| Howie Pollet | |
|---|---|
 Pollet, circa 1941 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1921-06-26)June 26, 1921 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| Died: August 8, 1974(1974-08-08) (aged 53) Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 20, 1941, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 23, 1956, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 131–116 |
| Earned run average | 3.51 |
| Strikeouts | 934 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Howard Joseph Pollet (June 26, 1921 – August 8, 1974) was an American left-handedpitcher inMajor League Baseball during the 1940s and 1950s. A three-timeAll-Star in1943,1946 and1949, he twice led theNational League inearned run average (1.75 in 1943 and 2.10 in 1946).
Born inNew Orleans, Pollet signed his first professional contract with theSt. Louis Cardinals, and it was as a Cardinal that he achieved his greatest success. In 1941, he won 20 of 23 decisions and led the Class A1Texas League in ERA (1.16) andstrikeouts (151) as a member of theHouston Buffaloes. This performance earned Pollet a promotion to the Cards that season: as arookie, he won 5 and lost 2, with an ERA of 1.93. He missed the 1944–45 seasons while serving in theUnited States Army Air Forces in thePacific Theater of Operations during World War II.[1]
Pollet returned to baseball in 1946, and promptly played a major role in the Redbirds' National League pennant andworld title. In addition to topping the NL in earned-run average, he led the league inwins (21) (losing ten) andinnings pitched (266). When the Cardinals finished in a tie for the pennant with theBrooklyn Dodgers at the close of the regular season, he was chosen bymanagerEddie Dyer to start Game 1 of the best-of-three National League playoff on October 1. Pollet hurled acomplete game, 4–2 victory in the opener, and the Cardinals wrapped up the league title by easily winning Game 2 behindMurry Dickson. Pollet started two games of the1946 World Series against theBoston Red Sox, and lost his onlydecision, posting an ERA of 3.48 in 121⁄3 innings pitched.
In 1949 Pollet posted a 20–9 mark and led the NL inshutouts with five. That year, however, St. Louis finished second to Brooklyn by one game.
Pollet was traded to thePittsburgh Pirates on June 15, 1951, and thereafter struggled to post a winning record. During his 14-year career, he won 131 and lost 116 (.530) with a career ERA of 3.51. As a Cardinal (1941–43; 1946–51), his record was 97–65; as a member of the Pirates,Chicago Cubs andChicago White Sox (1951–56), he won 34 and lost 51. Altogether, he worked in 403 Major Leaguegames pitched and 2,1071⁄3 innings pitched; he gave up 2,096hits and 745bases on balls with 934strikeouts.
As a hitter, Pollet posted a .185batting average (129-for-698) with 54runs, 48RBI and 55bases on balls. Defensively, he recorded a .960fielding percentage.
Pollet returned to the field in 1959 as the Cardinals'pitching coach, serving through 1964. In his last season there, the Cards won their seventhworld championship. He then moved back to his adopted city ofHouston in 1965, working as the pitching coach of theAstros for one season.
Pollet was a business partner of his former manager, Dyer, in insurance, real estate and energy companies in Houston. He retired from baseball and resumed his business career after the 1965 season, and died fromadenocarcinoma[2] in Houston at age 53 in 1974.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | St. Louis Cardinalspitching coach 1959–1964 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Houston Astrospitching coach 1965 | Succeeded by |
