Can you imagine not making a single error over the course of five years in any discipline? For example, never forgetting to buy something you needed at the grocery store for five years, never making a spelling error in any email over five years or never spilling a cup of coffee any morning during the same duration of time. It sounds impossible, but a man named Claude Passeau who was a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, managed to not make an error in 273 consecutive baseball games. His errorless streak started on September 21, 1941 and lasted until May 20, 1946. This is still the major league record to this day.
Claude Passeau is often overlooked in discussions about the great pitchers of his era, as he pitched for the woefully awful Phillies and Cubs in a ten-year period spanning from 1936 to 1945, but he was a dependable player who averaged fifteen wins a season. Passeau was also an all-star five times during his career and in 1942 he was recognized as one of the National League’s best pitchers despite the Cubs 68-86 record that season. In 1945, the Chicago Cubs were in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers and Claude Passeau threw his only career one hitter in game three as well as driving in the third and final run of the game. He struggled in game six, with the Cubs losing 8-7 and lost game seven after pitching one inning of relief giving up two runs to the Tigers.
Passeau shook off the defeat and started off the 1946 season strong winning seven of nine games. He made his final all-star team as well. Unfortunately, Claude Passeau strained his back while fielding a grounder in a game against the Cardinals and required surgery to repair two ruptured discs in his back. He attempted a return to baseball in 1947, but his career ended when he was cut from the team. Claude Passeau finished his Major League Baseball career with a 162-150 record and a 3.22 ERA.
After his playing career was over, Claude served as a pitching coach in the Cubs minor league system for a few years, retiring from baseball completely in 1949. He returned to his home state of Mississippi to focus full time on his successful farm and John Deere farm equipment store. Interesting fact: Claude Passeau often showed up late to the Cubs spring training in order to finish the season’s planting of tung oil trees. If you are wondering, tung oil is used as a wood drying oil.
He never lost his love for the game as he often participated in reunion and old-timer’s games. In a 1974 interview Passeau reminisced on his career stating, “I didn’t enjoy my baseball career like I should have, I was so intent about it, so sincere. I worked as hard as I could because I never felt it was a cinch.”
Claude Passeau died on August 30, 2003 at the age of ninety-four. He was married to his wife Bernyce for sixty-four years and both are buried in his hometown of Lucedale, Mississippi.
Time Out With Jenn & Lisa 