Ralph Vivian Stroud (March 15, 1885 – April 11, 1970), sometimes referred to as Sailor Stroud, was an American

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 ...

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, ...

. He played professional baseball for 20 years from 1910 to 1929, including three years 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 pitcher for 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

in 1910 and 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 ...

in 1915 and 1916. He appeared in 70 major league games, 41 as a starter, compiling an 18–20

win–loss record Win–loss may refer to: * Win–loss analytics, analysis of the reasons why a visitor to a website was or wasn't persuaded to engage in a desired action * Win–loss record, also winning percentage * Win–loss record (pitching), the number of ...

and a 2.94

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 number ...

(ERA) in 361

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

Early years

Stroud was born in Ironia, New Jersey, in 1885.

Professional baseball

Minor leagues

Stroud was a right-handed pitcher. He began pitching in the minor leagues in 1908 at age 23 with the Trenton Tigers in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey League. He then signed with Newark of the Eastern League in 1909 and also played that year with the Williamsport Millionaires (

Tri-State League The Tri-State League was the name of six different circuits in American minor league baseball. History The first league of that name played for four years (1887–1890) and consisted of teams in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. The second league ...

) and the

Macon Peaches The Macon Peaches was the predominant name of the American minor league baseball franchise representing Macon, Georgia, during the 20th century. Although Macon did not field teams during and immediately after World War I, the height of the Great ...

Detroit Tigers

In August 1909, the

purchased Stroud from the Williamsport team. He made his major league debut with the Tigers on April 29, 1910, shutting out the

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 ...

, 5–0. He appeared in 28 games for the Tigers during the 1910 season, 15 as a starter, compiling a 5–9 record with a 3.25

(ERA). He allowed nine

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s in 1910 — more than any other pitcher in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

Buffalo and Sacramento

In April 1911, the Tigers sold Stroud to the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

on an optional contract. He played with the Bisons during the 1911 and 1912 seasons, appearing in 77 games and compiling records of 12–9 in 1911 and 16–15 in 1912. In January 1913, Stroud was purchased by the

Sacramento Solons The Sacramento Solons were a Minor League Baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods (1903, 1905, 1909–1914, 1918–1960, 1974–1976). The current Sacramento River Cats began ...

of the

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

(PCL). During the 1913 season, Stroud appeared in a career high 51 games, 35 as a starter, compiling a 25–15 record with a 2.49 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 315 innings pitched. In 1914, Stroud had another strong season for the Solons, with a 20–18 record and a 2.01 ERA in 331 innings.

New York Giants

Stroud returned to the major leagues in 1915, playing for the

. On May 5, 1915, he won a pitching duel with

Grover Cleveland 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 ...

, holding the Phillies to two runs and handing Alexander his first loss of the season. In all, Stroud appeared in 22 games, nine as a starter, for the 1915 Giants, compiling a 12–9 record with a 2.79 ERA in 184 innings pitched. He remained with the Giants in 1916, compiling a 1–2 record with a 2.70 ERA in 10 games. Stroud won his last major league victory on May 26, 1916, a 12–1 win over the

Boston Braves The Boston Braves were a Major League Baseball club that originated in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, and played from 1871 to 1952. Afterwards they moved to History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee, Milwaukee (and became the Milwaukee Braves). ...

. He appeared in his final minor league game on June 13, 1916.

Minor leagues

After his major league career was over, Stroud continued to pitch in the minor leagues for another 13 years from 1916 to 1928. He played in the American Association for five years from 1916 to 1920 for the Louisville Colonels from 1916 to 1918. During the 1919 and 1920 seasons, he played for the

Salt Lake City Bees The Salt Lake City Bees was a primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams, based in Salt Lake City, Utah between 1911 and 1970 under various names. After minor league baseball first began in Salt Lake City in 1900, the Bees were long-time ...

of the

(PCL), compiling a 26–13 record and 3.20 ERA in 1920. In February 1921, Stroud signed with Hanford in the San Joaquin Valley League. Stroud remained with Hanford in 1922. At one point, the Hanford club reportedly sold Stroud to the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

, but Stroud refused to report as the wealthy agricultural interests were paying high salaries in the San Joaquin Valley League and a move to the Yankees would have required a pay cut. In 1925, Stroud returned to the PCL and played in that circuit for another five years with the Salt Lake City Bees in 1925,

Hollywood Stars The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles–based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels. Hollywood Stars ( ...

and

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

in 1926, the Sacramento Senators in 1927, and the

Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams h ...

in 1928. He also played in 1929 for the Oroville Olives in the Sacramento Valley League.

Family and later year

Stroud was married in February 1910 to Catherine Dunlap of

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The county seat of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, it is the List o ...

. Stroud died in

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...

, in 1970 at age 84. He is buried at East Lawn Memorial Park in

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stroud, Sailor Detroit Tigers players Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Morris County, New Jersey Baseball players from Stockton, California Williamsport Millionaires players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Sacramento Sacts players Sacramento Wolves players Mission Wolves players Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Salt Lake City Bees players Sacramento Senators players Hollywood Stars players Los Angeles Angels (minor league) players Portland Beavers players 1885 births 1970 deaths New York Giants (baseball) players 20th-century American sportsmen