Harry Coveleski
The older of the two pitching brothers who emerged from coal mining territory in Pennsylvania, Harry Coveleski was a winner, though briefly. He tallied 22 victories in 1914, 22 again in 1915, and 21 in 1916, all for the Detroit Tigers. When he was called up late in the 1908 season by the Phillies, Coveleski defeated John McGraw's Giants three times in a five-day stretch, crippling their pennant chances. In the third game, the "Giant Killer" bested Christy Mathewson. In 1917, the left-hander suffered an arm injury and was never the same, retiring from the majors in 1918 with 81 career wins.
Played For
Philadelphia Phillies (1907-1909)
Cincinnati Reds (1910)
Detroit Tigers (1914-1918)
Best Season: 1916
The ace of a shallow Tigers staff, Coveleski captured 21 victories and posted a stingy 1.97 ERA. It was his last good season.
Born
Harry Frank Coveleski was born on April 23, 1886, in Shamokin, PA.
Died
August 4, 1950, Shamokin, PA
Batted: Both
Threw: Left
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: DET
Major League Debut
September 10, 1907
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1907
Tris Speaker
Ed Konetchy
Clyde Milan
Larry Doyle
Dode Paskert
Fred Merkle
Heinie Zimmerman
Walter Johnson
Bill McKechnie
Nicknames
The Giant Killer
Family Tree
Harry's brother Stan pitched in the big leagues, and eventually gained induction to the Hall of Fame. The two of them made baseball history when they both won 20 games in a season, the first siblings to do so in MLB history. Harry first won 20 for the 1914 Detroit Tigers, Stan first won 20 for the Cleveland Indians in 1918. The two right-handed hurlers toiled in the American League together from 1916-1918, but never faced each other on the field. They made an agreement that they would never pitch against each other.
According to research by SABR member Steve Steinberg, five Coveleski brothers played baseball, and at least four of them played professionally. Of course, the family name was actually Kowalewski, and one of the brothers might have played under that name. In addition to Harry and Stan, there was Jacob, the oldest, who played in Indians, though whether he played professionally at all is unknown. Stan claimed that Jacob was killed during the Spanish-American War, in 1898. The next oldest, Frank (or Fred), born in 1880, pitched in Shamokin in 1906 and later spent time in the International and Federal Leagues. Lastly, John (1884-1940), apparently had tryouts with big league clubs but never made the show.
Similar Players
Reb Russell and Ray Collins, two lefties who also had brief successful careers in the mid-1910s, before arm injuries felled them.
Related Players
Stan Coveleski
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Early in his career, Harry was labeled a loser by major league clubs, despite his success at the big league level. In 1909, following his late-season heroics against the Giants the previous fall, Coveleski was in the Phillies' rotation. But the team was mediocre, and he went 6-10, despite a decent ERA. He was dealt to the Reds in 1910, but manager Clark Griffith never took a liking to him, and just a few weeks into the season, following struggles on the hill, Coveleski was shipped out to the bushes. He spent the next three years trying to get back to the majors, and he pitched well in the minors, but no one would give him a shot. Finally in 1914, he was signed by the Tigers, who always needed pitching. He proceeded to win 65 games in his first three seasons, a total surpassed only by Walter Johnson in the AL during that span. But he hurt his arm in 1917, tried to pitch through it, struggled, and was out of the game in 1918 at the age of 32.
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