Tillar H. "Pug" Cavet (December 26, 1889 – August 4, 1966) was a
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), ...
pitcher who played three seasons 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 of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
in 1911, 1914, and 1915. He also played 22 seasons in the minor leagues from 1908 to 1930, compiling a minor league record of 291–243.
Early years
Cavet was born in
McGregor, Texas
McGregor is a city in McLennan and Coryell counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 4,987 at the 2010 census.
McGregor lies in two counties, as well as two metropolitan areas. The McLennan County portion of the city is part of the ...
, in December 1889. He was the son of Henry J. Cavet and Emma Earl Cobb. At the time of the
1900 United States Census, Cavet was living with his grandparents, parents, three younger brothers, and a younger sister on the family farm in the Justice Precinct of
McLennan County, Texas
McLennan County is a County (United States), county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 260,579 . Its county seat and largest city is Waco, Texas, Waco. The U.S. c ...
.
Major League Baseball
Cavet appeared in 49 games for the Detroit Tigers, 22 as a starter and 27 as a relief pitcher. He had a career record of 11–9 with eight complete games, one shutout, and an
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 ...
of 2.98 in 226-1/3 innings. His best year was 1914 when he played in 31 games, pitched 151-1/3 innings and had an ERA of 2.44. He was among 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 ...
leaders in 1914 in both games finished (13) and hit batsmen (9).
On September 15, 1914, Cavet was the pitcher when
Nap Lajoie
Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie (; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie and nicknamed "The Frenchman", was an American professional baseball second baseman and player-manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for t ...
hit his 3,000th hit to become the third player to reach that mark.
Honus Wagner
Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...
and
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 ...
reached the mark before Lajoie. Cavet and the Tigers won the game 2–1.
Minor League Baseball
Cavet also played 22 seasons in the minor leagues from 1908 to 1930. His longest stay was six years with 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 ...
from 1918 to 1923. He also had his best years at Indianapolis, compiling records of 28–16 in 1919 and 23–16 in 1921. He also had 20-win seasons for the
Mobile Sea Gulls
Mobile may refer to:
Places
* Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city
* Mobile County, Alabama
* Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S.
* Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Mobile ...
in 1913 (23-12) and the
Nashville Volunteers
The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. Known only as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they were officially named the Nashville Volunteers (often sh ...
in 1917 (21-13). In 22 minor league season, he compiled an overall record of 291–243.
While playing for Indianapolis, he became one of the few pitchers in professional baseball history to record a loss without throwing a pitch. Cavet appeared in relief in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game with two outs and a man on third base. The winning run scored when Cavet was called for a balk while winding up to throw his first pitch.
Family and later years
At the time of the
1920 United States Census, Cavet was living with his wife, May, in
Tulia, Texas
Tulia is a city in, and county seat of, Swisher County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,967 at the 2010 census; in the 2018 census estimate, it had fallen to 4,682. The city is at the junction of U.S. Route 87 and Texas State Highway ...
. His occupation was listed as professional baseball player.
Cavet died in 1966 at age 76 in
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfwa ...
. He is buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfwa ...
.
''Baseball Necrology''
/ref>
References
External links
Baseball Almanac
Pug Cavet
at SABR
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New ...
(Baseball BioProject)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cavet, Pug
1889 births
1966 deaths
People from McGregor, Texas
Atlanta Crackers players
Columbus Foxes players
Dallas Giants players
Detroit Tigers players
Hollywood Stars players
Indianapolis Indians players
Macon Peaches players
Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players
Mobile Sea Gulls players
Muskogee Navigators players
Nashville Vols players
Peoria Tractors players
New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players
Providence Grays players
Rock Island Islanders players
San Francisco Seals (baseball) players
Tucson Cowboys players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Baseball players from Texas
West Texas A&M Buffaloes baseball players