Cecil Carlton Hughson, (February 9, 1916 – August 6, 1993) 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), ...

starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...

who played his entire career in 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 the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

(1941–44, 1946–49). He batted and threw right-handed. A native of

Kyle, Texas Kyle is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. Its population grew from 28,016 in 2010 to 45,697 in 2020, making Kyle one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. Geography Kyle is located in eastern Hays County at (29.989080, –97.875947 ...

, Hughson played collegiately at the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

. He was a successful and competitive major league pitcher who was not averse to throwing close to batters, changing speeds by mixing a hard

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

with an overhand

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

. At the height of his career, arm and shoulder injuries threatened permanent disability and hastened his retirement. Hughson enjoyed his best season in 1942, posting a 22–6 record with a 2.59

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

, and also leading the league in

victories The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal Duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitu ...

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 (113),

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

s (22),

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 ...

(281.0) and

batters faced In baseball statistics, Batters Faced (BF), also known as Total Batters Faced (TBF) or Batters Facing Pitcher (BFP) is the number of batters who made a plate appearance before the pitcher in a game or in a season. For a given game, the number of p ...

(1150). In 1943, he won 12 games with 114 strikeouts and a 2.64 ERA, and again led the league in complete games (20). He also had his best year batting, posting career highs in

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

, runs, doubles, walks,

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

and RBI's. He led the league in winning percentage (18-5,.783) and

WHIP A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

(9.43), and also had a career-best ERA of 2.26. After serving in the military in 1945, he won 20 games in 1946, led the league in

walks per nine innings In baseball statistics, bases on balls per nine innings pitched (BB/9IP or BB/9) or walks per nine innings (denoted by W/9) is the average number of bases on balls, (or walks) given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by ...

(1.65), set a career high in strikeouts with 172, and completed 21 of 35 starts. His several 1-0 shutouts led to an early pennant-clinching for the Red Sox. But he fell to 12 wins in 1947, and finished his career when only 33 after two seasons in relief. In an eight-year career, he posted a 96–54 won-lost record with 693 strikeouts and a 2.94 ERA in 1375.2 innings. His control was good enough for an effective 1.86

strikeout-to-walk ratio In baseball statistics, strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) is a measure of a pitcher's ability to control pitches, calculated as strikeouts divided by bases on balls. A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, and therefore not counted ...

(693-to-372). He was an American League All-Star for three consecutive years (1942–44). He was one of the first in the United States to raise Charolois cattle. He served on the local school Board of Trustees in the 1950s where he was one who led the effort to integrate the public schools. In the 60s he developed part of his ranch into the Hughson Heights subdivision. He died in San Marcos at age 77, and is buried in San Marcos Cemetery. He was enshrined in the University of Texas Hall of Honor in 1970, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1987, and the

Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame was instituted in 1995 to recognize the careers of selected former Boston Red Sox players, coaches and managers, and non-uniformed personnel. A 15-member selection committee of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, p ...

in November 2002.

External links

Cowboy on the Mound: The Tex Hughson Story
*Interview with Tex Hughson conducted by

Eugene Murdock Eugene Converse Murdock (April 30, 1921 – July 23, 1992) was an historian and author best known for his research into baseball. Early life and education Eugene C. Murdock was born in Lakewood, Ohio, on April 30, 1921, and attended school ther ...

on May 30, 1987, in

San Marcos, Texas San Marcos ( ) is a city and the county seat of Hays County, Texas, United States. The city's limits extend into Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties, as well. San Marcos is within the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area and on the Interstate 35 ...

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American Heroes (profile)Baseball Reference (career statistics and analysis)San Marcos Natural Areas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughson, Tex American League All-Stars American League strikeout champions American League wins champions Boston Red Sox players Major League Baseball pitchers 1916 births 1993 deaths Baseball players from Texas Texas Longhorns baseball players People from Buda, Texas Austin Pioneers players

See also

External links