Not Likely to See that Again

Right-hander Tom Glass left the mound after the eighth inning of his Athletics’ June 15, 1925 game against the Indians with his team down 15-4, but still came away with his only major -league victory.

Shibe Park … Home of the Philadelphia Athletics.
Photo by The Library of Congress

Tom Glass had what can best be described as a brief major-league career.  It encompassed all of two appearances with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925.  His final stat line was 1-0, 5.40, giving up nine hits and three earned runs in five major-league innings.  That one victory was memorable, however, coming in what Baseball Roundtable would judge as MLB’s greatest-ever, late-inning comeback. It came on June 15, 1925, with Glass’ Athletics taking on the Cleveland Indians in Philadelphia.  Glass came into the game in the top of the sixth, with the Athletics trailing 12-2. When he tossed his last pitch of the game (also his last pitch in the major leagues), he had given up three runs on seven hits over three innings – and the Athletics were facing a 15-4 deficit. And yet, Glass was about to pick up his one and only MLB victory – as the Athletics  were about to put together a 13-run eighth inning comeback. In the frame:

• There were seven singles, a triple, a home run and three walks.
• Ten different players crossed the plate.
• In one stretch, ten straight batters reached base.
• The Athletics used just one pinch hitter – Sammy Hale, who hit an RBI single, stole a base ans scored a run.
• Al Simmons had two hits in the frame, a single and a three-run home run.

The inning went like this:

• With Jake Miller pitching, Athletics’ SS Chick Galloway led off with a walk.
• Pitcher Tom Glass flied out to right.
• 2B Max Bishop walked.
• 3B Jimmy Dykes hit a two-run triple to center.
• By Speece replaced Miller the mound, and LF Bill Lamar greeted him with a run-scoring single.
• CF Al Simmons singled, sending Lamar to third.
• RF Frank Welch singled, scoring Lamar and sending Simmons to third.
• C Charlie Berry (no, not Chuck Berry) singled, plating Simmons.
• Carl Yowell replaced Speece and and walked Jim Poole, loading the bases.
• Galloway got his second plate appearance of the inning and hit a two-run single.
• George Uhle replaced Yowell on the hill and PH Sammy Hale (hitting for Glass) singled home Poole, with Galloway going to third.  (Hale then stole second).
• Bishop hit a two-run single in his second plate appearance of the inning.
• Dyke hit into a fielder’s choice (shortstop to second) and was replaced buy pinch runner Walt French (with the score now 15-14).
• Lamar walked.
• Simmons popped a three-run homer to give the Athletics a tw0-run lead.
• Welch flied out to right to finally end the inning.

Rube Walberg then set the Indians down, giving up a lone single, in the ninth and the Athletics had their comeback win (and Glass his major-league victory). Glass was released by the Athletics one week later and never again took the mound in a major-league game.

Notably, the Athletics came back from a 12 run-deficit (15-3) going into the bottom of the seventh (tying the MLB record for the largest run-deficit ever “recovered from.”  The others to accomplish this feat?  On June 18, 1911, the Tigers trailed the White Sox 13-1 going into the bottom of fifth and came back for a 16-15 win.  On August 5, 2001, the Indians trailed the Mariners 14-2 after six innings and came back for a 15-14 win in 11 innings.  Still, the 1925 Athletics came back from a 12-run deficit later in the game than either the Tigers or the Indians – and being behind by 11 in the eighth (and making it all up .. and then some … in one inning) just adds to their edge in the BBRT  “comeback” rating. (While their backs weren’t against the wall in the eighth – they did have one more inning to bat if they needed it –  they were about as close to the wall as you can get.)

Baseball Roundtable would like to dedicate the remainder of this post to truly “backs-against-the-wall” MLB comebacks.  (This is just another example of BBRT’s research philosophy of “one thing least to another.”)   As I approached this post, I first had to define my criteria.   For me, backs-against-the-wall meant games in which the maximum deficit was in place in the ninth inning (or later).  Baseball-Reference.com showed 41 games in which the ultimate winning team was down by five or more runs in the ninth inning (and either won or tied the game in that frame) – and one contest in which that five-run deficit criteria was met in the bottom of the tenth. That seemed to be too many games for a single blog post, so I narrowed the field a bit more – going for games in which the winning team was down by five or more runs, with two outs and no one on base in the ninth (or an extra) inning.  I also added the stipulation that the team had to not just tie the game, but score the winning run in the comeback inning – and decided to focus on just the biggest comebacks under those circumstances (which proved to be overcoming a six-run deficit).  Now, I had a workable set.  Then, as I put this together, I decided to add one more game – the biggest comeback with two out in the bottom of the ninth, regardless of base runners.

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Biggest Comeback with Two Out and No One on Base in the Ninth Inning – Six-Run Deficit

Bottom of the Ninth … Pirates, July 28,2001 … Fifteen Pitches/Seven Runs

Brian Giles Grand Slam topped this comeback.  Photo by ewen and donabel

The biggest comeback with two outs and no one on in the bottom of the ninth belongs to the 2001 Pirates.  On July 28 of that season, the Pirates went into the bottom of the final frame trailing the Astros 8-2.   The Astros had racked up 12 hits – led by 3B Vinny Castillo’s three home runs (giving him 15 on the season).  The Pirates had just seven safeties and had not gone yard.

Michael Jackson (no, not that Michael Jackson), who had come on to pitch in the eighth (and set down the Pirates 1-2-3 ) was on the mound for the Astros. He retired 3B Aramis Ramirez and a fly to left and John Vander Wal on a fly to center – five up and five down in his appearance to this point. The Pirate were down six runs – and down to their last out.  Yet, just fifteen pitches later, they would be celebrating a victory.

Over the next ten pitches from Jackson:

• 1B Kevin Young doubled on the first pitch he saw.
• 2B Pat Meares homered on a 1-0 offering.
• PH Adam Hzydu singled on the first pitch he saw.
• CF Tike Redman walked on four pitches.
• SS Jack Wilson hit an 0-1 pitch for an RBI single.

After this barrage, the  Astros brought in closer Billy Wagner.  But Wagner, who would save 39 games that season, could not save this one.  Here’s how his (five-pitch) outing went:

•   C Jason Kendall was hit by a 1-1 pitch, loading the bases.
• Pirates’ clean-up hitter Brian Giles smashed a game-winning Grand Slam home run (1-0 pitch). Notably, six of the final seven Pirates’ batters were hitting .250 or under at the close of the game. (Giles was the lone exception at .326).

