Earl Whitehill
Earl Whitehill used his trademark knuckleball to win 14 or more games ten times, often for mediocre teams. In 1933 he finally got on a winner, helping the Senators to the pennant with 22 wins. He threw a shutout in Game Three for Washington's only victory in the World Series. The southpaw retired in 1939 with 218 wins, and at the time only 19 other pitchers had started more games.
Played For
Detroit Tigers (1923-1932)
Washington Senators (1933-1936)
Cleveland Indians (1937-1938)
Chicago Cubs (1939)
Best Season: 1933
Whitehill led the AL in games started and was near the top in most pitching categories. His 22 wins were five more than any other season in his career, and his ERA of 3.33 was a full run under his career mark. In the World Series he defeated Freddie Fitzsimmons 4-0 in Game Three, throwing a five-hit shutout.
Factoids
Ty Cobb was Earl Whitehill's first major league manager.
Born
Earl Oliver Whitehill was born on February 7, 1900, in Cedar Rapids, IA.
Died
October 22, 1954, Omaha, NE
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Primary Position: P
Primary Team: DET
Major League Debut
September 15, 1923
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1923
Lou Gehrig
Heinie Manush
Bill Terry
Hack Wilson
Willie Kamm
Ted Lyons
Moe Berg
Charley Root
Earl Whitehill
Nicknames
Naturally he was called "Whitey" like almost everyone who's ever had that sort of last name.
Uniform Numbers
#11 (1931, 1933-1938), #15 (1932), #31 (1939)
Related Players
On December 14, 1932, Detroit traded Whitehill to the Senators for pitchers Firpo Marberry and Carl Fischer... On December 10, 1936, Whitehill was part of a three-team trade which sent him to the Indians. The Senators got Jack Salveson from the White Sox, while Chicago received Thornton Lee from Cleveland.
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1956 |
BBWAA |
1 |
.5% |
1958 |
BBWAA |
2 |
.8% |
1960 |
BBWAA |
3 |
1.1% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1933 World Series
Transactions
December 14, 1932: Traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Washington Senators for Firpo Marberry and Carl Fischer; December 10, 1936: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Washington Senators to the Cleveland Indians. The Cleveland Indians sent Thornton Lee to the Chicago White Sox. The Chicago White Sox sent Jack Salveson to the Washington Senators.
Replaced
In 1924, Whitehill became the Tigers #1 starter, replacing 34-year old Hooks Dauss, who was sent to the bullpen.
Replaced By
Al "Happy" Milnar, a lefty swingman, who worked his way into the Indians' #5 starting pitcher slot in 1939.
Best Strength as a Player
Consistency and durability.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Fielding. Twice, Whitehill committed seven errors in a single season.
Learn More about Earl Whitehill
Search Amazon.com for Books about Earl Whitehill ⇒
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View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
