A Surprise Care Package From Jory

I got a surprise care package in the mail the other day from my very good friend, Joey.  Joey was one of the first group of kids I traded with on Instagram.  Joey was the recipient of some sweet Red Sox cards that I had been holding for him, and I guess the care package was in response to that.  I didn't send him stuff so that I could get stuff in return, I just liked finding cards for his collection.  Joey is such a nice person, it makes helping him out so easy, really.

He sent me a bunch of Orioles cards, but some of the most remarkable cards in the package were non-Orioles.  There were 4 of the orange parallel cards from 2013 Panini Cooperstown.  The scan didn't really do the Newhouser card justice, but trust me when I tell you, they look nice in person.  The Newhouser card is numbered 290/325.  He is one of those guys, who a lot of folks don't realize is a Hall of Famer.  His two AL MVP awards as a pitcher are a huge reason why, but he definitely was a great pitcher in his day.

Joey caught me way off guard with this card.  This is a Yankee Stadium Legacy relic card of Paul O'Neill.  O'Neill is definitely one of those great Yankee players.  While I have a huge disdain for the Bronx Bombers, O'Neill always had my respect.  He was just a good ballplayer.  I have his auto, given to me by my sister-in-law, since they share a relation (I believe he is married to her cousin).

I really appreciate the package, Joey.  Thanks so much, but more importantly, thanks for being a good friend.

Hall of Fame Baseball - Hal Newhouser

Yesterday, I told you that I bought three Hall of Fame signed baseballs on New Years Eve and two of them arrived in the mail yesterday.  The second ball to arrive is this Hal Newhouser signed baseball.

I have been watching Newhouser signatures ever since I read Virgil Trucks' book.  Newhouser played on the Tigers with Trucks.  They were part of a pretty formidable rotation including also Dizzy Trout, Fred Hutchinson and Stubby Overmire.

Newhouser, born in 1921, played in the majors from 1949 to 1955 for the Tigers and Indians.  His numbers from 1939 to 1943 and 1951 to 1955 are mostly pedestrian, but his stretch from 1944 to 1950 was sheer dominance.  During that stretch, he won two AL MVP awards (back to back) in 1944 and 1945.  He finished second in the MVP voting in 1946.  Imagine if he had won, a pitcher winning 3 MVPs back to back to back?  That's crazy!  Anyway, he did win two back to back and is the only pitcher to do so.  Also, during his 1944-1950 stretch, Newhouser won 20 or more games 4 times, leading the AL each year.  Newhouser also added a World Series ring to his accolades in 1945.

Hal Newhouser was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1992 with lifetime numbers of 207-150, 1,796 strikeouts and a 3.06 ERA.  Newhouser passed away in 1998 at the age of 77.  He is my 61st Hall of Famer.

I think I am going to attempt a little side project, in addition to my Hall of Fame signed baseballs.  I think I am going to try to get as many signed baseballs from players on the 1945 Tigers as I can.  I already have Virgil Trucks, Hal Newhouser and Billy Pierce.  I sent out 3 TTM requests this morning to the other 3 living members of that team (there are 5, Trucks and Pierce completing the 5).

Hall of Fame Spotlight - Hal Newhouser

Plaque photo borrowed from http://www.baseballhall.org/

Hal Newhouser (b. 1921 - d. 1998) pitched in the majors from 1939 to 1955 for the Tigers and Indians (yes, I chose a Hall of Fame teammate of Virgil Trucks for this post. On purpose haha). He was the ace pitcher on the Tigers for most of his career when the Tigers were an awful team. He had a career record of 207-150, 1,796 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.06. He also had 212 complete games and 33 shutouts.

What makes him a Hall of Famer?

• Member of the 1945 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers
• 2x AL MVP (1944 and 1945)
• 6x All Star (1942 - 1944, 1946 - 1948)
• Led the AL in wins 4 times (1944, 1945, 1946 and 1948)
• Led the league in ERA twice (1945 and 1946)
• Led the league in strikeouts twice (1944 and 1945)
• Finished second in MVP voting in 1946, almost becoming a back to back to back MVP (as a PITCHER!)
• Only pitcher to win back to back MVP awards
• Won pitching triple crown in 1945

Should he be a Hall of Famer?

• All of career numbers rank 'middle of the pack' (Strikeouts, Wins, ERA, Complete Games, Shutouts, etc.)
• Three seasons where he lost more than he won from 1941 to 1943
• Led the AL in losses with 17 in 1947 (he would also win 17 games that year)
• Highest Hall of Fame ballot percentage was 42.8%.
• Appeared on 12 Hall of Fame ballots, averaging 21.22% of the vote

The Verdict?

The season that Newhouser went 17-17, he had a 2.87 ERA. In 1942 when he went 8-14, his ERA was 2.45. It appears to me that he was a pretty dominant pitcher on several bad teams. Being the only pitcher to win back to back MVP awards carries a lot of weight. He was an ace of a formidable Tigers rotation dubbed TNT (Trout, Newhouser, Trucks) in the 1940s. In my humble opinion, it took too long to get Newhouser into the Hall in 1992. YES, Hal Newhouser deserves his spot in the Hall of Fame. It is somewhat of a shame that he was only able to enjoy being a member of the Hall for only 6 years, having died in 1998.

Did you know that while Newhouser was a scout for the Astros, he was credited with discovering Derek Jeter? The Astros eventually passed Jeter over for Phil Nevin. Cue the epic fail music.

1955 Topps #24 - Hal Newhouser

Show of hands if you knew right off hand that Newhouser was a hall of famer. Anyone? I didn't.

Hal Newhouser (b. 1921 - d. 1998) was considered to be the most dominating pitcher of his era. (I would imagine that Bob Feller was #1A.) Anyway, Newhouser played from 1939 to 1955 for the Detroit Tigers and CLeveland Indians. That would make this his final Topps card. He ended his career with a record of 207-150 and an ERA of 3.06. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1992.

(DECEASED 15)

(HALL OF FAME 4)