| Otto Hess | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: October 10, 1878 Bern, Switzerland | |
| Died: February 25, 1926 (aged 47) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 3, 1902, for the Cleveland Bronchos | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 13, 1915, for the Boston Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 70–90 |
| Earned run average | 2.98 |
| Strikeouts | 580 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Otto C. Hess (October 10, 1878 – February 25, 1926) was a Swiss-born pitcher for the Cleveland Bronchos/Cleveland Naps (1902 and 1904–08) and Boston Braves (1912–15).
In 1914, Hess was a member of the Braves team that went from last place to first place in two months, becoming the first team to win a pennant after being in last place on the Fourth of July.[1] Born in Bern, Hess was the first person born in Switzerland to play in Major League Baseball.
In 10 seasons he had a 70-90 win–loss record in 198 games, with 165 games started, 129 complete games, 18 shutouts, 5 saves, 1,418 innings pitched, 1,355 hits allowed, 663 runs allowed, 25 home runs allowed, 448 walks allowed, 580 strikeouts, 83 hit batsmen, 38 wild pitches and a 2.98 ERA. He died in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 47.
Hess was a good hitting pitcher in his major league career, posting a .216 batting average (154-for-714) with 63 runs, 21 doubles, 9 triples, 5 home runs, 56 RBI and 27 bases on balls. He also played 51 games in the outfield and 6 games at first base.