Herb Pennock (1948)


Date of Birth: 2/10/1894
Date of Death: 1/30/1948
Birthplace: Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Herb Pennock played first base while in school but later switched to pitching.

Philadelphia Athletics

In 1912, Connie Mack signed Pennock to a contract with the Philadelphia Athletics. He played in 17 games that season for the Athletics. The following season he became ill and played in just 33.1 innings in 14 games.

Pennock pitched in 28 games in 1914. He had 11 wins and 4 losses, 3 saves, and a 2.79 ERA in 151.2 innings. He struck out 90 batters and walked 65.

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox claimed Pennock off waivers on June 6, 1915. He finished that season with 3 wins and 6 losses, 31 strikeouts to 39 walks, and a 6.36 ERA in 11 games with the Athletics and 5 games with the Red Sox.

While with the Red Sox, Pennock spent part of his time also playing in the International League, playing in just five games with Boston in 1915 and nine games in 1916.

Pennock played in 24 games in 1917, but most of his time was as a reliever (19 games). He finished the season with 5 wins and 5 losses, 35 strikeouts to 23 walks, and a 3.31 ERA in 100.2 innings.

Pennock joined the navy in 1918. He returned to the Red Sox in 1919 and pitched in 32 games. He finished the season with a 16-8 win-loss record and 70 strikeouts to 48 walks in 219.0 innings. In 1920, he had a 3.68 ERA and 15 wins and 13 losses in 242.1 innings in 37 games. He struck out 68 batters and walked 61.

Pennock struggled in both 1921 and 1922, finishing both seasons with an ERA over 4.00. He pitched 222.2 innings in 32 games in 1921 and he had a 12-14 win-loss record and an ERA of 4.04. The following season, his ERA was 4.32 with 10 wins and 17 losses in 202.0 innings in 32 games.

New York Yankees

Pennock was traded to the New York Yankees on January 30, 1923. He pitched for the Yankees as a starter through the 1932 season but in 1933, he was used as a relief pitcher.

Pennock started out strong with the Yankees, finishing the 1923 season with 19 wins and 6 losses and a 3.13 ERA in 238.1 innings in 35 games. The following season, he had career highs in innings pitched (286.1) and strikeouts (101 to 64 walks). He finished the 1924 season with a 2.83 ERA in 40 games.

In 1925, Pennock led the AL in innings pitched with 277.0. He played in a career high 47 games and he had a 2.96 ERA with 16 wins and 17 losses. He struck out 88 batters and walked 71.

Pennock had a career high 23 wins (to 11 losses) in 1926. He pitched 266.1 innings in 40 games and he had a 3.62 ERA. He walked fewer batters than in previous seasons (43) and he struck out 78 batters. The following season, he had a 3.00 ERA in 34 games. He finished the 1927 season with 19 wins and 8 losses in 209.2 innings.

Pennock had a career low ERA of 2.56 in 1928. He finished the season with 17 wins to 6 losses and 53 strikeouts to 40 walks in 211.0 innings in 28 games.

Pennock's career as a starting pitcher began to decline in 1929, when he had an ERA of 4.92. He won just 9 games and lost 11. He pitched 157.1 innings in 27 games. His numbers were similar in 1930. He finished that season with 11 wins and 7 losses, and a 4.32 ERA in 156.1 innings in 25 games.

The 1931 and 1932 seasons were also poor ones for Pennock. He had a 4.28 ERA in 25 games in 1931 and a 4.60 ERA in 22 games in 1932. By 1933, he was primarily a relief pitcher, starting in just 5 games for the Yankees. He pitched in relief in 18 games and he finished the season with 7 wins and 4 losses, 4 saves, and a 5.54 ERA in 65.0 innings.

Return to Boston Red Sox

The Yankees released Pennock on January 5, 1934. He signed again with the Red Sox on January 20th, and he spent his last season in the major leagues as a relief pitcher in 28 games and a starter in just 2 games. He finished the season with a 3.05 ERA in 62.0 innings.

Career Statistics

Career pitching statistics for Pennock include:

  • 617 games played
  • 3,571.2 innings pitched
  • 240-162 win-loss record
  • 1,227 strikeouts to 916 walks
  • 3.60 ERA

Career postseason statistics for Pennock include:

  • 5 seasons
  • 10 games played
  • 55.0 innings pitched
  • 5-0 win-loss record
  • 3 saves
  • 24 strikeouts to 8 walks
  • 1.96 ERA

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a major league player, Pennock worked as a general manager of a minor league team. From 1936 through 1938, he rejoined the Red Sox as a coach. The following two years, he worked in administrative roles in the minor leagues. His last position was in 1943 as general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Five years later, he died at age 53 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Herb Pennock
ESPN - Herb Pennock
Baseball Reference - Herb Pennock

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