Editing Lefty Grove

{{Short description|American baseball player (1900–1975)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Lefty Grove
|image=Lefty Grove 1939.jpeg
|caption=Grove in 1939
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birth_date={{birth date|1900|3|6}}
|birth_place=[[Lonaconing, Maryland]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1975|5|22|1900|3|6}}
|death_place=[[Norwalk, Ohio]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 14
|debutyear=1925
|debutteam=Philadelphia Athletics
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 28
|finalyear=1941
|finalteam=Boston Red Sox
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=300–141
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.06
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=2,266
|teams=
* [[Philadelphia Athletics]] ({{mlby|1925}}–{{mlby|1933}})
* [[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1934}}–{{mlby|1941}})
|highlights=
* 6× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1933 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1933]], [[1935 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1935]]–[[1939 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1939]])
* 2× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1929}}, {{wsy|1930}})
* [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|AL MVP]] (1931)
* 2× [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] (1930, 1931)
* 4× [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders|AL wins leader]] (1928, 1930, 1931, 1933)
* 9× [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|AL ERA leader]] (1926, 1929–1932, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939)
* 7× [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders|AL strikeout leader]] (1925–1931)
* [[Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame]]
* [[Athletics Hall of Fame]]
* [[Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame]]
* [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[1947 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1947]]
|hofvote=76.4% (fourth ballot)
}}

'''Robert Moses''' "'''Lefty'''" '''Grove''' (March 6, 1900 – May 22, 1975) was an American professional [[baseball]] [[pitcher]]. After having success in the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]] during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in [[Major League Baseball]] with the [[American League]]'s [[Philadelphia Athletics]] and [[Boston Red Sox]]. One of the greatest pitchers in history, Grove led the American League in wins in four separate seasons, in [[strikeout]]s seven consecutive seasons, and had the league's lowest [[earned run average]] a record nine times. Over the course of the three years from 1929 to 1931, he twice won the pitcher's [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]], leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA, while amassing a 79–15 record and leading the Athletics to three straight AL championships.<ref>[http://baseballhall.org/hof/grove-lefty Baseball Hall of Fame]</ref> Overall, Grove won 300 games in his 17-year MLB career. He was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 1947.

==Early life==
Grove was born in [[Lonaconing, Maryland]], one of eight children of John Robert Grove (1865–1957) and Emma Catherine Beeman (1872–1959). His father and brothers [[coal mining|mined coal]].<ref name= "greene">{{cite news |last1=Greene |first1=David L. |title=Grove's trophy back in spotlight |url= https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2001-01-21-0101210092-story.html |access-date=2 August 2019 |work=[[Baltimore Sun]] |date=January 21, 2001}}</ref>

Grove was a [[sandlot ball|sandlot]] star in the [[Baltimore]] area during the 1910s. He did not play organized baseball until he was 19 years old. Grove purportedly gained the ability to throw hard by hurling rocks.<ref>Russo, pp. 145-46</ref> In 1920, he made his professional debut with the Martinsburg Mountaineers of the class-D [[Blue Ridge League]], where he appeared in six games. In 59 [[innings pitched]], Grove gave up just 30 [[Hit (baseball)|hit]]s, and he had an [[earned run average]] (ERA) of 1.68.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=grove-002rob | title= Lefty Grove Minor League Statistics & History| website = baseball-reference.com | publisher= | accessdate =}}</ref> His performance attracted the attention of [[Jack Dunn (baseball)|Jack Dunn, Sr.]] (1872–1928), the manager/owner of the minor league [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Orioles]], who also discovered [[Babe Ruth]]. Dunn acquired Grove's services by giving Martinsburg enough cash to replace their center field wall.<ref name= "Russo 146"/>

==Baltimore Orioles (minor league)==
Grove joined the [[Baltimore Orioles (minor league)|Baltimore Orioles]] in 1920, while they were playing a half-century in the minor leagues of first the old [[Eastern League (baseball, 1884–1912)|Eastern League]] (1903–1914) and then after 1916, in the reorganized [[International League]] of AAA ball. Grove broke into the team's pitching rotation at midseason and had a 12–2 [[Win–loss record (pitching)|record]] the rest of the way. The Orioles were in the middle of winning six straight IL titles from 1919 to 1925. Over the next four seasons, Grove posted marks of 25–10, 18–8, 27–10 and 26–6, leading the International League in [[strikeout]]s each season.

