{{Short description|American baseball player (1891–1941)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Joe Boehling | image = Joe Boehling 1914.jpeg | width = 150px | position = Pitcher | birth_date = {{Birth date|1891|3|20}} | birth_place = Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1941|9|8|1891|3|20}} | death_place = Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | bats = Left | throws = Left |debutleague = MLB | debutdate = June 20 | debutyear = 1912 | debutteam = Washington Senators |finalleague = MLB | finaldate = September 8 | finalyear = 1920 | finalteam = Cleveland Indians |statleague = MLB | stat1label = Win–loss record | stat1value = 55–50 | stat2label = Earned run average | stat2value = 2.97 | stat3label = Strikeouts | stat3value = 396 | teams = * Washington Senators ({{baseball year|1912}}–{{baseball year|1916}}) * Cleveland Indians ({{baseball year|1916}}–{{baseball year|1917}}, {{baseball year|1920}}) }} '''John Joseph Boehling''' (March 20, 1891 – September 8, 1941) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher for seven seasons. He played with the Washington Senators from 1912 to 1916, and the Cleveland Indians from 1916 to 1920.
Boehling made his major league debut on June 20, 1912, in a 5–0 loss against the Philadelphia Athletics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1912/06201912.htm|title=Events of Thursday, June 20, 1912|publisher=Retrosheet.org|accessdate=2008-07-12}}</ref> He went on to play two more games during the 1912 season, finishing with five innings pitched.<ref name=br>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/b/boehljo01.shtml|title=Joe Boehling Statistics|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=2008-07-12}}</ref>
In 1913, Boehling was used primarily as a starter alongside Walter Johnson in what was his best season. He pitched in 38 games, starting 25 of them, and finished the season with 18 complete games and three shutouts.<ref name=br/> He finished with a 17 7 record and an ERA of 2.14. His ERA of 2.14 was sixth in the American League, better than the ERAs of Hall of Famers Chief Bender (2.21) and Rube Marquard (2.50).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_1913_t.shtml|title=1913 American League Expanded Leaderboards|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=2008-07-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_1913_t.shtml|title=1913 National League Expanded Leaderboards|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=2008-07-13}}</ref>
In January 1914, Boehling signed a one-year contract to continue playing with the Senators.<ref>{{cite news|first=Stanley T.|last=Milliken|title=Boehling And "Griff" Reach an Agreement|series=Sporting Section|newspaper=Washington Post|date=25 January 1914|page=S1}}</ref> He played 34 games during the 1914 season, and finished the season with a 12–8 record and a 3.03 ERA.<ref name=br/>
The 1915 season saw Boehling pitch a career high number of games with 40, 32 of them starts.<ref name=br/> After a 14–13 record in 1915 and a 9–11 record the following season, the Senators traded Boehling.<ref name=br/> On August 18, 1916, Boehling was traded along with Danny Moeller to the Cleveland Indians for Elmer Smith and Joe Leonard.<ref name=br/> He finished the season by pitching in 12 games for the Indians, then pitched in 12 the following season.<ref name=br/> On July 30, he was sent to the minor leagues by the Indians, and did not play in the major leagues again until 1920. He played in three games for the 1920 Cleveland Indians team that went on to win the World Series, and played his final major league game on June 3, 1920.<ref name=br/>
He was a better than average hitting pitcher in his major league career, posting a .212 batting average (66-for-312) with 30 runs, 1 home run, 24 RBI and 19 bases on balls. Defensively, he was above average, recording a .952 fielding percentage which was 12 points higher than the league average at his position.<ref name="br" />
After retiring, Boehling managed an American Legion baseball team in Richmond, Virginia, and worked in the feed and seed business with his brother.<ref name=obit>{{cite news|url=http://thedeadballera.com/Obits/Boehling.Joe.Obit.html |title=Ex-Pitcher Boehling Dies |work=The New York Times |date=9 September 1941 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061113001835/http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Boehling.Joe.Obit.html |archivedate=November 13, 2006 }}</ref> He died on September 8, 1941, at the age of 50 as a result of injuries sustained from a fall.<ref name=obit/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{baseballstats|br=b/boehljo01|fangraphs=1001115|brm=boehli001joh}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boehling, Joe}} Category:1891 births Category:1941 deaths Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Accidental deaths from falls in the United States Category:Accidental deaths in Virginia Category:Worcester Busters players Category:Oakland Oaks (baseball) players Category:Bridgeport Americans players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players Category:Baseball players from Richmond, Virginia