Grover Cleveland Alexander
| Grover Cleveland Alexander | |||
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: February 26, 1887 Elba, Nebraska |
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Died: November 4, 1950 (aged 63) St. Paul, Nebraska |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 15, 1911, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| May 28, 1930, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 373–208 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.56 | ||
| Strikeouts | 2,198 | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Member of the National | |||
 Baseball Hall of Fame
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| Inducted | 1938 | ||
| Vote | 80.92% (third ballot) | ||
Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938. He was portrayed by future President of the United States Ronald Reagan in a 1952 biographical film, The Winning Team.
Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska, in the first term of President Grover Cleveland and was one of thirteen children. He played semi-professional baseball in his youth, signing his first professional contract at age 20 in 1907 for $50 per month. In 1909 he played for the Galesburg Boosters in the Class D Illinois–Missouri League and went 15-8 that year. His career was almost ended when he was struck by a thrown ball while baserunning. Although this ended his 1909 season, he recovered by 1910 to become a star pitcher again, finishing with a 29-11 record for the Syracuse Stars in the Class B New York State League, before being sold to the Philadelphia Phillies for $750.
Alexander made his Philadelphia debut during the pre-season 1911 City Series, pitching five innings of no-hit, no-run baseball against the Athletics. He made his official Major League debut on April 15. He was joined on the Phillies that year by catcher Bill Killefer, who went on to become Alexander's favorite receiver, catching 250 of his games.
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