Herb Pennock

Who was Herb Pennock?

Herbert Jefferis Pennock was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1912 through 1933. He is best known for his time spent with the star-studded New York Yankee teams of the mid to late 1920s and early 1930s.

Connie Mack signed Pennock to his Philadelphia Athletics in 1912. After using Pennock sparingly, and questioning his competitive drive, Mack sold Pennock to the Boston Red Sox in 1915. After returning from military service in 1919, Pennock became a regular contributor for the Red Sox. The Yankees acquired Pennock from the Red Sox after the 1922 season, and he served as a key member of the pitching staff as the Yankees won four World Series championships during his tenure with the team. After retiring as a player, Pennock served as a coach and farm system director for the Red Sox, and as general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pennock was regarded as one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in baseball history. Mack later called his sale of Pennock to the Red Sox his greatest mistake. Pennock died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1948; later that year, he was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.