James Arthur "Rube" Parnham (February 1, 1894 – November 25, 1963) was an American

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 ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), 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, ...

for the 1916 and 1917

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, they became the Oakland ...

. Parnham started only five games for the Athletics, completing two of them. His career record in the majors was 2–2. However, he was acquired by the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) 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 America ...

during the 1917 season, and over the next 10 seasons, he would compile a 139–60 record for Jack Dunn's ballclub. 1919 was Rube's breakout year. He led the league in wins (28) and strikeouts (187), as the Orioles dynasty won their first pennant. After starting out 5–0 in 1920, Parnham quit the team in 1920 to pitch in a Pennsylvania industrial league. He rejoined in the middle of the 1922 season. In 1923, he had another outstanding performance, going 33–7 with 28 complete games. He managed to outshine even future Hall of Famer Lefty Grove, who was on the same team. The 33 wins are a 20th-century International League record and Baltimore won another pennant. Ever unpredictable, Parnham quit the team again the following season and pitched his last professional game in 1927. He was later described as the "dumbest man off the field – and the smartest on." In 1957, Parnham was elected to the International League Hall of Fame. He died in 1963, and is buried at Mount Vernon Cemetery in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Parnham, Rube 1894 births 1963 deaths Major League Baseball pitchers Philadelphia Athletics players 20th-century American sportsmen Huntington Blue Sox players Raleigh Capitals players Durham Bulls players Baltimore Orioles (International League) players Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Reading Keystones players Newark Bears (International League) players Baseball players from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania