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Show RUCKER ONE OF BIG SOUTHPAWS Lasted More Than 10 Years in National League. It was In 1907 that Nap Rucker, then young, made his first appearance appear-ance in big league circles. A very unsophisticated youngster was this southpaw variety of a Georgia Peach when he landed in Brooklyn. It was the first trip north of Mason & Dixon Dix-on line he ever had taken. He contracted con-tracted a kink in his neck looking up at the tall buildings of Greater New York, for they were considerably consider-ably higher than the ones he had been used to gazing at down Alpharet-ta Alpharet-ta way. Nap had been a teammate of Ty Cobb's during 1904 and 1905. He never had the pleasure of pitching against the other Peach, consequently consequent-ly never found out by actual test just how hard Ty could hit a ball. Ty, on the other hand, never found out just how well Nap could pitch and what a swell hurler he was. However, both became famous. Rucker was one of the twelve hurlers of the' southpaw brand who survived more than ten years of big league pitching. During his time with the Brooklyn club, the only club he was with, he pitched wonderful ball, but the team during that period was a chronic second division outfit and In only the last two seasons of his career did it move up In the race and In 1916 won a pennant, but Nap was doing his farewell stunt, for that great left arm was all In. It was the honor he had waited long for but came too late, although he pitched two Innings in one of the games and did nobly. September 2, 1908, Rucker pitched one of the greatest no-hit, no-run games ever recorded. Boston failed to make a hit or run and In the nine Innings he didn't Issue a run or pass or have a pitching error of any kind. To crown this brilliant work he fanned fourteen batsman. His team mates marred the record by making two errors. er-rors. July 24, 1909, Rucker equaled the modern day strikeout record when he 'fanned sixteen of the St. Louis Cardinals in nine innings. To add a little more class to this feat he held the Cards to a pair of singles. |