Mule Watson
Born: 10/15/1896 in Arizona, LA, USA
Died: 8/25/1949 in Shreveport, LA, USA
MLB Debut: 1918-07-04 | Final Game: 1924-09-18
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs
Full name: John Reaves Watson
Biography
Mule Watson, born in 1896, was a talented pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1918 until his final game on September 18, 1924. Known for his competitive spirit and resilience on the mound, Watson concluded his career with a record of 50-53 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.03. Over his six-season career, he recorded 208 strikeouts and notched four saves, showcasing his ability to both start games and secure victories from the bullpen.
Watson's playing era was characterized by the transition from the deadball era to the more offense-oriented style of the 1920s. Despite facing significant challenges, including fierce competition and evolving strategies in the game, he established himself as a reliable pitcher for his teams during a time when the sport was beginning to embrace the long ball. His contributions on the mound remain a part of baseball history, and he is remembered for his dedication to the game and the impact he had during his time in the league.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 53 | 178 | 126 | 53 | 8 | 4 | 941.7 | 1062 | 422 | 44 | 256 | 208 | 4.03 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | PHA | AL | 7 | 10 | 21 | 19 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 141.7 | 139 | 53 | 44 | 30 | 3.37 | 21.4 |
| 1919 | PHA | AL | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14.3 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 6.91 | -671.0 |
| 1920 | BSN | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 1920 | BSN | NL | 5 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 71.7 | 79 | 30 | 17 | 16 | 3.77 | 0.0 |
| 1920 | PIT | NL | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 8.74 | -926.7 |
| 1921 | BSN | NL | 14 | 13 | 44 | 31 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 259.3 | 269 | 111 | 57 | 48 | 3.85 | 45.6 |
| 1922 | BSN | NL | 8 | 14 | 41 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 201.0 | 262 | 105 | 59 | 53 | 4.70 | 234.4 |
| 1923 | BSN | NL | 1 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 31.3 | 42 | 18 | 20 | 10 | 5.17 | -829.1 |
| 1923 | NY1 | NL | 8 | 5 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 108.3 | 117 | 41 | 21 | 26 | 3.41 | -1092.5 |
| 1924 | NY1 | NL | 7 | 4 | 22 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 99.7 | 122 | 42 | 24 | 18 | 3.79 | -758.2 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 178 | 322 | 23 | 53 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 108 | 0.165 | 0.182 | 0.230 | 0.412 | -1339.5 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | PHA | AL | 21 | 47 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0.128 | 0.0 |
| 1919 | PHA | AL | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1920 | BSN | NL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1920 | BSN | NL | 12 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0.130 | 0.0 |
| 1920 | PIT | NL | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1921 | BSN | NL | 44 | 87 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 0.138 | -882.8 |
| 1922 | BSN | NL | 41 | 66 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0.197 | -456.7 |
| 1923 | BSN | NL | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1923 | NY1 | NL | 17 | 46 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0.174 | 0.0 |
| 1924 | NY1 | NL | 22 | 35 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0.257 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | WS | NY1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1923 | WS | NY1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2.7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10.12 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | WS | NY1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1923 | WS | NY1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13.50 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 178 | 0 | 22 | 235 | 15 | 9 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | PHA | P | 21 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 3 | 3 |
| 1918 | PHA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | PHA | P | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920 | BSN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1920 | BSN | P | 12 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 1920 | PIT | P | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 1921 | BSN | P | 44 | 0 | 7 | 72 | 6 | 1 |
| 1922 | BSN | P | 41 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 3 | 1 |
| 1923 | BSN | P | 11 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923 | NY1 | P | 17 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 1924 | NY1 | P | 22 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 178 |
| First Base | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor University | Waco | TX | 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917 |