Founding Fathers, Fastballs, and the First Cavalier in Cooperstown

The 4th of July is an annual calendar event that marks our independence over tyrannical British rule. The bravery of our fighting settlers and the wisdom of our Declaration signees made possible the birth of our young nation in 1776. (Some guy named Jefferson from Charlottesville, VA put the words together! Forty-three years later, he fashioned bricks and mortar into his vision of an elite, liberal arts University.) In 1819, UVA was born. Not quite as significant but an important date for we aficionados of Hoos baseball, the first pitch was thrown past a Richmond College batter in 1889 on the way to a 13-4 rout. The first ACC title was not achieved, however, until 1972 as the first 100 years were met with little success until Brian O’Connor took the reins in 2004. His 2015 NCAA title was among 18 postseason appearances, 9 Super Regionals, and 7 trips to Omaha. Brian O’Connor WAS UVA baseball. Successor Chris Pollard has already hit the ground running. I anxiously await announcements, as I have for Ryan Odom, about top athletes in the portal who are headed to Grounds in the fall.

QUESTION: Who is the only UVA baseball player to be inducted into the MLB HOF after amassing 266 wins with the Phillies and Reds (his 251 losses also standout).

EPPA RIXEY (Picture above), nicknamed Jeptha, is probably better known for his out-of-the-ordinary name than for his prowess on the diamond but he could definitely walk the walk in his uni and street clothes alike. Born on May 4, 1891 to an aristocratic Culpeper family, Eppa graduated from UVA in 1912 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. His 6’5”, 210 lb. frame was also conducive to basketball for which he suited up for the Cavs. A further tie to the Academical Village was his passion for writing poetry. Seriously? What athlete reading this article even knows what a sonnet is! Although ball players were resentful of college men, Eppa gained teammate respect immediately. He and several teammates were frequent patrons at a local watering hole. With an average player salary of $3,423 in 1919, they may have paid the tab with borrowed funds. Rixey supplemented HIS income by teaching Latin at Episcopal HS in Washington, D.C. He also returned to UVA to earn Masters degrees in Latin and chemistry. Unfortunately, his 6-year stay with the Phillies produced mixed results in part due to an anemic offense and to his own inconsistency. In one season, he led the league with 21 losses, yet his ERA was 2.27 and he threw 4 shutouts! After a lost 1918 year while serving in the Chemical Warfare Division in Europe during WWI, Eppa had 2 losing seasons that led to his trade to Cincinnati in 1921. It was as a Red that his career took off and he was a consistent winner for the next 8 years there. He won 100 games in the first 5 seasons. A record unlikely to be equaled, he served up only one home run in 1921 in 301 innings! A great fielder, he also handled 108 tries one year without an error.

Rixie retired in 1933 at the age of 42. He was inducted into the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 1963, 20 years after he was scratched from the 10-year regular window. I always found that difficult to comprehend. Did his baseball skills improve during retirement? Did the voters see more spring in his step? Eppa was the first Virginian to make the Hall of Fame but sadly was also the first to die between election and induction. Eppa Rixey was a true Virginia Gentleman with real Southern drawl. We should thank him posthumously for putting Hoos baseball on the map.