| Vic Willis | |
|---|---|
 Willis in 1909 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1876-04-12)April 12, 1876 Cecil County, Maryland, U.S. | |
| Died: August 3, 1947(1947-08-03) (aged 71) Elkton, Maryland, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 20, 1898, for the Boston Beaneaters | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 5, 1910, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 249–205 |
| Earned run average | 2.63 |
| Strikeouts | 1,651 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1995 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
Victor Gazaway Willis (April 12, 1876 – August 3, 1947) was an AmericanMajor League Baseball (MLB)pitcher. He played for theBoston Beaneaters,Pittsburgh Pirates, andSt. Louis Cardinals in 13 seasons in theNational League (NL) from 1898 to 1910. In 513 career games, Willis pitched 3,996innings and posted awin–loss record of 249–205, with 388complete games, 50shutouts, and a 2.63earned run average (ERA). Nicknamed "the Delaware Peach", he was inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in1995.
Willis was born on April 12, 1876, inCecil County, Maryland. He moved toNewark, Delaware, as a young boy, where he attended school. He attended high school atNewark Academy and played both on the high school baseball team and in semi-pro baseball leagues throughout Delaware.[1] Prior to joining the major leagues, Willis playedfootball and baseball for theUniversity of Delaware, then known as Delaware College, despite never attending the college. This was due to their low enrollment at the time, which allowed them to add local talent to fill out their roster.[2]
Willis began his professional baseball career in 1895 with theHarrisburg Senators of thePennsylvania State League. After the team ceased operations in June, he moved to theLynchburg Hill Climbers of theVirginia State League. The following year, he was promoted to theSyracuse Stars of theEastern League. He finished the season with a 10–6 win–loss record, but had spent most of the season battling illness, which caused him to end his season in July.[1] Willis returned to the Stars for the 1897 season and, after establishing acurveball in the offseason, finished the season with 21 wins, with Syracuse winning the league championship in the process. After the season ended, he was purchased by theBoston Beaneaters forFred Lake and $1,000.[1] The Beaneaters acquired Willis to fill the void left byJack Stivetts, who was near retirement due to an arm injury.[3]
Willis began his major league career with the Beaneaters on April 20, 1898, in a relief appearance against theBaltimore Orioles, allowing eightruns, threewalks, and awild pitch in an 18–2 loss while alsohitting two batters. In his next appearance, he beat theWashington Senators, 11–4, in his first career start. He remained in the starting rotation throughout the season but at times struggled with his control. In one game against thePhiladelphia Phillies, opposing pitcherRed Donahue threw ano-hitter, while Willis allowed eight walks in a 5–0 loss.[4] He finished the season with 25 wins, 13 losses, a 2.84 ERA, 148 walks, and 160strikeouts. He finished second in walks and third in strikeouts in theNational League.[5] In 1899, Willis became the last pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the 19th century.
Despite being a Hall of Fame pitcher, Willis holds the post-1900 single season records for most losses (29)[6] and most complete game losses (25);[7] both records were set in 1905. For the three seasons from 1903 to 1905, Willis compiled a dismal record with the Beaneaters of 42 wins against 72 losses. However, hisearned run average during those three years averaged 3.02, and in two of those years his ERA was under 3.00. Despite Willis' performance on the mound during those three seasons, the Boston offense could only muster a combined .238 batting average over those seasons. When he changed teams to thePittsburgh Pirates for 1906, whose offense had a combined batting average of .256 over the four years Willis was with the team, he compiled a record of 88–46. His ERA for those four years was 2.08.
Willis was on oneWorld Series championship team, the1909 Pirates. He lost one game during the Series pitching againstTy Cobb'sDetroit Tigers.[5] Willis' final major league season was 1910, with theSt. Louis Cardinals. The following season, he pitched for a semipro team in his hometown of Newark, Delaware.[8]
After retiring from baseball, Willis purchased and operated the Washington House, a hotel in Newark, Delaware. Willis died in 1947 and is interred in St. John Cemetery in Newark.[5]
In 1977 he was inducted into theDelaware Sports Hall of Fame.[9] The National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted him in 1995.
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher August 7, 1899 | Succeeded by |
