| Max Lanier | |
|---|---|
 Lanier on a 1951Bowman Gum card | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1915-08-18)August 18, 1915 Denton, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| Died: January 30, 2007(2007-01-30) (aged 91) Lecanto, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 20, 1938, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 4, 1953, for the St. Louis Browns | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 108–82 |
| Earned run average | 3.01 |
| Strikeouts | 821 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Hubert Max Lanier (August 18, 1915 – January 30, 2007) was an American professionalbaseballpitcher. He spent most of hisMajor League Baseball (MLB) career with theSt. Louis Cardinals, but also played for theNew York Giants andSt. Louis Browns. He led theNational League inearned run average in 1943, and was thewinning pitcher of the clinching game in the1944 World Series against the Browns. His sonHal became a major leagueinfielder andmanager.
Born inDenton, North Carolina, Lanier was one of a handful of players who remained active during theWorld War II years. A naturally right-handed player, he had become a left-handed pitcher only because he twice broke his right arm in childhood. After signing with the Cardinals in 1937, he reached the major leagues in 1938. He had arguably his best season in 1943, compiling a 15–7 record with a league-best 1.90 ERA. In 1944 he won a career-high 17 games and was the winner of the final game of the World Series against the crosstown Browns. He was named an NLAll-Star in both 1943 and 1944.
Lanier, along with a dozen other major leaguers, defected to theMexican League in1946 after being offered a salary nearly double what he was making with the Cardinals. In 18 games with theAzules de Veracruz, he worked to an 8–3 record and a league-leading 1.93 ERA.[1] However, disappointed by poor playing conditions and allegedly broken contract promises, he tried to return to the Cardinals in 1948 but was barred by an order from commissionerHappy Chandler, imposing a five-year suspension on all players who had jumped to the Mexican League. In response, Lanier and teammateFred Martin, as well asDanny Gardella of theNew York Giants, sued Major League Baseball in federal court, challenging baseball'sreserve clause as a violation of U.S.antitrust law (preceding the similar suit byCurt Flood some 25 years later). Chandler reinstated Lanier and the other players in June 1949.[2] Lanier immediately held out for more money than he was being paid at the time of his leaving for Mexico,[3] but eventually signed a contract paying him the same amount as in 1946.[4]
Lanier rejoined the Cardinals in 1949. After winning a total of 101 games for the club, he ended his career with theNew York Giants (1952–53) and the Browns (1953).
Over fourteen seasons, Lanier posted a 108–82 record with 821strikeouts and a 3.01 ERA in 16191⁄3innings pitched, including 21shutouts and 91complete games. Lanier's sonHal, would play in professional baseball for ten years.[5]
Lanier died at age 91 inLecanto, Florida.[6] He was posthumously inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame on August 20, 2023.
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