| John Woods | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1898-01-18)January 18, 1898 Princeton, West Virginia | |
| Died: October 4, 1946(1946-10-04) (aged 48) Norfolk, Virginia | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 16, 1924, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 16, 1924, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Earned run average | 0.00 |
| Innings pitched | 1 |
| Walks | 3 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
John Fulton Woods (January 18, 1898 – October 4, 1946) was a professionalbaseballpitcher and police officer. He appeared in one game inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theBoston Red Sox during the 1924 season. Listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m), 175 lb (79 kg). During his career, Woods batted and threw right-handed.
Born inPrinceton, West Virginia, Woods playedcollege baseball atWest Virginia University for theMountaineers. After briefly attending law school, he was signed by the Red Sox and pitched one inning in his only MLB game, an 8–4 loss to theChicago White Sox on September 16, 1924. He gave up noruns butwalked three batters. Woods then playedminor league baseball before joining theNorfolk Police Department in 1929. He became thechief of the department in 1939, serving in that capacity for the rest of his life until he was killed while responding to an auto accident in 1946.
John Fulton Woods was born to Judge John Hugh Gordon Woods and Margaret Peck Woods on January 18, 1898, inPrinceton, West Virginia.[1] He and his twin brother, Carl, had three older siblings and one younger sister. Raised near theEast River, he went to the Knob Street School for eight years and graduated from the East River District High School. In 1970, his widow told theCleveland Plain Dealer that Woods starred in baseball, basketball, and track and field while in high school.[2]
After completing high school, Woods worked as atimekeeper for theVirginian Railway while living in Princeton in 1918, then served briefly in theUnited States Army through a collaboration withWashington and Lee University.[2] Woods enrolled atWest Virginia University in 1920, playingcollege baseball for theMountaineers from his freshman year through the 1923 season.[2][3] His father wanted him to study law, and he began law school but stopped in 1924 in order to pursue a professional baseball career by attendingspring training with theBoston Red Sox.[2]
According to Russo, Woods spent most of 1924 pitching forCharleston.[1] The city did not have aminor league baseball team at this time, so the team was likely asemipro team.[2][4] The Red Sox purchased his contract that September.[2][1]
Woods's onlyMajor League Baseball (MLB) game came on September 16, 1924, when the Red Sox played theChicago White Sox atComiskey Park. It was late in the regular season, and both teams were over 20 games out of first place in theAmerican League.[2] With Boston trailing Chicago 8–4, the right-handed Woods relievedRed Ruffing to begin the eighth inning. He issued awalk toFrank Naleway, then gotBuck Crouse tofly out toright fielderIke Boone. Then, he issued another walk toTed Blankenship before gettingJohnny Mostil topop out tothird basemanHomer Ezzell infoul territory. He issued his third walk of the inning toHarry Hooper, loading the bases, before he inducedEddie Collins to fly out tocenter fielderIra Flagstead to end the inning. The Red Sox failed to score in the ninth, losing 8–4.[2][5] Though Woods allowed three base runners to reach in the game, he never allowed a run, giving him a lifetimeearned run average of 0.00. Woods kept a baseball from the game as a souvenir; it was autographed by all of his teammates.[2]
After the 1924 season, theSpartanburg Spartans of theClass CSouth Atlantic League acquired Woods's contract, then sold it back to the Red Sox on March 20, 1925. Woods would not pitch in the major leagues for Boston again, spending most of 1925 with theDover Dobbins of theClass DEastern Shore League.[2]Baseball-Reference.com credits him with 22 appearances for Dover, though the statistics are incomplete.[6] According to baseball historian Frank Russo, Woods also played for theBinghamton Triplets of theClass BNew York-Penn League in 1925. He played for theEaston Farmers of the Eastern Shore League in 1927. After tearing tendons and ligaments in his left shoulder while helping move a car out of a ditch, he retired.[1][2]
Following his retirement, Woods became a policeman in 1927 and joined theNorfolk Police Department (NPD) inNorfolk, Virginia, in 1929.[1][2] Part of the reason he was hired was that the department desperately needed a pitcher for its baseball team.[2] Woods progressed through the ranks of the department and attended theFBI National Academy.[1][2] In 1939, he became the NPD'sChief of Police.[1] He served as the president of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police in 1943. The second vice president of theInternational Chiefs of Police Association, he was in line to take over as the organization's president in 1947.[2]
On October 4, 1946, Woods was responding to a car crash on Cottage Toll Road (now known as Tidewater Drive). When he arrived at the scene at 12:20 AM, he crashed into a parked tow truck. Suffering a broken neck and crushed right side of his chest, he died instantly.[1][2] Only 48 years old, Woods was buried in Block 9, Lot 19, Space W of the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk on October 6.[1]
Woods married Sarah Elizabeth Charlton, aNorth Carolina resident, on July 12, 1922. They lived with Sarah's sister, M. Kathleen Wickers, and her children in Norfolk. The Woodses had three children: John Jr., George, and Robert. According to his widow, Woods was "a very capable person, and a fine Christian gentleman".[2] Though Woods was listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m), 175 pounds (79 kg) during his career, his widow said that he weighed just 150 pounds (68 kg) in later years.[2]
· Baseball Almanac