Hal Newhouser

Hal Newhouser (1921-1998) was an American left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1955, primarily for the Detroit Tigers. He was selected for seven consecutive All-Star Games from 1942 to 1948. Newhouser won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1944 and 1945, becoming the first pitcher to win the award in consecutive seasons. In 1944 he posted a 29-9 record with a 2.22 ERA and led the league in wins and strikeouts. In 1945 he won the pitching Triple Crown, leading the league with 25 wins, a 1.81 ERA, and 212 strikeouts. He finished his career with a 207-150 record, a 3.06 ERA, and 1,796 strikeouts. Newhouser was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Tigers retired his number 16 in 1997.