King Lear (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Charles Bernard "King" Lear (January 23, 1891 – October 31, 1976) was a professional baseball
pitcher
who played two seasons of Major League Baseball
. He played for the Cincinnati Reds
for 17 games during the 1914 Cincinnati Reds season
and 40 games during the 1915 Cincinnati Reds season
.
on January 23, 1891. He attended high school at Mercersburg Academy
, and he attended college at Princeton University
, pitching for the Tigers from 1910 to 1913. During the 1912 collegiate baseball season, Lear pitched every inning of the four Big Three (referring to Princeton, Harvard, and Yale) games, defeating Yale University
in both games and defeating Harvard University
in one.
After graduating from Princeton, Lear fielded offers from the New York Giants
and other teams before signing with the Cincinnati Reds
on January 3, 1914. He was noted in his time as one of the early pitchers of the knuckleball
. Lear made his major league debut on May 2, 1914 for the Reds, and remained on the roster for the season as a relief pitcher
. He finished the 1914 season having pitched in 17 games for the Reds, starting four and finishing nine. He won one game, lost two, threw three complete game
s, one shutout
, and had an earned run average
(ERA) of 3.07.
Lear's most productive season came in 1915 when he pitched 40 games. He was again the primary relief pitcher for the Reds squad, though he did start 15 games. He pitched 167⅔ innings for the Reds in 1915, winning six games, losing 10, finishing 20 games, pitching nine complete games, and finished the season with an ERA of 3.01. His final major league appearance came on September 29, 1915. Lear was slated to be a part of the Reds' roster in 1916. However, he injured his throwing arm during training camp, which brought his professional baseball career to an early end.
Rogers Hornsby
had his first plate appearance against Lear on September 10, 1915. Lear pitched a complete game victory that day, whereas Hornsby said of his nerves against Lear, "Naw, why should I be nervous? The other birds was hittin' him."
Lear died on October 31, 1976 in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
and is buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Greencastle, the city of his birth.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe 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 a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played two seasons of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He played for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for 17 games during the 1914 Cincinnati Reds season
1914 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Cincinnati Reds attempting to win the National League, but finishing in 8th place and last in the league.- Offseason :...
and 40 games during the 1915 Cincinnati Reds season
1915 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished seventh in the National League with a record of 70-83, 20 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
.
Biography
Lear was born in Greencastle, PennsylvaniaGreencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census.-History:...
on January 23, 1891. He attended high school at Mercersburg Academy
Mercersburg Academy
Mercersburg Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school for grades 9-12 located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The school's mission is:...
, and he attended college at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, pitching for the Tigers from 1910 to 1913. During the 1912 collegiate baseball season, Lear pitched every inning of the four Big Three (referring to Princeton, Harvard, and Yale) games, defeating Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in both games and defeating Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in one.
After graduating from Princeton, Lear fielded offers from the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and other teams before signing with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
on January 3, 1914. He was noted in his time as one of the early pitchers of the knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
. Lear made his major league debut on May 2, 1914 for the Reds, and remained on the roster for the season as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. He finished the 1914 season having pitched in 17 games for the Reds, starting four and finishing nine. He won one game, lost two, threw three complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s, one shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
, and had an earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) of 3.07.
Lear's most productive season came in 1915 when he pitched 40 games. He was again the primary relief pitcher for the Reds squad, though he did start 15 games. He pitched 167⅔ innings for the Reds in 1915, winning six games, losing 10, finishing 20 games, pitching nine complete games, and finished the season with an ERA of 3.01. His final major league appearance came on September 29, 1915. Lear was slated to be a part of the Reds' roster in 1916. However, he injured his throwing arm during training camp, which brought his professional baseball career to an early end.
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
had his first plate appearance against Lear on September 10, 1915. Lear pitched a complete game victory that day, whereas Hornsby said of his nerves against Lear, "Naw, why should I be nervous? The other birds was hittin' him."
Lear died on October 31, 1976 in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
Waynesboro is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, 67 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and north of the Mason-Dixon Line. The population within the borough limits was 9,614 at the 2000 census. When combined with the surrounding...
and is buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Greencastle, the city of his birth.