Ben Sanders

{{about||the New Zealand crime fiction author|Ben Sanders (author)}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Ben Sanders

|image=Ben Sanders Card.jpg

|caption=1888 baseball card of Sanders

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{birth date|1865|2|16}}

|birth_place=Catharpin, Virginia

|death_date={{death date and age|1930|8|29|1865|2|16}}

|death_place=Memphis, Tennessee

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate= June 6

|debutyear= 1888

|debutteam= Philadelphia Quakers

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate= October 14

|finalyear= 1892

|finalteam= Louisville Colonels

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=80-70

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.24

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=468

|teams=

Philadelphia Quakers ({{Baseball year|1888}}–{{Baseball year|1889}})
Philadelphia Athletics ({{Baseball year|1890}}–{{Baseball year|1891}})
Louisville Colonels ({{Baseball year|1892}})

|highlights=

Led the National League in shutouts in {{Baseball year|1888}}
Pitched a no-hitter on August 22, 1892

}}

Alexander Bennett "Ben" Sanders (February 16, 1865 – August 29, 1930) was an American Major League Baseball player who pitched a total of five seasons for three teams.{{cite web| title = Ben Sanders' Stats | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Psandb101.htm | accessdate = 2008-06-11 }}

Career

Born in Catharpin, Virginia, Sanders debuted on June 6, {{Baseball year|1888}} with the Philadelphia Quakers of the National League. As a pitcher, he displayed good control, but he used an unorthodox delivery which ended with him off-balance, and with his back turned toward home plate. This made it difficult for him to react quickly on batted balls in his area of responsibility, particularly bunts.James, Bill, and Rob Neyer, "The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers", pp. 372–3. Simon and Schuster, 2004. {{ISBN|0-7432-6158-5}} On September 18 of that rookie season, Sanders lost a perfect game when his pitching opponent, Gus Krock, singled with one out in the 9th inning for the Chicago Colts. Sanders still achieved a 6–0 shutout victory.{{cite web |title=Charlton's 1888 Chronology |work=baseballlibrary.com |url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1888 |accessdate=2008-06-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101103135/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=1888 |archivedate=2008-01-01 }}

He pitched two seasons for the Quakers, winning 38 games against 28 losses, including a rookie season in which he won 19 games, had a 1.90 earned run average, and led the league in shutouts with eight, and base on balls per 9 innings.{{cite web| title = Ben Sanders' Stats | work = baseball-reference.com | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sandebe01.shtml | accessdate = 2008-06-11 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080614061024/http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/sandebe01.shtml| archivedate= 14 June 2008 | url-status= live}}

For the {{Baseball year|1890}} season, Ben jumped to the newly created Players' League, and won 19 games and lost 18 for the Philadelphia Athletics who later joined the American Association for the {{Baseball year|1891}} season. He finished his career with the Louisville Colonels of the National League, playing his final game on October 14, 1892. He had a record of 12–19, but on August 22, 1892, he pitched a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles, a 6–2 victory, the first no-hitter in the National League in which the losing team scored at least one run.{{cite web| title = Chronological List of No-Hitters | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/nohit_chrono.htm | accessdate = 2008-06-11 }}

Post-career

Sanders died in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 65, and is interred at Sudley United Methodist Church Cemetery in his hometown of Catharpin, Virginia.

References

External links

{{Baseball stats |br=s/sandebe01 |brm=sander002ben}}
{{Find a Grave|13487761}}
[http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?word=Sanders%2C%20Ben%2C%201865%2D1930&s=3¬word=&f=2 Portraits from NYPL Digital Archive]

{{succession box | title=No-hitter pitcher | before= Jack Stivetts | years= August 22, 1892 | after= Bumpus Jones}}

Category:1865 births

Category:1930 deaths

Category:19th-century baseball players

Category:19th-century American sportsmen

Category:Major League Baseball pitchers

Category:Philadelphia Quakers players

Category:Philadelphia Athletics (PL) players

Category:Philadelphia Athletics (AA 1891) players

Category:Louisville Colonels players

Category:Roanoke Maroons baseball players

Category:Altoona (minor league baseball) players