MLB history: Celebrating Pi Day throughout the game

Players named Pi (or Pie)

Three players in MLB history have been named either Pi or Pie. That number is sort of fitting.

The first of those three was Pi Schwert. A little used catcher for the New York Yankees, Schwert appeared in 12 games over two seasons. He did show a bit of pop in his brief time in the majors, as three of his five hits were doubles, and drove in six runs. However, Schwert also struck out nine times in 27 plate appearances. He went back to the minors for a few seasons before going into politics, where he was elected to Congress in 1938. Schwert served until his passing just three years later.

Next came Pie Traynor, who easily had the best career of the three players. He had a distinguished 17 year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in the first two All Star Games and finishing in the top ten of the MVP vote six times. He produced a lifetime .320/.364/.435 batting line with 371 doubles and 164 triples, but was best known for his defense. Traynor was considered the best third baseman of the early part of the 1900s, a stellar defensive player who still ranks in the top 30 in putouts, assists, and double plays at the position. For his efforts, Traynor was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1948.

After Traynor took his last at bat in 1937, the game had to wait another 70 years for another Pie to appear. This time, it was Felix Pie, a former top prospect for the Chicago Cubs. Although he spent six seasons in the majors with Chicago, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, Pie never established himself. He ended his time in the majors with a .246/.295/.369 batting line over 1082 plate appearances, hitting 17 homers and stealing 21 bases. Pie has spent the last few years in international leagues, playing in Korea, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

Honorable mention to Sandy Piez, who spent 37 games with the New York Giants in 1914, primarily serving as a pinch runner.

Finding Pi in pitching statistics

3.14, or 314, can be a significant statistic when it comes to pitching.

Over the course of MLB history, 103 pitchers have posted an ERA of 3.14 during the course of a season. The first to hit that number was Jack Jones in 1883, which was also the only season he pitched in the majors, as he left the game to become a dentist. Last year, both Adam Warren and Jonathan Holder posted a 3.14 ERA, becoming the newest members of that club. Bob Knepper is the only pitcher to have an ERA of 3.14 in more than one season, doing so in 1986 and 1988.

Only three pitchers have a career ERA of 3.14 – Mike Cuellar, Tug McGraw, and Stephen Strasburg. Chances are, Strasburg will leave that grouping by the time that Pi Day comes around next season, unless he joins Knepper by having a second year with an ERA of 3.14, which he accomplished back in 2014.

Only one pitcher has struck out 314 batters in a season. Bill Hutchinson, who was a star pitcher for the Chicago Cubs before the mound was moved back to its current distance, led the National League with 314 strikeouts in 1892. He also led the league in wins, appearances, games started, complete games, and inning pitched that year.

Finally, Gaylord Perry won exactly 314 games over his illustrious career. Perhaps it is fitting that the modern day spitballer was the one pitcher to reach that mark, as the fact that he was never caught throwing a spitter, despite his autobiography admitting such usage, is equally irrational. Perry also just missed having a career ERA of 3.14 – his ending mark was 3.11.

Finding Pi in hitting statistics

Just like pitching, 314, or in the case of hitters, .314, can be a significant number as well.

Over the course of MLB history, with a minimum of 100 plate appearances, 146 players have had a batting average of .314 in a season. The first to do so was Dickie Flowers, who hit .314 in 1871, the first year in MLB history. Playing for the Troy Haymakers in the National Association, he reached that mark in 109 plate appearances. He only had 17 more major league plate appearances afterwards, all coming the following year. The last players to have a batting average of Pi were Alex Pressley and Josh Reddick, both of whom hit .314 in 2017.

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Two players had a career batting average of .314 with a minimum of 1000 plate appearances – Bibb Falk and Cecil Travis. A left handed hitting outfielder, Falk played for 12 years, possessing decent pop as he hit exactly 300 doubles. Falk gained renoun as the head coach at the University of Texas, winning 20 Southwest Conference championships in his 28 year career.

Travis, an infielder, was a similar player, with solid doubles power as well. He lost three seasons of his prime due to World War Two, and losing part of his foot due to frostbite. Unable to find his balance in the batter’s box, Travis was not the same player when he returned, derailing what could have been a Hall of Fame career.

Reggie Smith is the only player in MLB history to hit exactly 314 homers over his career. He was considered more of a doubles hitter, as he led the league twice in that category, but was still a respectable power threat. Smith had eight seasons where he hit 20 or more homers, including two years where he eclipsed the 30 home run mark. In part time duty in 1981, Smith also had a .314 slugging percentage.

Finally, two players in MLB history had 314 steals – Andre Dawson and Rafael Furcal. Dawson is better remembered as a power hitting outfielder, as he had 13 seasons with 20 or more homers. However, before his knees were ruined due to the artificial turf in Montreal, he possessed incredible speed as well. Dawson stole over 20 bases in seven consecutive seasons, and reached the 30 steal mark three times. The Hall of Famer is also one of only eight players in MLB history to hit 300 homers and steal 300 bases in their careers.

Furcal, on the other hand, was a known speedster. The 2000 NL Rookie of the Year, he had nine seasons of 20 or more steals, and reached the 40 stolen base plateau twice. Although he never led the league in steals, Furcal placed in the top five twice. His career was ruined by injury, as he only appeared in at least 100 games twice from 2008 through 2014.

Pi Day can be celebrated throughout MLB history as well, and not just with a shaving cream pie to the face. Although, that may be a fun way to celebrate as well.