| Hal Newhouser | |
|---|---|
 Newhouser in 1953 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1921-05-20)May 20, 1921 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
| Died: November 10, 1998(1998-11-10) (aged 77) Southfield, Michigan, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 29, 1939, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 3, 1955, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 207–150 |
| Earned run average | 3.06 |
| Strikeouts | 1,796 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1992 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
Harold Newhouser (May 20, 1921 – November 10, 1998), nicknamed "Prince Hal", was an American professionalbaseball player. InMajor League Baseball (MLB), hepitched 17 seasons on theDetroit Tigers andCleveland Indians, from 1939 through 1955.
Newhouser was anAll-Star for six seasons[a] and was considered to be the most dominating pitcher of theWorld War II era of baseball, winning thepitching triple crown for the Tigers in 1945. To date, he is also the only pitcher in MLB history ever to win two consecutiveMVP awards. Newhouser was inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
After his retirement from baseball, Newhouser stepped away from the sport for 20 years, serving as a bank vice president. He later worked as a scout for several MLB teams, including theHouston Astros. Angered when they rebuffed his recommendation to draft future Hall of FamerDerek Jeter in favor ofPhil Nevin, he quit shortly after.
Newhouser was a schoolboy star atWilbur Wright High School in his hometown ofDetroit, Michigan. Before he was approached by professional baseball teams, he had been saving money to attend a trade school by working several jobs. The young Newhouser sold newspapers, collected pop bottles, and worked in a bowling alley before signing on in professional baseball.[1]
He was signed by theDetroit Tigers in1939 at the age of 18. A Tigers scout offered a $500 signing bonus to Newhouser, who found the sum of money to be unimaginable. Ten minutes after he signed, someone arrived from theCleveland Indians; that employee had been prepared to offer $15,000 to his parents in addition to a $4,000 car.[1]
Newhouser made his debut for Detroit on September 29, 1939. In1940, he earned a spot on the Tigers out of spring training. In his first two full big-league seasons, the young left-hander experienced control problems, walking more batters than he struck out while postingwin–loss records of 9–9 and 9–11. He improved in1942 and1943, posting excellentearned run averages (ERAs), but he still lost more than he won on a team with a weak offense.[2]
As World War II got under way, the Tigers moved up in the standings because several of their top players, including Newhouser, were classified as4-F (ineligible to be drafted). Newhouser was 4-F due to aleaky heart valve; he attempted to join the service anyway but was turned down several times.[3]
He blossomed in1944, becoming a dominant pitcher in wartime baseball. That season, Newhouser rang up a 29–9 record, leading the league in wins and strikeouts (187).[4] His 2.22 ERA was second in the league, as were his 25 complete games and six shutouts. The Tigers jumped into contention, finishing second in the American League, with Newhouser named MVP. Newhouser won the firstSporting News Pitcher of the Year Award in 1944.[5]
By the1945 season, Newhouser had been selected for three consecutive AL All-Star teams. The1945 All-Star Game was cancelled on April 24 because of travel restrictions and seven out of eight scheduled interleague games were played in place of the All-Star Game on July 9 and 10 to support theAmerican Red Cross and War Relief fund.[6][7] Newhouser became the first pitcher to repeat as MVP that season and helped the team win the World Series. He won the pitcher'sTriple Crown, leading the AL in wins (25, against nine losses), ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (212); he also led the league in innings pitched, games started, complete games and shutouts.[8] Newhouser pitched four innings of relief on the season's final day as Detroit rallied for the pennant. Newhouser won the secondSporting News Pitcher of the Year Award.[5] He became the youngest player (24) to win the award in two consecutive years. In that year's World Series against theChicago Cubs, Newhouser won two games, including a complete-game victory in the deciding seventh game.[9]
In1946, he went 26–9 with a 1.94 ERA, again leading the league in wins and ERA.[10] His 275 strikeouts was second in the league. Newhouser was runner-up in the MVP race toTed Williams. Newhouser continued to rate among the game's best pitchers for the next five years. He won 17 games in1947, led the AL with 21 wins in1948 and rang up an 18–11 mark in1949. After a 15–13 season in1950, he hurt his arm and his workload was cut significantly.
After being released by the Tigers following the1953 season, Newhouser signed on with theCleveland Indians and was their top long reliever in1954, when Cleveland won 111 games and the pennant. In his final big-league hurrah, he posted a 7–2 mark with a 2.54 ERA, and got to pitch in his second World Series. He ended his career with a record of 207–150 and a 3.06 ERA. He is the only pitcher ever to win consecutive MVP awards.[11]
As a hitter, Newhouser had a .201 careerbatting average (201-for-999) with 70runs, 2home runs, 81RBI and 89bases on balls. Defensively, he recorded a .971fielding percentage covering 488games pitched.[12]
Newhouser tried to vary his pitch selection. Even if he threw a batter the same variety of pitch twice in a row, he would always change speeds slightly, to keep the hitters guessing.[13]
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Newhouser spent his first 20 years after retiring from baseball away from the sport, working as a bank vice president inPontiac, Michigan.[14]
Eventually, he served as a scout for theBaltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, andHouston Astros. As a scout with the Orioles, Newhouser discoveredMilt Pappas, a Detroit high schooler who went on to win 209 games in an All-Star career—two more than Newhouser did. He also signed futureCy Young Award winnerDean Chance, who later earned the trophy with the Los Angeles Angels in 1964.[15]
While with the Astros, Newhouser was credited with discoveringDerek Jeter, whom the Astros passed over forPhil Nevin.[14] He quit his job with the Astros after they ignored his advice to draft Jeter,[16] though he had planned to retire after that season in any case.[17]
In1992, he was elected to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame. His induction class includedTom Seaver,Rollie Fingers andBill McGowan. The ceremony was attended by a then-record-setting crowd of 20,000 people.[18] The Tigers retired Newhouser's number 16 in1997. He died on November 10, 1998, in a hospital inSouthfield, Michigan. He had been ill withemphysema and heart problems.[1]
Newhouser was married to his wife, the former Beryl Margaret Steele (1922–2012), from 1941 until his death. They had two daughters, Charlene and Sherrill.[19][20]
During his playing days, Newhouser's teammates nicknamed him "Prince Hal" because of the way he carried himself.[21]
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| National | |
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