Jeff Pfeffer

{{Short description|American baseball player (1888–1972)}}

{{about|the baseball player who played from 1911 to 1924|the baseball player who played from 1905 to 1911|Big Jeff Pfeffer}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Jeff Pfeffer

|image=Jeff Pfeffer.jpg

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1888|3|4}}

|birth_place=Seymour, Illinois, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1972|8|15|1888|3|4}}

|death_place=Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 16

|debutyear=1911

|debutteam=St. Louis Browns

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 26

|finalyear=1924

|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=158–112

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=2.77

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=836

|teams=

• St. Louis Browns ({{mlby|1911}})
• Brooklyn Dodgers/Robins ({{mlby|1913}}–{{mlby|1921}})
• St. Louis Cardinals ({{mlby|1921}}–{{mlby|1924}})
• Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|1924}})

}}

Edward Joseph Pfeffer (March 4, 1888 – August 15, 1972) was an American pitcher for the St. Louis Browns (1911), Brooklyn Dodgers/Robins (1913–1921), St. Louis Cardinals (1921–1924) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1924). His older brother Francis was known as Big Jeff Pfeffer.

Pfeffer helped the Robins win the 1916 and 1920 National League pennants. In the 1916 World Series, he recorded a save in Game 3 and was the hard-luck losing pitcher of the series-ending Game 5.

On March 25, 1920, in the top of the first inning during an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, Pfeffer threw a pitch that struck Yankees second baseman Chick Fewster in the temple, knocking him unconscious for approximately ten minutes. Fewster suffered a fractured skull and concussion, and temporarily lost his ability to speak.{{cite web |last1=Nowlin |first1=Bill |title=Chick Fewster |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/chick-fewster/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=16 October 2024}}

Pfeffer led the National League in hit batsmen in 1916 (17) and 1917 (16). In 1916 he gave up Rogers Hornsby's first home run.{{cite book |last=Alexander |first=Charles C. |title=Rogers Hornsby: A Biography |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |location=New York City |year=1995 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rogershornsbybio0000alex/page/27 27] |isbn=0-8050-2002-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/rogershornsbybio0000alex/page/27 }} In 13 seasons, Pfeffer had a 158–112 win–loss record with 10 saves in 347 games.

As of the end of the 2014 season, Pfeffer ranked 96th on the MLB career ERA list (2.77)[https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/earned_run_avg_career.shtml Career ERA leaders from Baseball-Reference] and tied for 73rd on the MLB career hit batsmen list (105).[https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/HBP_p_career.shtml Career hit batsmen leaders from Baseball Reference] He is the Dodgers' career leader in ERA (2.31).[https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAD/leaders_pitch.shtml Dodgers career pitching leaders from Baseball-Reference]

Pfeffer died in Chicago at the age of 84, and is interred at Rock Island National Cemetery.