Josh Billings (pitcher)
{{Short description|American baseball player (1907–1983)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
| name = Josh Billings
| image = Josh Billings Tigers Pitcher.png
| position = Pitcher
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|9|27}}
| birth_place = New York, New York, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1983|12|26|1907|9|27}}
| death_place = Greenbrae, California, U.S.
| bats = Right
| throws = Right
|debutleague = MLB
| debutdate = August 17
| debutyear = 1927
| debutteam = Detroit Tigers
|finalleague = MLB
| finaldate = August 5
| finalyear = 1929
| finalteam = Detroit Tigers
|statleague = MLB
| stat1label = Win–loss record
| stat1value = 10–15
| stat2label = Earned run average
| stat2value = 5.02
| stat3label = Strikeouts
| stat3value = 67
| teams =
- Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1927}}–{{mlby|1929}})
}}
Haskell Clark "Josh" Billings (September 27, 1907 – December 26, 1983) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers.{{cite web |title=Josh Billings |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/b/billijo02.shtml |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |work=Baseball-Reference |accessdate=March 2, 2009}}
Amateur career
Billings was born in New York City, New York and played college baseball at Brown University.{{cite web |author=Martha Mitchell |url=https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=B0090 |title=Baseball (Encyclopedia Brunoniana) |publisher=brown.edu |date=1993 |accessdate=January 9, 2020 |archive-date=July 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719034140/https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=B0090 |url-status=dead }} While at Brown, he pitched for the Falmouth town team in the Cape Cod Baseball League during the summers of 1925 to 1927. Named team MVP in 1925, Billings was described as "studious" and "persevering", and a "brilliant player".{{cite news | title = Billings Most Valuable Player | pages = 9 | newspaper = Falmouth Enterprise | location = Falmouth, MA | date = September 12, 1925 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Falmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=FEN%2F1925%2F09%2F12&id=Ar00905&sk=9A9E0006&viewMode=image | access-date = November 13, 2019 | archive-date = October 11, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211011142557/http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Falmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=FEN%2F1925%2F09%2F12&id=Ar00905&sk=9A9E0006&viewMode=image | url-status = dead }}{{cite news | title = Falmouth Baseball | pages = 6 | newspaper = Falmouth Enterprise | location = Falmouth, MA | date = August 14, 1926 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Falmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=FEN%2F1926%2F08%2F14&id=Ar00600&sk=697AA444&viewMode=image }}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news | title = Base Ball and Billings | pages = 4 | newspaper = Falmouth Enterprise | location = Falmouth, MA | date = September 8, 1927 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Falmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=FEN%2F1927%2F09%2F08&id=Ar00414&sk=1EF70621&viewMode=image | access-date = November 13, 2019 | archive-date = October 10, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211010134245/http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Falmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=FEN%2F1927%2F09%2F08&id=Ar00414&sk=1EF70621&viewMode=image | url-status = dead }}{{cite web|author=James H. Ellis |url=http://research.sabr.org/journals/cape-cod-league-a-talent-showcase |title=Cape Cod League a Talent Showcase |publisher=sabr.org |accessdate=August 5, 2019}} He also played for the ice hockey team in 1927.{{cite web |url=https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:606187/ |title=Liber Brunensis 1927 |work=Brown University |accessdate=January 3, 2025}}
Professional career
He joined the Tigers in 1927 and made his major league debut on August 17, becoming the third youngest player in the American League that season. In 1927, he pitched in ten games and 67 innings for the Tigers, and was credited with five wins against four losses. His earned run average (ERA) of 4.87 was worse than the league average. He had more than twice as many walks (39) as strikeouts (18).
Despite his underwhelming statistics in 1927, Billings was the Tigers Opening Day starting pitcher in 1928.{{cite web |title=The 1928 Detroit Tigers Regular Season Game Log |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1928/VDET01928.htm |publisher=Retrosheet |accessdate=March 2, 2009}} The Tigers lost that game by a score of 4–1 to the St. Louis Browns at Briggs Stadium. In total, Billings pitched in 21 games and 110{{fraction|2|3}} innings for the Tigers in 1928. He was once again credited with five wins, this time against ten losses. Once again, he had a worse than league average earned run average of 5.12. And once again he had more walks (59) than strikeouts (48). He also had the fourth highest number of wild pitches in the American League, with seven. As a 20-year-old, he was still the eighth youngest player in the American League in 1928.
1929 was Billings's last season in the Major Leagues. As a 21-year-old, he only pitched in eight games and 19{{fraction|1|3}} innings for the Tigers. He had no wins and one loss. His earned run average was again 5.12, again worse than league average. He surrendered nine walks against a single strikeout. He played in his final game on August 5, 1929.
For his career, Billings pitched in 39 games and 197 innings. He won 10 games against 15 losses. His career earned run average was 5.03, and he had 107 walks and 67 strikeouts. As a batter, he had 17 hits in 68 at bats for a batting average of .250. He also was credited with three doubles, one triple, 11 runs scored and six runs batted in.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats |mlb=110999 |br=b/billijo02 |fangraphs=1000972 |brm=billin001has}}
{{Detroit Tigers Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Baseball}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Billings, Josh}}
Category:Baseball players from New York City
Category:Brown Bears baseball players
Category:Brown Bears men's ice hockey players
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
Category:Detroit Tigers players