Top of the Ninth … Cubs, June 29, 1952 … Church Can’t Close it Out on a Sunday

On Sunday, June 29, 1952, the Cubs were facing the Reds in a doubleheader in Cincinnati.  They had, appropriately, started Bubba Church on that Sunday.  The Reds seemed to have the first game in hand, taking an 8-2 lead into the top of the final inning. At this point, they had collected 15 hits to the Cubs’ six.   Church was on the hill for the Reds – looking for hit looking for his first win of the season. Despite the big lead, it was not to be.

Brief Break: One Rough “Comebacker” … One Gritty Comeback

Phillies’ rookie pitcher Emory “Bubba” Church  – somewhat famously – bounced back from a viscous line drive to the face off the bat of slugger Ted Kluszewski. On September 15, 1950, the Phillies hosted the Reds, with Church (8-4, 2.22) getting the start (in Philadelphia). Church took a 1-0 lead into the top of the third – although he wasn’t particularly sharp, having already surrendered two walks and two hits. With two outs in the third, he walked Johnny Wryostek bringing up Kluszewski, who lined a ball up the middle – and off Church’s face. The ball was hit hard enough that it caromed off Church’s head and into right field – on the fly.

Church spent eight days in the hospital and, just one day after his release, was back on the mound for the Phillies – going five innings in a 11-0 loss to the Dodgers. He got one more start that season, but lasted only 2/3 of an inning,  Still, it took one tough cookie to come back to the mound so soon after the Kluszewski smash. Note: Church came back to have his best season in 1951 (15-11, 3.53, with 15 complete games and four shutouts)

Trivia Tidbit: On May 25, 1951, Church was the first MLB pitcher to face highly touted Giants’ rookie Willie Mays – and he struck Mays out looking in the future Hall of Famer’s first MLB at bat. (Mays went 0-for-4 against Church that game.

The top of the ninth started out fine for Church, who got Cubs’ C Toby Atwell on a ground out and RF Bob Addis on a strikeout.  Then, just one out away from victory, his afternoon went south – like this:

• 3B Bill Serena – double.
• SS Roy Smalley – walk.
• PH Gene Hermanski – single, scoring Serena, Smalley moving to third.
• 2B Eddie Miksis, bunting, safe on error, with Smalley scoring and Hermanski gong to second.

The Cubs now brought in Frank Smith to pitch – and he didn’t stop the bleeding. Smith faced just two batters:

• CF Hall Jeffcoat hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
• 1B Dee Fondy – two-run single.
• LF Hank Sauer – RBI double.

With the score now 8-7, the Reds brought Ken Raffensberger to the mound.

• PH Bruce Edwards was gifted an Intentional Walk, loading the bases.
• Johnny Pramesa (hitting for Addis who opened the inning) rapped a two-run single – (putting the Cubs up 9-8).
• And, finally, Bill Serena popped out to third base to end the inning.

Dutch Leonard came on for the bottom of the ninth and gave up a lone walk, while holding the Reds Scoreless.

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Biggest Comeback Bottom of an Extra Inning with Two Out and N0 One on Base (five-run deficit) … Dodgers, September 27, 2011

Roberts’ Grand Slam iced this win.

On the evening of September 27, 2011, the Dodgers faced off against the Diamondbacks (in Arizona) with Hiroki Kuroda on the mound for LA and Jarrod Parker starting for Arizona.  By the top of the seventh, both starting pitchers were gone – but neither had been roughed up.  In fact, after nine innings (and a dozen pitchers), the two teams were knotted at 1-1.

Then came the top of the tenth inning – and the bats seemed to wake up and leave the cave. The Diamondbacks brought in Micah Owings, their seventh pitcher of the contest.  Two singles, a double, a triple, a walk, one pitching change and three outs later, the Dodgers had a 6-1 lead (and, undoubtedly, a significant number of fans were headed for the exits).

The Dodgers brought in Blake Hawksworth, their seventh pitcher, and he quickly got the first two batters on a pair of weak ground outs.  However, the Dodgers were not to retire another batter.

• RF Cole Gillespie hit a ground ball single.
• Then Hawksworth got ahead of C Miguel Montero 0-2 (putting the D-backs down to their last strike – and still down five runs), but Montero hit the 0-2 offering for a groundball single through the hole between second and short – putting runners on first and third.
• Montero scampered to second (no throw) on the first pitch to CF Chris Young, who ended up walking on four pitches, loading the bases.
• John McDonald then pinch hit for Micah Owings and was safe on an error by 3B Aaron Miles.
• The Dodgers had seen enough and brought in Javy Guerra to pitch to 2B Aaron Hill, who walked to force in a run.
• Next up was 3B Ryan Roberts, who hit the first pitch he saw from Guerra for a game-winning, walk-off Grand Slam (his 19^th and final round tripper of the season). So, after being down five runs, with two outs and no one on in the bottom of the tenth,  the Diamondbacks had come back for a 7-6 win.  On a bit of side note: The walk-off Grand Slam was the only Grand Slam of Ryan’s nine-season MLB career, during which he went .243-46-169 in 518 games.

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Biggest Comeback with Two-out in the Bottom of the Ninth (no limit on base runners) … June 18, 1961 – Red Sox (down by seven)

On June 18, 1961, the Senators faced off against the Red Sox at Fenway and took a slim 7-5 lead into the top of the ninth.  The Senators then put cross five runs in the top of the final inning – fueled primarily by CF Willie Tasby’s Grand Slam.

Trivia Note: Senators CF Willie Tasby (.304 average coming into the game) was the only .300 hitter (position player) to appear in the game.  Senators’ reliever Marty Kutnya, who didn’t bat in the game, came in hitting .400 (four-for-ten) on the season. 

That set the stage for the greatest, two-out-in-the-ninth comeback ever. With Carl Mathias pitching, Red Sox’ 1B Vic Wertz opened the inning by grounding out pitcher-to -first; SS Don Buddin followed with a single to right.  Next, Bill Harrell pinch hit for pitcher Ted Wills and Mathias fanned him – putting the Red Sox down to their last out – still trailing 12-5. Now the fun begins:

• 2B Chuck Schilling singled, sending Buddin to second.
• LF Carroll Hardy drove in Buddin with a single to center.

