Press Cruthers

{{Short description|American baseball player (1890–1976)}}

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

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Press Cruthers

|position=Second base

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1890|09|08|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Marshallton, Delaware

|death_date={{death date and age|1976|12|27|1890|09|08}}

|death_place=Kenosha, Wisconsin

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 29

|debutyear=1913

|debutteam=Philadelphia Athletics

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 3

|finalyear=1914

|finalteam=Philadelphia Athletics

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.222

|stat2label=Hits

|stat2value=6

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=0

|teams=

• Philadelphia Athletics (1913–1914)

}}

Charles Preston Cruthers (September 8, 1890 – December 27, 1976) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from {{baseball year|1913}} through {{baseball year|1914}} for the Philadelphia Athletics. Listed at {{height|ft=5|in=9}}, 152 lb, Cruthers batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Marshallton, Delaware.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cruthpr01.shtml Baseball Reference – major league profile]

Cruthers played briefly for the Athletics in part of two seasons. He was a member of two American League champion teams, including the 1913 World Champion, though he did not play in the Series. As a backup for regular Eddie Collins, he posted a .222 batting average in seven games (6-for-27), including one double and one triple while scoring a run.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHA/1913.shtml 1913 Philadelphia Athletics][https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHA/1914.shtml 1914 Philadelphia Athletics]

In six Minor league seasons (1913–1918), Cruthers was a .268 hitter with six home runs in 648 games. He also managed the Kenosha Comets of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the {{baseball year|1946}} season.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=cruthe001cha Baseball Reference – minor league statistics][http://www.aagpbl.org/teams.cfm?ID=24 1946 Kenosha Comets]

Cruthers is part of the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York, opened in {{baseball year|1988}}, which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual figure.[http://www.aagpbl.org/league/history.cfm All-American Girls Professional Baseball League History]

Cruthers was a longtime resident of Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he died at the age of 86.[http://www.aagpbl.org/players/index.cfm?do=player.details&playerid=735 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League website entry]