View source for Herman Pillette

{{Short description|American baseball player (1895–1960)}}
{{Use MDY dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Herman Pillette
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|image=Herman Pillette.jpg
|caption=
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date|1895|12|26}}
|birth_place=[[St. Paul, Oregon]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1960|4|30|1895|12|26}}
|death_place=[[Sacramento, California]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 30
|debutyear=1917
|debutteam=Cincinnati Reds
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 28
|finalyear=1924
|finalteam=Detroit Tigers
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=34–32
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.45
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=148
|teams=
*[[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1917}})
*[[Detroit Tigers]] ({{mlby|1922}}–{{mlby|1924}})
}}

'''Herman Polycarp Pillette''' (December 26, 1895 – April 30, 1960), nicknamed "'''Old Folks'''" in the later part of his career,<ref name=BR/><ref>{{cite news|title='Old Folks' Pillette Signed by Solons|newspaper=[[Oakland Tribune]]|date=April 22, 1943|page=33|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5004377/old_folks_pillette_signed_by_solons/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> was an American right-handed professional [[baseball]] [[pitcher]], who played in 29 seasons (1917–1945). During his playing days, Pillette was listed as {{height|ft=6|in=2}} tall, weighing {{convert|190|lb|kg}}, while batting and throwing right-handed.<ref name="BR">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pillehe01.shtml|title=Herman Pillette Stats|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref>

Pillette played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for the [[Cincinnati Reds]] (one inning in 1917) and [[Detroit Tigers]] (1922–1924). In 1922, he compiled a 19–12 [[Win–loss record (pitching)|win–loss record]] and ranked second in the [[American League]] (AL) with a 2.85 [[earned run average]] (ERA) and four [[shutout]]s, while placing seventh in the AL in wins. Pillette never achieved the same level of success again and concluded his major league career with a 34–32 record and a 3.45 ERA in 107 games.

Pillette also played 23 years in the [[Pacific Coast League]] (PCL) from 1920 to 1921 and 1925 to 1945. He set PCL records with 708 games pitched, 23 PCL seasons as a pitcher, and seven PCL teams as a pitcher; Pillette was one of the inaugural inductees into the [[Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame]], in 1943. Across all levels of minor and major league play for which records are available, he pitched in 789 games and compiled a 298–296 record.

==Early years==
Pillette was born in [[St. Paul, Oregon]], in 1895.<ref name="BR"/> He dropped out of school at a young age to work on his father's farm and began playing semipro baseball in [[Newberg, Oregon|Newberg]] and [[Woodburn, Oregon]].<ref name="SABR">{{cite web|url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a9e66159|title=Herman Pillette|last=Green|first=John F.|publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]|work=SABR.org|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref>

==Professional baseball==
===Minor leagues and Cincinnati===
Pillette began his professional baseball career in 1917, playing for the Tacoma Tigers and the Richmond Quakers.<ref name="BR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=pillet001her|title=Herman Pillette Minor Leagues Statistics & History|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref> He also pitched one inning for the Cincinnati Reds, on July 30, 1917, giving up four hits and two earned runs. Pillette did not appear in another major league game until five years later.

Pillette continued in the minor leagues with the Tacoma Tigers in 1918, the Des Moines Boosters in 1919, and the Regina Senators in 1920.<ref name="BR2"/> He also played for the [[G. M. Standifer Construction Company#Standifier Steel Shipyard (1918–1919)|Standifer Steel Shipyard]] team in 1918.<ref>Multiple newspaper listings in the [[Newspaperarchive.com]] database from the summer of 1918 list Pillette as a pitcher for the Standifer team, sometimes referred to as the Standifer-Clarkson team.</ref> He began a long association with the PCL in 1920 with the Portland Beavers. Pillette compiled a rare feat, losing 30 games, with Portland in 1921.<ref name="BR2"/>

