Muddy Ruel
Born: 2/20/1896 in St. Louis, MO, USA
Died: 11/13/1963 in Palo Alto, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1915-05-29 | Final Game: 1934-08-25
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 150 lbs
Full name: Herold Dominic Ruel
Biography
Muddy Ruel was a professional baseball player whose career spanned nearly two decades from 1915 to 1934. Born in 1896, Ruel was primarily recognized as a position player, though he made notable contributions behind the plate as a catcher. Over the course of his career, he played in 1,468 games, amassing 1,242 hits and posting a respectable batting average of .275. Ruel's offensive contributions included 534 runs batted in and 4 home runs, while he also showcased his speed on the basepaths with 61 stolen bases.
Ruel's playing style was characterized by his solid defensive skills and ability to manage pitchers, which were essential traits during his era, a time when the game was transitioning from the deadball era into a more offensive-minded approach. His longevity and consistency in the league reflected his importance to the teams he played for, including the Washington Senators and the New York Yankees, among others. Ruel's career achievements and adaptability in a changing baseball landscape solidified his legacy as a reliable player during a pivotal time in the history of the sport.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1468 | 4514 | 494 | 1242 | 187 | 29 | 4 | 534 | 61 | 606 | 238 | 0.275 | 0.365 | 0.332 | 0.697 | -2386.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | SLA | AL | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1917 | NYY | AL | 6 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.118 | 0.0 |
| 1918 | NYY | AL | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0.333 | 0.0 |
| 1919 | NYY | AL | 79 | 233 | 18 | 56 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 34 | 26 | 0.240 | -226.3 |
| 1920 | NYY | AL | 82 | 261 | 30 | 70 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 18 | 0.268 | -385.9 |
| 1921 | BOS | AL | 113 | 358 | 41 | 99 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 2 | 41 | 15 | 0.277 | -357.0 |
| 1922 | BOS | AL | 116 | 361 | 34 | 92 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 4 | 41 | 26 | 0.255 | -1005.0 |
| 1923 | WSN | AL | 136 | 449 | 63 | 142 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 54 | 4 | 55 | 21 | 0.316 | 702.2 |
| 1924 | WSN | AL | 149 | 501 | 50 | 142 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 57 | 7 | 62 | 20 | 0.283 | -288.7 |
| 1925 | WSN | AL | 127 | 393 | 55 | 122 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 4 | 63 | 16 | 0.310 | 261.1 |
| 1926 | WSN | AL | 117 | 368 | 42 | 110 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 53 | 7 | 61 | 14 | 0.299 | 805.5 |
| 1927 | WSN | AL | 131 | 428 | 61 | 132 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 52 | 9 | 63 | 18 | 0.308 | 803.0 |
| 1928 | WSN | AL | 108 | 350 | 31 | 90 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 55 | 12 | 44 | 14 | 0.257 | -624.4 |
| 1929 | WSN | AL | 69 | 188 | 16 | 46 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 31 | 7 | 0.245 | -514.2 |
| 1930 | WSN | AL | 66 | 198 | 18 | 50 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 24 | 13 | 0.253 | -615.1 |
| 1931 | BOS | AL | 33 | 83 | 6 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0.301 | 26.8 |
| 1931 | DET | AL | 14 | 50 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0.120 | 26.8 |
| 1932 | DET | AL | 51 | 136 | 10 | 32 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 0.235 | -367.8 |
| 1933 | SLA | AL | 36 | 63 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 4 | 0.190 | 42.2 |
| 1934 | CHW | AL | 22 | 57 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0.211 | -204.3 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 40 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 0.200 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | WS | WS1 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0.316 |
| 1924 | WS | WS1 | 7 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0.095 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 3 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| C | 1410 | 0 | 5347 | 1136 | 116 | 135 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | SLA | C | 6 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1917 | NYA | C | 6 | 0 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1918 | NYA | C | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | NYA | C | 79 | 0 | 340 | 90 | 11 | 6 |
| 1920 | NYA | C | 80 | 0 | 317 | 62 | 6 | 2 |
| 1921 | BOS | C | 109 | 0 | 375 | 86 | 11 | 7 |
| 1922 | BOS | C | 112 | 0 | 359 | 96 | 10 | 17 |
| 1923 | WS1 | C | 133 | 0 | 528 | 146 | 14 | 14 |
| 1924 | WS1 | C | 147 | 0 | 612 | 112 | 15 | 23 |
| 1925 | WS1 | C | 126 | 0 | 491 | 103 | 11 | 18 |
| 1925 | WS1 | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1926 | WS1 | C | 117 | 0 | 452 | 81 | 6 | 13 |
| 1927 | WS1 | C | 128 | 0 | 495 | 100 | 7 | 8 |
| 1928 | WS1 | C | 101 | 0 | 397 | 73 | 5 | 5 |
| 1928 | WS1 | 1B | 2 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1929 | WS1 | C | 62 | 0 | 247 | 52 | 3 | 6 |
| 1930 | WS1 | C | 60 | 0 | 243 | 32 | 4 | 5 |
| 1931 | BOS | C | 30 | 0 | 83 | 21 | 6 | 2 |
| 1931 | DET | C | 14 | 0 | 60 | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| 1932 | DET | C | 49 | 0 | 150 | 25 | 2 | 3 |
| 1933 | SLA | C | 28 | 0 | 72 | 21 | 0 | 3 |
| 1934 | CHA | C | 21 | 0 | 75 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1409 |
| First Base | 3 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C |
| 1926 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C |
| 1925 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C1 |
| 1925 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C1 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 15.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1924 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 11th | 7.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1923 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 11th | 7.0 | 64 | 0 |