Deacon Phillippe

Charles Louis "Deacon" Phillippe (originally Phillippi) (May 23, 1872 – March 30, 1952) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Louisville Colonels and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Biography Born in Rural Retreat, Virginia to Andrew Phillippe and Jane Margaret Hackler, Phillipe was one of eight children (two brothers and five sisters). When he was three, his family moved to the Dakota Territory near the town of Athol, located in what is now the state of South Dakota, where he would play semi-pro ball for many years.

Louisville Colonels Phillippe first appeared in pro baseball with the National League's Louisville Colonels in 1899. He had a 21–17 record that year, which was highlighted by a no-hitter in his seventh career game. While the Colonels disbanded after the season, owner Barney Dreyfuss moved a number of Louisville players, including Phillippe, to the Pirates, another team Dreyfuss co-owned.

Pittsburgh Pirates Phillippe won 20 games for four straight seasons as the Pirates won three straight National League pennants from 1901 to 1903. In 1900, he pitched for the Pirates in Game 3 of the Chronicle-Telegraph Cup series to determine the National League champion between the Pirates and the Brooklyn Superbas. Pittsburgh avoided the series sweep as Phillippe threw a six-hit shutout and the Pirates' bats added 10 runs. The Pirates lost the series 3 games to 1.

In 1903, Phillippe earned the honor of starting the first World Series game for the Pirates against the Boston Americans in 1903. In a complete game victory, Phillippe struck out 10 batters and earned the win against Cy Young to start the best-of-nine series. He single-handedly guided the Pirates to a 3–1 series lead, earning the wins in each game, but when his arm wore down due to overuse, the Americans came back to win the series 5 games to 3, with Phillippe losing the last two. His five decisions in the World Series are still a record for a pitcher. To show their appreciation, Pirates' fans presented him with a diamond horseshoe stickpin and team owner Barney Dreyfuss rewarded him ten shares of stock in the club.

Legacy Phillippe was widely renowned for his control. No pitcher who has debuted since 1893 (when the pitching mound was moved to its present distance of 60 feet and 6 inches away from home plate) has averaged fewer walks per nine innings than Phillippe.

The spring that supplies Rural Retreat, Virginia with water is called Phillippe Springs, after the pitcher.

Phillippe was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.