Sheriff Blake
Born: 9/17/1899 in Ansted, WV, USA
Died: 10/31/1982 in Beckley, WV, USA
MLB Debut: 1920-06-29 | Final Game: 1937-09-26
Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: John Frederick Blake
Biography
Sheriff Blake, born in 1899, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1920 to 1937. Primarily known for his durability on the mound, Blake finished his career with a record of 87 wins and 102 losses, while maintaining an earned run average (ERA) of 4.13. Over the course of his time in Major League Baseball, he recorded 621 strikeouts and notched 8 saves, contributing to his teams in both starting and relief roles.
Blake's playing career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball, marked by the post-Deadball Era's shift toward more offensive-minded play. Despite his overall losing record, Blake's ability to strike out batters highlighted his skill and competitiveness in a league that saw the emergence of powerful hitters. His contributions on the mound and his resilience throughout his career solidified his place in the annals of baseball history, showcasing the tenacity required of pitchers during an era that demanded both versatility and endurance.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | 102 | 304 | 196 | 81 | 11 | 8 | 1620.0 | 1766 | 744 | 68 | 740 | 621 | 4.13 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | PIT | NL | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.3 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 8.10 | 61.2 |
| 1924 | CHC | NL | 6 | 6 | 29 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 106.3 | 123 | 54 | 44 | 42 | 4.57 | - |
| 1925 | CHC | NL | 10 | 18 | 36 | 31 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 231.3 | 260 | 125 | 114 | 93 | 4.86 | - |
| 1926 | CHC | NL | 11 | 12 | 39 | 27 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 197.7 | 204 | 79 | 92 | 95 | 3.60 | - |
| 1927 | CHC | NL | 13 | 14 | 32 | 27 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 224.3 | 238 | 82 | 82 | 64 | 3.29 | - |
| 1928 | CHC | NL | 17 | 11 | 34 | 29 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 240.7 | 209 | 66 | 101 | 78 | 2.47 | - |
| 1929 | CHC | NL | 14 | 13 | 35 | 30 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 218.3 | 244 | 104 | 103 | 70 | 4.29 | - |
| 1930 | CHC | NL | 10 | 14 | 34 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 186.7 | 213 | 100 | 99 | 80 | 4.82 | - |
| 1931 | CHC | NL | 0 | 4 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50.0 | 64 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 5.22 | - |
| 1931 | PHI | NL | 4 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 71.0 | 90 | 44 | 35 | 31 | 5.58 | -160.7 |
| 1937 | SLA | AL | 2 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 36.7 | 55 | 31 | 20 | 12 | 7.61 | -1412.8 |
| 1937 | STL | NL | 0 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43.7 | 45 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 3.71 | - |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 310 | 558 | 46 | 118 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 14 | 91 | 0.211 | 0.233 | 0.224 | 0.457 | -3596.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | PIT | NL | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1924 | CHC | NL | 29 | 31 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.290 | 0.0 |
| 1925 | CHC | NL | 36 | 79 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0.152 | -794.0 |
| 1926 | CHC | NL | 39 | 65 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0.215 | -404.5 |
| 1927 | CHC | NL | 32 | 83 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0.193 | -661.9 |
| 1928 | CHC | NL | 35 | 88 | 10 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0.216 | -575.4 |
| 1929 | CHC | NL | 38 | 81 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0.173 | -688.4 |
| 1930 | CHC | NL | 36 | 66 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0.227 | -471.8 |
| 1931 | CHC | NL | 16 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.500 | 0.0 |
| 1931 | PHI | NL | 14 | 25 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.240 | 0.0 |
| 1937 | SLA | AL | 15 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.100 | 0.0 |
| 1937 | STL | NL | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.300 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | WS | CHN | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13.50 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | WS | CHN | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13.50 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 304 | 0 | 55 | 401 | 13 | 24 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | PIT | P | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1924 | CHN | P | 29 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | CHN | P | 36 | 0 | 7 | 52 | 2 | 6 |
| 1926 | CHN | P | 39 | 0 | 9 | 54 | 1 | 1 |
| 1927 | CHN | P | 32 | 0 | 10 | 64 | 4 | 5 |
| 1928 | CHN | P | 34 | 0 | 4 | 48 | 3 | 3 |
| 1929 | CHN | P | 35 | 0 | 6 | 43 | 2 | 1 |
| 1930 | CHN | P | 34 | 0 | 7 | 50 | 1 | 4 |
| 1931 | CHN | P | 16 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 1931 | PHI | P | 14 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 0 | 2 |
| 1937 | SLA | P | 15 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937 | SLN | P | 14 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 304 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia Wesleyan College | Buckhannon | WV | 1918, 1919 |