In 1912, John Benton led the National League in games started, 39 and in games pitched, 50, while fashioning an 18-20 record with a very fine 3.10 earned run average and struck out the fourth highest total of batters, 162, in the league. Born in Clifton, North Carolina, the left-handed Rube Benton won 155 major-league games in a career spanning 15 seasons. He won over 10 games in eight seasons and while pitching for the New York Giants under legendary manager John McGraw, the 6 ft 1 inch, 190 pound mound ace pitched a complete game five-hit, 2-0 victory in Game 3 of the 1917 World Series over the White Sox. And, Rube Benton also started the final Game 6, pitching five innings only to lose 4-2 on all unearned runs on errors by his Giants teammates. The White Sox won the Series 4 games to 2. |