Tag Archives: Lefty Grove

A New Baseball Introduced At Spring Training 1931

Manager Connie Mack Shows Pitchers The New Baseball To Be Used For The 1931 Season

Connie Shows His Men How The New Ball Works
Fort Myers, Fla: Connie Mack, veteran chief of the Philadelphia Athletics explains the new ball to Walberg, Grove, Rommel and Shores as spring training gets under way here. 3/5/1931 photo International Newsreel

With a new lively baseball introduced after 1920, it was no surprise that balls started to travel further. But as the 1920s progressed and hitters kept hitting more and more home runs, baseball writers, fans and those within the game felt that the hitters had achieved too much of an advantage. So after a decade of increasing run production, the National and American Leagues made the decision to try and curb the scoring by changing to a new baseball.

Big Numbers

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Lefty Grove Takes A Bat To His Glove – 1931 World Series

World Series “Action” – Lefty Grove Breaks In A New Glove

What does a star pitcher do between games of the World Series? If you are 31-game winner Lefty Grove you take time to  work on breaking in a new glove.

Breaking In A New Mitt
Robert (Lefty) Grove victor over the St. Louis Cards first battle of the World Series, is seen here in Shibe Park, Philadelphia, October 4th as he breaks in a new glove. Grove will probably be selected to pitch against the Cards in the third game Oct, 5th. photo: Acme 10/4/1931

A new glove didn’t help Grove in game three Continue reading

Philadelphia Athletics 1931 World Series Pitchers Grove, Earnshaw & Rommel

Three Members Of The 1931 The Philadelphia Athletics Pitching Staff

Grove Earnshaw Rommel Athletics 1931 World Series Acme PhotoMay Play In World Series
Here are three important members of the Philadelphia Athletics pitching staff who are bound to figure in the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Left to right, George Earnshaw, Eddie Rommel and Robert “Lefty” Grove. Photo: Acme September 30, 1931

The Athletics had reason to be confident. The previous year, the Athletics defeated the Cardinals four games to two with Grove and Earnshaw each winning two games.

The photo caption writer here was a bit off with “bound to figure”. Rommel pitched just one inning in the 1931 World Series.

Earnshaw and Grove once again carried the load pitching 50 of the 61 innings for the Athletics, but wound up losing the championship to the Cardinals in seven games. Continue reading