A Brief Break from Our Story: Carroll Hardy and Ted Williams

Can anybody replace Ted Williams?  Carroll Hardy gained a degree of notoriety – and a spot in the Trivia Hall of Fame – on September 20, 1960, when he became the only player ever called upon to pinch hit for Ted Williams. (Williams had fouled ball off his foot and had to leave the game). Hardy, by the way, hit into a double play. Just over a week later (September 28), when Williams was called in from left field (in order to set the stage for a standing ovation as the Splendid Splinter left his final MLB game), Hardy replaced Williams in left. Thus, also becoming the final player ever to replace Williams in the field during an MLB game.  

• CF Gary Geiger walked, loading the bases.
• Dave Sisler came in to pitch and walked RF Jackie Jensen to force in a run.
• 3B Frank Malzone walked to forced in a run.
• C Jim Pagliaroni, hit a Grand Slam to deep left – tying the score.
• Wertz walked in his second plate appearance of the inning.
• Marty Kutnya replaced Sisler on the bump and gave up single to Buddin, putting runners on first an second.
• Russ Nixon pinch hit for Harrell and singled in the winning run.

How the game had changed.  The 25-rum, 24-hit, contest took only two hours and 47 minutes to complete and only six pitchers took the mound.

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Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; MLB.com; Society for American Baseball Research.

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Tex Vache … Perfect Against Lefty Grove 

Boston Red Sox outfielder  Ernest Lewis “Tex” Vache faced Hall of Fame southpaw Lefty Grove just four times in his MLB career – but went four-for-four (three singles and a double) – the most hits against Grove of any player to put up a 1.000 batting average against him. 

Vache (who served on a U.S. Navy minesweeper in World War I and left the Navy in 1919) did not  make his professional (minor-league)  debut until age 31 and made his first MLB roster in 1925 (at age 35). Vache played just one MLB season, hitting .313-3-48 in 110 games for the Red Sox.   After the season,Vache was traded to the Tigers, who then sent him on to Fort Worth of the Texas League. (Vache eventually played the 1926 season with the Pacific Coast League Mission Bells, hitting .302 in 88 games).  He toiled in the minor leagues until 1929, but never appeared in the majors again (most often attributed to his age and fielding issues.) 

From Ted Vache’s one-season MLB career, we segue into the Lefty Grove Edition of  the Baseball Roundtable’s “Who’s Your Daddy?” series.

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Who’s Your Daddy?  What’s it all about?

In this series, BBRT presents lineups of players who performed unexpectedly well against baseball’s top pitchers. (An explanation of the inspiration behind the Who’s Your Daddy? series can be found the end of this post.)  As always, I would stress that the pitchers included in the Who’s Your Daddy? series are among the “best in the business.”  They are selected not because of the players who performed well against them, but rather because success among hitters when they were on the mound was the exception rather than the rule.  We’ve looked at pitchers from a wide range of eras – from Bob Feller to Nolan Ryan to Max Scherzer.  We going even farther back in this post – to the players who seemed to be able to deal with the offerings of Hall of Famer Robert Moses “Lefty” Grove.

Before we get started on this edition, focusing on the Hall of Fame southpaw, here are links to the previous editions of this series:

• Nolan Ryan, click here.
• Sandy Koufax, click here. 
• Pedro Martinez, click here.
• Bob Gibson, click here. 
• Randy Johnson, click here. 
• Greg Maddux, click here. 
• Justin Verlander, click here. 
• Bob Feller, click here. 
• Roger Clemens, click here. 
• Max Scherzer, click here. 
• Tom Seaver, click here.
• Mariano Rivera, click here. 
• Warren Spahn, click here. 

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Photo by rchdj10

Lefty Grove – considered by many to be the best left-handed pitcher of all time – was known for having a white-hot fastball and a red-hot temper.

Grove finished his 17-season (1925-41) MLB career with 300 wins and a .680 winning percentage (141 losses). The six-time All Star (remember, the first All Star Game took place in 1935) led the American League in wins four times, winning percentage five times, earned run average nine times, complete games three times, shutouts three times and strikeouts seven times.

Going deeper, Grove also led the league in WHIP five times, strikeouts per nine innings five times and strikeouts-to-walks ratio seven times. His nine ERA titles are the most all time.

I’ll Take Grove for the Win

Lefty Grove’s .680 winning percentage is the best among pitchers with 300 or more MLB victories.

Grove won 20 or more games in seven seasons and threw 20 or more complete games in nine campaigns. He was 4-2, 1.75 in eight World Series appearances (five starts).

MVP-MVP

Lefty Grove was the 1931 American League MVP, when he went 31-4, 2.06 for the Philadelphia Athletics – winning one of his two pitching Triple Crowns (Wins-ERA-Strikeouts). That season, he ran off a sixteen-decision winning streak (June 8-August 19), during which he started 14 games and relieved in four (two saves), He notched 13 complete games (with a 2.30 ERA in that span).  The streak was broken on August 23, when Grove lost a 1-0 complete game to Dick Coffman and the St. Louis Browns.  (Coffman pitched a three-hit shutout.) After that tough loss, Grove went on to win his next six decisions – during which he threw five complete games in six starts and notched an even stringier 1.61 ERA.

Grove did not get his first taste of organized ball until he was 19 (town ball), where he quickly earned a reputation for dispatching hitters via the strikeout, He was signed at the age of 20 by the Class D Martinsburg Mountaineers – and went 3-3, 1.68, with 60 strikeouts in 59 innings before the International League (Double-A) Baltimore Orioles came calling. That season, Grove went 12-2, 3.80 at Baltimore, where he stayed until 1924. (From 1920-24, he went 111-39, 2.90 in the minors.) Before the 1925 season, Grove was purchased from the Orioles by the Philadelphia Athletics for $100,600 (just under $1.5 million in today’s dollars) and started his MLB career in 1925.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Still, Grove didn’t dominate every hitter who stepped into the batter’s box.   There were these batmen:

Note on chart: Baseball-References indicates game logs before 1973 are not complete. In the chart above, game logs (versus Grove) are missing for Charlie Gehringer (four games); Hank Greenberg (two games); Fred Schulte (one game); and Billy Rogell (three games).  Throughout this post, I have noted instances of incomplete game logs. 

Now, let’s take a look at the Lefty Grove “Who’s Your Daddy?” position-by-position line up.

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Catcher – Rollie Hemsley (.353 average)

In 1938, a season in which Lefty Grove went 14-4 and had the American League’s lowest qualifying earned run average at 3.08, Indians’ catcher Rollie Hemsley faced him in just one game (June 27). At the time, Grove was 11-2 on the season with a 2.98 earned run average. Hemsley, batting in the eight-hole, came into the game hitting .215 on the season and had played in just 20 the team’s first 58 contests. In the course of the game, Hemsley would go four-for-four (a double and three singles), raising his average 46 points.  In the eight seasons he faced Grove, Hemsley hit .333 or better in four.

