Carl Hubbell Stats

Carl Hubbell Rookie Card | 1933 Goudey Baseball Card (#234 | Checklist)
Baseball Almanac Research Library

CARL HUBBELL BIOGRAPHY

Ignoring warnings about the possible damage the screwball might do to his arm, Carl Hubbell stuck with the pitch and went on to become one of the greatest left handed pitchers of all time. He, along with Lefty Grove, starred on the mound during a time that is most remembered as a hitters era.

Hubbell got his first crack at the majors with Detroit in 1926 but was told not to use the screwball to avoid arm injury. He then failed to impress the Tigers and his next attempt at the Major Leagues came with the Giants two years later. Although he was purchased by New York mid way through the 1928 season Hubbell still managed to win ten games. He came into his own the next season winning 18 games.

In 1933 Hubbell began a string of five straight 20-victory seasons averaging 23 wins a year from 1933-37. He helped lead the Giants to a pennant and a World Championship in 1933, winning National League MVP by posting 23 wins, ten shutouts, 308 innings pitched and a microscopic 1.66 ERA. At one point Hubbell hurled 45 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings. He then added two wins without allowing an earned run in New York's World Series win over the Senators.

Hubbell gave perhaps the greatest All Star Game pitching performance in history when, in 1934, he struck out Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin consecutively. Hubbell helped pace the Giants to back to back pennants in 1936-37 and won his second MVP in 1936 when he notched a career high 26 wins and concluded the year winning 16 straight decisions. Hubbell then won his first eight games in 1937 giving him 24 consecutive wins over two seasons, still a Major League record.

He finished his career with 253 victories, a .622 winning percentage and a lifetime 2.98 ERA. Hubbell was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947.

Carl Hubbell | National Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque | Class of 1947 (HOF)

5 - Carl Hubbell struck out five future Hall of Famers in succession during the 1934 All-Star Game; Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin. Easily one of the most iconic moments in All-Star history.

Baseball Almanac Audio Moment | Hear The Game
Carl Hubbell Strikes Out Five. 10 July 1934.

11 - Carl Hubbell wore #11 with the New York Giants from 1933 through 1943 and the franchise retired it in his honor in 1944, the first National League player to have his number retired.

45 - Carl Hubbell was ranked forty-fifth in 1999 by The Sporting News when their editors ranked Baseball's 100 Greatest Players.

45.1 - Carl Hubbell once pitched 45.1 consecutive scoreless innings setting a National League record in 1933 that stood until 1968 - this feat is still kept here on Baseball Almanac in the 40+ Consecutive Scoreless Innings Pitched record book.

1933 - Carl Hubbell pitched in his first World Series in 1933 and had there been a World Series Most Valuable Player Award (it started in 1955), The Meal Ticket might have won, pitching two complete games — Game 1 (9 IP) & Game 4 (11 IP) — winning them both, finishing with a 0.00 ERA, and striking out fifteen opposing batters.

1947 - Carl Hubbell was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947, four years after he retired (a five-year wait period hadn't yet been put in place); however, it was third year on the ballot before the writers gave him 87% of their votes.

8000 - Carl Hubbell threw a no-hitter on May 8, 1929, when he faced the fourth place Pittsburgh Pirates — a pitching feat witnessed by 8,000 fans in the Polo Grounds:

Sparky Adams began the game with a grounder which shortstop Travis Jackson fielded and threw wildly over first for a two-base error. Lloyd Waner's sacrifice bunt moved Adams to third but he was stranded there as Paul Waner popped to short and Pie Traynor's hot grounder to third was fielded flawlessly by Fred Lindstrom.

Jackson made a fine play on Dick Bartell's grounder to end the second and, with two out in the third, Adams walked but was forced at second on Waner's grounder to short. Jackson tossing to second baseman Andy Cohen for the out.

From then until the ninth, Hubbell set the Pirates down in order. Traynor lined a well-hit ball to right with one out in the fourth but right to Mel Ott, and Waner ended the sixth with a grounder on which Jackson made a fine play. The other chances were routine.

Harry Riconda batted for relief pitcher Remy Kremer to start the ninth and lined one to left. Chick Fullis, playing deep, raced in, got both hands on the ball then dropped it for an error. Adams followed with a bounder to short and Jackson, in his haste to start a double play, fumbled the ball.

Hubbell had no worries about losing the game for he had an 11-0 lead, but his mates were making a no-hitter mighty difficult, for Carl now had to pitch to the great Waner brothers.

Lloyd Waner was first and Hubbell got him on a called third strike. Lloyd's brother Paul, after slashing a wicked one, just foul, down the first base line, hit one between the mound and first. Hubbell, who had shown a weakness as a fielder the year before, pounced on the ball, fired it to second to force Adams, and Jackson's relay to Bill Terry at first doubled Waner to end the game.

The Giants scored twice in each of the first three innings. With two out in the first, Traynor erred on Lindstrom's roller and Ott hit a long drive over Paul Waner's head in right for an inside-the-park homer. Fullis homered with one out in the second, his third in three days. Bob O'Farrell tripled to right, and Fred Fussell relieved Petty. Hubbell's sacrifice fly to right scored O'Farrell.

Cohen began the third with a homer to upper left. Ott walked and, with two out, Jackson beat out a hit to third. When Fullis singled to left, scoring Ott, Kremer relieved Fussell, fanned O'Farrell and finished the game, despite a five-run sixth.

In that frame, O'Farrell doubled with one out, Hubbell was safe on first baseman Earl Sheely's error, Edd Roush tripled, Cohen singled and, with two out, Ott hit his second homer. Ott tied two no-hit game records with two home runs and three runs scored.

Hubbell finished the season with an 18-11 record.