Howard Ehmke
Encyclopedia
Howard Jonathan Ehmke was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
. He is best known for being the surprise starter who won Game 1 of the 1929 World Series
for the Philadelphia Athletics at the age of 35. After retirement from baseball, he started his own company that began making the first tarpaulins to cover baseball diamonds during rain.
, Ehmke was a pitcher for fifteen seasons in the Major Leagues with the Buffalo Blues (1915), Detroit Tigers
(1916–1917, 1919–1922); Boston Red Sox
(1923–1926), and Philadelphia Athletics (1926–1930). Ehmke won at least 10 games in 9 seasons and had a career record of 166-166 with an ERA of 3.75. His greatest success was with the Boston Red Sox
, including a no-hitter and his only 20-win season in 1923. Ehmke still holds the American League record for fewest hits (one) in two consecutive starts. Ehmke also ranks No. 16 on the all time Major League list for hitting batsmen with a pitch. Ehmke hit 137 batters in his career and led the American League in the category seven times, including a career-high 23 in 1922.
. The Detroit Tigers
purchased Ehmke from the Blues on February 10, 1916. After seeing limited action in 1916, Ehmke appeared in at least 30 games a year for the Tigers in 1917 and from 1919-1922. Ehmke's best season for the Tigers was 1919 when he finished with a 17-10 record. Ehmke did not have a winning season in Detroit after 1919 and was twice among the American League leaders in losses for the Tigers (18 in 1920 and 17 in 1922). In 1921, Ehmke had a record of 13-14 and an ERA of 4.54 pitching for a team that had the highest team batting average (.316) in American League history.
On August 8, 1920, Ehmke shut out the Yankees 1-0 in just 1 hour‚ 13 minutes‚ one of the shortest games in American League history. With no outs and 2 on in the 5th inning‚ Yankee Ping Bodie
fell for the hidden ball trick
applied by Tigers' second baseman Ralph Young
.
, Babe Herman
, Carl Holling
, and $25,000 to the Boston Red Sox for Del Pratt
and Rip Collins
. Ehmke flourished in Boston, winning 20 games in 1923 and pitching a no-hitter
against the Athletics on September 7, . He followed the performance up with a one-hitter against the Yankees four days later, with the only hit in that game a ground ball that bounced off the third baseman's chest. He still holds the American League record for fewest hits allowed (1) in two consecutive games (Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters in is the Major League record). His 1923 season was the best of his career. That year, he was No. 11 in the American League Most Valuable Player voting, and among the league leaders in most categories, including wins (20), losses (17), strikeouts (121), innings (316-2/3), games started (39), complete games (28), and shutouts (2), earned runs allowed (133), and batters faced (1,331).
Ehmke followed with another strong performance in 1924, finishing among the league leaders in wins (5th best with 19), ERA (4th best with 3.46), strikeouts (2nd best with 119), and innings pitched (1st with 315). Ehmke finished 15th in the American League Most Valuable Player voting for 1924.
In 1925, Ehmke had a record of 9-20. Ehmke lost 20 games despite pitching a league high 22 complete games, ranking 3rd in the league in strikeouts, and having a 3.73 ERA, best among Boston's starters. The Red Sox were a poor team in 1925, losing 101 games. Ehmke still finished 24th in the AL MVP voting despite losing 20 games.
to the Philadelphia Athletics for Fred Heimach
, Slim Harriss
, and Baby Doll Jacobson
. The change of scene did wonders for Ehmke. After going 3-10 in the first half of 1926 with the last place Red Sox, Ehmke went 12-4 in the second half of the season with Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane
catching and A's slugger, Al Simmons
, hitting .341 behind him. Though the frequency of his starts diminished after 1927, Ehmke had a winning record for the Athletics in four consecutive seasons from 1926-1929.
The Athletics won the American League pennant in 1929, and Ehmke was the surprise starter in Game 1 of the 1929 World Series
against the Chicago Cubs
. Ehmke had started only 8 games the entire season, but Connie Mack
correctly concluded that Ehmke's sidearm style and his mix of control and slow pitches would keep the predominantly right-handed Cubs off balance. When it became obvious that the Cubs would win the pennant, Mack gave Ehmke time off near the end of the season to personally scout the Cubs for a week. In Game 1, Ehmke pitched a complete game and struck out a then-World Series record 13 batters in a 3-1 win over Chicago. At the time, Ehmke also set a record for lowest win total during the regular season by a World Series game 1 starter. Ehmke was 7-2 during the regular season. This record would stand until 2006 when St. Louis Cardinals
pitcher Anthony Reyes
started game 1 of the 2006 World Series after having gone 5-8 during the regular season. Ehmke also started the final game of the 1929 World Series, holding the Cubs scoreless in the first two innings, but giving up 2 runs with 2 outs in the 3rd. The A's came from behind to win the game and the World Series.