The Right Place at the Right Time

Rollie Hemsley caught Bob Feller’s (April 16, 1940) Opening Day no-hitter – the only Opening Day No-No in MLB history. That, of course, makes Hemsley the only MLB player to catch an Opening Day no-hitter. Hemsley also had two of the Indians’ six hits and drove in the game’s only run with a two-out, fourth-inning triple. Side note:  Hemsley did gain some notoriety as Feller’s “personal catcher.”

Hemsley played 19 major league seasons (1928-44 … missing 1945 due to military service). He suited up for the Pirates, Cubs, Reds, Browns, Indians, Yankees and Phillies. (Hemsley played in 100 or more games in just six of those 19 seasons.) He was a five-time All Star, with a final career stat line of .262-31-555. His best season was 1934, when he hit .309, with 31 doubles, seven triples, two home runs, 52 RBI and six steals for the Saint Louis Browns.  (The average, triples, RBI and steals were all career highs.)

Honorable Mention: Rick Ferrell, a career .281 hitter, hit .313, with one home run and ten RBI in 29 games versus Grove. Note: Two games (logs) versus Grove are missing from Ferrell’s totals.

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First Base – Hank Greenberg (nine home runs, 33 RBI)

Hank Greenberg’s nine home runs versus Lefty Grove tied him for the most career long balls against the Hall of Fame southpaw.  The others with nine dingers against Grove are Yankee stars Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Greenberg, however, faced Grove in 38 fewer games than Gehrig and 13 fewer games than Ruth. Greenberg’s 32 RBI versus Grove also trail only Gehrig (45) and Ruth (33).

As noted earlier, two games (logs) versus Grove are missing from Greenberg’s totals.

Tea (me up) – for Two…

Hank Greenberg is one of only six players with a season of 60 or more doubles.  Here they are: Earl Webb (1931 – 67 doubles); George Burns (1926 – 64 doubles); Joe Medwick (1936 – 64 doubles); Hank Greenberg (1934 – 63 doubles); Paul Waner (1932 – 62 doubles); Charlie Gehringer (1936 – 60 doubles).

Greenberg played 13 MLB seasons (1933-47, missing 1942-44 for military service). He played all but his final season with the Tigers … suiting up for the Pirates in 1947. The Hall of Famer was a career .313 hitter (.412 on-base percentage), with 331 home runs, 1,274 RBI and 1,046 runs scored.  Greenberg was a two-time AL Most Valuable Player and a four-time All Star. He led the American League in home runs four times (a high of 58 in 1938), RBI four times (topping 100 in seven seasons), doubles twice (topping 40 five times) and runs scored once (with 100+ in six seasons). His best season could be called for either 1937 (.337-40-184) or 1938 (.315-58-147). Take your pick.

All or Nothing

On September 21, 21, 1937, Hank Greenberg had a truly “all or nothing” game against Grove. He came to the plate five times versus the Hall of Fame southpaw and went: strikeout; strikeout;  two-run home run; three-run home run; strikeout.  (It was one of two multi-home games Greenberg had against Grove.)  Grove, by the way, went the distance in a 12-7 Red Sox win over Greenberg’s Tigers – giving up seven runs (four earned).

Honorable Mention: Lou Gehrig hit .306 against Grove over his career.  In addition, Gehrig’s nine home runs tied for the most career long balls versus Grove (with Babe Ruth and Hank Greenberg, pretty good company); his 45 RBI against Grove were the highest of any hitter; his twelve doubles third; his 66 hits second; and his 26 walks first. Still, Greenberg gets this spot in the lineup for having done his damage in far fewer games and plate appearances.  Consider:  Gehrig’s slugging percentage against Grove was .551 to Greenberg’s .632 and his .380 on-base percentage versus Grove trailed Greenberg’s .395).  In addition, Greenberg had more walks (18) than strikeouts (14) versus Grove, while Gehrig fanned 47 times (versus 26 walks) versus Lefty.

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Second Base – Aaron Ward (.342 average/.409 on-base percentage.

Aaron Ward reached Lefty Grove for a .342 average and .409 on-base percentage in 17 games – getting off to a good start by collecting a bases-loaded walk and a three-run home run in his two plate appearances in his  first game against Grove (May 4, 1925 (Grove’s rookie campaign.)   In three seasons facing Grove, Ward (a .268 career hitter) put up averages of .313, .333 and .368.

Note: One game (log) is missing from Ward’s totals versus Grove.

House the Ruth Built

It may have been “The House the Ruth Built,” but the first Yankee to collect a hit in the original  Yankee Stadium was second baseman Aaron Ward – a single to lead off the third inning. (The first hit, overall, was off the bat of Red Sox’ first baseman George Burns in the top of the second.  Side note: The Yankees, behind Bob Shawkey’s complete game, won 4-1 – and Babe Ruth hit the first home run in the new ballpark, a three-run shot in the bottom of the third inning.

Ward played 12 MLB seasons (1917-1928), the first ten with the Yankees and then one season each with the White Sox and Indians.  Known as one the best fielders of his era, Ward played in 1,059 games, hitting .268 with 50 home runs and 446 RBI. In 1923, he led AL second baseman in fielding percentage and assists and was second in both putouts and double plays.  He also led the league in assists in 1923 and was in the top-three AL second basemen in fielding percentage four times. His best offensive season was 1922, when he hit .284 with 10 home runs and 81 RBI.

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Third Base – Ken Keltner  (.419, three home runs)

Ken Keltner hit .419, with power, in nine games versus Grove. His batting average was the fifth-highest among players with at least 25 at bats versus Grove and his .871 slugging percentage was tops among that group.  Keltner had only one hit in his first seven at bats (first two games) versus Grove – and went 12-for-24 in his next seven contests against him.

Keltner played 13 MLB seasons (1937-50, missing 1945 due to military service).  He played all but his final season with the Indians.  Keltner, a seven-time All Star and one of the slickest fielding third basemen of his time, was a career .276 hitter (1,526 games), with 163 home runs and 852 RBI. His best campaign was 1946, when he went ..297-31-119 (with career highs in home runs and RBI).  He twice topped 100 RBI and hit a high of .325 in 1939. Keltner led American League third basemen in double plays five times, assist four times, fielding percentage three times and putouts once.

