George Kahler

George Runnells "Krum" Kahler (September 6, 1889 – February 7, 1924) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball from Athens, Ohio. He played for the Cleveland Naps from 1910 to 1914.

The spelling of Kahler's last name has varied in different newspapers, yearbooks and publications throughout his entire life. Kahler is sometimes spelled "Kaler" depending on the publication. The origin and spelling of his nickname "Krum" is unknown. It was occasionally spelled "Crum" in some articles.

Early life

Kahler attended Athens High School and Ohio University of his hometown. His sister also became a faculty member in OU's English department later in her life. He grew up as a three-sport athlete, playing baseball, football and basketball. He was originally a third baseman, but eventually made the move to pitcher.

The student body admired Kahler for his athletic ability and good character. An article about him in the 1909 Ohio University Athena yearbook described him as talented at a young age: "At the age of 2 months he could walk. At the age of 2 years he could throw a stone from his back window hitting 4 out of 6 passersby. At the age of 4 years he never missed."

Professional baseball career

Upon his graduation from OU, Kahler signed with the Lima Cigarmakers, a Class D level baseball team. In late 1909 he moved to the Columbus Senators of the American Association, making $150 per month to start. He had an outstanding 20-7 record starting for the Senators. In 1910 he was sold to the Cleveland Naps, boosting his salary to $300 per month and making him the first OU graduate to make it to the MLB.

Kahler was the second pitcher to use the emery ball, after Russ Ford. This now-illegal pitch consisted of scarring the ball to be able to achieve unnatural movement. He learned this trick while playing in the minors.

Kahler had a relatively large stature for a pitcher; he was listed as about 6 feet tall and weighed approximately 183 pounds. This was sometimes a disadvantage for him. His large stature delayed his pitching delivery, making base stealing much easier for base runners. He is buried in the West Union Street cemetery in Athens, Ohio.