Hal Newhouser (1992)


Date of Birth: 5/20/1921
Date of Death: 11/10/1998
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan

Hal Newhouser had an older brother who played in the minor leagues for a couple of seasons. The younger Newhouser became a pitcher at the age of fifteen. While in trade school, he played baseball for both his school and for an amateur team in Detroit. After that, he played American Legion baseball.

Detroit Tigers

Newhouser was first signed by the Tigers in 1939 at the age of 18. However, he only pitched in one game that year, spending most of the season in the minor leagues. The following year, he became a regular member of the Tigers' starting rotation. In 1940, Newhouser pitched in 28 games and he had a 9-9 record, 89 strikeouts to 76 walks, and 4.86 ERA in 133.1 innings.

Newhouser had control problems in 1941, walking 137 batters and striking out 106. He finished the season with 9 wins and 11 losses and a 4.79 ERA in 173.0 innings in 33 games. He still walked more batters than he struck out in 1942, but his ERA dropped to 2.45. He had 8 wins and 14 losses, 5 saves, and 103 strikeouts to 114 walks in 38 games.

Newhouser's control improved in 1943, when he walked 111 batters and struck out 144. He had 8 wins and 17 losses and a 3.04 ERA in 195.2 innings in 37 games.

In 1944, Newhouse won the American League MVP award and the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award, and he led the league in wins and strikeouts. He pitched in a career high 47 games and he had a career high 29 wins to 9 losses, 187 strikeouts to 102 walks and a 2.22 ERA in 312.1 innings.

Newhouser won a second AL MVP award and a second Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1945. He also won the Triple Crown for pitchers, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. He also led the league in complete games with 29. He had a 25-9 record with 212 strikeouts to 110 walks and a career low ERA of 1.81 in a career high 313.1 innings in 40 games.

Newhouser again led the AL in wins and in ERA in 1946. He had 26 wins and 9 losses, a career high 275 strikeouts to 98 walks, and a 1.94 ERA in 292.2 innings in 37 games. In 1947, he led the league in complete games with 24. He finished the season with 17 wins and 17 losses, 176 strikeouts to 110 walks, and a 2.87 ERA in 285.0 innings in 40 games. He played well defensively in 1947, leading AL pitchers in assists with 52 and in putouts with 23.

In 1948, Newhouser led the AL in wins with 21 (to 12 losses). He had 143 strikeouts to 99 walks and a 3.01 ERA in 272.1 innings in 39 games. His ERA went up to 3.36 in 1949, and to 4.34 in 1950. He had 18 wins and 11 losses and 144 strikeouts to 111 walks in 292.0 innings in 38 games in 1949. The following season, he had 15 wins and 13 losses and 87 strikeouts to 81 walks in 213.2 innings in 35 games.

Newhouser had an arm injury in 1951, and he played in just 15 games. He had a 3.92 ERA in 96.1 innings. The following season, he had a 3.74 ERA in 25 games. He finished the 1952 season with 9 wins and 9 losses in 154.0 innings.

The Tigers released Newhouser on July 27, 1953. He pitched just 21.2 innings in 7 games that season.

Cleveland Indians

Newhouser signed with the Cleveland Indians on April 12, 1954. He pitched in 26 games that year and he had a 2.51 ERA in 46.2 innings.

After just two games in 1955, the Indians released Newhouser on May 11th.

Awards and MLB Records

  • AL Triple Crown
  • AL MVP (2 times)
  • Sporting News Pitcher of the Year (2 times)
  • Led AL in ERA (2 times)
  • Led AL in wins (4 times)
  • Led AL in strikeouts (2 times)
  • Led AL in complete games (2 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Newhouser in 13 full seasons (1940-1952) in the major leagues include:

  • 4 seasons with over 20 wins, with a high of 29 in 1944
  • 4 seasons with over 150 strikeouts, with a high of 275 in 1946
  • 5 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 1.81 in 1945

Career pitching statistics for Newhouser include:

  • 488 games played
  • 2,993.0 innings pitched
  • 207-150 win-loss record
  • 1,796 strikeouts to 1,249 walks
  • 3.06 ERA

Post Playing Career

After leaving baseball as a player, Newhouser became a scout, working for several teams, including the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Detroit Tigers.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Hal Newhouser
ESPN - Hal Newhouser
Baseball Reference - Hal Newhouser
SABR - Hal Newhouser

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