Evening star., 1939-12-19
Veteran Grove Gives
Fewest Runs, With
Lyons Second
Leonard Of Mats High Up
As HurIers Above 30
Years Predominote

.
Grove, 40 years old and able to
pitch only once a week, hung up
Is victories as against 4 defeats
and topped the list with an earned
run average of 254.
But hard on the heels Of the old
Lanaconing left-hander was Ted
Lyons of the Chicago Sox, another
graybeard. Lyons IA victories as
against only 6 defeats not only
enabled the Pale Hose to finish in
the first division but his earned
run average of 2.76 per 9-inning
game gained him rank second only
to Grove among the regular
pitchers.
Feller ranked third in earned
run average, but topped the circuit
with "a victories as against only
defeats. The young Cleveland fire.
baller, still the widest pitcher in
the league, nevertheless began to
fulfill more of the predictions made
for him last season than ever be-
fore.
Leonard Among the Leaders.
Feller is in older company while
occupying his high place. AS usual,
Red Ruff1ng of the Yankees, who
has passed the 30-year mark, was
around the top. The veteran right
handler won 81, lost 7, and ranked
next to Feller in earned-run aver
age. Bump Hadley and Oral Hide
brand, teammates of Rufing and
not exactly youngsters, were close
up, too, followed briskly by the
veteran Vernon Gomez of the
world champions; Mel Harder of
the Indians, Tommy Bridges of the
Tigers, Dutch Leonard of the Ma
tlonals and Buck Newsom of the
Tigers.
Most of these fellows, except Eel
Ter, OF course, won't see 80 again and
some are pressing the 40 mark.
Only four pitchers were in the
2O-game class. Feller led, with Ruff
fing second with 81 victories. Leon
ard, the knuckle -baller who five
years ago was fired by the Dodgers
hung up a record of 20 wins as
against only defeats with a sixth
place team, and Newsom completed
the quartet with a 20-11 record for
the Browns and Tigers. He had
won three and lost one game fol
st. Louis before he was traded tc
Detroit.
The highest won-and-lost percent.
age was compiled by Steve Sundra
Yankee rookie, with Luther (Bud)
Thomas. a Washington, D. c., boy
who began the season with the Ath
letics, running second. In mid
season Thomas was purchased by
the Nationals but he failed to click
and Washington allowed him to &c
to Detroit, where he won seven
straight games to finish the year
with these many wins and only one
defeat, sustained with Philadelphia
Brown Sets Relief Record.
Sundra, who once belonged to the
Indians and who has been knocking
around for few years, won II games
IN row for the Yankees before he
was beaten by Boston on Septembe,
80 in the last game he pitched
Thus, with II victories and one de-
feat. Sundra had a .9l7 percentage
to show.
In third place, behind Thomas
was another Yankee rookie, Atley
Donald. This recruit set a new
record for f1rst-year slabster wher
ne won his first II games. Not unit
Detroit beat him on August 2 was
this string interrupted. Donald fin.
ished with 13 wins and three losses
A new major league record was
established by Clint Brown, relief
star of the White Sox, when hi
participated in 81 games. This broke
the former record of SO, set BY
Garland Braxton of Washington ir
1927. 1t may be ironic to reminc
that during the recent winter meet.
Ing the Sox management attempted
to trade Brown to st. Louis.
AS usual, Feller gave the mos
bases on balls and struck out thu
most hitters. The young fireballel
walked 142 batters, but otherwis.
conducted himself admirably. H,
pitched the most innings, 297, anc
Whitfield 246. Newsom was third II
bases on balls, just behind Jacl
Kramer of the Browns, and seconc
in strikeouts with 1872. This was tn.
second straight year in which Fellel
and NeWSOm ran One-tWO in strike.
outs.
Other Mats No Wonders.
Except for Leonard's sterling rec.
ord the Mats pitching, in retrospect
was pretty bad. Ken Chase, WHIT
ranked next to Leonard on the cluk
In earned-run average, almost wor
the dubious distinction of losinI
more gameSthan any other pitcher
In the league. He was beaten ou
by Kramer, who dropped 20. Chas,
lost 10, while winning only 10.
Lee Ross of the Athletics wa
knocked out of the box most times
%, while Feller and Newsom topped
the league in finishing games, will
"a completed games apiece to thei
credit. Leonard was close behins
with 81 completed games.
In pitching shutouts, Feller ant
Ruf1ng were tied with four each
Feller also contributed two 1-hi
performances, three shit game
and two 4-hit gems. No othe
pitcher hurled one-hitter and no
body worked a rlo-hitter.
Feller did all right for a kid. Un