Grove remained in the minor leagues through 1924, as owner Jack Dunn refused several offers from the majors to acquire him. At the time, the Orioles were an independent operation with no major league affiliation and the International League had declared its players not subject to a major league [[Rule 5 draft|draft]]. Since the [[reserve clause]] in all contracts was honored throughout organized baseball, this meant that Grove had no way to reach the majors until the Orioles became willing to trade or sell his contract. Knowing he had such a talented pitcher in Grove, Dunn kept his contract until 1925, when he finally agreed to sell Grove's rights to [[Connie Mack]] (1862–1956) and his [[Philadelphia Athletics]] in the [[American League]] for $100,600 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|0.1006|1925|r=2}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}), the highest amount ever paid for a player at the time.<ref name="Russo 146"/>

==Philadelphia Athletics==
Grove battled injuries as a major league rookie and posted a 10–12 mark (which would prove his only losing record in 17 major league seasons). He led the league in strikeouts but posted a high 4.75 ERA. Grove then settled down in 1926 and won the first of a record nine earned run average (ERA) titles with a mark of 2.51.<ref>{{cite web |title=MLB Pitching ERA Champion as Recognized at End of Year |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/pitching-era-titles.shtml |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |publisher=[[Sports Reference]] |access-date=1 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref> In 1927, Grove won 20 games for the first time, and a year later he tied [[George Pipgras]] for the AL lead in wins with 24.<ref name="Russo 146"/>

The Athletics won the AL [[Pennant (sports)|pennant]] in three consecutive seasons (1929 to 1931), as well as consecutive World Series championships in [[1929 World Series|1929]] and [[1930 World Series|1930]]. During the Athletics' championship run, Grove led the way as the league's top pitcher, posting records of 20–6, 28–5 and 31–4. In 1931, Grove led the league in wins, ERA (2.06), strikeouts (175), winning percentage, [[complete game]]s, and shutouts. His 2.06 ERA was 2.32 runs below the league average.<ref>''Baseball's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Records'', p. 51, Kerry Banks, 2010, Greystone Books, Vancouver, BC, {{ISBN|978-1-55365-507-7}}</ref> He was also chosen as league [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] in 1931, making him one of only a handful of pitchers to achieve this honor. His MVP award is the only one not enshrined in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[Cooperstown, New York]], instead being housed at the George's Creek Library in [[Lonaconing, Maryland]].

During the 1931 season, Grove tied [[Smokey Joe Wood]]'s and [[Walter Johnson]]'s AL record with 16 straight wins. He was attempting to win his 17th straight decision when a rookie outfielder filling in for [[Al Simmons]], who had the day off, committed an [[Error (baseball)|error]] that led to the only run of the game. Grove stated, "After that game I went in and tore the clubhouse up. Wrecked the place. Tore those stall lockers off the wall, giving Al Simmons hell all the while."<ref name="Russo 146">Russo, p. 146</ref> He followed the loss with eight straight wins.<ref name="Russo 146"/> He led the league in strikeouts for a record seven straight years to start his major league career.

The Athletics contended for the next two seasons, but finished second to the [[New York Yankees]] in 1932 and third behind the [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] and Yankees in 1933. In 1933, Grove became the first player in [[Major League Baseball]] history to strike out five times in a nine-inning game.<ref>Solomon, Abbot Neil, "Baseball Records Illustrated", Quintet Publishing, London, 1988</ref> On December 12, 1933, team owner [[Connie Mack]] traded Grove, along with [[Max Bishop]] and [[Rube Walberg]], to the [[Boston Red Sox]] for [[Bob Kline]], [[Rabbit Warstler]] and $125,000.

