Tim McKeithan

Emmett James "Tim" McKeithan (November 2, 1906 – August 30, 1969) was an American Major League Baseball player who was a pitcher with the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League from 1932 until 1934. He was , weighed , while batting and throwing right-handed.

Early life Emmett James McKeithan was born on November 2, 1906 in Shelby, North Carolina. McKeithan played college baseball for Duke University. His brother, Dick McKeithan, played in the Carolina League.

Baseball career After his college career, he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League (AL), and joined the team for the 1932 season without having played in minor league baseball. He made his Major League Baseball debut on July 21, 1932, in the ninth inning of a game versus the St. Louis Browns. In one inning, he surrendered one run and did not receive a decision in the 5–3 loss. In his next appearance, on July 28, he started and pitched 2 innings in a loss to the Detroit Tigers. After making a short relief appearance on August 19, he started his second game of the season on September 24 against the Washington Senators. He pitched the first nine innings of the game and the score was tied 7-7. His relief then allowed a run in the 10th inning, and the Athletics lost.

McKeithan began the 1933 baseball season with the Montreal Royals, a class-AA team in the International League. In 45 appearances for the Royals, he had an 8–6 win–loss record (W–L), and a 4.80 earned run average (ERA) in 148 innings pitched.

He returned to the Athletics for the 1934 season, and made his first appearance on April 18. He finished the game with two innings of relief and surrendered an eighth-inning home run to Babe Ruth, the first that he had allowed in his career. It is claimed that this was the longest home run hit by Ruth in his career. On August 30, 1969, McKeithan was shot in the stomach by man and died in Forest City. He is interred at Concord Baptist Church Cemetery in Bostic, North Carolina.