Deacon Phillippe

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Charles Louis "Deacon" Phillippe (May 23, 1872 – March 30, 1952) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Louisville Colonels in 1899 and the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900 to 1911. Born in Rural Retreat, Virginia, he threw right-handed and was famous for his precise control. He pitched a no-hitter in his seventh major league game.

After the Colonels folded, Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss moved many players to Pittsburgh, including Phillippe, where he won 20 games in four straight seasons and helped the Pirates win NL pennants in 1901–1903 and 1909. In 1903 he started the Pirates’ first World Series game, defeating Cy Young in a complete-game victory; he finished with a World Series record five decisions. Arm injuries slowed him later, but he remained a key part of the 1909 champion Pirates and posted a strong 1910 season before retiring after 1911.

Phillippe later managed the Pittsburgh Filipinos in 1912 in the United States Baseball League, which briefly became the Pittsburgh Stogies in the Federal League. He died in Avalon, Pennsylvania, at age 79. Known for exceptional control, he left a lasting mark on Pittsburgh baseball. He is a distant relative of actor Ryan Phillippe, and Phillippe Springs near his boyhood home is named after him. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.