Chief Bender

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Chief Bender

Inducted:
1953

Chief Bender MLB Hall of Fame

Player Details

Born: 
May 5, 1884
Crow Wing County, Minnesota, U.S.

Died:
May 22, 1954
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.


Position:
Pitcher

College:
Dickinson College

Charles Albert “Chief” Bender (1884–1954) was one of baseball’s first dominant pitchers and among the game’s earliest stars. A member of the Ojibwa Nation, he starred at Carlisle before joining the Philadelphia Athletics in 1903.

Known for his mental acuity and pioneering the slider, Bender won 212 games with a career 2.46 ERA across 3,017 innings. He helped lead the A’s to three World Series titles (1910, 1911, 1913), threw a no-hitter in 1910, and tied the record by pitching three complete games in the 1911 Fall Classic. After his playing career, he coached, managed, and scouted through the 1940s.

Selected to the Hall of Fame in 1953, Bender's legacy lies in his clutch postseason performance, trailblazing pitching style, and role as one of baseball’s first standout Native American athletes.

Bender's Awards and Records

    • 3× World Series champion (1910, 1911, 1913)
    • Pitched a no-hitter on May 12, 1910
    • Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
    • Athletics Hall of Fame
    • No-hitter thrown – May 12, 1910
    • Led AL in winning percentage – 1910 (23–5), 1911, 1914
    • Led AL in saves – 1906 and 1913
    • First slider pitch – Credited as inventor of the “nickel curve”
    • Baseball Hall of Fame, Class of 1953

    MLB Teams

    Philadelphia Athletics (1903–1914)
    Baltimore Terrapins (1915)
    Philadelphia Phillies (1916–1917)
    Chicago White Sox (1925)

    Career Stats

    Win–Loss Record:
    212–127
    Earned Run Average:
    2.46
    Strikeouts:
    1,711
    Innings Pitched:
    3,017
    WHIP:
    1.11
    Games Played:
    459
    Complete Games:
    334
    Shutouts:
    40