Tommy Hughes

Thomas Owen Hughes (October 7, 1919 – November 28, 1990) was an American professional baseball player. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, he was a right-handed pitcher who appeared in 144 games pitched in the Major Leagues from 1941–42 and 1946–48 for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. Hughes stood tall and weighed . During his rookie season, on June 3, 1941, Hughes threw a one-hit, 7–0 shutout against the Chicago Cubs, with Lou Novikoff getting the only safety. But his best season came in 1942, when he appeared in 40 games, 31 as a starting pitcher, and set a career high in wins (12) and innings pitched (253), and notched a low 3.06 earned run average. However, with a last-place Phillies team behind him, he lost 18 games, also a career high. Hughes then spent three full seasons (1943–1945) in the United States Army during World War II. Pitching for second-division National League teams that never won more than 65 games in any of his five seasons, Hughes never recorded a .500 winning percentage in the Majors. In 144 games, 87 as a starter, and 688 innings pitched, he gave up 698 hits and 308 bases on balls, with 221 strikeouts, 31 complete games, and five shutouts. Pro career Hughes made his pro debut for the old Baltimore Orioles of the International League. Playing under the legendary Rogers Hornsby, Hughes did not earn a win and finished 0-2 after appearing in seven games at the age of nineteen. That season he also played for Dover of the Eastern Shore League. Playing on the D-League level, Hughes went 9-0 with a 1.80 ERA. The next season, he played the entire year with Baltimore, finishing with a 14-11 record. The next season he made the Orioles parent club, the Philadelphia Phillies. In his rookie season, Hughes went 9-14 with a 4.45 ERA. He earned his first major league victory on April 22, 1941. Coming in relief for starter Si Johnson, who'd pitched 11 innings, Hughes walked two batters and gave up one hit, and struck out one in just one inning of work. Hughes struggle a bit in his rookie season. He finished with nine wins, fourteen losses and an E.R.A. of 4.45. He bounced back with a strong outing in 1942. Hughes went 12-18, despite not recording his first win until May 10, a 4-3 win over the Boston Braves in which Hughes went the distance, giving up three runs on six hits in nine innings.