Intro

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.

Unform Number

#11 (1931, 1933-1938), #15 (1932), #31 (1939)

Replaced By

Al "Happy" Milnar, a lefty swingman, who worked his way into the Indians' #5 starting pitcher slot in 1939.

Best Season

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.

Factoid 1

Ty Cobb was Earl Whitehill's first major league manager.

Transition

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.

Strengths

Consistency and durability.

Weaknesses

Fielding. Twice, Whitehill committed seven errors in a single season.