Grove Joins The 300-Win Club

On July 25, 1941 - Red Sox Lefty Grove becomes just the twelfth pitcher to win 300-games, it was also his last victory.

At the time Grove joined Cy Young, 511; Walter Johnson, 417; Christy Matthewson, 373; Grover Cleveland Alexander, 373; Pud Galvin, 364; Kid Nichols, 361; Tim Keeke, 342; John Clarkson, 328; Eddie Plank, 326; Charles Radbourn, 309 and Mickey Welch, 307 as members of the 300 win club.
After Grover joined the 300-win club 12 pitchers have since joined the club. In chronological order they are Warren Spahn, 363; Early Wynn, 300; Gaylord Perry, 314; Steve Carlton, 329; Tom Seaver, 311; Phil Niekro, 318; Don Sutton, 324; Nolan Ryan, 324; Roger Clemens, 354; Greg Maddux, 355; Tom Glavine, 305 and Randy Johnson, 303.

Grove pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox during his 17 year career. He was a two-time World Series Champion, both with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929 and 1930. In 1931 he was named the American League MVP. He was also a six-time All-Star including five straight appearances from 1935-1939.

Grove finished his career with 300 wins and 141 losses and 55 saves, in 616 games with 457 starts over 3,940.2 innings pitched. He accumulated a 3.06 ERA, with 2,266 strikeouts, 1,187 walks and allowing just 162 home runs over his career.

Grove was a 30 game winner once, and a 20 game winner eight times, with seven consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins from 1927-1933. Nine times Gove led the league in ERA, with his lowest single season ERA of 2.06 in 1931. In seven consecutive years Grove led the MLB in strikeouts with his highest single season total coming in 1930 with 209 strikeouts.

Grove pitched 298 complete games and had 35 shutouts. Three times he led the league in complete games and three times he led the league in shutouts. His highest total for complete games in a single season was 27, which he did in back-to-back seasons, 1931-1932. His highest single season total for shutouts was in 1936 when he had six shutouts.

In 1947 Grove was elected to the Cooperstown Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with 76.4 percent of the vote on the third ballot in which he appeared.

In 1998 Grove ranked as no. 23 on the The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players. He was just the second left-handed pitcher listed behind Warren Spahn, third when Babe Ruth was counted as a pitcher.

In 1999 Grove was named as a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.