The Culprit

Joe DiMaggio often referred to Keltner as “The Culprit.” On July 17. The Yankees were playing the Indians in Cleveland and DiMaggio was looking to extend his record-setting hitting streak to 57 games.  He went zero-for-three (with a walk) in that game and two of the three outs were the result of exceptional backhand grabs (and throws) on sharp ground balls down the third baseline – Keltner’s territory.  (DiMaggio, by the way, famously hit safely in his first sixteen games after the streak was halted.)

Honorable Mention: Ben Chapman suited up against Lefty Grove in 35 games between 1930 and 1940, picking up 33 hits in 100 at bats (.330), with six doubles, one triple, two home runs and 15 RBI.

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Shortstop Lyn Lary (.338 average)

Lyn Lary, a .269 career hitter over 12 MLB seasons, hit .338 in 30 games against Lefty Grove. He also drew ten walks against Grove, for a .414 career on-base percentage.

Lary played 12 MLB seasons (1929-40), taking the field for the Yankees, Indians, Senators, Browns, Dodgers and Cardinals. He played 1,302 games, hitting .269 with 38 home runs, 526 RBI, 805 runs and 162 stolen bases. His best season was for the 1931 Yankees, when he .280, with 10 long balls, 107 RBI and 100 runs scored in 155 games.

One for the Bombers

Lyn Lary drove in 107 runs for the Yankees in 1931 – still the most RBI in a season ever for a Yankee shortstop. (Derek Jeter is second with 102 in 1999.) In his first three season in the major leagues – Yankees … 1929-31 – Lary hit .289-18-185 in 352 games.

Over his career, Lary scored 100 or more runs in three seasons, stole 20+ bases in four seasons (leading the AL with 37 steals in 1936) and hit .280 or higher in five campaigns.

Honorable Mention: Luke Appling (.324-0-14 in 39 games against Grove). Note: Two games (logs) are missing from Appling’s totals versus Grove.

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Outfield – Harry Heilmann (33 hits – 11 for extra bases – and a .440 average)

Harry Heilmann hit .440 against Lefty Grove, second only to Tris Speaker’s .444 among hitters with at least 25 at bats against the Hall of Fame lefty. Heilmann also tied for the fifth-most regular season home runs versus Grove and had the second-highest on-base percentage and second-highest slugging percentage (again among those with at least 25 at bats versus Grove).  Heilmann drops to fourth in batting average and on-base percentage if you drop the qualifying at bats to twenty.  In the five seasons he faced Grove (1925-20), Heilmann hit under .400 against him only once (.278 in 1928) and hit .500 or better in three seasons.

Note: Three games (logs) are missing from Heilmann’s totals versus Grove.

Heilmann played 17 MLB season (1914, 1916-29 for the Tigers and 1930 and 1932 for the Reds). The Hall of Famer collected 2,660 hits for a .342 average – winning four batting titles along the way (and hitting a high of .403 in 1932.).  Heilmann’s  final line was .342-183-1,543. He led the AL in hits once (and topped 200 hits in four seasons); led the league in RBI once (with 100+ RBI eight times); topped the AL in doubles once (with 40 or more two-baggers in eight seasons); scored 100+ ruins in four seasons; stole 10+ bases in four; and recorded double digits in triples nine times.

Just Your Oddly AVERAGE Guy

In the seven seasons from 1921-1927, Harry Heilmann hit .380, with 104 home runs, 815 RBI and 727 runs scored. He won the American League batting title in each odd-numbered years during that span.

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Outfield – Babe Ruth (Nine homers, .311 average)

Babe Ruth tied Lou Gehrig and Hank Greenberg for the most home runs against Lefty Grove (nine) and only Gehrig drove in more runs against Grove (45) than Ruth (33) – and Ruth put up this numbers in 25 fewer games and 97 fewer at bats against Grove than Gehrig. While Grove held Ruth below his .342 career average, the Bambino hit a respectable .311 versus Lefty. Ruth had a pair of multiple home run games against Grove.

Ouch:

In 1933, Babe Ruth blasted off to a good start against Lefty Grove, homering in his first two at bats against him. He came to the plate against Grove 15 more times that season and collected just one hit (a single) and one walk, while fanning eight times and getting the ball out of the infield just twice (his lone single and a fly out to RF).  To be fair, Ruth did go eight-for-eighteen (.444) against Grove in 1926.

What can’t you say about the Babe?  He put up a .342-714-2,214 line, and recorded a record 12 home run crowns (11 seasons of 40 or more long balls); eight times led the league in runs scored (12 season of 100+); five times topped the league in RBI (11 season of 100+); led his league 11 time in walks; and captured one batting crown.

• In 1920, Babe Ruth popped 54 home runs for the Yankees – more than any other TEAM in the American League.
• Babe Ruth put up a 0.87 World Series earned run average, giving up just three runs in 31 WS innings pitched. His World Series batting average (in 41 games) was .326.
• In 1918, Babe Ruth led the American league in home runs (11) and hit an even .300, while also gong 13-7, 2.22 and tossing 18 complete games (19 starts) as a pitcher.
• Babe Ruth broke the all -time MLB Home run record in three straight seasons (1919-1920-1921).
• Babe Ruth still holds the record for the longest mound outing in a World Series game – going 14 innings in a 2-1 complete-game win (for Boston) in the 1916 World Series.

Comparing Strong Left Arms

Babe Ruth’s pitching skills mirrored those of Lefty Grove.  Ruth was 94-46, for a .671 winning percentage, just shy of Grove’s .680.  Ruth completed 72.7 percent of his 147 starts, while Grove finished 65.2 percent of his 457 starting assignments.  Ruth did put up a 2.28 ERA to Groves’ 3.06 – but Ruth pitched primarily before the live ball ERA.  When you look at their earned run averages versus standards of their time, Grove has a bit of an edge.   Grove did hold a notable edge in strikeouts averaging 5.2 per nine innings to Ruth’s 3.6 whiffs per nine innings.  Note: Ruth was a two-time 20-game winner and topped the American league in ERA, complete games and shutouts once each (in just three seasons of more than 20 starts).

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Outfield – Al Simmons (.436 average).

