Earl Whitehill

Who was Earl Whitehill?

Earl Oliver Whitehill was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Detroit Tigers for the most significant portion of his career, and later with the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and the Chicago Cubs. Consistently winning in double digits for thirteen years, left-handed Whitehill went on to become one of the Top 100 winning pitchers of all time. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

"The Earl", as many called him, was a handsome and often temperamental pitcher who often showed up in the top 10 in hit batsmen, leading the league in his first full year, 1924, when he hit 13.

Whitehill averaged 14 wins each season and he never dipped below 11 wins in a full season. Whitehill made his debut on September 15, 1923. He was a small left-handed pitcher, who weighed around 175 pounds. With Detroit, he came to be known as one of the most consistent pitchers in the league. From 1928 through 1932, he never had an ERA higher than 4.62 and never had one lower than 4.08; a difference of only .54 in those years.

In his rookie season, Whitehill was 17–8, with a 3.86 ERA, and two shutouts. The Tigers' offensive support helped, as the Tigers finished 1st in most major offensive categories in 1923. Reduced run support became a factor later in his stint with Detroit, which lead some to believe his overall record could have been better. In his early years with Detroit, Whitehill was part of a starting rotation that included Hooks Dauss, Dutch Leonard, and Lil Stoner.