Howard Ehmke retired from Major League Baseball after the 1930 season.
Ehmke died in Philadelphia in 1959.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He is best known for being the surprise starter who won Game 1 of the 1929 World Series
1929 World Series
In the 1929 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs in five games.The famous "Mack Attack" occurred in 1929, named for manager of the Athletics, Connie Mack, in which the Athletics overcame an eight-run deficit by scoring ten runs in the seventh inning of Game 4...
for the Philadelphia Athletics at the age of 35. After retirement from baseball, he started his own company that began making the first tarpaulins to cover baseball diamonds during rain.
Playing Overview
Born in Silver Creek, New YorkSilver Creek, New York
- Demographics :At the 2010 census there were 2,656 people, 1,048 households and 718 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,213.3 people per square mile . There were 1,174 housing units, with an average density of 978.3 per square mile...
, Ehmke was a pitcher for fifteen seasons in the Major Leagues with the Buffalo Blues (1915), Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1916–1917, 1919–1922); Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1923–1926), and Philadelphia Athletics (1926–1930). Ehmke won at least 10 games in 9 seasons and had a career record of 166-166 with an ERA of 3.75. His greatest success was with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, including a no-hitter and his only 20-win season in 1923. Ehmke still holds the American League record for fewest hits (one) in two consecutive starts. Ehmke also ranks No. 16 on the all time Major League list for hitting batsmen with a pitch. Ehmke hit 137 batters in his career and led the American League in the category seven times, including a career-high 23 in 1922.
Buffalo Blues and Detroit Tigers: 1915-1922
Ehmke began his Major League career in 1915, pitching 18 games (mostly in relief) for the Buffalo Blues of the Federal LeagueFederal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
. The Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
purchased Ehmke from the Blues on February 10, 1916. After seeing limited action in 1916, Ehmke appeared in at least 30 games a year for the Tigers in 1917 and from 1919-1922. Ehmke's best season for the Tigers was 1919 when he finished with a 17-10 record. Ehmke did not have a winning season in Detroit after 1919 and was twice among the American League leaders in losses for the Tigers (18 in 1920 and 17 in 1922). In 1921, Ehmke had a record of 13-14 and an ERA of 4.54 pitching for a team that had the highest team batting average (.316) in American League history.
On August 8, 1920, Ehmke shut out the Yankees 1-0 in just 1 hour‚ 13 minutes‚ one of the shortest games in American League history. With no outs and 2 on in the 5th inning‚ Yankee Ping Bodie
Ping Bodie
Frank Stephen Bodie , born Francesco Stephano Pezzolo, was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox , Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees . Bodie batted and threw right-handed...
fell for the hidden ball trick
Hidden ball trick
In the game of baseball, the hidden ball trick is a play in which the runner is deceived about the location of the ball, in an effort to have him tagged out.-Execution:...
applied by Tigers' second baseman Ralph Young
Ralph Young
Ralph Stuart "Pep" Young was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. During his nine major league seasons, he played with the New York Yankees , Detroit Tigers , and Philadelphia Athletics .-Background:Young was a right-handed second baseman and switch hitter...
.
Boston Red Sox: 1923-1926
On October 30, 1922, the Tigers traded Ehmke with Danny ClarkDanny Clark (baseball)
Daniel Curren Clark was a backup infielder/outfielder in Major League Baseball who played between 1922 and 1927 for the Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals . Listed at 5' 9", 167 lb., Clark batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, Babe Herman
Babe Herman
Floyd Caves "Babe" Herman was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who was best known for his several seasons with the Brooklyn Robins ....
, Carl Holling
Carl Holling
Carl Theodore Holling was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers from -. Listed at 6'1", 172 lb., Holling batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Dixon, California....
, and $25,000 to the Boston Red Sox for Del Pratt
Del Pratt
Derrill Burnham "Del" Pratt was a star running back for the University of Alabama before becoming a professional baseball player. Pratt signed with the St. Louis Browns in...
and Rip Collins
Rip Collins
Harry Warren Collins was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Boston Red Sox , Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns . Collins batted and threw right-handed...
. Ehmke flourished in Boston, winning 20 games in 1923 and pitching a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the Athletics on September 7, . He followed the performance up with a one-hitter against the Yankees four days later, with the only hit in that game a ground ball that bounced off the third baseman's chest. He still holds the American League record for fewest hits allowed (1) in two consecutive games (Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters in is the Major League record). His 1923 season was the best of his career. That year, he was No. 11 in the American League Most Valuable Player voting, and among the league leaders in most categories, including wins (20), losses (17), strikeouts (121), innings (316-2/3), games started (39), complete games (28), and shutouts (2), earned runs allowed (133), and batters faced (1,331).
