federal League baseball team from 1913–1915. The Federal League (FL), founded in 1913, was a third major league in 1914 and 1915.
History
The Federal League began as an ...
and the
Indianapolis Hoosiers of the
Federal League. Roush accumulated a .323 batting average over his 18-year playing career and was elected to the
National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
Early life
Roush was born in
Oakland City, Indiana, on May 8, 1893, to parents Laura and William Roush, a dairy farmer.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 20] A twin, he and his brother Fred (not short for Edward or Frederick, respectively)
each shared a middle initial of J, which was not short for any name.
The boys worked on the dairy farm throughout childhood. Edd was left-handed, but he learned to throw and bat right-handed early in his career due to the fact that left-handed gloves were scarce in Oakland City.
[ Cava, Pete, pp. 167]
He received the opportunity to play for the local semi-pro Oakland City Walkovers
in 1909 after their regular outfielders failed to appear.
[ Ritter, Lawrence, pp. 243] After collecting two hits the first game he became a starting outfielder. In 1911, once he learned that other players were receiving $5 () per game, he transferred to the rival
Princeton, Indiana team.
In 1912, he played for the
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...
team in the
Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (KITTY). He performed well with the team and hit .284 in 1912 and .300 in 1913 when his contract was bought by the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
.
Professional baseball career
Early career
Roush made his major league debut as a 20-year-old for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
on August 20, 1913.
After nine games he was sent to the minors
to play for Lincoln Railsplitters of the
Western League. After only ten games he quit and returned to Oakland City.
Roush joined the
Indianapolis Hoosiers of the
Federal League in 1914 and hit .325 through 74 games as the Hoosiers won the pennant. The Hoosiers became the
Newark Peppers
The Newark Peppers, originally known as the Indianapolis Hoosiers, were a Federal League baseball team from 1913–1915. The Federal League (FL), founded in 1913, was a third major league in 1914 and 1915.
History
The Federal League began as an ...
in and Roush continued to play outfield for the team under manager, and fellow
1962 Hall of Fame inductee
Bill McKechnie. After the Federal League disbanded in early 1916, the Giants picked up Roush, McKechnie and
Bill Rariden. Midway through the 1916 season, the Giants traded Roush, McKechnie, and Hall of Famer
Christy Mathewson to the Cincinnati Reds.
Cincinnati Reds
Roush played only 69 games with the Reds in 1916 and finished second in team batting average with .287, behind
Hal Chase.
1917 was Roush's first full season with the Reds and by the end of August his batting average of .347 topped
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "the Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager (baseball), manager, and coach (baseball), coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. ...
who was in second place. An injured leg caused him to miss the final week of the season
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 95] but Hornsby could not catch his .341 average. At season's end, Roush led the National League in batting average and finished third in hits with 178, only 4 behind leader
Heinie Groh
Henry Knight "Heinie" Groh (September 18, 1889 – August 22, 1968) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1912 to 1927, spending nearly his entire career with the ...
.
In 1918, Roush finished the season with a .333 average, .002 behind Hall of Famer
Zack Wheat. On April 29, 1918, the Reds originally beat the St. Louis Cardinals, but a protested play
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 108] caused the game to be replayed on August 11. The play in question involved Roush, who slid to make a catch in the outfield. After he juggled the ball, he secured it in his glove to make the out and threw to third base as the runner left before the catch was made.
The Cardinals protested the play stating that the runner did not have to wait until the ball was settled into Roush's glove to begin running. They presented this to National League President
John Heydler and won.
The game was then replayed on August 11. This is significant because Roush went 2–3 in the initial game, and 1–4 in the replayed game. If the initial game stood then Roush would have finished the season 146 for 434 (a .336 batting average) instead of 145 for 435 (a .333 batting average). This would have made him batting champion for the second straight year.
Roush won his second batting title in 1919, when he led the league with a batting average of .321, and led the Cincinnati Reds to the World Series. The Reds won the
1919 World Series
The 1919 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the 1919 Major League Baseball season, 1919 season. The 16th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion 1919 Chicago White Sox season, ...
, known for the
Black Sox Scandal
The Black Sox Scandal was a match fixing, game-fixing scandal in Major League Baseball (MLB) in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for p ...
, by winning five of the eight games. Throughout his life Roush would state that the Reds were the better team, and would have won the Series either way.
Roush showed up for
spring training
Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
in 1920, an occurrence rare enough that
The Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
reported on it.