Al Simmons .436 average against Grove is the fifth-highest among hitters with at least 20 at bats versus Grove (if you set the bar at 25 at bats, he moves up to third.)  Among those with at least 20 at bats against Grove, Simmons’  .691 slugging percentage is the fourth-highest and his .466 on-base percentage ranks fifth. In addition, Simmons drove in 14 runs against Grove in just 17 games. Simmons faced Grove in six seasons (1933-38) and hit .357 or better versus Grove in all of those campaigns.  In 1936, he went .467 (seven-for-fifteen) versus Grove, with two home runs and six RBI in five contests.

Note: Two games (logs) are missing from Simmons’ totals versus Grove.

Simmons played in 20 MLB seasons (1924-41, 1943-44), playing for the Athletics, White Sox, Senators, Braves, Red Sox and Reds.  He complied a .334 career average, hitting .300+ in 13 full seasons and winning a pair of batting titles (.381 in 1930 and .390 in 1931). The three-time All Star led the league in hits twice (collecting 200 or more safeties in six seasons), runs scored once (topping 100 runs in six seasons) and RBI once (topping 100 in 12 seasons). He had four seasons of 40+ doubles, seven season with double-digits in triples and three seasons of 30+ home runs. His best campaign was 1931, when he hit .381, with 36 home runs, 165 RBI and 152 runs scored in 138 games.  His career stat line was .334-307-1,828, with 1,507 runs scored.

That’s Right!

Al Simmons’ 253 base hits in 1925 are the most ever for a right-handed hitter and the fifth-most all-time behind lefty swingers Ichiro Suzuki (262 in 2004), George Sisler (257 in 1920),  Lefty O’Doul (254 in 1929) and Bill Terry 254 in 1930).

Honorable Mentions:  Honorable mentions in the outfield include: Tris Speaker, who hit .444-0-7 in eight games against Grove (and who needed more games or a bit more power to crack this lineup);  Joe DiMaggio (.361-2-10 in 22 games versus Grove); and Harry Rice (.324-3-15 in 29 games against Grove. Note: Three games (logs) are missing from Rice’s totals versus Grove.

Joe D Finds His Grove Groove

In 1939, when Lefty Grove went 15-4 with an AL-best 2.54 earned run average, Joe DiMaggio raked him for nine hits in five games (a nifty .692 average), with two doubles, one home run, two walks and just one whiff.  That season, the Yankee Clipper led the American League with a .381 average.

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Pitcher – Jimmie DeShong

Righty Jimmy DeShong (47-44, 5.08 in seven MLB seasons) found himself on the mound and at the plate against Lefty Grove just twice in his career.   He took the loss in both games – but, the career .198 hitter acquitted himself well at the plate, going three-for-six (all singles).  In DeShong’s best season (1936), he went 18-10, 4.63 for the Washington Senators.

A Big Oh-Fer

Pitcher Red Faber set the record for futility against Lefty Grove. Faber faced Grove 16 times and drew one walk, while fanning 12 times (without getting a single hit.)  Two other players, Johnny Allen (pitcher) and Dick Bartell (shortstop) also managed to put up a .000 average in 16 plate appearances against Lefty. 

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Who’s Your Daddy?  The Inspiration.

On September 24, 2004, in the middle of a tight pennant race, the Yankees handed future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez and the Boston Red Sox a tough 6-4 loss.  Martinez went 7 1/3 innings giving up nine hits and five earned runs.  The game came just five days after (in his previous start) Martinez had lasted just five frames against the Bronx Bombers (eight hits, eight earned runs) in a 16-7 loss.

After that second loss, Martinez candidly commented, “What can I say? I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy.”  Little did he know that his comment – and a Yankee fans’ chant of “Who’s your daddy?” would follow him into future starts in New York (all the way to his final MLB start – against the Yankees for the Phillies – in Game Six of the 2009 World Series.)

The concept of “Who’s your daddy?” became the inspiration for Baseball Roundtable to take a look at the players who “had the number” of some of MLB’s premier pitchers.  Again, you can find links to the previous “editions” of “Who’s Your Daddy?” near the top of this post. 

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Primary Resource:  Baseball Reference.com; MLB.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; New England Historical Society.

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Sam “Toothpick” Jones – the definition of “effectively wild.”

On May 12, 1955, Cubs’ right-hander Sam “Toothpick” Jones came into the top of the ninth of a game against the Pirates having given up no-hits, with four walks and three strikeouts. Despite the four free passes, he had faced only one more than the minimum number of hitters.  The Pirates’ number-five hitter, power-hitting first baseman Dale Long, had walked in all three of his plate appearances. In the second inning, Long was tossed out on an attempted steal; in the fifth he was the lead out in a short-to second-to first double play; and, in the eighth, he was doubled off first on a line drive to third.  The only other Pittsburgh base runner to that point was catcher Toby Atwell, who led off the third with a walk, but was stranded as Jones induced a pop out, strikeout and ground out.  Meanwhile, the Cubs had scored four runs on fifteen hits off the Pirates’ Nellie King and Vern Law.

With a 4-0 lead and the eight, nine and lead-off hitters scheduled to bat, Jones –ironically, you will see – seemed in control.  That would not last long. Jones started the inning by walking the number-eight hitter, second baseman Gene Freese.  The Pirates sent Preston Ward (hitting .152 at the time) up to hit for pitcher Vern Law and, during the at bat, a Jones’ wild pitch sent Freese to second.  The WP didn’t matter much, since Jones went on to walk Ward, bringing up lead-off hitter/center fielder Tom Saffell (zero-for-three on the day and zero-for-fifteen on the season).  Jones walked Saffell to load the bases with no outs.

Coming up?  The heart of the order.  Shortstop Dick Groat (a future batting champion and NL MVP, who would strike out only 26 times in 151 games that season); future Hall of Famer RF Roberto Clemente (who came into the game hitting .304); and left fielder/clean-up hitter Frank Thomas.  With the bases loaded and the no-hitter, shutout and even the game in jeopardy, Cubs’ manager Stan Hack made a trip to the mound. Apparently, whatever he said, struck a chord with Jones.  After the visit, Jones used just 11 more pitches to strike out Groat (looking), Clemente (swinging) and Thomas (looking) – putting the final touches on his no-hitter.

The final inning of Jones’ no-hitter – three walks and three strikeouts – was pretty indicative of Jones’ pitching style. Jones, would in fact, lead his league in strikeouts and walks in the same season three times – 1955, 56, 58.   The year of the no-no was Jones‘ first full MLB season (he had pitched in two games for the Indians in 1951 and 14 games for the Tribe in 1952). In 1955, Jones led the National League in walks (185 in 214 2/3 innings), strikeouts (198), hit batsmen (14) and losses (20 against 14 wins).  Let me do the math for you. During the season, Jones walked 6.5 batters and fanned 7.4 per nine innings.

