George Uhle
George Uhle developed a new "trick pitch" while pitching batting practice to Tigers' teammate Harry Heilmann in 1929. He later dubbed it his "slider" and used it to reach the 200-win plateau. As a 20-year old rookie in 1919, Uhle won 10 games for his hometown team, the Cleveland Indians. He won 20 games three times for the Tribe before finishing his career with the Tigers, Giants and Yankees. He was one of the game's best hitting pitchers, setting a record with 52 hits in 1923, when he also won 26 games.
Played For
Cleveland Indians (1921-1928)
Detroit Tigers (1929-1933)
New York Giants (1933)
New York Yankees (1933-1934)
Cleveland Indians (1936)
Best Season: 1923
He led the AL in wins (26), innings pitched, games started, complete games, and shutouts (5). He hit .361 and set a record with 52 hits by a pitcher.
Factoids
George Uhle's 393 career hits rank him in the top ten on the all-time list for pitchers. His .289 career batting average ranks second to Babe Ruth's .304 career mark among pitchers.
20 Innings of Work
On May 24, 1929, Uhle started and pitched the first 20 innings of a 21-inning game against Ted Lyons of the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers won the game in the 21st inning, but Uhle's arm was never the same. He had to hold on to win 200 games, and his career was essentially over at the age of 32.
Born
George Ernest Uhle was born on September 18, 1898, in Cleveland, OH.
Died
February 26, 1985, Lakewood, OH
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: CLE
Major League Debut
April 30, 1919
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1919
Frankie Frisch
Bucky Harris
Lefty O'Doul
George Uhle
Curt Walker
Dickie Kerr
Bernie Friberg
Chick Galloway
Virgil Barnes
Nicknames
The Bull
Uniform Numbers
#15 (1931), #14 (1932-1933), #28 (1933 Giants), #26 (1933-1934 Yankees), #10 (1936)
Similar Players
Jesse Haines, Charlie Root, Doyle Alexander
Related Players
In 1935, Wes Ferrell tied Uhle's record for most hits by a pitcher in one season, with 52.
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1956 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.5% |
1958 |
BBWAA |
4 |
1.5% |
1960 |
BBWAA |
4 |
1.5% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1920 World Series
Post-Season Notes
Uhle pitched three innings of shutout relief in the Indians' losses in Game Two and Game Three. He surrendered just one hit and struck out three.
Feats
Uhle almost certainly would have won the 1923 Cy Young Award, had there been such an honor at the time. He finished eighth in MVP voting, the highest ranking for a pitcher.
Transactions
December 11, 1928: Traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Detroit Tigers for Jackie Tavener and Ken Holloway; April 21, 1933: Purchased by the New York Giants from the Detroit Tigers.
Matchup Data
Uhle was especially tough on Babe Ruth, and Ruth claimed the right-hander was the toughest pitcher he faced throughout his career. Ruth hit just two homers of Uhle in 15 seasons facing him.
Replaced
Ray Caldwell, in the Indians' 1921 rotation.
Replaced By
Whit Wyatt replaced Uhle in the 1932 Tigers' rotation. Wyatt later became a key pitcher for the Dodgers.
Best Strength as a Player
Control, and his bat.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Consistency. Uhle's win totals from 1923-1928: 26, 9, 13, 27, 8 and 12.
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