Raymond Bloom "Rube" Bressler (October 23, 1894 - November 7, 1966) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1914 to 1916 and Cincinnati Reds from 1917 to 1920, before being converted to an outfielder and first baseman for Cincinnati from 1918 to 1927, the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1928 to 1931 and the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals in his final year of 1931. The first two teams he played for made it to a World Series, the 1914 Philadelphia Athletics lost to the miracle Boston Braves, while the 1919 Cincinnati Reds won against the scandal-tained Chicago White Sox. October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 69 days remaining. ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... -1... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America. ... The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... Cincinnati Reds National League AAA Louisville Bats AA Chattanooga Lookouts A Sarasota Reds Dayton Dragons R Billings Mustangs GCL Reds The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... An outfielder moves in to catch a fly ball Outfielder is a collective term including left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder, the three positions in baseball farthest from the batter. ... The position of the first baseman First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that players team. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Events January 7 - First transatlantic telephone call - New York City to London January 9 - Military rebellion crushed in Lisbon January 14 - Paul Doumer elected president of France January 19 - Britain sends troops to China February 12 - First British troops lad on Shanghai February 14 - Earthquake in Yugoslavia - 700 dead February... The text below is generated by a template, which has been proposed for deletion. ... 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Philadelphia Phillies - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The St. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Chicago White Sox American League AAA Charlotte Knights AA Birmingham Barons A Winston-Salem Warthogs Kannapolis Intimidators R Bristol White Sox Great Falls White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Bressler was born in Coder, Clinton County, Pennsylvania and grew up in nearby Flemington, Pennsylvania. He played for a company team at Renovo, Pennsylvania where he worked in a railroad shop before being recruited by Earle Mack, son of Connie Mack after beating Earle's All-Stars in a local game in 1912. The following year, Bressler pitched for Harrisburg of the Tri-State League and, the year after that, was brought to the Philadelphia club as the newest player at the end of the famous 1910-1914 dynasty. Clinton County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... Flemington is a borough located in Clinton County, Pennsylvania. ... Renovo is a borough located in Clinton County, Pennsylvania. ... Connie Mack baseball card, 1910 Cornelius Alexander Mack (December 22, 1862 _ February 8, 1956), born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, was an American professional baseball player, manager and team owner. ... 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ...

Bressler was assigned to room with future Hall of Fame pitcher Chief Bender when he made his big league debut April 24, 1914. He posted a respectable 10-4 record and 1.77 E.R.A. for the 1914 American League champions, before dropping to a 4-17 record with a 5.20 E.R.A. the following year. By 1916, he dropped to 0-2 with a 6.60 E.R.A. and was assigned to the minor leagues after appearing in his last 4 games with Philadelphia. But with America's entry into World War I and a shortage of qualified professional baseball players, Cincinnati of the National League brought him back, where he posted a 8-5 record with a 2.46 E.R.A. in 1918, which earned him two more seasons with the club as a pitcher where he finished in 1920 with a lifetime record of 26-32 and a 3.40 E.R.A. Bender in 1911 Charles Albert Chief Bender ( May 5, 1884 - May 22, 1954) was one of the great pitchers in major league baseball in the first two decades of the 20th century, and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... This article refers to the American baseball league. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...

Though Bressler's career as a pitcher was short-lived, he would go on to play more than a decade as an outfielder and first baseman. In his first season as a position player in 1918, Bressler appeared in only three games off the pitcher's mound. He split the next two seasons before it became apparent he would serve the team better as a slick-fielding, good-hitting position player than as an injury-prone pitcher. From 1921 onward, Bressler became a full-time position player, never pitching another game in the major leagues. He finished his career with 1170 base hits, 586 RBI's and a .301 batting average. 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

In the final years of his life, Bressler was interviewed by writer Lawrence Ritter for his book The Glory of Their Times, widely considered the best baseball classic ever published. Bressler died in Cincinnati, Ohio at age 72, one of only a few players in major league baseball history to successfully convert from a pitcher to a position player. Cincinnati, Ohio viewed from the SW, across the Ohio River in Kentucky. ...

External links

• Baseball-Reference.com  (http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bressru01.shtml) - career statistics and analysis
• Photo (http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/photos/headshots/Bressler_Rube.gif)