===Detroit Tigers===
In December 1921, the [[Detroit Tigers]] purchased Pillette from Portland. The Tigers paid $40,000 and players for Pillette and one other player.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pillette To Be Pitcher for Detroit|newspaper=[[San Bernardino Daily Sun]]|date=December 19, 1921|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5004234/pillette_to_be_pitcher_for_detroit/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> In his rookie season of 1922, Pillette compiled a 19–12 record, and had a 2.85 ERA — a full point below the league average ERA of 3.87 in 1922. Pillette's performance in 1922 ranked him second in the American League in ERA (2.85), sixth in winning percentage (.613), seventh in wins (19), second in shutouts (4), second in hit batsmen (15), fourth in games started (37), and ninth in [[innings pitched]] ({{frac|274|2|3}}) and batters faced (1,183).<ref name="BR"/> One of Pillette's losses in 1922 came in a perfect game pitched by [[Charlie Robertson]] on April 30, 1922. Pillette took the 2–0 loss.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tigers Helpless Before Robertson Who Pitches Perfect Game and Wins 2-0|newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date=May 1, 1922|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5005419/tigers_helpless_before_robertson_who|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref>

After a strong rookie season, Pillette never reached the same level of performance.  In 1923, his ERA rose by a full run to 3.85 — up from 2.85 the prior year. And, instead of being among the win leaders, Pillette led the American League with 19 losses. Pillette saw limited action in 1924, starting only three games and finishing 1–1.  He played in his final major league game on September 28, 1924.<ref name="BR"/>

===Pacific Coast League===
Although his major league career ended in 1924, Pillette pitched for another 21 years in the PCL with the Portland Beavers (1925), [[Mission Reds]] (1926–1933), [[Seattle Indians]] (1933–1935), [[Hollywood Stars]] (1935), [[San Diego Padres (PCL)|San Diego Padres]] (1936–1942), and [[Sacramento Solons]] (1943–1945).<ref name="BR2"/> He pitched a no-hitter for the [[Mission Reds]] on October 5, 1929,<ref>{{cite news|title=Pillette Turns in No-Hit, No-Run Performance for Missions|newspaper=[[The San Bernardino Sun|San Bernardino Daily Sun]]|date=October 6, 1929|page=24|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5004170/pillette_turns_in_nohit_norun/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> and won a PCL championship in 1937 with San Diego.<ref name="PCLHOF">{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/pacific-coast/history/hall-of-fame/herman-pillette|title=Herman Pillette|publisher=Minor League Baseball|work=[[MiLB.com]]|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref> Pillette was three months shy of his 50th birthday when he appeared in his final PCL game in September 1945.<ref>{{cite news|title=Solons Drop In Standings|newspaper=[[Santa Cruz Sentinel]]|date=September 6, 1945|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5004476/solons_drop_in_standings|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref>

In all, Pillette played 23 seasons in the PCL, compiling a 226–235 record and 3.74 ERA in PCL play. He was selected in 1943 as one of the inaugural inductees in the [[Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame]].<ref name="PCLHOF"/> He set PCL records with 708 games worked by a pitcher, 23 PCL seasons as a pitcher, and seven PCL teams as a pitcher.<ref name=PCLHOF/>

Across all levels of minor and major league play for which records are available, Pillette pitched in 789 games and compiled a 298–296 record.<ref name="BR2"/>

==Family and later years==
Pillette's son [[Duane Pillette]] was a major league pitcher, from 1949 to 1956.<ref name="duane">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pilledu01.shtml|title=Duane Pillette|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref>

On April 30, 1960, Pillette died in [[Sacramento, California]], at age 64 in 1960.<ref name="obit">{{cite news|title=Death Takes Herm Pillette|newspaper=[[Statesman Journal|Oregon Statesman]]|date=May 3, 1960|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5002425/death_takes_herm_pillette|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> He was buried at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery in Sacramento.<ref name="BR"/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{baseballstats|mlb=120581|espn=26335|br=p/pillehe01|fangraphs=1010351|brm=pillet001her|retro=P/Ppillh101}}
*[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/herman-pillette Herman Pillette] at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
{{PCL Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillette, Herman}}
[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:1960 deaths]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:Detroit Tigers players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates scouts]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Oregon]]
[[Category:Tacoma Tigers players]]
[[Category:Richmond Quakers players]]
[[Category:Des Moines Boosters players]]
[[Category:Regina Senators players]]
[[Category:Portland Beavers players]]
[[Category:Mission Bells players]]
[[Category:Mission Reds players]]
[[Category:Seattle Indians players]]
[[Category:Hollywood Stars players]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Sacramento Solons players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]