gold star for USAHOF

5. Pete Alexander

5. 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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Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938 Grover Cleveland “Old Pete” Alexander might be a bit of a surprise to be ranked so high when he only played eight seasons for Philadelphia, and realistically, we are only really talking about seven of them, as the eight was his final season in Baseball at age 43 where he was not very productive.  However, as we look at the first seven years of Alexander’s professional career you will see a worthy top five entrant on this list of the greatest Philadelphia Phillies of all-time.

Not much was expected of Alexander, a lanky kid from Nebraska who didn’t look particularly athletic but he would post one of the greatest rookie seasons the game had ever seen.  He went 28 and 13 (leading the NL in Wins), while finishing 5th in ERA and 2nd in bWAR for Pitchers.  Two more good seasons would follow but from 1914 to 1917, Alexander would post 27, 31, 33 and 27 Wins respectively all of which were National League leading.  He would also finish first in bWAR for Pitchers each year, win two ERA Titles, 2 WHIP Titles and also the Strikeouts Title each of those four campaigns.  Essentially, he was near untouchable as the undisputed greatest hurler in that era in the National League.

Fearing that he would be called to duty for the war (he was) Phillies management traded him and he would not throw for Philadelphia with the exception of an ineffectual final year in the game.

Sadly he would begin to suffer from epilepsy following World War I (which also caused deafness in his left ear) would also lead him to alcoholism.  He would still win many more games in Baseball but was never the same again.  

The Philadelpha Baseball Wall of Fame added him in 1980.  As he was not wearing a number at the time, the Phillies could not retire one, but a "P" was honored for him in 2001

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Pitcher
  • Acquired: Drafted from Syracuse (New York State) in the Rule 5 Draft 9/1/10.
  • Departed: Traded to the Chicago Cubs with Bill Killefer for Pickles Dillhoefer, Mike Prendergast and $55,000 12/11/17.

    Acquired (2): Traded from the St. Louis with Harry McCurdy for Bob McGraw and Homer Peel 12/11/29.

    Departed (2): Released 1930.

  • Games Played: 242
  • Notable Statistics: 190 Wins
    83 Losses
    2.18 ERA
    224 Games Started
    219 Complete Games
    61 Shutouts
    49 Games FInished
    15 Saves
    2,513.2 Innings Pitched
    1,409 Strikeouts
    2.39 FIP
    1.075 WHIP
    2.51 SO/BB
    61.1 bWAR

    2 Playoff Games
    1 Win
    1 Loss
    1.53 ERA
    2 Games Started
    2 Complete Games
    17.2 Innings Pitched
    10 Strikeouts
    1.02 WHIP
    2.50 SO/BB
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Highest bWAR for Pitchers (1914, 1915, 1916 & 1917)
    Lowest Earned Run Average (1915 & 1916)
    Most Wins (1914, 1915, 1916 & 1917)
    Lowest WHIP (1915 & 1916)
    Lowest BB/9 (1917)
    Highest SO/9 (1912 & 1915)
    Most Innings Pitched (1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1916 & 1917)
    Most Strikeouts (1912, 1914, 1915, 1916 & 1917)
    Most Games Started (1916 & 1917)
    Most Complete Games (1914, 1915, 1916 & 1917)
    Most Shutouts (1911, 1913, 1915, 1916 & 1917)
    Highest SO/BB (1915 & 1917)
    Highest ERA+ (1915 & 1916)
    Lowest FIP (1914, 1915 & 1917)
    Highest Win Probability Added (1916)
    Highest Championship Win Probability Added (1916)
    Most Putouts by a Pitcher (1914, 1915, 1916 & 1917)
    Most Assists by a Pitcher (1915 & 1917)

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