Hooks Dauss

George August "Hooks" Dauss (born George August Daus; September 22, 1889 – July 27, 1963) was an American professional baseball player from 1909 to 1926. He played 15 seasons of Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1926. He was given the nickname "Hooks", because his curveball was hard to hit. He compiled a career record of 223–182 with a 3.30 earned run average (ERA). His best years were 1915 when he had a 24–13 record, 1919 with a 21–9 record, and 1923 with a 21–13 record. Dauss's 223 wins are still the most for a pitcher in Tigers franchise history, and he is one of only 14 pitchers to record at least 200 wins all with one team.

Early years Dauss was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1889. His parents were John Dauss, a machinist, and Anna E. (Magel) Dauss, a native of Indiana.

Dauss attended the Emmerich Manual High School in Indianapolis. Dauss first gained note as a pitcher on the Manual High School baseball team. Dauss pitched for the Winona Pirates in the Class C Minnesota–Wisconsin League during the 1911 season. He compiled a 22–12 record and 2.13 earned run average (ERA) with Winona. Dauss made his major league debut on September 28, 1912, pitching a four-hit complete game victory over the Cleveland Naps despite giving up eight bases on balls and hitting three batsmen -- Shoeless Joe Jackson having been struck twice. Dauss compiled a 1–1 record and 3.18 ERA in his two appearances at the end of the Tigers 1912 season. He became a regular in Detroit's starting rotation, a position he would hold for the next 14 years. In his first full season in the majors, Dauss started 29 games and compiled a 13–12 record, 2.48 ERA, 22 complete games, and 107 strikeouts. He also finished the 1913 season ranked ninth in the American League with a 7.5 hits per nine innings pitched. Detroit manager Hughie Jennings praised Dauss after the 1913 season: "I consider Dauss to be by far the best young pitcher in the American League and I am not alone in this belief. Clark Griffith, of the Nationals, was one of the first of opposing managers to recognize in Dauss a coming star."

Prior to the start of the 1914 season, Dauss and fellow Indianapolis native Donie Bush (Detroit's shortstop) were recruited to play as hometown talent for the Indianapolis team in the newly formed Federal League. In mid-January 1914, Dauss and Bush issued a joint statement that they had refused the Federal League offer and returned their signed contracts back to Detroit; both also indicated they had received increases in their 1913 salaries.

During the 1914 season, Dauss became a workhorse for the Tigers, appearing in 45 games and 302 innings pitched. He improved his record to 19–15 and had a 2.86 ERA. He finished among the American League's leaders with 22 complete games (3rd), 19 wins (4th), 302 innings pitched (4th), and 150 strikeouts (5th). However, he also led the league with 98 earned runs allowed and 18 hit batsmen.

In 1915, Hooks had the best season of his career, as the Tigers compiled a 100–54 record, narrowly losing the American League pennant to the Boston Red Sox. Dauss appeared in 46 games (309 innings) for the 1915 Tigers, compiling a 24–13 record with a 2.50 ERA. For the second consecutive season, Dauss was among the American League's leaders in multiple categories with 24 wins (2nd), 309 innings pitched (3rd), 27 complete games (3rd), and 132 strikeouts (8th). Dauss also developed into one of the best fielding pitchers in the game during the 1915 season. He led the league's pitchers with 137 assists and a range factor of 4.30 per nine innings pitched.

1916–1922 During the 1916 season, Dauss's ERA jumped nearly a full point to 3.21 (from 2.50 the prior year). His playing time was reduced somewhat to 238 innings pitched, but he still compiled a solid 19–12 record, and his 19 wins was fifth best in the American League. As he had in 1914, Dauss again led the league with 16 hit batsmen in 1916. Despite the concerns expressed in the spring, Dauss brought his ERA down to 2.43 in 1917 and won 17 games—the seventh highest tally in the American League.

Dauss went on to compile his first losing record (12–16) in his major league career.

In 1919, Dauss rebounded and had his second 20-win season in the major leagues. Despite playing for a fourth place team, Dauss compiled a 21–9 for a career best .700 winning percentage. He ranked among the league leaders with 21 wins (4th), 22 complete games (7th), and 256 innings pitched (10th). He also posted impressive fielding numbers, leading the league's pitchers with 101 assists.

From 1945 until the time of his death, Dauss lived in Fenton, Missouri. He died after a long illness in 1963 at Firmin Desloge Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri at age 73.