Rip Sewell, baseball player, 1932-1949

Rip Sewell

Born: 5/11/1907 in Decatur, AL, USA

Died: 9/3/1989 in Plant City, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1932-06-14 | Final Game: 1949-09-19

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Truett Banks Sewell

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Biography

Rip Sewell was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1932 to 1949. Born in 1907, Sewell made a name for himself during an era that witnessed the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded approaches of the mid-20th century. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 143 wins and 97 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.48. His striking ability was highlighted by 636 strikeouts and 15 saves, showcasing his versatility and effectiveness on the mound. Sewell was selected to the All-Star team four times, a testament to his skill and consistency as a pitcher. Known for his unique pitching style, he often utilized a famous "eephus pitch," which was a slow, high-arching delivery that baffled many hitters. His contributions to the game extended beyond his statistics; he became a respected figure in baseball for his strategic approach and ability to outthink opposing batters. Rip Sewell's legacy remains significant in the history of the sport, as he played an integral role during a transformative period in baseball.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
143 97 390 243 137 20 15 2119.3 2101 819 116 748 636 3.48 0

Career ERA 3.48 vs. league average 3.92 across their career seasons — 11.3% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1932 DET AL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 10.7 19 15 8 2 12.66 4.13 (-207%) -885.5
1938 PIT NL 0 1 17 0 0 0 1 38.3 41 18 21 17 4.23 4.35 (+3%) -653.0
1939 PIT NL 10 9 52 12 5 1 2 176.3 177 80 73 69 4.08 4.28 (+5%) 9.0
1940 PIT NL 16 5 33 23 14 2 1 189.7 169 59 67 60 2.80 4.21 (+34%) 1600.0
1941 PIT NL 14 17 39 32 18 2 2 249.0 225 103 84 76 3.72 3.94 (+5%) -1614.3
1942 PIT NL 17 15 40 33 18 5 2 248.0 259 94 72 69 3.41 3.57 (+4%) -187.2
1943 PIT NL 21 9 35 31 25 2 3 265.3 267 75 75 65 2.54 3.50 (+27%) 1240.3
1944 PIT NL 21 12 38 33 24 3 2 286.0 263 101 99 87 3.18 3.57 (+11%) -1874.9
1945 PIT NL 11 9 33 24 9 1 1 188.0 212 85 91 60 4.07 3.67 (-11%) -2535.4
1946 PIT NL 8 12 25 20 11 2 0 149.3 140 61 53 33 3.68 3.59 (-2%) -619.2
1947 PIT NL 6 4 24 12 4 1 0 121.0 121 48 36 36 3.57 3.97 (+10%) -863.4
1948 PIT NL 13 3 21 17 7 0 0 121.7 126 47 37 36 3.48 4.10 (+15%) 71.3
1949 PIT NL 6 1 28 6 2 1 1 76.0 82 33 32 26 3.91 4.12 (+5%) -657.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
423 750 81 152 22 3 6 59 12 37 154 0.203 0.241 0.264 0.505 -2683.9

Career AVG .203 vs. league average .264 across their career seasons — 23.2% below league average.

Career OBP .241 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 27.7% below league average.

Career SLG .264 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — 29.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.505 vs. league average 0.706 across their career seasons — 28.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1932 DET AL 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1938 PIT NL 17 12 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.083 — — — — 0.0
1939 PIT NL 52 55 5 11 1 0 1 4 0 3 11 0.200 .274 (-27%) .342 (-29%) .393 (-31%) .735 (-30%) -300.4
1940 PIT NL 47 73 14 14 2 1 1 4 0 3 19 0.192 .267 (-28%) .335 (-33%) .387 (-26%) .722 (-29%) -393.2
1941 PIT NL 42 92 12 16 2 0 1 5 0 3 15 0.174 .262 (-34%) .332 (-40%) .373 (-39%) .705 (-39%) -625.8
1942 PIT NL 41 87 9 13 3 0 0 4 2 3 19 0.149 .253 (-41%) .323 (-45%) .349 (-47%) .672 (-46%) -666.2
1943 PIT NL 41 105 9 30 4 1 0 17 7 2 21 0.286 .255 (+12%) .324 (-8%) .346 (-1%) .671 (-4%) -111.2
1944 PIT NL 44 112 10 25 4 1 1 12 1 2 19 0.223 .261 (-15%) .325 (-27%) .357 (-15%) .683 (-21%) -424.4
1945 PIT NL 35 64 10 20 3 0 0 6 1 7 11 0.312 .260 (+20%) .328 (+16%) .354 (+1%) .683 (+8%) 104.5
1946 PIT NL 26 50 4 9 2 0 0 1 1 4 12 0.180 .256 (-30%) .328 (-27%) .358 (-39%) .687 (-33%) -267.2
1947 PIT NL 24 40 2 5 0 0 1 4 0 1 6 0.125 — — — — 0.0
1948 PIT NL 21 42 5 6 1 0 1 2 0 6 15 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1949 PIT NL 28 16 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 0.062 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 390 0 142 445 28 27

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1932 DET P 5 0 1 3 0 0
1938 PIT P 17 0 0 13 1 3
1939 PIT P 52 0 9 47 1 3
1940 PIT P 33 0 17 46 5 0
1941 PIT P 39 0 21 56 2 6
1942 PIT P 40 0 19 51 2 3
1943 PIT P 35 0 13 60 4 4
1944 PIT P 38 0 21 49 4 1
1945 PIT P 33 0 10 35 1 2
1946 PIT P 25 0 8 26 2 1
1947 PIT P 24 0 10 26 1 3
1948 PIT P 21 0 10 21 3 1
1949 PIT P 28 0 3 12 2 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 390

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1943 TSN All-Star P

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Marion Military Institute Marion AL 1927, 1928, 1929
Vanderbilt University Nashville TN 1930, 1931

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1944 Most Valuable Player NL 11th 49.0 336 0
1943 Most Valuable Player NL 6th 127.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 7.0 336 0