Earl Whitehill
Earl Oliver Whitehill
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 9½", Weight 174 lb.
- Debut September 15, 1923
- Final Game September 30, 1939
- Born February 7, 1899 in Cedar Rapids, IA USA
- Died October 22, 1954 in Omaha, NE USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Described as handsome and rugged and known for his fiery temper, pitcher Earl Whitehill had a distinguished major league career, winning 218 games over 17 seasons.
In his first pro season, Whitehill won 20 games for the Columbia Comers of the South Atlantic League in 1920, and he went on to record 54 more victories in the minors over the next three years. He reached the majors late in the 1923 with player-manager Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers squad and notched 17 wins for the team the following year.
After 9 straight seasons of more than ten wins, Whitehill was traded to the Washington Senators following the 1932 campaign. In his first year in the capital, he won a career-best 22 games and helped lead the club to the 1933 World Series, where he earned the team's only win in Game Three.
Following the 1936 season and 13 straight years with double-digit victories, Whitehill was traded to the Cleveland Indians. After two years there, he ended his career as the oldest player in the National League with the 1939 Chicago Cubs, where his catcher was 38-year-old Gabby Hartnett.
After his playing days, Whitehill coached for the 1941 Cleveland Indians and the 1943 Philadelphia Blue Jays. He was a special baseball sales rep for the A. G. Spalding from 1946 until he was killed in a crash in 1954, struck by a car that ran a stop sign.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 15 Wins Seasons: 6 (1924, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1932 & 1933)
- 20 Wins Seasons: 1 (1933)
- 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 12 (1924-1927 & 1929-1936)
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