Burleigh Grimes (1964)


Date of Birth: 8/18/1893
Date of Death: 12/6/1985
Birthplace: Emerald, Wisconsin

Burleigh Grimes, major league baseball's last official spitballer, learned to play baseball from his father, who played for local teams in Wisconsin. In 1912, he joined a professional team in the Minnesota-Wisconsin League and he played with them for a year. The next year, he played for an Iowa team in the Central Association. From 1914 to 1916, he played with teams in the Southern Association. He was traded from that league to the Pittsburgh Pirates in August, 1916.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Grimes pitched in six games with the Pirates in 1916. The following season, he pitched in 37 games with them and he had a 3.53 ERA and 3 wins and 16 losses. He was traded to the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers in January, 1918.

Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers

Grimes had a good first season with Brooklyn in 1918, pitching in 30 games as a starting pitcher and 8 games in relief. He ended the season with a 19-9 record, 113 strikeouts to 76 walks, and a career low 2.14 ERA. The following season, he had a 3.47 ERA in 25 games. He had 10 wins and 11 losses in 181.1 innings in 1919. He pitched in 40 games in 1920, finishing the season with 23 wins and 11 losses, 131 strikeouts to 67 walks, and a 2.22 ERA in 303.2 innings.

In 1921, Grimes led the National League in wins, strikeouts, and complete games. That season he had a 22-13 record with a career high 136 strikeouts to 76 walks and a 2.83 ERA in 302.1 innings in 37 games. He pitched 30 complete games.

A good fielding pitcher, Grimes led the NL in assists in 1922 with 79. He pitched 259.0 innings in 36 games and he had 17 wins and 14 losses and a 4.76 ERA.

Grimes again led the NL in assists in 1923 with 101. He also led the league in innings pitched (327.0) and complete games pitched (33). He finished the season with 21 wins and 18 losses, 119 strikeouts to 100 walks, and a 3.58 ERA in 39 games.

In 1924, Grimes led the NL in innings pitched (310.2), complete games (30), and putouts (25) for a pitcher. He won 22 games and lost 13 and he struck out 135 batters and walked 91. He had a 3.82 ERA in 38 games.

Grimes led NL pitchers in assists with 92 and in putouts with 18 in 1925. He didn't fare as well pitching, however, finishing the season with a 5.04 ERA in 33 games. He had control issues, walking 102 batters while striking out only 73. He had 12 wins and 19 losses. He pitched better in 1926, finishing the season with 12 wins and 13 losses and a 3.71 ERA in 30 games. He again had problems with control, walking 88 batters and striking out just 64.

New York Giants

In 1927, Grimes played with the New York Giants. He had a good season with them, winning 19 games and losing just 8. He had a 3.54 ERA in 259.2 innings in 39 games. He struck out 102 batters and walked 87.

Return to Pittsburgh Pirates

Grimes returned to the Pirates in 1928, and he had a strong season with them. That season he had career highs in games played (48), innings pitched (330.2), and wins (25 to 14 losses). He had a 2.99 ERA. He led the NL in wins, innings pitched, and complete games.

Grimes had another good season in 1929, finishing with a 3.13 ERA in 33 games. He had 17 wins and 7 losses in 232.2 innings.

Final Years as a Player

After playing with the Pirates for two seasons, Grimes moved to the Boston Braves in 1930. He didn't stay long with Boston, however, and after just 11 games, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.

From 1931-1934, Grimes played with four teams, going from the Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1932, then back to the Cardinals in 1933. In 1934, his last season in the major leagues, Grimes pitched in four games with the Cardinals and then ten games with the New York Yankees. He ended his career with eight final games with the Pirates.

MLB Records

  • Led the NL in wins (2 times)
  • Led the NL in innings pitched (3 times)
  • Led the NL in complete games (4 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Grimes in 18 full seasons (1917-1934) in the major leagues include:

  • 5 seasons with over 20 wins, with a high of 25 in 1928
  • 4 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 2.14 in 1918

Career pitching statistics for Grimes include:

  • 616 games played
  • 4,179.2 innings pitched
  • 270-212 win-loss record
  • 1,512 strikeouts to 1,295 walks
  • 3.53 ERA

Postseason statistics for Grimes include:

  • 4 postseasons
  • 9 games played
  • 55.0 innings pitched
  • 3-4 win-loss record
  • 28 strikeouts to 26 walks
  • 4.42 ERA

Post Playing Career

In 1935, after retiring as a major league pitcher, Grimes was a manager in the minor leagues for two seasons.

Grimes returned to the major leagues in 1937 to manage the Brooklyn Dodgers. His record as a manager was 131 wins against 171 losses over a two year period.

Grimes left major league baseball after the 1938 season and he later became a minor league manager and scout.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Burleigh Grimes
ESPN - Burleigh Grimes
Baseball Reference - Burleigh Grimes

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