| Hank Borowy | |
|---|---|
 Borowy on the front page ofBaseball Digest, 1945 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1916-05-12)May 12, 1916 Bloomfield, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| Died: August 23, 2004(2004-08-23) (aged 88) Brick Township, New Jersey, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1942, for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 14, 1951, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 108–82 |
| Earned run average | 3.50 |
| Strikeouts | 690 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Henry Ludwig Borowy (May 12, 1916 – August 23, 2004) was an American professionalbaseballstarting pitcher, who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) from 1942 through 1951 for theNew York Yankees (1942–45),Chicago Cubs (1945–48),Philadelphia Phillies (1949–50),Pittsburgh Pirates (1950), andDetroit Tigers (1950–51). He batted and threw right-handed.
Born inBloomfield, New Jersey, Borowy graduated fromBloomfield High School andFordham University. Over the course of his career, Borowy pitched in sixWorld Series games, and posted a 108–82 regular season record, with 690strikeouts, and a 3.50earned run average (ERA), in 1,717innings.[1]
Borowy debuted on April 18, 1942, with the Yankees, finishing with a 15–4 record, 85 strikeouts, and a 2.82 ERA. He started Game 4 of the World Series against theSt. Louis Cardinals but did not receive a decision.
In 1943, Borowy went 14–9, with 107 strikeouts, and a 2.82 ERA, while being credited with the win in Game 3 of the World Series against the Cardinals. Named anAll-Star in 1944, he pitched three scoreless innings in the game, ending the season with a 17–12 record, 107 strikeouts, and a 2.64 ERA.
In 1945, Borowy posted a 10–5 record with the Yankees in the first half of the season. The 1945 All Star game was cancelled due to wartime travel restrictions, but Borowy was selected a "virtual" All Star in an unofficial poll ofmanagers conducted by theAssociated Press.[2] At the All-Star break he was placed on waivers by the Yankees, and eventually sold to the Cubs for $100,000 ($1,746,580 in current dollar terms). Borowy went 11–2 for the remainder of the season, including three wins over the Cardinals down the stretch, and led theNational League (NL) inwinning percentage (.846) and ERA (2.14), as the Cubs won the pennant. His combined 1945 Yankees/Cubs record was 21–7, with 82 strikeouts, and a 2.65 ERA. Borowy is one of two pitchers in major league history to win at least 10 games for two different teams in the same season (the other isBartolo Colón, with theCleveland Indians andMontreal Expos, in 2002).
On October 3, 1945, theDetroit Tigers and Cubs met in the World Series for the fourth time. In the opener Borowy pitched a six-hit, 9–0shutout. He lost the fifth game, and then came back to win the sixth with four scorelessrelief innings. Borowy started the final game on one day's rest but gave up hits to the first three batters before leaving. He took the loss and the Tigers won the Series. Before the2016 World Series, Borowy was the last Chicago Cubs pitcher to win a World Series game.
Borowy is the fourth and last pitcher to hit two doubles in the same inning, on May 5, 1946 (the previous three wereFred Goldsmith,Joe Wood, andTed Lyons).[3]
For the remainder of Borowy's career, he was plagued by finger blisters and a chronic sore shoulder. Just prior to Borowy's retirement, he delivered one of the worst pitching performances ever seen in big league baseball.[4] Playing against theSt. Louis Browns on August 18, Borowy was called upon to pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning, with the game tied at 9-all. Borowy faced nine batters, and was unable to record an out, giving up foursingles, fourwalks, and a three-runhome run, before being pulled from the game by Tigers managerRed Rolfe. No other pitcher has faced nine batters in a game and not managed an out.[5] He pitched his final game on September 14, 1951.
Borowy was a longtime resident ofBrick Township, New Jersey, where he died on August 23, 2004, aged 88.[6]
Hank Borowy, a right-handed pitcher who helped the Yankees capture pennants in 1942 and 1943, then starred for the last Chicago Cubs team to reach the World Series, died Monday at his home in Brick, N.J. He was 88.... Borowy, a native of Bloomfield, N.J., who pitched for Fordham University, was 15–4 as a rookie on the Yankees' 1942 pennant winners
