The Great "Lefty" Grove

Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was the flame-throwing, left-handed pitching ace for the Philadelphia Athletics' from 1929 to 1931. With an astonishing 79-15 record during those three Triple Crown seasons, Detroit's Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer stated that "[h]is fastball was so fast that by the time you'd made up your mind whether it would be a strike or not, it just wasn't there anymore."

Grove topped the American League in wins four times, five times for winning percentage and seven consecutive times for strikeouts. Even more impressive were his nine ERA titles, easily the greatest total in history. He won 112 games for the Minor League Baltimore Orioles, in addition to his 300 Major League victories. In 1931, Grove won 31 games, only losing four games that season. He completed the season with a 2.06 ERA and 27 complete games, winning the American League's Most Valuable Player award. This is his contract from 1931.