SCHOOLBOY ROWE
Pitcher, 1933-1942
#14
--Class of 1945--
Bats - Right
Throws - Right
Born - 1/11/1910
Died - 1/8/1961
Biography:
They may have called him Schoolboy, but during his 10-year Tiger career it was the lanky 6-foot-4 righthander that did most of the teaching. When healthy, there were very few pitchers who could match Lynwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe’s talent or character. Born in an oil boomtown in Arkansas, Rowe was named Schoolboy when he played for a semi-pro baseball team at age 15. As many older players who faced Rowe would learn to say; "I was beaten by a schoolboy." Rowe beat many players with his ability to mix a fierce fastball with an effective curveball and changeup. In 1933 he showed a hint of his potential with a 3.58 ERA and a 7-4 mark. However, he inched his game up another notch in 1934, tying an American League record with 16 straight wins. He finished the season at 24-8, completing 20 of the 30 games he started. He continued his strong play into 1935, posting a 19-9 record and pitching 21 innings during the World Series. It was a series the Tigers won, earning them their first ever World Championship after four unsuccessful tries. Due to arm troubles, Rowe hardly pitched during the 1937 and 1938 seasons, but bounced back with one of his finest seasons in 1940, going 16-3 with a 3.46 ERA and helping lead the Tigers to a third World Series in seven years. He would leave the team in 1942, but his mark was already established. As colorful as he was talented, Rowe was the son of a circus performer and was well known for his catchphrase "How am I doin’, Edna?", a question he had asked of his wife during a radio interview. Edna, a very beautiful lady, became almost as much a celebrity as Rowe, eventually writing a column for The Detroit News. Rowe himself was very superstitious, and among his collection was a lucky Canadian penny, rabbit’s foot, jade elephant figurine, and four feathers that were plucked from a three-legged rooster for luck. A great athlete, he was considered the top hitting pitcher of the 1930s, batting .271 with nine homers in his 561 at-bats as a Tiger. He had 22 pinch hit at-bats during his Tiger career, and compiled 111 RBIs and 83 runs scored during his time in Detroit. All told, Rowe went 105-62 with a .629 winning percentage with the Tigers.
Pitching:
Code:
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP ERA ERA+ WHIP
1933 23 DET AL 7 4 19 15 8 1 3 0 123.3 129 60 49 7 31 75 1 3 521 3.58 121 1.297
1934 24 DET AL 24 8 45 30 20 3 13 1 266.0 259 110 102 12 81 149 1 1 1111 3.45 128 1.278
1935 25 DET AL 19 13 42 34 21 6 8 3 275.7 272 121 113 11 68 140 2 1 1146 3.69 114 1.233
1936 26 DET AL 19 10 41 35 19 4 5 3 245.3 266 134 123 15 64 115 2 5 1046 4.51 109 1.345
1937 27 DET AL 1 4 10 2 1 0 2 0 31.3 49 32 30 7 9 6 1 1 152 8.62 54 1.851
1938 28 DET AL 0 2 4 3 0 0 1 0 21.0 20 11 7 1 11 4 0 0 93 3.00 166 1.476
1939 29 DET AL 10 12 28 24 8 1 2 0 164.0 192 113 91 17 61 51 2 2 734 4.99 98 1.543
1940 30 DET AL 16 3 27 23 11 1 4 0 169.0 170 68 65 15 43 61 1 2 706 3.46 138 1.260
1941 31 DET AL 8 6 27 14 4 0 9 1 139.0 155 70 64 6 33 54 0 2 599 4.14 110 1.353
1942 32 DET AL 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 10.3 9 2 0 0 2 7 0 0 43 0.00 inf 1.065
YR From To W L WL% ERA G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA+
TOTALS 10 1933 1942 105 62 .629 4.01 245 181 47 92 16 8 1445.0 1521 721 644 91 403 662 114