George Mullin
"Wabash George" Mullin was the first pitcher to throw a no-hit game for the Detroit Tigers, the first to win a World Series game, and a five-time twenty-game winner. In 1909, the right-hander ran off an 11-game winning streak early in the season to lead Detroit to their third straight pennant. That was his best season, as he won 29 games in the regular season and two more in the World Series against the Pirates. Mullin won 228 games in his 14-year career, helping himself with the bat, hitting .262 with good power.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 614 |
1531 |
401 |
163 |
3 |
137 |
18 |
.262 |
.344 |
.319 |
.663 |
102.7 |
|
Best Season: 1909
29-8, 2.22 ERA, 29 complete games, three shutouts, 78 walks in 303+ innings pitched, and two wins in the World Series.
Tricky George
Mullin was sort of the Mark Fidrych of his time, talking to hitters, talking to himself, and employing unusual tactics on the mound to psyche out opponents and pump himself up. He was known for walking off the mound and stalling when opposing teams mounted a rally, a ploy designed to give himself time to regroup. Before Detroit moved into Navin Field in 1912, Mullin used the intricacies of Bennett Park to his advantage. With an opposing runner on third, Mullin would throw the ball over the head of catcher Boss Schmidt, who would fake an attempt to run after it, and then simply wait for the "errant" pitch to ricochet off the backstop into his glove. The surprised runner would then be tagged out at home plate.
George with the Bat
Mullin was one of the best hitters of his era, and one of the best of all-time. In his first major league start, he collected three doubles. In his rookie season, he batted .325; in 1903 he had nine doubles and hit .278; in 1904 he had 10 doubles and hit .290; in 1909, when he won 29 games, he also drove in 17 runs in just 126 at-bats; with the Hossiers in the Federal League in 1914, he hit .312 with 21 RBI and eight-extra-base hits in 77 at-bats. He batted .262 for his career and was used as a pinch-hitter more than 100 times, including once for Ty Cobb.
Where He Played
Starting pitcher (428 games), reliever (59 games).
Born
George Joseph Mullin was born on July 4, 1880, in Toledo, OH.
Died
January 7, 1944, Wabash, IN
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
5 4,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1902
Joe Tinker
Johnny Evers
Red Dooin
Patsy Dougherty
Tom Jones
Heinie Wagner
George Mullin
Addie Joss
Homer Smoot
Nicknames
Wabash George
"Wabash George," because he played semi-pro ball in Wabash, Indiana. He was also called "Big George."
Similar Players
Vic Willis, who is in the Hall of Fame, was a remarkably similar pitcher, but not the hitter that Mullin was. Willis benefitted from winning 20 games eight times, while Mullin did it just five times, and petered out a little earlier.
Related Players
Mullin was one of the few Tigers who had a friendly relationship with Ty Cobb.
No-Hitter
7/4/1912: For DET (A) vs. STL (A), 7-0 at DET. 9 innings pitched.
Post-Season Appearances
1907 World Series
1908 World Series
1909 World Series
Post-Season Notes
Mullin pitched brilliantly in the 1909 Series, but the Tigers came up short once again. After losing Game One, 4-1, Mullin hurled a five-hit shutout to tie the Series in Game Four. In Game Six, he survived three unearned runs in the opening inning and won 5-4. Two days later, in Game Seven, he watched as teammate Wild Bill Donovan gave up four runs in the first 3 1/3 innings. Manager Hughie Jennings called Mullin in from the bullpen and the right-hander pitched the rest of the game, allowing four earned runs, as Detroit lost their third straight World Series. For the series, Mullin was 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched.
Feats
On July 4, 1912, his 32nd birthday, Mullin threw a 7-0 no-hit game against the St. Louis Browns at Navin Field, in Detroit. In addition to his pitching brilliance, Mullin rapped out three hits and drove in a pair of runs.
Milestones
On May 21, 1912, in Washington, Mullin outdueled Walter Johnson to earn the 200th victory of his career, 2-0.
Transactions
May 17, 1913: Purchased by the Washington Senators from the Detroit Tigers; Before 1914 Season: Jumped from the Washington Senators to the Indianapolis Hoosiers.
Replaced
Mullin joined Roscoe "Rubberlegs" Miller and Ed Siever in the Tigers' 1902 rotation, replacing Jack Cronin.
Replaced By
Hooks Dauss, himself a future 200-game winner, in 1913 in the Tigers' rotation.
Best Strength as a Player
His fastball and his bat.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Conditioning. Mullin was overweight much of his career, and it's probably the biggest reason he faded out after the age of 31.
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