Background
Criss was born in Sherman, Mississippi.
Criss was born in Sherman, Mississippi.
He is considered by historian Bill James as the first player to be used as a pinch hitter regularly. Criss started out in the Texas League where he was a key player for the Cleburne Railroaders championship team in 1906. On June 28 of that season, Criss pitched a no-hitter against the Temple Boll Weevils.
Criss signed with the Browns in the beginning of the 1908 season, where his father told Criss not to sign for them for less than a dollar a day.
In his first season on the big leagues, Criss became the first player to pinch hit at least 40 times in a season, with 41 out of 82 at-bats, making 12 pinch hits, (28 overall) for a.341 batting average, higher than the league leader, Ty Cobb. He led the American League in pinch at-bats and hits in every season of his four-year career.
After his career with the Browns, Criss went back to the Texas League, where he led the league in batting three times, and pitched three no-hitters for Houston. Overall, Criss played in 227 games, getting 304 at-bats, 84 hits, for a.276 lifetime average.
Criss died in Sherman in 1955.
He is a member of the Texas League Hall of Fame.