==Boston Red Sox==
[[File:LeftyGroveGoudeycard.jpg|thumb|A 1933 Goudey [[baseball card]] of Grove]]
Grove was unable to contribute substantially during his first year in Boston, an arm injury holding him to an 8–8 record. In 1935, however, Grove returned to form with a 20–12 record and a league-leading 2.70 ERA. In the 1936 season, he had a 2.81 ERA (winning his seventh ERA title) while recording a 17–12 record and 130 strikeouts. Grove won his eighth ERA title a year later, while having a 17–9 record along with 153 strikeouts. He pitched 262 innings for the season; this was his 11th and final season where he pitched over 200 innings. Grove continued to post outstanding records, including 14–4 in 1938 and 15–4 in 1939, as well as leading the AL in ERA four times between 1935 and 1939. He had a 7–6 record in 1940 while recording a 3.99 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 153.1 innings. In Grove's last season, he won and lost seven games, winning his 300th game on July 25 (giving up six runs on 12 hits, but winning 10–6), before losing his last three major league games, ending his career on September 28, pitching just one inning in the second game of a doubleheader.

==Personal life==
Grove married his childhood sweetheart, Ethel Gardner, in 1921. They had two children, Robert and Doris. The couple would later divorce after Grove had an affair with another woman.<ref name="broadwater">{{cite book |last1=Broadwater |first1=Robert P. |title=Lefty Grove and the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics |date=2014 |publisher=McFarland | pages =111, 165|isbn=9781476616469 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m-PDAwAAQBAJ |access-date=2 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Grove was elected to the town council in his native Lonaconing in the 1950s and also served as the town's police chief.<ref name="broadwater" /> During offseasons and after retiring, Grove operated a [[bowling alley]] in Lonaconing.<ref name="greene" /> Grove befriended a sandlot baseball team whose games he passed on the way home from MLB games, purchasing new jerseys and equipment for the team.<ref name="Russo 146"/> He often donated equipment to local youth baseball players in his retirement.<ref name="tickled">{{cite news |last1=Ashby |first1=Cary |title=Lefty Grove's family 'tickled to death' about statue, park |url=http://www.norwalkreflector.com/Local/2016/04/19/Lefty-Grove-s-family-tickled-to-death-about-statue-park |access-date=2 August 2019 |work=[[Norwalk Reflector]] |date=April 19, 2016 |language=en}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Lefty Grove Memorial Exterior.jpg|thumb|Lefty Grove Memorial from Main Street]]
[[File:Lefty Grove Memorial Home Plate.jpg|thumb|Lefty Grove Memorial looking from home plate]]
Grove retired in 1941 with a career record of 300–141. His .680 lifetime winning percentage is eighth all-time;<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/win_loss_perc_career.shtml Career Leaders & Records for Win–loss % from Baseball-Reference]</ref> however, none of the seven men ahead of him won more than 236 games. His lifetime ERA of 3.06, when normalized to overall league ERA and [[adjusted ERA+|adjusted]] for the parks in which Grove played during his career, is fifth all-time among pitchers with at least 1,000 [[innings pitched]] (behind [[Mariano Rivera]], [[Clayton Kershaw]], [[Jim Devlin]], and [[Pedro Martínez]]) at 48 percent better than average.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/earned_run_avg_plus_career.shtml Career Leaders & Records for Adjusted ERA+ from Baseball-Reference]</ref>

As a hitter, Grove posted a .148 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (202-for-1,369) with 119 [[run (baseball)|runs]], 15 [[home runs]], 121 [[Run batted in|RBI]] and 105 [[bases on balls]]. From 1929 through 1932, Grove had 56 RBI. Defensively, he recorded a .954 [[fielding percentage]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grovele01.shtml|title=Lefty Grove Career Stats at Baseball Reference|website=baseball-reference.com|accessdate= March 27, 2024}}</ref>

Grove was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[1947 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1947]]. He died in [[Norwalk, Ohio]], of a heart attack while watching a televised baseball game at his daughter-in-law's home on May 22, 1975.<ref name="Russo 147">Russo, p. 147</ref> Grove was interred in Section 9, Lot 94, of the Frostburg Memorial Park Cemetery in [[Frostburg, Maryland]].<ref name="Russo 147"/>

