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10. Mel Harder

10. Mel Harder
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: October 15, 1909 in Beemer, NE USA
  • Weight: 195 lbs.
  • Height: 6'1"
  • Bats: R
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: April 24, 1928
  • Final Game: September 07, 1947
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1934
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1935
  • MVP - 1934
  • MVP - 1935
  • MVP - 1938
 
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A Cleveland Indian for his entire career, Mel Harder debuted for the Tribe in 1928, where he was used in relief in his first two seasons when he was on their main roster and not in the minors.

 

The Nebraskan would be part of the Indians' rotation for a decade, and the control pitcher would win the ERA Title in 1933 and was first in BB/9 in 1935.  The four-time All-Star finished in the top ten in BB/9 eight times, WHIP six times, and ERA six times.  Seven times he was in the top ten in SO/BB, which was very impressive considering that he only had one 100 Strikeout season.  From 1932 to 1939, he never had less than 15 Wins in a year.

While Harder's skills began to erode in the 1940s, he lasted until 1947.  Although the Indians never made the playoffs while he was there, Harder is one of the best hurlers in franchise history.  He retired with 223 Wins against 186 Losses, and was part of Cleveland's first Hall of Fame Class in 1951.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Pitcher
  • Acquired: Signed before the 1928 Season.
  • Departed:

    Released 9/10/41.

    Acquired (2): Signed as a Free Agent 3/23/42.

    Departed (2): Released 10/24/47.

  • Games Played: 582
  • Notable Statistics:

    223 Wins
    186 Losses
    3.80 ERA
    433 Games Started
    181 Complete Games
    25 Shutouts
    94 Games Finished
    34 Saves
    3,426.1 Innings Pitched
    1,161 Strikeouts
    3.87 FIP
    1.408 WHIP
    1.04 SO/BB
    41.6 bWAR

    No Playoff Games

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    All-Star (1934, 1935, 1936 & 1947)
    Lowest ERA (1933)
    Lowest BB/9 (1935)
    Most Shutouts (1934)
    Highest ERA+ (1933)
    Highest Win Probability Added (1934)
    Most Putouts by a Pitcher (1932, 1933, 1935 & 1938)
    Most Assists by a Pitcher (1932, 1933 & 1935)
    Highest Range Factor per Game by a Pitcher (1933 & 1935)

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