Alex Main
Encyclopedia
Miles Grant "Alex" Main (May 13, 1884 in Montrose
, Michigan
- December 29, 1965 in Royal Oak
, Michigan
) was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1914 to 1915 and in 1918 for the Detroit Tigers
, Kansas City Packers
and Philadelphia Phillies
.
A 30 year old rookie, Main began his big league career on April 18, 1914 for the Tigers. With them, he appeared in 32 games, starting 12 of them. He went 6-6 with a 2.67 ERA, completing five games and saving three. His three saves ranked sixth in the league.
The following season, he became the second Tiger pitcher to jump to the short-lived Federal League
, the first being Ed Willett
. He played for the Packers that season. Although his ERA of 2.54 was third best on the team and he gave up only 181 hits in 230 innings, his record was only 13-14. He had the worst record on the team among all pitchers with at least 25 games started. Despite that, his 1.113 WHIP
was fifth best in the league, and his 7.08 hits per nine innings ratio ranked second. His three saves were eighth best in the league that season. On August 16 of that season, he threw a no-hitter
- that was the first no-hitter in Federal League Park history .
Main did not play in the major leagues in either 1916 or 1917, but in 1918 he appeared in eight games for the Phillies. Making four starts, he went 2-2 with a 4.63 ERA. He played his final big league game on June 29.
Overall, Main went 21-22 with a 2.77 ERA in 75 career games (44 starts). He allowed only 342 hits in 403 1/3 innings. As a hitter, he hit .157 in 127 at-bats.
Following his death, he was buried at Crestwood Memorial Cemetery in Grand Blanc, Michigan
.
Montrose, Michigan
Montrose is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,619 at the 2000 census. The city is situated within Montrose Township, but is politically independent.- History :...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
- December 29, 1965 in Royal Oak
Royal Oak
The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was located in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. Charles confirmed to Samuel Pepys in 1680 that while he was...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1914 to 1915 and in 1918 for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Kansas City Packers
Kansas City Packers
The Kansas City Packers were a Federal League baseball club in Kansas City from 1914 to 1915. They finished sixth in 1914 with a 67-84 record, and fourth in 1915 with an 81-72 record....
and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
A 30 year old rookie, Main began his big league career on April 18, 1914 for the Tigers. With them, he appeared in 32 games, starting 12 of them. He went 6-6 with a 2.67 ERA, completing five games and saving three. His three saves ranked sixth in the league.
The following season, he became the second Tiger pitcher to jump to the short-lived Federal League
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
, the first being Ed Willett
Ed Willett
Robert Edgar Willett was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played with the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League...
. He played for the Packers that season. Although his ERA of 2.54 was third best on the team and he gave up only 181 hits in 230 innings, his record was only 13-14. He had the worst record on the team among all pitchers with at least 25 games started. Despite that, his 1.113 WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
was fifth best in the league, and his 7.08 hits per nine innings ratio ranked second. His three saves were eighth best in the league that season. On August 16 of that season, he threw a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
- that was the first no-hitter in Federal League Park history .
Main did not play in the major leagues in either 1916 or 1917, but in 1918 he appeared in eight games for the Phillies. Making four starts, he went 2-2 with a 4.63 ERA. He played his final big league game on June 29.
Overall, Main went 21-22 with a 2.77 ERA in 75 career games (44 starts). He allowed only 342 hits in 403 1/3 innings. As a hitter, he hit .157 in 127 at-bats.
Following his death, he was buried at Crestwood Memorial Cemetery in Grand Blanc, Michigan
Grand Blanc, Michigan
Grand Blanc is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 8,242 at the 2000 census. The city is situated within Grand Blanc Charter Township, but is politically independent...
.