Earl Whitehill

Pitcher

Born: February 7, 1899
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Died: October 22, 1954 (aged 55)
Omaha, Nebraska

Batted: Left

Threw: Left

MLB debut

September 15, 1923, for the Detroit Tigers

Last MLB appearance

September 30, 1939, for the Chicago Cubs

MLB statistics

Win-Loss Record

218-185

Earned run average

4.36

Strikeouts

1350

Teams

Detroit Tigers (1923–1932)
Washington Senators (1933–1936)
Cleveland Indians (1937–1938)
Chicago Cubs (1939)

Career highlights and awards

Top 10 in Wins in American League 6 times: 1924, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1933.
Top 10 in Strikeouts in American League 8 times: 1925–1927, 1929–1930, 1933–1935
His 218 career wins ranks 79 in Major League history
No. 9 in AL MVP voting in 1933
His career total of 1431 bases on balls allowed ranks 14 in Major League history
His career total of 1726 earned runs allowed ranks 16 in Major League history

Earl Oliver Whitehill (February 7, 1899 – October 22, 1954) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Detroit Tigers for the most significant portion of his career (1923–1932), and later with the Washington Senators (1933–1936), Cleveland Indians (1937–1938), and the Chicago Cubs (1939). Consistently winning in double digits for thirteen years (1924–1936), left-handed Whitehill went on to become one of the top winning pitchers of all time. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

"The Earl", as many called him, was a handsome and often temperamental pitcher who often showed up in the top 10 in hit batsmen, leading the league in his first full year, 1924, when he hit 13 (tied with George Uhle).

Whitehill averaged 14 wins each season and he never dipped below 11 wins in a full season (30 starts or more). Whitehill made his debut on September 15, 1923. He was a small left-handed pitcher, who weighed around 175 pounds. With Detroit, he came to be known as one of the most consistent pitchers in the league. From 1928 through 1932, he never had an ERA higher than 4.62 and never had one lower than 4.08; a difference of only .54 in those years.

In his rookie season, Whitehill was 17–8, with a 3.86 ERA, and two shutouts. The Tigers' offensive support helped, as the Tigers finished 1st in most major offensive categories in 1923. Reduced run support became a factor later in his stint with Detroit, which lead some to believe his overall record could have been better. In his early years with Detroit, Whitehill was part of a starting rotation that included Hooks Dauss, Dutch Leonard, and Lil Stoner.

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Wikipedia