Schoolboy Rowe
Schoolboy Rowe | ||
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Strikeouts | 913 | |
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Lynwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe (January 11, 1910 – January 8, 1961) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Detroit Tigers (1932–42) and Philadelphia Phillies (1943, 1946–49). He was a three-time All-Star (1935, 1936 & 1947) and a member of three Tigers' World Series teams (1934, 1935 & 1940).
Early years (1925–1933)
Born in
The 1934 and 1935 American League pennants
Rowe joined the Tigers in 1933 and the following year went 24–8 which included a then
Rowe had another strong year in 1935 as the Tigers won their second consecutive American League pennant. He finished the regular season with a record of 19–13 with 21
Rowe was known both for his powerful pitching and control. In the 1934 and 1935 seasons, he had 149 strikeouts (third in the AL) and 140 strikeouts (second in the AL), respectively. He also led the
Rowe also contributed to the Tigers' success in 1934 and 1935 with his hitting. In 1934, he hit for a .303 batting average and had eight doubles, two home runs, and 22 RBIs in 109 at bats. In 1935, he raised his average to .312 with three home runs and 28 RBIs in 109 at bats. In his 15 seasons in the big leagues, Rowe hit 18 home runs (14th best in major league history for a pitcher) and 153 RBIs. His career batting average was .263 (239-for-909).
"How'm I Doing, Edna?"
With his southern charm and eccentricities, Schoolboy Rowe became a fan favorite in Detroit. He was known as a superstitious player who carried amulets, talismans, and charms in his pockets, always picked up his glove with his left hand and even talked to the ball.
Rowe was loved particularly by female fans for his good looks and public devotion to his high-school sweetheart, Edna Mary Skinner. During a September 13, 1934, nationally broadcast interview on the popular Rudy Vallee radio show, Rowe asked his fiancee, "How'm I doing, Edna honey?" The line became famous and the incident endeared Schoolboy to women across the country, but led to relentless heckling from fans and opposing players, who enjoyed taunting him with his own words: "How'm I doing, Edna?"
During his 16-game win streak in 1934, a reporter asked him for his secret, and Schoolboy responded that he would "just eat a lot of vittles, climb on that mound, wrap my fingers around the ball and say to it, 'Edna, honey, let's go.'"[who?]
Prior to the
Actor Nick LaMantia delivers the famous line "How'm I doing, Edna?" while playing Schoolboy Rowe in the 2015 feature film "Gore Orphanage."[4]
Middle years (1936–1943)
Rowe continued to pitch well in 1936, finishing with a 19–10 record. However, in 1937 and 1938 Rowe broke down and he was limited to 31 and 21 innings respectively before being sent down to the minor leagues.
In 1939, Rowe returned to the Tigers and, in 1940, he led the American League with an .842 winning percentage—a record of 16–3. His 16 wins, 3.46 ERA, and 138
Rowe was sold to
The war years (1944–1945)
Schoolboy missed the 1944 and 1945 seasons to wartime service in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the
In one memorable game in August 1944, Rowe hit a double, a triple, and a home run for the Navy's Great Lakes team, and the local newspaper reported that "...it was his circuit clout which brought deafening roars from the 6,000 park customers. The 'Schoolboy' teed off on one of (Gerard) 'Slim' DeLion's slow curves and drove the horsehide straight over the center field fence, a tremendous wallop of at least 450 feet."
In September 1944, the Army and Navy staged a military service World Series in Hawaii, billed by locals as the "real World Series", because so many of the best players in baseball were in the service. Schoolboy Rowe pitched for the Navy team that also included Dom DiMaggio and Phil Rizzuto.[7] Admiral Nimitz threw out the first pitch, and Rowe's Navy team swept the first six games and finally won eight while losing two and tying one.[5]
Later years (1946–1961)
After serving two years in World War II, the 36-year-old "Schoolboy" returned to the Phillies in top form. In 1946, Rowe was 11–4, led the league in winning percentage, and had a career-low earned run average of 2.12. Rowe followed with another strong season in 1947, earning a final All-Star nod. That season, he also became the first and only pitcher in Major League history to be intentionally walked twice in the same game.[8] He was released by the Phillies after the 1949 season and finished his pitching career in 1950, with San Diego in the Pacific Coast League.
Schoolboy had a career 158–101 record, 913 strikeouts, and a 3.87 ERA. He spent two seasons 1954-1955 as the Tigers' pitching coach. During this time, after the Tigers made the third out, Rowe would pick up the baseball, then hand or toss it to the Tiger pitchers as they came out of the dugout to go to the mound. He did this to each except Ned Garver, who superstitiously preferred to pick the ball up off the ground.[9] Later, Rowe worked as a Tigers scout assigned to cover Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and East Texas.
Rowe died of a heart attack at age 50 on January 8, 1961, in El Dorado, Arkansas.[10]
See also
- 1935 Detroit Tigers season
- List of Major League Baseball all-time leaders in home runs by pitchers
- Best pitching seasons by a Detroit Tiger
References
- ^ "Schoolboy" Rowe (1910–1961) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas Retrieved October 30, 2014.
- ^ "1934 World Series, Game Two". Baseball-Reference.com. October 4, 1934.
- ^ "1934 World Series, Game Six". Baseball-Reference.com. October 8, 1934.
- ^ "Gore Orphanage (2015)". IMDb.
- ^ a b "Gene Woodling; A Champion Outfielder in Baseball's Glory Years". baseballlibrary.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ISBN 9780786405169. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ISBN 0803299206. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ "Intentionally Walking the Pitcher?". Value Over Replacement Grit. May 12, 2013.
- ASIN B00B6JBVV6.
- New York Times. January 9, 1961.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Schoolboy Rowe at Baseball Biography
- Time magazine article about Rowe, 1947
- Schoolboy Rowe at Find a Grave