| Earl Whitehill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1899-02-07)February 7, 1899 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S. | |
| Died: October 22, 1954(1954-10-22) (aged 55) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 15, 1923, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1939, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 218–185 |
| Earned run average | 4.36 |
| Strikeouts | 1,350 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Earl Oliver Whitehill (February 7, 1899 – October 22, 1954) was an AmericanMajor League Baseballpitcher. He played for theDetroit Tigers for the most significant portion of his career (1923–1932), and later with theWashington Senators (1933–1936),Cleveland Indians (1937–38), and theChicago Cubs (1939). Consistently winning in double digits for thirteen years (1924–1936), left-handed Whitehill went on to become one of thetop winning pitchers of all time. He was born inCedar Rapids, Iowa.
"The Earl", as many called him, was a handsome and often temperamental pitcher who often showed up in the top 10 inhit batsmen, leading the league in his first full year, 1924, when he hit 13 (tied withGeorge Uhle).
Whitehill averaged 14 wins each season and he never dipped below 11 wins in a full season (30 starts or more). Whitehill made his debut on September 15, 1923. He was a small left-handed pitcher, who weighed around 174 pounds (79 kg). With Detroit, he came to be known as one of the most consistent pitchers in the league. From 1928 through 1932, he never had anERA higher than 4.62 and never had one lower than 4.08; a difference of only .54 in those years.
In his rookie season, Whitehill was 17–8, with a 3.86 ERA, and twoshutouts. The Tigers' offensive support helped, as the Tigers finished 1st in most major offensive categories in 1923. Reduced run support became a factor later in his stint with Detroit, which lead some to believe his overall record could have been better. In his early years with Detroit, Whitehill was part of a starting rotation that includedHooks Dauss,Dutch Leonard, andLil Stoner.
Whitehill, one of the top pitchers of the Roaring Twenties, had a celebrity marriage to Violet Geissinger. Geissinger was a model for Sun-Maid Raisins during the 1920s. She was known as The Sun-Maid Raisin Girl.[1]
After he was traded to Washington, forFirpo Marberry andCarl Fischer, Whitehill fit right in there, going a career-best 22–8 in his first year, with a 3.33 ERA (also a career-best, excluding his first year when he pitched in 8 games and had a 2.73 ERA). With Washington that year, he saw his first (and last) postseason action, when the Senators were defeated by theNew York Giants in 5 games. However, Whitehill did his part, getting the only win of the series for Washington. In that game, he pitched acomplete game shutout allowing 5hits and 2walks. Because he didn't start until Game 3, it became his only start of the Series, and his only start of the postseason. Thus, his final postseason ERA was 0.00, tied with many others for a record.
He one-hit theSt. Louis Browns on July 4, 1932,Goose Goslin recording the only hit for the Browns.[2] Whitehill also one-hit theNew York Yankees on May 30, 1934.[3] The Yanks'Ben Chapman broke up theno-hitter in the ninth inning.[3]
He was traded as part of a three team deal on December 10, 1936. The Senators receivedJack Salveson from theChicago White Sox, who receivedThornton Lee from the Indians, which is where Whitehill was headed. In Cleveland, Whitehill had two average years and made a number of relief appearances (mostly in 1937). His final record with the Indians was 17–16.
Whitehill signed with the Cubs in 1939, went 4–7 with a 5.14 ERA there, and was released in October 1939. In 17 seasons, he was 218–185 with a career ERA of 4.36, having given up 1726earned runs in 35642⁄3innings pitched. He recorded 1350 careerstrikeouts. He pitched in 541 games, 473 of them starts. His lifetime ERA of 4.36 is higher than any other 200-game winner.
A competent hitting pitcher in his 17 years in the majors, Whitehill compiled a .204batting average (264-for-1291) with 107runs, 4home runs, 98RBI and 97bases on balls.
After serving as a coach for the Indians, thePhiladelphia Phillies, and in theInternational League in the early 1940s, he became a sales representative for theA. G. Spalding sporting goods firm. Whitehill died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident inOmaha, Nebraska, at the age of 55.[4]
