Newhouser, "Hal" (Harold)
Baseball
b. May 20, 1921, Detroit, MI
d. Nov. 10, 1998
A left-handed pitcher, Newhouser put together a remarkable three-year stretch, from 1944 through 1946, leading the AL in victories each year and winning 80 games while losing only 27 during the period. No pitcher since has won 80 games in a three-season span.
Newhouser appeared in just one game with the American League's Detroit Tigers in 1939 and became a regular the following year. After going 34-51 in his first four full seasons, he won the league's most valuable player award in 1944. He led the league in victories with 29-9 record and in strikeouts with 187, and he had 6 shutouts and a 2.22 ERA.
The big difference for the hard thrower was improved control. In 1943, he walked 111 hitters in 195 2/3 innings; in 1944, he walked only 102 in 312 1/3 innings.
Newhouser led the league in victories again in 1945, with a 25-9 record, and was also the league leader with a .735 winning percentage, 29 complete games, 8 shutouts, 313 1/3 innings pitched, 212 strikeouts, and a 1.81 ERA. He was rewarded with his second MVP award.
He wasn't at his best in the World Series, but he had a 2-1 record as the Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs in seven games.
In 1946, Newhouser led the league in victories for the third year in a row, with a 26-9 record, and in ERA for the second year in a row, at 1.94. After going 17-17 in 1947 with a league-leading 27 complete games, he led in victories again with a 21-12 mark in 1948.
Newhouser went 18-11 and 15-13 in the next two seasons and then began to have arm problems. The Tigers traded him to the Cleveland Indians after he appeared in only 7 games in 1953. He made a bit of a comeback in 1954, going 7-2 with 7 saves and a 2.51 ERA, but he retired the following season after appearing in just 2 games.
In 17 seasons, Newhouser had a 207-150 record with 33 shutouts and a 3.06 ERA. He struck out 1,796 hitters and walked 1,249 in 2,993 innings.