Editing Hal Newhouser (section)

==== 1939–1943 ====
Newhouser's talent had been noticed by teams across the MLB, most notably the Tigers and the [[Cleveland Indians]]. Soon after returning from a Legion ball tournament on the evening of August 6, 1938, Newhouser signed with the Tigers at the age of 17, thanks to Egan's early scouting efforts and the relationship they had formed. Egan was able to convince Newhouser to sign for the team with a $500 signing bonus. Upon signing, Newhouser, whom Egan deemed the "greatest left-handed pitcher [he] ever saw," gave $400 to his parents while saving the other $100 for himself.<ref name="stewart212">{{Harvnb|Stewart|2014|p=212}}</ref> Ten minutes later,<ref name="obit"/> Indians scout [[Cy Slapnicka]] arrived at the Newhouser house with a $15,000 check and a new car, offering both for Newhouser to sign with the franchise. Crushed, Newhouser told Slapnicka that he had already signed with Detroit.<ref name="stewart212"/>

Newhouser started his career in [[1939 Major League Baseball season|1939]] with the Tigers' Class D affiliate, the [[Alexandria Aces]] of the [[Evangeline Baseball League]]. He won his first professional baseball game there, striking out eighteen batters in the effort, before winning seven more and earning a promotion to the Class A [[Beaumont Exporters]] of the [[Texas League]]. Newhouser started hot in Beaumont, winning his first four games before falling into a slump, losing thirteen straight during one particularly bad stretch. This string of performances, along with his notably poor temper, alarmed the Tigers front office. Egan, however, convinced them to call up Newhouser near the end of the season, in order to keep a better eye on him. He joined a pitching staff with the likes of veteran players [[Schoolboy Rowe]], [[Tommy Bridges]], and [[Bobo Newsom]], along with younger players [[Dizzy Trout]] and [[Fred Hutchinson]]. Manager [[Del Baker]] wanted to include the young prospects in the rotation in the final games of the season and on September 26, 1939, Newhouser made his major league debut in the second game of a doubleheader against the Indians. In the game, Newhouser gave up three hits and four walks in five innings, when the game was called due to darkness.<ref name="stewart212-213">{{Harvnb|Stewart|2014|p=212–213}}</ref> Newhouser was credited with the 0–3 loss.<ref name="debut box score">{{cite web |title=Cleveland Indians vs Detroit Tigers Box Score: September 29, 1939 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET193909292.shtml |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |access-date=March 26, 2025}}</ref>

The [[1940 Major League Baseball season|1940 campaign]] saw Newhouser become a much more active part of the rotation. He started in 20 games and posted a 9–9 record with a 4.86 [[earned run average]] (ERA).<ref name="stewart213">{{Harvnb|Stewart|2014|p=213}}</ref> On May 2, Newhouser recorded his first ever win when he allowed only six hits in a 5–3 victory against the [[Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington Senators]] away.<ref name="first mlb win">{{cite news |title=York's Homer, Triple Enables Tigers To Win: Hal Newhouser Hurls Six-Hitter for 5-to-3 Victory |work=[[The Atlanta Constitution]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=May 2, 1940|id={{ProQuest|503664838}}}}</ref> Detroit went on to win the [[American League pennant]], finishing one game over Cleveland and two over the [[New York Yankees]], earning a [[1940 World Series]] appearance against the [[Cincinnati Reds]]. Newhouser, the youngest player on the Tigers roster,<ref name="1940 tigers roster">{{cite web |title=Roster for the 1940 Detroit Tigers |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1940&t=DET |website=[[Baseball Almanac]] |access-date=March 29, 2025}}</ref> did not make an appearance in the Series. He instead watched from the dugout as the Reds won in seven games. Newhouser continued to be an active part of the Tigers rotation in [[1941 Major League Baseball season|1941]], this time posting a 9–11 record with a 4.79 ERA.<ref name="stewart214">{{Harvnb|Stewart|2014|p=214}}</ref>

During the [[1942 Major League Baseball season|1942 season]], Newhouser succeeded against the reduced offensive talent in the league as a result of many players serving in the armed forces during [[World War II]]. He finished the season with a 2.45 ERA with eleven [[complete game]]s and five [[Save (baseball)|save]]s and was an [[1942 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game selection]] for the first time in his career. Despite the positive pitching performance, Newhouser had inaccurate run support from his offensive counterparts and finished the season 8–14.<ref name="stewart214"/> In June,<ref name="army bound">{{cite news |title=Tigers' Tebbetts, Hal Newhouser Both Army Bound |work=[[The Washington Post]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=June 17, 1942|id={{ProQuest|151590969}}}}</ref> Newhouser planned on being sworn into the [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] during a game in order to serve in [[World War II]]. However, due to a [[congenital heart defect]],<ref name="goldstein220">{{Harvnb|Goldstein|1980|p=220}}</ref> he was deemed unfit for service following his physical examination in July.<ref name="fails physical">{{cite news |title=Hal Newhouser Fails to Pass Army Physical |work=[[The Washington Post]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=July 27, 1942|id={{ProQuest|151486102}}}}</ref>

The [[1943 Major League Baseball season|1943 season]] saw a couple of changes in the Tigers lineup. Firstly, former catcher [[Steve O'Neill]] became the new manager of Detroit. Replacing him at the catcher spot would be [[Paul Richards (baseball)|Paul Richards]],<ref name="stewart214"/> who last played for the [[Philadelphia Athletics]] in 1935.<ref name="richards br">{{cite web |title=Paul Richards |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/richapa01.shtml |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=March 26, 2025}}</ref> Richards was largely tasked with bringing Newhouser and his young compatriots to their full potential.<ref name="stewart214"/> At the start of the season, he had proven successful in doing this, as Newhouser credited Richards for his hot start. His 14 strikeouts on May 27 against the [[New York Yankees]] were the most a pitcher had put up in a single game since [[Bob Feller]] threw 18 in 1938. Through the beginning of June with 50 innings pitched, his earned run average was 0.90, 0.19 lower than [[Dutch Leonard (left-handed pitcher)|Dutch Leonard]]'s full season record.<ref name="0.90 era">{{cite news |title=Detroit Pitcher Allows.9 Runs Per Tilt So Far: Newhouser Gives O'Neil, Richards Credit for Transformation |work=[[The Atlanta Constitution]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=June 2, 1943|id={{ProQuest|504230978}}}}</ref> Once again, Newhouser was selected for an [[1943 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]], recording a strikeout in three innings of work in the Midsummer Classic.<ref name="1943 all star game">{{cite web |title=1943 All-Star Game Box Score, July 13 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1943-allstar-game.shtml |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |publisher=[[Sports Reference]] |access-date=March 27, 2025}}</ref> Despite the initial success, Newhouser lost nine straight games from late July to September<ref name="1943 losing streak snapped">{{cite news |title=Detroit Beats Brownies in Pair of Games |work=[[The Atlanta Constitution]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=September 2, 1943|id={{ProQuest|504271966}}}}</ref> and finished the season with a dismal 8–17 record<ref name="stewart214"/> and a league-leading 111 walks.<ref name="at 100">{{cite news |last1=Ford |first1=Ryan |title=Hal Newhouser at 100: Remembering the Detroit Tigers legend's most epic games |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2021/05/20/hal-newhouser-detroit-tigers-best-games/5160880001/ |access-date=March 26, 2025 |work=[[Detroit Free Press]] |date=May 20, 2021}}</ref> Following a September in which he posted a 5.19 ERA, he likely would have been let go had the wartime league talent not been so thin.<ref name="stewart214"/>