Nap Rucker

Nap Rucker
Starting pitcher
Born: (1884-09-30)September 30, 1884 Crabapple, Georgia
Died: Alpharetta, Georgia
Batted: Right Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 15, 1907, for the Brooklyn Superbas
Last MLB appearance
September 13, 1916, for the Brooklyn Robins
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	134–134
Earned run average	2.42
Strikeouts	1,217
Teams
Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers/Robins (1907–1916)
Career highlights and awards
Led the National League in complete games (27), innings pitched (320.1), and shutouts (6): 1910

George Napoleon "Nap" Rucker (September 30, 1884 – December 19, 1970) was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers/Robins. He was born in Crabapple, Georgia.

Rucker threw a no-hitter against the Boston Doves on September 5, 1908 . He led the National League in complete games (27), innings pitched (320.1), and shutouts (6) in 1910. His best year was 1911, when he won 22 games for the Dodgers. He holds the Brooklyn Dodgers record for the most shutouts in the National League (38); most strikeouts (16) in a regulation nine-inning game, and the most 1-0 shutouts (3) in a 154-game season. He became strictly a knuckleball pitcher when his speed declined.

After his baseball career, Rucker went on to a successful business career, and served as mayor of Roswell from 1935 to 1936, and as the city's water commissioner after his mayoral term. Rucker was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1967. Rucker died in Alpharetta, Georgia in 1970 and was interred in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Roswell, Georgia.

His nephew Johnny Rucker played baseball for the New York Giants.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
• List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
• BaseballLibrary.com
• DiamondFans.com
• New Georgia Encyclopedia entry for Nap Rucker
• Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Bio for Nap Rucker
• Baseball Almanac stats for Nap Rucker
• Georgia Sports Hall of Fame

References

• Roswell, A Pictorial History, Roswell Historical Society, Darlene M. Walsh (Editor), 2nd Edition, 1994, p. 253, ISBN 0-9615854-2-0.

Preceded by Elmer Stricklett Kaiser Wilhelm Cy Barger	Brooklyn Superbas/Dodgers Opening Day Starting pitcher 1908 1910 1912–1913	Succeeded by Kaiser Wilhelm Cy Barger Ed Reulbach
Preceded by Hooks Wiltse	No-hitter pitcher September 5, 1908	Succeeded by Bob Rhoads