Roush would hunt quail and rabbits at his home in
Oakland City, Indiana right until a week before opening day.
[ Ritter, Lawrence, pp. 248] On June 8, 1920, a lengthy argument took place on the field, and Roush fell asleep in the outfield. After infielder
Heinie Groh
Henry Knight "Heinie" Groh (September 18, 1889 – August 22, 1968) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1912 to 1927, spending nearly his entire career with the ...
was unsuccessful at waking Roush up, Roush was ejected for delay of game.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 132] Roush hit .339, and set career highs in hits, doubles, triples,
RBI, and total bases.
1921 would be the first of many holdouts that Roush would start. After his stellar 1920 season where he led the team in hits, triples, RBI, stolen bases and average, he argued that his salary of $15,000 () was not enough.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 149] He failed to show up to spring training and continued to hold out until April 30 when he reached an agreement with the Reds.
The Reds played poorly in 1921, and by the end of May they were 14–28. Roush had been sidelined a couple of times during the season with leg injuries,
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 150] but he finished the year batting .385 over the last 37 games of the season to finish with a career-high .352 batting average, second to
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "the Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager (baseball), manager, and coach (baseball), coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. ...
.
Before the 1922 season would start, Roush entered negotiations with the Reds for the second straight year, this time demanding a 3-year contract for $18,000 () per year.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 152] After the initial demand, Roush held out for months
[Suehsdorf, A. D. (1978). ''The Great American Baseball Scrapbook'', p. 56. Random House. .] prompting ''
The Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' to say:
He is the best silence keeper in baseball. Just says real early what he wants and then closes up. No gabbing or elaborate explanations. Transacts business the way he plays ball– no fuss, but exceedingly effective.
On July 26 Roush met with team president
Gary Herrmann to negotiate a ten-week contract that would expire at the end of the season. After the contract was signed he put on a uniform and joined the in progress game against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 153] Over the 49 games he played in 1922 he hit for a .352 average. 1923 would start similarly to the previous two years with a new holdout by Roush; this time he demanded a $25,000 () salary. The Reds countered with the salary he was making the previous season and began to fine him $50 per day of missed training camp.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 155] On April 15 the two sides reached an agreement. He missed time due to a fractured rib from August 29 to September 14, although it is still disputed when he broke the rib.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 158] He finished the year with a .351 average and led the league in doubles with 41.
In the off season before Opening Day in 1924 Roush signed a three-year $19,000 contract. During spring training, manager
Pat Moran fell ill on the train ride to their training facilities in Florida,
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 160] and on March 7, 1924, he died. In April Roush strained his side when he swung and missed at a pitch and was sidelined for eight games
and would again be sidelined for nine games after he strained a muscle in his leg in St. Louis.
Roush would finish the year with a .348 average and led the league with 21 triples. Roush became team captain of the Reds in 1925
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 162] and led the team to a third-place finish, a disappointing end to the season as the Reds led the league in ERA for the third year in a row.
On July 21, 1926, team officials celebrated "Roush Day" at
Redland Field in honor Roush and his decade spent with the team.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 163] At the end of the season it was clear that with three younger outfielders,
Curt Walker,
Cuckoo Christensen and
Rube Bressler, the Reds would part ways with the 34 year old Roush.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 166] In February 1927 Roush was traded to the Giants for
George Kelly and an undetermined amount of cash.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 167] From 1917 to 1926
Roush hit .339 and collected over 1,600 hits. The Reds were trading the player with the highest career batting average for the team at that point. He had the most triples for the team for any player after 1900. From 1917 to 1926, he never had a batting average under .323.
Later career
Roush's career with the Giants started with a contract dispute. The Giants offered $19,000 (), and Roush rejected the offer, demanding $30,000 ().
[ Ritter, Lawrence, pp. 250] Roush met with
John McGraw, the Giants manager, in a hotel room in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
to work out the details of the contract.
After a back-and-forth discussion about how Roush did not want to play in New York, the two sides agreed to a three-year $70,000 () contract.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 171][ Ritter, Lawrence, pp. 251]
In 1927 Roush had a down year for the third place Giants, and batted only .304, the lowest average since 1916.
The following year he suffered torn muscles in his abdomen
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 175] and only appeared in 46 games. After receiving surgery on the torn muscles in February, he returned to form and hit .324 over 115 games for the Giants.
In early 1930 Roush threatened to retire than to receive a pay cut. After the two sides could not agree on a number Roush held out for the whole season.
