Detroit Tigers Art Houtteman

1 detroit tigers

1.1 hard luck houtteman
1.2 ace of staff
1.3 military , return tigers

detroit tigers
hard luck houtteman

due tiger pitching injuries, , many top players still in military late in world war ii (houtteman young draft), made major league debut on april 29. @ 17 years old, youngest player in american league in 1945 season before being optioned buffalo, on june 20 threw 7 no-hit innings, facing 22 batters in process, lost game 2–0 in innings. appeared in 13 games relief pitcher, , finished minor league season no wins, 2 losses , era of 5.33 in on 25 innings pitched. not on active roster, , result did not pitch during tigers world series victory on chicago cubs.

houtteman on cover of baseball digest

houtteman youngest major leaguer in 1946 played 1 game tigers season, allowing 8 runs , fifteen hits in 8 innings. spent of 1946 in minor leagues, finished @ 16–13 , led league in strikeouts. @ end of season, houtteman named 6 of 8 international league managers top pitching prospect in league, leading league in strikeouts 150, pitching on 200 innings, finishing second in victories 16, , amassing 11–2 road record. minor league third baseman johnny bero liked houtteman s fielding ability called him fifth infielder.

despite newfound top prospect status houtteman remained in buffalo @ beginning of 1947 season before being recalled tigers in july. relegated bullpen time, , saw little action. after hal newhouser, fred hutchinson , dizzy trout used in 2 days, tiger manager steve o neill decided start houtteman against washington senators second start of career. tossed five-hit shutout , tiger general manager billy evans said, in 40 years ve never seen better pitching job first-year pitcher. know houtteman big leaguer . followed five-hit victory against boston red sox, pitched three-hit shutout in september against st. louis browns. finished season @ 7–2 3.42 era, 7 complete games , 2 shutouts. performance in 1947 caught attention of new york yankees star , future hall of famer joe dimaggio, said of houtteman , bob lemon, have more stuff , more pitching sense other young fellows ve seen come in long while .

the 1948 detroit tigers season began houtteman in starting rotation. things started off poorly, however, houtteman lost first 8 decisions. 2 of first 5 losses, though, 1 run, , had little run support. 0–8 start , lack of run support led being called hard luck houtteman in media. first victory year came against senators, in drove in winning run. after winning next start, defeated philadelphia athletics allowing 5 hits, , avoided loss. lost 8 more games , finished season @ 2–16. teammates , media attributed bad luck rather bad pitching, , still regarded him prime prospect. newhouser said, kid has had nothing bad luck since season opened , while fred hutchinson said, shouldn t have lost more 3 or 4 games had gotten break . 4.66 era 0.06 higher major league average.

as 1949 spring training began, houtteman killed. in lakeland, florida on march 10, while driving home florida southern college, crashed fruit truck fracturing skull. listed in critical condition (a priest stood administer last rites in extremis), recovered rapidly , able talk teammates 2 days after accident, telling them, ll able pitch sooner . within 2 weeks, tigers optimistic houtteman able play again june. result of injuries houtteman , yankee star catcher yogi berra due car accidents, cleveland indians playing manager lou boudreau banned players driving, forcing soon-to-be world champions ride chartered buses exhibition games.

ace of staff

houtteman marked return tigers rotation on may 21, 1949, lost first 3 decisions. performance improved, however, began earn more victories in 1949 season. these wins included five-hit 2–1 victory on new york yankees on july 23. on course of season, houtteman beat each american league club @ least once , beat yankees , red sox 3 times. finished season 15–10 record, 3.71 era, 13 complete games, , 2 shutouts. placed in valuable player (mvp) voting, , received 3 points , finished tied 22nd teammate virgil trucks. philadelphia sports writers association honored him year s courageous athlete because of injury , comeback.

teammate ted gray on art houtteman, sporting news, april 11, 1950.

as 1950 detroit tigers season started, houtteman on high note, pitching of spring training without allowing walk. won tenth game of season on june 28, 1950, , became first pitcher hit 10-win mark alongside bob lemon. after game, told associated press reporter convinced lady luck had decided give him break after kicking him around past 2 or 3 years. houtteman said, ve been having pretty year , sure feels after of things have happened me . week july, houtteman notched eleventh victory, , lost 5 games, in 6–1 win against st. louis browns. few days later, houtteman named all-star roster alongside fellow tigers including ted gray, george kell , hoot evers. in 1950 all-star game, houtteman pitched 3 innings , batted once. allowed 1 earned run, 3 hits, , 1 walk, 1 earned run coming in ninth inning on ralph kiner home run made game go innings.

houtteman continued successful season in second half. on august 19, faced browns , pitched one-hitter, , faced minimum 27 batters in process. houtteman ended season short of ted gray s prediction of 20 victories, , finished season 19–12 record. led league in shutouts 4 , second in games started 34, second in innings pitched 274.7, third in wins, , third in complete games 21. era of 3.54 fifth in american league. earned 6 points in mvp voting, , finished tied 24th. on october 2, day after 1950 season ended, houtteman married shelagh marie kelly. met in new york s catskill mountains @ grossinger s resort.

military , return tigers

before start of 1951 season, houtteman drafted united states army. had been classified 4f, or medically ineligible draft, because of high school knee injury, , felt drafted because prominent athlete. served in heavy weapons division of army, roar of big guns sent pains throbbing through houtteman s head , gave him severe headaches, doctors believed lingering effect of skull fracture 3 years earlier. result, army reclassified houtteman not qualified combat duty. led medical discharge on september 15, 1951. speaking of time in army, houtteman said, spent of time in army hospital. did play little ball @ camp pickett , virginia.

when returned tigers spring training in 1952, tigers manager red rolfe noted, artie our best pitcher. s slump-breaking type, guy can throw shutout once in while . after poor season without houtteman in 1951, rolfe predicted, ll in first division season because art houtteman back. houtteman makes @ least dozen games better [last year s tigers team] . houtteman worked out in detroit pitcher ted gray on winter before 1952 season. before season started, houtteman said, depends on how off. m anxious season. arm doesn t feel different did in 50. hope can better last year . houtteman took number 21 on uniform, number had when first arrived tigers, because felt had given both him , teammate george kell, won batting title number, luck.

it appeared hard luck houtteman had returned 1952 detroit tigers season began. on april 2, 1952, before season started, art lost seven-month-old daughter in automobile accident. in april 26 matchup against cleveland indians, 2 outs in bottom of ninth, houtteman 1 out away no-hitter when threw fastball supposed sink did not, harry hit single. houtteman said, pitch shook ginsberg off whole game , , years afterwards, catcher joe ginsberg repeatedly said houtteman, if d listened me, d have in hall of fame . detroit won game score of 13–0. after losing tenth game on june 22, manager red rolfe moved houtteman out of starting rotation , bullpen. finished year 8–20 record , 4.36 era. 20th loss came on september 21 against indians, , became first tiger lose 20 games since bobo newsom in 1941. disappointing season led possibility of trade, general manager charlie gehringer acknowledging houtteman might traded if right offer came along.

houtteman spent offseason selling cars , making public appearances detroit tigers. during 1953 detroit tigers season there rumors of possible trades houtteman, yankees proposing possibility of trading hank bauer, infielder, , gil mcdougald houtteman. gehringer said of houtteman s high trading price, art has had stuff—much 20-game loser . season, used both starter , reliever during season. however, lost 6 straight decisions, , middle of june had 2–6 record , 5.90 era. marked end of career tiger.