Today (May 27, 2018) is the 81st anniversary of the 24th victory in Giants’ Carl Hubbell’s MLB-record 24-decision winning streak (July 17, 1936 – May 27, 1937). “King Carl” Hubbell started the streak with a complete-game, nine-hit shutout of the Pirates – as the Giants topped the Bucs 6-0 in Pittsburgh. The last win in the streak came as the result of a two-inning relief stint (May 27. 1937). Hubbell came on in the seventh inning with the Giants trailing the Reds 2-1 in Cincinnati. He retired six straight in the eighth and ninth frames and the Giants scored in the top half of each of those innings to give Hubbell the win. The 6’, 170-pound hurler (known for his knee-buckling screwball) saw his streak end in his next trip to the mound (May 31), when the rival Dodgers reached him for five runs on seven hits and three walks in just 3 1/3 innings. (The Dodgers prevailed by a 10-3 score).
Over the course of his streak, Hubbell pitched in 27 games – starting 22 (two of the 24 wins came in relief). He notched 19 complete games and put up a 1.82 earned run average over 207 2/3 innings (158 hits, 38 walks, 104 strikeouts). In games he started, Hubbell gave up two or fewer runs 17 times and picked up ten one-run victories.
King Carl Versus Dizzy Dean – Memorable Matchups
The toughest game in Hubbell’s 24-decision streak of victories came against fellow future Hall of Famer Dizzy Dean. On July 21, 1936, Hubbell faced Dean and his Cardinals in New York. After nine innings, Hubbell and Dean were both still in the game, which was knotted at 1-1. Dean had actually outpitched Hubbell to that point, giving up one run, four hits and two walks – while fanning six. Hubbell had fanned just two and had given up one run, nine hits and four walks. Both runs had scored on solo homers: Giants’ catcher Gus Mancuso had gone deep against Dean in the bottom of the fifth inning; Cardinals’ right fielder Pepper Martin had answered with a solo shot in the top of the sixth.
In the top of the tenth, Hubbell gave up a walk to Pepper Martin, got LF Joe Mediwick to hit into a double play and then fanned 1B Ripper Collins. Dean got the first two outs in his half of the tenth before Giants’ SS Dick Bartell hit a walk off home run to give Hubbell win number-three in the streak.
Note: Hubbell faced St. Louis four times during the streak and Dean appeared in all four contests – three times as a starter and once in relief. On September 3, 1936, Dean and Hubbell both went the distance in a 2-1 contest. On September 14, Hubbell picked up his 14th win of the streak with five-innings of one-run relief and Dean pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the pen for St. Louis. The final Hubbell/Dean matchup during the streak came on May 19, 1937, when Hubbell picked up his 22nd consecutive win, topping Dean 4-1 (only two of the four tallies against Dean were earned), as they both again went the distrance. In those four matchups, Dean put up a 1.80 ERA over thirty innings – and all he got to show for it was three losses as a starter and a no decision in relief.
Hubbell finished the 1936 season on a 16-decision winning streak, with a league-leading 26 wins against just six losses (for a league-best .813 winning percentage), as well as a league-lowest 2.31 earned run average. He started 8-0 in 1937 and finished the year with a league-leading 22 wins (versus eight losses), a league-topping .733 winning percentage and a 3.20 ERA. Over a 16-season career, the Hall of Famer was 253-154, 2.98. He led the NL in wins three times, ERA three times, complete games once, shutouts once and strikeouts once.
THE STUFF OF LEGENDS
In the 1934 All Star Game, Carl Hubbell created his own piece of MLB history – fanning five future Hall of Famers consecutively: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin. Hubbell, who started the game for the National League actually fanned a sixth future Hall of Famer in his three-inning stint – AL starting pitcher Lefty Gomez.
Of course, the game was ripe for some type of legendary achievement. Of the 18 players who started that contest, seventeen – all but NL CF Wally Berger – were future Hall of Famers. Here’s how Hubbell’s now legenday appearance went.
First Inning …
Charlie Gehringer – Single, taking second on an erro by Giants’ CF Wally Berger
Heinie Manush – Walk
Babe Ruth – Strikeout
Lou Gehrig – Strikeout
Jimmie Foxx – Strikeout
Second Inning …
Al Simmons – Strikeout
Joe Cronin – Strikeout
Bill Dickey – Single
Lefty Gomez – Strikeout
Thrid Inning …
Charlie Gehringer – Flyout ro right
Heinie Manush – Groundout to second
Babe Ruthg – Walk
Lou Gehrig – Flyout to right
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