When the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
hit in late 1929, the Roush family was largely unaffected due to his frequent holdouts and salary demands. Roush spent the season with his family and played in benefit baseball games in Oakland City and
Princeton.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 179] As the next season began, Roush refused to play for the Giants and retired from baseball.
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 181] He was contacted by Reds President
Sidney Weil to play for the team in 1931. After a short negotiation, both sides agreed to a one-year contract worth $15,000 (). Roush struggled in his last season in baseball, only managing to hit .271 in 101 games.
In his final game he went 2–3 with a triple in a 5–3 loss against the pennant winning Cardinals.
Roush finished his 18-year career with a .323 lifetime average, 268
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...
s and 182
triples. He never struck out more than 25 times in a season and had 30 inside-the-park home runs.
Roush used a
Louisville Slugger
Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
,
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 3] the heaviest bat used in baseball.
At the time of his retirement in 1931, he was second place behind
Bid McPhee for hits and triples in
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
history. Hall of Fame pitcher
Pete Alexander
Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete" and "Alexander the Great", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, an ...
wrote of Roush, "Of all the batters I have faced ... Edd Roush and
Ross Youngs
Ross Middlebrook "Pep" Youngs (April 10, 1897 – October 22, 1927) was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Pep", he played ten seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Giants (NL), New York Giants from 1917 through 19 ...
are the trickiest. I won't say they are the hardest hitters but they are the trickiest, smartest."
[ Stinson, Mitchell, pp. 16]
Later life and honors
Roush served one season as the Reds coach alongside his good friend, manager
Bill McKechnie, who had previously been his teammate. During his career he had saved his money and was able to retire after he finished playing. He built a house in Bradenton, Florida, and used it as a winter residence. He frequently attended spring training and told stories of the old days. Roush spent most of his time in his hometown of Oakland City, where he served on the town and school boards and ran the Montgomery cemetery for 35 years.
He was one of the 22 players interviewed by
Lawrence Ritter and included in the original version of ''
The Glory of Their Times'', a ground-breaking book that set a standard for oral histories of baseball.
Roush was elected to the
National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 via the
Veterans Committee.
In addition to Roush's selection into the
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
, chosen with McKechnie, he is also a member of the
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, inducted in 1960.
Considered the greatest player in Reds' history at the time, Roush was invited to throw out the first ball at the last game at
Crosley Field on June 24, 1970.
Joe Morgan called Roush "the best of us all".
In 1981, Ritter and
Donald Honig included Roush in their book ''The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time''.
Roush died at the age of 94 on March 21, 1988, in
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...
. At the time of his death he was the last surviving Federal League participant and the last surviving 1919 World Series participant.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball career batting average leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
Listed are all Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2,000 hit (baseball), hit milestone during their career in MLB. Pete Rose holds the Major League record for most career hits, with 4,256. Rose and Ty Cobb, second most, are the only ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
In baseball, a Triple (baseball), triple is a hit in which the batter advances to third base in one play, with neither the benefit of a Error (baseball), fielding error nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice. Triples were more com ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
Listed are all Major League Baseball (MLB) players with 1,000 or more career runs scored. Players in boldface are active as of the 2025 Major League Baseball season.
Key
List
*Stats updated as of June 16, 2025.
Through June 16, 2025, th ...
*
List of Major League Baseball batting champions
In baseball, batting average (baseball), batting average (AVG) is a measure of a Batting (baseball), batter's success rate in achieving a Hit (baseball), hit during an at bat. In Major League Baseball (MLB), it is calculated by dividing a player's ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
In baseball, a Triple (baseball), triple is recorded when the ball is hit so that the Batting (baseball), batter is able to advance all the way to third base, Run (baseball), scoring any Baserunning, runners who were already on base, with no Erro ...
References
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*
External links
*
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*
Edd Roush Oral History Interview (1 of 3) - National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital CollectionEdd Roush Oral History Interview (2 of 3) - National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital CollectionEdd Roush Oral History Interview (3 of 3) - National Baseball Hall of Fame Digital Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roush, Edd
1893 births
1988 deaths
National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
National League batting champions
Major League Baseball center fielders
Chicago White Sox players
Indianapolis Hoosiers players
Newark Peppers players
New York Giants (baseball) players
Cincinnati Reds players
Cincinnati Reds coaches
Evansville Yankees players
Evansville River Rats players
Lincoln Railsplitters players
Baseball players from Indiana
People from Oakland City, Indiana