One Thing Leads to Another …

Baseball Roundtable readers know that often, when I am researching one topic, I get drawn into another. In this case, I was working on a post on hitters who had Hall of Famer Warren Spahn’s “number.”  (See that post here). One of hitters was Stan Musial, who had the most career base hits off Spahn. In the process, I saw that Sam Jones had been particularly effective against Musial – holding the career .331 hitter to a .122 career average (6-for-49, with 11 strikeouts).  That prompted me to look a little deeper into the career of Sam “Toothpick” Jones.

Jones’ early professional experience was garnered with the Negro American League Cleveland Buckeyes – whom he signed with in 1947 after leaving the Army.  He also pitched in Panama and the Southern Minnesota League (semipro) before signing with the Indians.

As an Indians’ farmhand, Jones had a pair of solid minor league seasons (17-8, 2.71 for the Class A Wilkes-Barre Indians in 1950 and 16-13, 2.76 for the Triple A San Diego Padres in 1951). He then made his MLB debut with the Indians (in Detroit) on September 22, 1951.  During this period, Jones also pitched in the Puerto Rican Winter League – topping that circuit (1951-52 season) in strikeouts (146), while putting up a 13-5, 2.51 record.

A bit of Irony …

Sam Jones was truly Stan Musial’s nemesis, (as noted earlier) holding the Hall of Famer to a .122 career average over 49 at bats.  That was Musial’s lowest average against any pitcher he faced at least 15 times. Jones also fanned Musial him in one of very 4.5 at bats – compared to Musial’s career average of one whiff for every 15.8 at bats.  In a bit of irony, Jones and Musial were teammates on the Cardinals from 1957-58. (Jones had been part of a nine-player Cubs/Cardinals trade in December of 1956.)   At that point, “Stan the Man” was 1-for-14 against Jones.

On May 13, 1958, Musial was on the Redbirds’ bench as they took on the Cubs in Chicago. Musial was  not only sitting on the bench, he was sitting on 2,999 career hits and manager Fred Hutchinson wanted to give him the opportunity to collect the landmark safety the next day in St, Louis.  Starting on the mound that day was none other than Sam “Toothpick” Jones.  In the sixth inning, with the Cardinals trailing 3-1, a runner on second, one out and Jones due to hit, Hutchinson decided to act and put in Musial to pinch hit. Musial doubled, collecting his 3,000^th hit while pinch-hitting for Jones (who would deny Musial plenty of hits over his career.)

Jones spent the early part of 1952 with the Indians (a 7.25 ERA and 37 walks in 36 innings before being sent down to Triple A Indianapolis).  He then spent the 1953 and 1954 seasons at Indianapolis (before being traded to the Cubs).  While he continued to have control issues, Jones did show significant potential. In 1954, he was 15-8, 3.75 at Triple A, throwing 12 complete games (31 starts) and four shutouts. In 199 innings, he walked 129 and fanned 178.

Warming Up in the Winter

Sam Jones pitched in the 1954-55 Puerto Rican Winter League season, leading the league in wins (14 versus four losses), ERA (1.77) and strikeouts (171). Side note: Tommy Lasorda finished third in the league in strikeouts that season with 86.   

Then came Jones’ first full MLB season (1955 Cubs), when, as noted, he led the league in walks and strikeouts – showing swing-and-miss stuff and miss-the-plate command.  He followed up with a 9-14, 3.91 season in 1956, again leading the league in walks and strikeouts. Following the 1956 season, the Cubs traded Jones to the Cardinals.  For the Redbirds in 1957, Jones pitched trough elbow issues (getting just 27 starts (to go 12-9, 3.60). In 1958, he got his full complement of starts and finished 14-13, 2.88 – and, for the third time in four years, led the league in both strikeouts and walks.

Shortly before the 1959 season opened, the Cardinals traded Jones to the Giants, where he continued to be dangerously – but even more effectively – wild. In 1959, he tied for the league-lead in wins (21 versus 15 losses), recorded the league;s lowest warned run average (2.83), finished second in strikeouts (209) and, true to form, led the league with 109 walks. He followed that up with an 18-14, 3.19 season in 1960.

In 1961, Jones went 8-8, 4.49 – and got only 17 starts in 37 appearances. The decline was enough for the Giants to leave him unprotected in the expansion draft and he was taken by the Colt .45’s, who traded him to Detroit.

Effectively Wild Even as an All Star

In his two All Star appearances, (1955, 1959) Sam Jones’ line was consistent with the term “effectively wild” – 2 2/3 innings pitched, one hit, one run (unearned), four walks, four strike outs, one hit by pitch.

During Spring Training 1962, Jones was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes and subsequently underwent surgery and radiation treatments. Although Jones did go into remission, from 1962-64, he appeared in only 48 more MLB games, going 4-4, 4.12; but still striking out 87 batters in 102 2/3 innings. His last major-league appearance came on October 3, 1964 for the Orioles. He pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, striking out one batter (the Tigers’ Gates Brown). Between 1963 and 1967, Jones also pitched in Triple A, as well as in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.  One wonders what Jones’ career would have looked like without that bout with cancer. (Jones died from cancer in 1971 at age 45.)

The Times They Are A’Changin’

With Major League Baseball designating Negro League records from 1920-1948 as major-league records – a couple of Sam Jones “landmarks” may bite the dust. On May 3, 1951, Jones came on in relief for the Indians (versus the Senators). His catcher was Quincy Trouppe – and, together, they formed the first all African-American major league battery.   In addition, Jones’ 1955 no-hitter was the first major -eague no-hitter by an African-Americana pitcher.  As noted, those records may soon be changing.

Jones pitched in MLB in all or parts of 12 seasons (1951-52, 1955-64), taking the mound for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles. Jones finished his MLB career with 102 wins, 101 losses and a 3.59 ERA. He led the league in wins once, earned run average once, strikeouts three times, strikeouts pr nine innings pitched four times and walks four times.

Primary Resources:  Baseball-reference.com; Baseball-almanac.com; Beisbol101.com, January 24, 2020 Tom Van Heyning,

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Kids are always chasing rainbows, but baseball is a world where you can catch them.

