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Charlie Faust
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Birthdate: 10/9/1880 Died: 6/18/1915
Height / Weight: 6' 2" / lbs. Place of Birth: Marion, KS, USA
Bats / Throws: R / R

Baseball Historian Biography

Interesting story from an old newspaper clipping in 1914. Early in the season of 1911. The New York Giants' were in St. Louis to battle with the Cardinals. Most of the Giants were taking batting practice and manager John McGraw was sitting on the bench with some of his ballplayers. A tall, lanky man wearing a suit, tie and black derby hat came out of the stands and walked up to McGraw. 'Mr. McGraw, he said, 'my name is Charles 'Victory' Faust. I live over in Kansas City and a few weeks ago I went to a fortune teller who told me that if I would join the New York Giants and pitch for them they would win the pennant'.

Manager McGraw looked up at him and said, 'well that's interesting, take off your hat and coat, here's a glove, I'll go get a catcher's mitt'. They proceeded to the warm-up mound and Victory' Faust, his windup was like a giant windmill, with both arms going around in circles for quite awhile before he hurled the baseball. Regardless of the pitch called for by McGraw, every pitch was the same, no curve, no speed on his fastball. There was no difference in his pitches whatsoever. McGraw thought to himself, 'this guy must be some nut'. McGraw even let Faust try some batting practice, but Charlie Faust managed to hit only a few dribbles in the infield. McGraw took Victory Faust aside and stated, 'I'll let you know, see me after the game'.

That night the Giants' team got on the train and there to everyone amazement was Charlie 'Victory' Faust sitting in their private Pullman car. McGraw told his players, 'We're taking Charlie along to help us win the pennant'. Every day for the rest of the season, Victory Faust was in a Giants' uniform, warmed up on the pitchers' mound, but was never put into the ballgame. John McGraw gave him all the money he needed but Faust was never signed to a contract. The Giants won the 1911 pennant.

The next season was the same, every day, 'Victory' warmed up and the Giants won another pennant. By the next season, fans were jamming the ballparks to see Faust and his big windmill-like windup pitch batting practice. Sometimes he even went through his pitching motions but didn't have a ball in his hands. Late in the 1913 season after the Giants won their third straight pennant, McGraw put Charlie into a real game. He pitched one inning and his pitches were so-bad without any stuff that Cincinnati failed to score a run. You know, one of those nothing-ball pitchers. At the end of the season, Faust said, 'good-bye to all, I'll see you in spring training'. Unfortunately, that never came to pass. Charlie Victory'Faust died that winter, and the Giants failed to win the pennant. Rest in Peace, Victory Faust. baseballhistorian.com Archives Baseball History


Pitching Statistics
Year Team G GS W L SV CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO WP HBP BK ERA
1911 NYG (NL) 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.50
1 years   2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.50
Batting Statistics
Year Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS IBB HBP SH SF AVG OBP SLG
1911 NYG (NL) 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 .0 .1000 SLG
1 years   2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .1000 .SLG



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