Russell Lee Bauers (May 10, 1914 – January 21, 1995) was a right-handed
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, ...
/left-handed batter 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 ...
for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
,
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
, and
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...
during eight different seasons between 1936 and 1950. Signed as a 20-year-old free agent by 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 ...
in early 1935, Bauers was released after one year and then signed with the Pirates, the organization for whom he would make his major-league debut.
Bauers was called up from the minors to be the Pirates' starting pitcher on August 20, 1936, but could not make it out of the second inning. In 1 innings of work, he allowed 5 earned runs on 2 hits and 4 walks for an unflattering
ERA
An era is a span of time.
Era or ERA may also refer to:
* Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time
* Calendar era
Education
* Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school
* ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia
* E ...
of 33.75. He would not return to Pittsburgh until the next season, when he became a regular contributor. Bauers pitched in 35 games, including 19 starts, and posted a 13–6 record. He was able to complete 11 of his starts and even threw 2 shutouts, posting a stellar ERA of 2.88, good enough for fourth-best in the league. Bauers also placed in the league's top ten in strikeouts, winning percentage, and fewest hits allowed per nine innings. His season was good enough to earn him a solid spot in Pittsburgh's starting rotation.

Bauers enjoyed another solid season in 1938, though his won-lost record was only 13–14 at year's end. His ERA of 3.07 was still good for seventh-best in the league, and he was in the top ten in innings pitched, strikeouts, games started, and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (where he was second behind only
Johnny "Double No-Hit" Vander Meer). After the 1938 season, however, Bauers would become only a part-time major leaguer with oddly lengthy gaps in his career. Over the 1939–1941 seasons combines, he appeared in a total of 38 games, starting only 15, with a won-lost record of 3–9.
From 1943 to 1945 Bauers served in the
army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
during World War II. During this time, he still played baseball while being assigned to the
European Theatre of Operations
The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II, taking place from September 1939 to May 1945. The Allied powers (including the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union and Franc ...
, playing in the ETO World Series.
Although Bauers vanished from the major leagues for four full seasons, he was released by the Pirates before the 1946 season. He was able to sign a contract with the Chicago Cubs in mid-season and made a comeback of sorts, going 2–1 with a save and a nifty 3.53 ERA, but he again vanished from the majors after the season was up. The Cubs released him after the 1948 season, and Bauers was unable to find another suitor until late in the 1949 campaign, when he signed with the St. Louis Browns. In May 1950, the Browns called him up to the major league club at the age of 36. On May 6 he pitched the final two innings of a game against the
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 ...
. It was his last appearance in the major leagues.
Bauers died on January 21, 1995, in
Hines, Illinois
Hines is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, Proviso Township next to the villages of Broadview, I ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bauers, Russ
1914 births
1995 deaths
Baseball players from Wisconsin
Chicago Cubs players
Pittsburgh Pirates players
St. Louis Browns players
20th-century American sportsmen
Major League Baseball pitchers
People from Oconto County, Wisconsin
United States Army personnel of World War II