Amos Rusie

Amos Wilson Rusie (May 30, 1871 – December 6, 1942), nicknamed "the Hoosier Thunderbolt," was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century. He spent his ten-season career in the National League, beginning with the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1889, followed by eight seasons with the New York Giants from 1890 to 1898, and a final season with the Cincinnati Reds in 1901.

Rusie was best known for the speed of his pitches. The velocity of his fastball was never measured, though it has been estimated in the mid-to-upper 90s. He led the league in strikeouts five times and won 20 or more games eight times. His power came without precision: he led the league in walks five times and ranks seventh among career pitching leaders in that category. In 1890 he walked 289 batters, the all-time single-season record.

In 1897, one of his fastballs struck shortstop Hughie Jennings in the head, leaving him comatose for four days before he recovered. Rusie's wildness was among the factors that prompted officials to change the distance from the pitching rubber—then the back line of the pitching box—to home plate.