Edward Tilden Siever (April 2, 1875 – February 4, 1920) was an American

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. He played professional baseball for 12 seasons from 1899 to 1910, including seven years in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

with 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 of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

(1901–1902, 1906–1908) 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 p ...

(1903–1904). He led the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

with a 1.91

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 1902. In seven major league seasons, Siever compiled an 83–82

Win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

with a 2.60 ERA and 470

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s in 1,507

innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...

Early years

Siever was born in

Goddard, Kansas Goddard is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States, and a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,084. History In 1883, Ezekiel Wilder purchased farmland on the planned railway of the Atchison, T ...

, in 1875. Prior to his professional baseball career he was a locomotive fireman for the

Grand Trunk Railway The Grand Trunk Railway (; french: Grand Tronc) was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The rai ...

Professional baseball

Minor leagues

Siever began his professional baseball career with the London Cockneys in 1899 and 1900. He compiled a 14-8 record in 1899 and helped lead the Cockneys to the Canadian League pennant.

Detroit Tigers

In 1900, he joined the

, then a minor league club, compiling a 6-5 record with a 3.97

(ERA). He was described by a writer in the ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

'' as having "a great pitching arm and a physique as strong as a young lion." In 1901, the

became a major league. In the Tigers' inaugural season as a major league club, Siever and Roscoe Miller were the team's leading pitchers. Siever appeared in 38 games, 33 as a starter, compiled an 18-14 record and a 3.24 ERA with 30 complete games and 85 strikeouts in innings pitched. In 1902, Siever led the American League with a 1.91 ERA, and his

Adjusted ERA+ Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of ...

of 195 remains the second best in Tigers history for a pitcher with more than 150 innings pitched. However, the 1902 Tigers lacked hitting and finished in seventh place. Despite his 1.91 ERA, Siever compiled an 8-11 record in 1902. On August 11, 1902, Siever and

Rube Waddell George Edward Waddell (October 13, 1876 – April 1, 1914) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-hander, he played for 13 years, with the Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Orphans in the National Le ...

engaged in a pitching duel that held both sides scoreless through 12 innings. Waddell hit a triple off Siever in the 13th inning to drive in the game's only run. Siever suffered from arm strain after the pitching duel with Waddell and was only able to pitch in two more games that season. According to one account, "His arm was in bad condition owing to strain, the results of that famous battle."

St. Louis Browns

In December 1902, contract negotiations between the Tigers and Siever broke down over money. In the end, Siever was sold to the

. In 1903, he compiled a record of 13-14 with a 2.48 ERA in 254 innings pitched. The following year, he had a 10-15 record 2.65 ERA in 29 games with the Browns. In January 1905, the Browns released Siever to the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

in the minor leagues. He ended up with the

Minneapolis Millers The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...

and, with his arm in "perfect working order," compiled a 23-11 record with a 2.74 ERA in 35 games for the Millers.

Detroit Tigers

In February 1906, Siever signed with the Detroit Tigers. He appeared in 30 games for the 1906 Tigers and compiled a 14-11 record and 2.71 ERA in innings pitched. The following year, Siever compiled an 18-11 for the 1907 Tigers team that went 92-58 and lost to the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

in the 1907 World Series. Siever's 2.16 ERA ranked 10th in the American League in 1907. Siever started one game in the 1907 World Series and gave up two earned runs in four innings pitched. The ''Detroit Free Press'' later called 1907 season "the zenith of his career" and described a change in strategy in Siever's approach to the game: "While control and speed were 'Eddie's' best assets in his early career, in later years he resorted to the use of a slow ball, by using it in conjunction with a ball that burned its way plateward, he got away with many sensational victories." In his final major league season, he compiled a 2-6 record for the 1907 Tigers. During his seven years in the major leagues, Siever compiled an 83–82 record with a 2.60 ERA and 470 strikeouts in 1,507 innings pitched.

Minor leagues

Although his major league career ended in 1908, he pitched for two additional years in the minor leagues with Aberdeen and Grays Harbor in 1909 and Chattanooga in 1910.

Later years

After retiring from professional baseball, Siever continued to play amateur baseball in a Detroit Masonic league until he was badly injured in a fall. Siever was employed by the Board of Water Commissioners. He was married and had three sons with his wife, Charlotte. Siever died suddenly in 1920 at age 44. The cause of death was believed to be heart disease.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siever, Ed 1875 births 1920 deaths People from Goddard, Kansas Major League Baseball pitchers American League ERA champions Baseball players from Kansas Detroit Tigers players St. Louis Browns players London Cockneys players Detroit Tigers (Western League) players London Tecumsehs (baseball) players Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players Indianapolis Indians players Grays Harbor Grays players Chattanooga Lookouts players Aspen (minor league baseball) players Leadville Blues players

Early years

Professional baseball

Minor leagues

Detroit Tigers

St. Louis Browns

Detroit Tigers

Minor leagues

Later years

See also

References