                                                           Johnny Vander Meer, Major League Southpaw

Photo by rchdj10

Johnny Vander Meer did indeed catch some baseball rainbows.  Most memorably – or, at least, most historically – his tossing of two consecutive no-hitters for the Cincinnati Reds in 1938.  That still-unmatched feat is what Vander Meer is most known for.  That’s not surprising when you consider his career (13 seasons – 1937-43 & 1946-51 … Reds, Cubs, Indians) 119-121 record and the fact that he walked nearly as many hitters as he fanned. Still, early in his career, the hard-throwing southpaw was compared to another up and coming fireballer – future Hall of Famer Bob Feller.   Still, when Baseball Roundtable looked a little deeper, there was a lot more to Vander Meer’s career than those two no-hitters.  Here’s just a sampling.

• Vander Meer’s two consecutive no-hitters came during a nine-decision winning streak that included eight complete games and three shutouts.

• Vander Meer led the National League in total strikeouts and whiffs per nine innings pitched in three consecutive seasons (1941-43).
• Vander Meer was the (first-ever) Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year in 1936 and the Sporting News Major League Player of the Year in 1938.

Making it Count

On September 18, 1940, Johnny Vander Meer not only pitched the Reds to a pennant-clinching victory, but also scored the winning run in the contest.  Vander Meer started the game and gave up three runs over 12 innings of work (eight hits, five walks, ten strikeouts). Leading off the top of the thirteenth inning, Vander Meer doubled to left, was sacrificed to third and then scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly. Reliever Joe Beggs pitched the bottom of the thirteenth to save Vander Meer’s win.

• Vander Meer was a four-time All Star (1938, 1939, 1942, 1943).
• Vander Meer shares the record for strikeouts in an All Star game (six) with Carl Hubbell, Larry Jansen and Fergie Jenkins.
• Vander Meer pitched in three All Star games (1938, 1942, 1943),  walking one and fanning 11 hitters in 8 2/3 innings. He gave up just five hits and one run (unearned) in those three appearances

A Hard Day’s Night

Johnny Vander Meer was the Reds starting pitcher in the longest MLB game ending in a scoreless tie. On September 11, 1946, he started against the Dodgers and pitched 15 shutout innings (seven hits, two walks and 14 strikeouts). (Dodger starter Hal Gregg went ten scoreless frames.) The game went 19 innings and was called (darkness) with both teams still scoreless. Note: On April 15, 1968, the Mets and Astros were both scoreless through 23 innings, with the Astros winning 1-0 in the bottom of the 24^th frame. That is the most innings both teams remained scoreless in an MLB tilt.

Here’s a little more of the Vander Meer story.

Vander Meer made his professional debut with the C-level Dayton Ducks as an 18-year-old in 1933 – going 11-10, 4.28, with 132 strikeouts in 183 innings. After a couple of less than stellar minor league seasons, he opened some eyes as The Sporting News 1936 Minor League Player of the Year – after a 19-6, 2.65 season with the Class-B Durham Bulls.  While, he had a powerful “swing and miss” fastball (Vander Meer fanned 295 batters in 214 innings), control was not his forte (he also walked 116).

On July 23, 1936, Johnny Vander Meer, pitching for the Durham Bulls, fanned 20 batters in a game against the Ashville Tourists.

Vander Meer’s 1936 performance earned him an invite to the Reds 1937 Spring Training camp and he went north with the team.  However, control issues still plagued him and he was sent down to the Double-A Syracuse Chiefs in July – after posting a 3-4, 4.22 record with 55 walks (40 whiffs) in 64 innings.  (He was called back up in September and ended the MLB season at 3-5, 3.84 with 69 walks and 52 strikeouts in 84 1/3 innings.)

Then came the 1938 season, when the 23-year-old seemed to find himself, going 15-10, 3.12 in 32 games (29 starts), fanning 125 batters in 225 1/3 innings (but still walking 103) – and, of course, tossing those consecutive no-hitters (June 11 versus the Bees and June 15 versus the Dodgers). For the season, Vander Meer’s 4.99 strikeouts per nine innings pitched were second in the National League (to Carl Hubbell); his 7.07 hits per nine innings pitched were the league low; and his 3.12 earned run average was tenth-best.  There was still work to do on his command, as his 104 walks were fourth-highest in the league.  Vander Meer also made his first All Star squad in 1938, started the game, threw three innings of no-run, one-hit ball and got the win.  After the season, he was the named the Sporting News Major League Player of the Year. 

After that sparkling 1938 season, Vander Meer appeared to be on his way. Those expectations were dashed in 1939, when illness and injury contributed to a 5-9, 4.67 record. He also got off to a slow start in 1940, being sent down to Double-A Indianapolis after four appearances (two starts) in which he pitched just 8 2/3 innings, fanning nine and walking 13, while putting up a 7.27 ERA.  He seemed to find himself at Indianapolis, going 6-4, 2.40, which earned him a September call up – during which he went 3-1, 2.97 (31 strikeouts and 28 walks in 39 1/3 innings) and pitched 12 shutout innings to get the win in the Reds’ pennant-clinching game.

Vander Meer powered his way to a 16-13, 2.82 record in 1941; 18-12, 2.43 in 1942; and 15-16, 2.82 in 1943 – leading the NL in strikeouts all three seasons and making the  National League All Star team in 1942 and 1943. Still, control remained an issue, as Vander Meer led the league in walks in 1943, allowed the NL’s second-most walks in 1942 and the fourth-most in 1941.

What Could Have Been

Johnny Vander Meer deserved better than his 15-16 record in 1943. His losses included two complete games in which he gave up a single run; two complete games in which he gave up just two runs; and a complete game which he lost 3-2 in the twelfth inning.  

Vander Meer then missed the 1944 and 1945 seasons (military service) and, while he came back to pitch six more MLB campaigns (1946-51), he had trouble recapturing that 1941-43 fastball.  Over those final six seasons, he went 44-55, 3.93 (as compared to 75-66, 3.11 from 1937 to 1943).  Vander Meer’s final career line was 119-121, 3.44, with 1,294 strikeouts and 1,132 walks. He threw 131 complete games (286 starts) and thirty shutouts.  He was a four-time All Star and won 15 or more games in five seasons.  Overall, he was in the NL’s top ten in ERA four times; wins five times; fewest hits per nine innings six times; total strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings seven times each; complete games five times; and shutouts eight times.

While he made his final MLB appearance on May 7, 1951 (Indians), Vander Meer continued to pitch in the minor leagues through 1955 and managed in the minors from 1953 through 1962.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; National Baseball Hall of Fame; MLB.com; Baseball-Almanac.com

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