In 1969, Grove was voted the left-handed starting pitcher for Major League Baseball's 100th anniversary team.<ref name="armour">{{cite news |last1=Armour |first1=Mark |title=Celebrating Baseball's Centennial |url=https://tht.fangraphs.com/celebrating-baseballs-centennial/ |access-date=2 August 2019 |work=[[The Hardball Times]] |date=May 20, 2019}}</ref> In 1999, Grove was ranked number 23 on ''[[The Sporting News]]'' list of Baseball's Greatest Players.<ref>[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml Baseball's 100 Greatest Players by The Sporting News]</ref> He ranked second, behind only [[Warren Spahn]], among left-handed pitchers. That year, he was elected to the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]]. In the 2001 book ''[[The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract]]'', [[Bill James]] ranked Grove as the 19th best baseball player of all time and the second-best MLB pitcher of all time. According to baseball historian Frank Russo, Grove is usually thought to be the best left-handed pitcher in the history of the American League.<ref>Russo, p. 145</ref> Russo also writes, "Normalized for league average and adjusted for home park, his 3.06 ERA is quite simply the best in baseball history."<ref name="Russo 146"/>

At Game #4 of the 1972 World Series in Oakland, Grove threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

=== Memorial Park ===
The objective of the Lefty Grove Memorial Committee is to preserve the memory of Grove. The Lefty Grove Memorial committee is based in Grove's hometown of Lonaconing, Maryland. The memorial was completed and opened to the public on June 22, 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Glass |first1=Brandon |title=Lefty Grove Park, statue unveiled in Lonaconing |url=https://www.times-news.com/news/local_news/lefty-grove-park-statue-unveiled-in-lonaconing/article_446f60cf-ea79-59cf-a400-ee405aef8f00.html |access-date=October 9, 2019 |work=[[Cumberland Times-News]] |date=June 23, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball|Maryland}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual shutout leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning]]
* [[Major League Baseball titles leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Honig, Donald (1975) [https://archive.org/details/baseballwhengras00honi/page/72 ''Baseball When the Grass Was Real: Baseball from the Twenties to the Forties Told by the Men Who Played It'']. New York: Coward, McGann & Geoghegan. pp.&nbsp;72–86. {{SBN|698-10660-1}}.
*{{cite book|last=Russo|first=Frank|title=The Cooperstown Chronicles: Baseball's Colorful Characters, Unusual Lives, and Strange Demises|location=New York|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4422-3639-4}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=115201|espn=22364|br=g/grovele01|fangraphs=1005099|brm=grove-002rob|retro=G/Pgrovl101}}
*{{Baseball Hall of Fame profile|grove-lefty}}
*{{Sabrbio|8bc0a9e1}}
*{{findagrave|name=Lefty Grove}}

{{s-start|header={{s-ach}}}}
{{succession box|title=[[American League]] [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|Pitching Triple Crown]]|before=[[Walter Johnson]]|years=[[1930 in baseball|1930]] and [[1931 in baseball|1931]]|after= [[Lefty Gomez]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes
|list1=
{{1929 Philadelphia Athletics}}
{{1930 Philadelphia Athletics}}
{{Oakland Athletics Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Oakland Athletics HOF}}
{{MLBACT}}
{{AL MVPs}}
{{300 win club}}
{{MLB Triple Crowns (pitchers)}}
{{AL wins champions}}
{{AL ERA champions}}
{{AL strikeout champions}}
{{1947 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{Philly Baseball Wall of Fame}}
{{Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame}}
{{Boston Red Sox HOF}}
{{Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{2007–09 International League Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grove, Lefty}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1975 deaths]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League Most Valuable Player Award winners]]
[[Category:American League ERA champions]]
[[Category:American League pitching Triple Crown winners]]
[[Category:American League strikeout champions]]
[[Category:American League wins champions]]
[[Category:American police chiefs]]
[[Category:Baltimore Orioles (International League) players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Baltimore]]
[[Category:Boston Red Sox players]]
[[Category:Law enforcement officials from Maryland]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Martinsburg Mountaineers players]]
[[Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:People from Lonaconing, Maryland]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Athletics players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]