Nap Rucker (1907-16, 134-134, 2.42 ERA): Nap Rucker left the majors 103 years ago. That’s amazing when you think about it. He played the game in a different era and a different world. He completed 186 of his 274 starts and also had 14 saves in 62 relief appearances. In 1910, he completed 27 of his 39 starts, and in 1911, he went 22-18 with 33 starts, 15 relieve appearances, 23 complete games and four saves. You may look at his record and think, “What’s the big deal about this guy?,” but he played on some really bad Brooklyn teams. While he was going 22-18 on 1911, the rest of the team was going 42-68. He struck out 16 Cardinals during a game in 1909, a record that stood until 1933. Unfortunately, all that pitching took a toll on his arm, and in his last three seasons he needed a lot of rest between starts to be effective. He pitched only one regular-season game in his final season and retired after pitching in the 1916 World Series. He moved to Roswell, Ga., and became a scout for the Dodgers, discovering future Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance, who will appear on the right-handed portion of the balloting. He ran for mayor in 1934 and won easily and died at age 86 in 1970.
Source: latimes.com – Los Angeles Times