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13. Pete Alexander

13. Pete Alexander
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: February 26, 1887 in Elba, NE USA
  • Weight: 185 lbs.
  • Height: 6'1"
  • Bats: R
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: April 15, 1911
  • Final Game: May 28, 1930
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1911
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1911
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1913
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1914
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1914
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1915
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1915
  • Pitching Triple Crown - 1915
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1916
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1916
  • Pitching Triple Crown - 1916
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1917
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1917
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1920
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1920
  • Pitching Triple Crown - 1920
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1923
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1923
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1925
  • TSN All-Star - 1926
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1927
  • MVP - 1911
  • MVP - 1912
  • MVP - 1914
  • MVP - 1924
  • MVP - 1926
  • MVP - 1927
 
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Grover Cleveland "Old Pete" Alexander far and away had a much better career earlier when he was with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he had won the Pitcher's Triple Crown twice. Still, the Phillies needed the money and sold his contract to the Chicago Cubs.

This happened before the 1918 season, but Alexander was drafted and would lose some of his hearing during fighting in World War I.  Now shell-shocked and hitting the booze, "Old Pete" wasn't the same, but he was still better than most of the league.  Alexander won the ERA Title in both 1919 and 1920, the latter of which saw him win his third Triple Crown.  Alexander would never have a season close like that again but was still strong until he was signed off of waivers to the St. Louis Cardinals midway through the 1926 season, where he would help the Redbirds win the World Series.

As a Cub, Alexander would go 128 and 83 with a 2.84 ERA and 614 Strikeouts.  He would enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938, and was part of the Cubs inaugural Hall of Fame Class in 2021.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Pitcher
  • Acquired: Traded from the Philadelphia Phillies with Bill Killefer for Pickles Dillhoefer, Mike Prendergast, and $55,000 12/11/17.
  • Departed: Claimed off of Waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals 6/22/26.
  • Games Played: 242
  • Notable Statistics: 128 Wins
    83 Losses
    2.84 ERA
    224 Games Started
    158 Complete Games
    24 Shutouts
    15 Games Finished
    10 Saves
    1,884.1 Innings Pitched
    614 Strikeouts
    3.17 FIP
    1.161 WHIP
    2.29 SO/BB
    43.0 bWAR

    No Playoff Games
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Highest bWAR for Pitchers (1919 & 1920)
    Lowest ERA (1919 & 1920)
    Most Wins (1920)
    Lowest WHIP (1923 & 1926*)
    Lowest H/9 (1919)
    Lowest BB/9 (1923 & 1925)
    Most Innings Pitched (1920)
    Most Strikeouts (1920)
    Most Games Started (1920)
    Most Complete Games (1920)
    Most Shutouts (1919 & 1921)
    Highest SO/BB (1923)
    Highest ERA+ (1919 & 1920)
    Lowest FIP (1919)
    Highest Win Probability Added (1920 & 1922)
    Most Assists by a Pitcher (1920)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by a Pitcher (1919, 1922 & 1925)

    *Alexander joined St. Louis midway through the season

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