The Washington times., 1933-12-21
INDIAN ROOKIE.
LEADS LOOP
ONMOUND
BY GARRETT WATERS

The American League was sup.
posed to have had a livelier ball
than the National League last
season, yet pitching performances
in the junior circuit were better
than in the last three or four
years.
Three clubs, as a specific ex.
ample, Washington, Cleveland
and Detroit, held opponents to
an average of less than four
earned runs per game, while the
average for the entire eight teams
was only 4.28 earned runs per
game.
The least number of earned
runs per game were counted
against Walter Johnson's Cleve-
land pitching staff, $50, but the
smallest total of runs scored goes
to the credit of the Washington
pitchers, 665 as against 669 for
Cleveland. A total Of $50 runs
were earned against the Grlff
moundsmen.
Rookie Was Best
A rookie pitcher was the actual
pitching leader in effectiveness.
He was Monte Pearson, Cleveland
star, who did not report to Man
ager Walter Johnson until July 5.
He appeared in 10 games, won 10,
lost only S, hurled in 10 complete
games and had an earned run
average Of 2.33.
Joe Heving, Of the Chicago
White Sox, and Jack Russell, the
Griffs' sensational recruit, rated
second and third, respectively with
earned runs averages Of 2.67 ana
2.69. Both of these youngsters were
used chiefly in relief roles, and
this mark makes their record all
the more remarkable.
Heving worked 118 innings IN 40
games, while Russell pitched ia
innings in so games. Ver1table
work horses, this pair.
Mel Harder, another Cleveland
hurler, was fourth with an aver
age of 2.95. He pitched 253 innings
in 43 games, and had the distinc'
ton of holding opponents to less
than 3 runs per game.
Bridges Is Fifth
Tom Bridges, Of the Detroit
Tigers, ranked fifth. Tom started
% games, finished II Of them.
scored two shutouts, two one-hit
games, one two-hit effort and two
four-hit contests for an earned
runs average of 800. He hurled 233
innings, won IA and lost IL.
Lefty Gomez, of the New York
Yankees, followed close behind
Bridges with an average Of 3.18.
Gomez won 16 games and lost 10.
Robert Moses Grove, recently
traded to the Boston Red Sox by
Connie Mack, of the Philadelphia
AS, was the seventh best pitcher
in the league in effectiveness.
Grove appeared in As games,
eight of them within a period OF
II days, hurled 275 innings, won
"a games, lost eight, hurled three
extra inning trays, two shutouts
and topped the circuit by pitch
ing 81 complete games out OF 20
starts. His earned runs average
was 3.21 q - @AI1
Winning "a games marked the
sixth consecutive season the great
lefthander has won more than 20
games, while it also marked the
sixth year in which he has pitched
in $50 or more innings and al
lowed less than 100 earned runs
off his deliveries.
Stopped Yankee Streak
It was Grove who stopped the
continuous scoring streak on
August when he shut out Nc.
Carthy's men after they had
scored ont or more runs IN 80
consecutive games.
General Alvin Crowder, Of the
Washington Griffmen, worked in
more mes than any other
pitcher, but he lost is while WIN
ming "a. He pitched in So games.
299 innings, but this latter total
was exceeded by Irving Hadley, OF
the st. Louis Browns, who worked
in BIT rounds in As contests.
Hadley granted the most mum"
ber of bases on balls, 141: Lefty
Lloyd Brown, Of the Boston Red
Sox, and now of the Cleveland
Indians, allowed the most sacri.
flee hits, Is, while Lefty Gomez,
of the New York Yankees, led in
strikeouts, 1853. Tom Bridges and
Bob Kline, the latter recently
traded to the Philadelphia AS by
the Boston Red Sox, hit the most
men, 6, while Ted Lyons, Of the
Chicago White Sox; Johnny Al
len, of the New York Yankees, and
Lloyd Brown. Of the Red Sox,
made the most wild pitches, 10