Ehmke followed with another strong performance in 1924, finishing among the league leaders in wins (5th best with 19), ERA (4th best with 3.46), strikeouts (2nd best with 119), and innings pitched (1st with 315). Ehmke finished 15th in the American League Most Valuable Player voting for 1924.
In 1925, Ehmke had a record of 9-20. Ehmke lost 20 games despite pitching a league high 22 complete games, ranking 3rd in the league in strikeouts, and having a 3.73 ERA, best among Boston's starters. The Red Sox were a poor team in 1925, losing 101 games. Ehmke still finished 24th in the AL MVP voting despite losing 20 games.
Philadelphia Athletics: 1926-1930
On June 15, 1926, the Red Sox traded Ehmke and Tom JenkinsTom Jenkins
Thomas Wayne Jenkins is an American golfer.Jenkins was born in Houston, Texas. He attended the University of Houston, where he was a member of the winning 1970 NCAA Division I golf team. He graduated in 1971 and turned professional. His only PGA Tour victory was the 1975 IVB-Philadelphia Golf...
to the Philadelphia Athletics for Fred Heimach
Fred Heimach
Frederick Amos Heimach born in Camden, New Jersey, was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees and Brooklyn Robins/Brooklyn Dodgers...
, Slim Harriss
Slim Harriss
William Jennings Bryan Harriss was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between the 1920 and 1928 seasons. Listed at 6'6", 180 lb., Harriss batted and threw right-handed...
, and Baby Doll Jacobson
Baby Doll Jacobson
William Chester "Baby Doll" Jacobson was a Major League baseball outfielder. Jacobson was born in Cable, Illinois, USA.His best season was 1920, when he hit for a .355 batting average and amassed 122 RBIs....
. The change of scene did wonders for Ehmke. After going 3-10 in the first half of 1926 with the last place Red Sox, Ehmke went 12-4 in the second half of the season with Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane
Mickey Cochrane
Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane was a professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
catching and A's slugger, Al Simmons
Al Simmons
Aloysius Harry Simmons , born Aloisius Szymanski in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an American baseball player. He played for two decades in the major leagues as an outfielder, and had his best years as a member of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics during the 1930's...
, hitting .341 behind him. Though the frequency of his starts diminished after 1927, Ehmke had a winning record for the Athletics in four consecutive seasons from 1926-1929.
The Athletics won the American League pennant in 1929, and Ehmke was the surprise starter in Game 1 of the 1929 World Series
1929 World Series
In the 1929 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs in five games.The famous "Mack Attack" occurred in 1929, named for manager of the Athletics, Connie Mack, in which the Athletics overcame an eight-run deficit by scoring ten runs in the seventh inning of Game 4...
against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. Ehmke had started only 8 games the entire season, but Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
correctly concluded that Ehmke's sidearm style and his mix of control and slow pitches would keep the predominantly right-handed Cubs off balance. When it became obvious that the Cubs would win the pennant, Mack gave Ehmke time off near the end of the season to personally scout the Cubs for a week. In Game 1, Ehmke pitched a complete game and struck out a then-World Series record 13 batters in a 3-1 win over Chicago. At the time, Ehmke also set a record for lowest win total during the regular season by a World Series game 1 starter. Ehmke was 7-2 during the regular season. This record would stand until 2006 when St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
pitcher Anthony Reyes
Anthony Reyes
Anthony Loza Reyes is a right-handed pitcher who is currently a free agent.Reyes has a younger brother, Erik, who pitched for Concordia University Irvine in .-High School:...
started game 1 of the 2006 World Series after having gone 5-8 during the regular season. Ehmke also started the final game of the 1929 World Series, holding the Cubs scoreless in the first two innings, but giving up 2 runs with 2 outs in the 3rd. The A's came from behind to win the game and the World Series.
Howard Ehmke retired from Major League Baseball after the 1930 season.
The Howard Ehmke Company
In Winter 1931, Ehmke formed his own company, issuing 1000 shares of common stock. Ehmke's product was "a large canvas tarpaulin that could be spread over the infield when it rained to keep water of the baseball diamond." Ehmke Manufacturing Company is still in business today.Ehmke died in Philadelphia in 1959.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListMLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListThis is a list of top 100 Major League Baseball pitchers who have the most hit batsmen of all time. There is an of hitters who have been hit by pitch the most times.Active players are denoted in bold text.-The List:* Bold denotes active player...
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
External links
- John Shiffert, "Howard Ehmke", 19 to 21 (9)13, June 6, 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011.