Baseball's Best Decade (30 page)

Stan Coveleski was the American League ERA leader in 1923 and 1925.

From 1920-1922, Red Faber won 69 games for the White Sox with a combined 2.69 ERA. He led the American League in earned run average in 1921-1922.

Carl Hubbell paced all pitchers in the 1930s with a dazzling 2.71 ERA for the decade. Hubbell led the National League in earned run average in 1933, 1934 and 1936.

From 1929 to 1939, your best bet for American League ERA leader would be a guy named “Lefty.” Lefty Grove (left) led the league 8 times in that period. Lefty Gomez (center) led the league twice. Only Cleveland’s Monte Pearson broke the string, claiming the ERA title in 1933.

Spud Chandler, the American League MVP in 1943, is the only Yankee pitcher to win that award. Chandler’s league-leading 1.64 ERA was the lowest posted during the 1940s.

Dizzy Trout (left) and Hal Newhouser combined for 3 consecutive ERA titles from 1944-1946. Trout was the first Tigers pitcher to lead the American League in ERA since 1902.

1920s –
In a decade where 6 out of 16 major league teams hit for an average of .290 or better, it’s not hard to understand why no pitcher had a combined earned run average under 3.00. In the previous decade, 3 pitchers – Walter Johnson, Ed Walsh and Smoky Joe Wood – averaged less than
2.00
for the last 10 years of the dead ball era. A livelier ball meant run scoring boomed and ERAs ballooned. Grover Cleveland Alexander, whose career ERA ended at 2.56, was a half-point higher pitching in the 1920s. Dolf Luque and Dazzy Vance each led the National League with the lowest ERA twice. Red Faber, Stan Coveleski and Lefty Grove each led the American League twice.

Who almost made the list?
Eppa Rixey at 3.24, Dazzy Vance at 3.33, Red Faber and Urban Shocker at 3.34.

1930s –
Most of the pitching highlights during the run-happy 1930s belonged to 2 southpaws destined for the Hall of Fame. Carl Hubbell owned the National League in the 1930s. The New York Giants left-hander not only averaged 19 victories per season for the decade, but he also led the league in ERA 3 times and finished second a total of 3 other seasons. Lefty Grove was just as dominant, if not more so, in the American League, posting the league’s lowest ERA 7 times.

Who almost made the list?
Hal Schumacher at 3.38, Van Mungo at 3.42, Bob Feller at 3.43.

1940s –
Decade ERAs dropped dramatically in the 1940s and the leading averages would stay in the sub-3.00 level for the rest of the century. Spud Chandler had one outstanding season in 1943, when he led the American League in victories (20), complete games (20), shutouts (5) and ERA (1.64) while winning the Most Valuable Player award. But Chandler also consistently posted sub-3.00 ERAs in the full seasons he pitched. Hal Newhouser was the only American League pitcher to win the ERA title twice. The same for Howie Pollett in the National League.

Who almost made the list?
Mort Cooper at 2.93, Tex Hughson and Claude Passeau at 2.94.

The Best In
dividual ERAs for Each Decade (1950s-1970s)