Books and articles about Art Nehf

Just 5'9" and 176 lbs, Nehf joined the Braves late in 1915 after leading the Central League with 218 strikeouts and a 1.38 ERA. The crafty southpaw went 17-8 in 1917 and in 1918 topped the National League in complete games. He pitched a 21-inning game that season against the Pirates, only to lose 2-0. He had compiled a 52-41 record for the light-hitting Braves when, on August 15, 1919, he was traded to the Giants for four players and cash. He went 9-2 the rest of the way, but the Giants still couldn't catch the Reds and finished second.

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In 1920, Nehf won a career-high 21 games. From 1921 through 1924 he helped the Giants to four consecutive pennants. Following a 20-10 season in 1921, he lost his first two World Series starts (the Giants scored a mere one run - unearned - in those games), but defeated the Yankees 1-0 in the final game. In the 1922 WS rematch, Nehf again won the decisive contest. He pitched another 1-0 shutout against the Yankees in Game Three of the 1923 Series. In the 1924 Series opener, he beat the Senators' Walter Johnson in 12 innings, but Nehf lost Game Six 2-1. Washington took the title the following day.

Nehf won 107 while losing only 60 in seven years with the Giants. Sold to the Reds in 1926, he pitched infrequently, and he was released in August 1927. He rebounded with 13 wins for the Cubs in 1928. His last major league appearance came with Chicago in Game Four of the 1929 World Series, when he failed to retire a batter.

During his 15 ML seasons, Nehf recorded 30 shutouts. He participated in 12 double plays in 1920, equaling the NL record for a pitcher. In 12 World Series games, he placed himself among the all-time WS leaders in seven pitching categories. A competent, lifetime .210 batter, he hit five home runs in 1924, including two in one game. (JLE)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 31, 1915: Art Nehf and Tom Hughes are both 2–0 winners as the Braves sweep two from the Reds. » June 5, 1916: At Boston, Chicago's Heinie Zimmerman swipes home in the 4th inning for the only score as the Cubs top the Braves, 1–0. Lefty Gene Packard prevails over Art Nehf and helps his own cause with seven assists and a put out at home. » September 26, 1917: The Braves Jesse Barnes tops the Reds, 1–0, in the first of two games. Art Nehf follows with a 3–0 win to sweep Cincinnati. » October 4, 1917: After Brooklyn beats the Braves, 5–1 in game one, Boston responds with a 4–2 victory in the nitecap. Southpaw Art Nehf's 40-inning scoreless streak is ended by the Robins in the 8th when a walk, single and sac fly produce a score. He holds on for the win over Leon Cadore and finishes the year at 17–8 for the 6th-place Braves. In game one, Sherry Smith evens his season's record, beating Jack Scott. » August 1, 1918: Pittsburgh and Boston play a record 20 scoreless innings; the Pirates win 2-0 in 21. Art Nehf goes all the way for Boston. » May 1, 1920: In Boston, Brooklyn's Leon Cadore and the Braves' Joe Oeschger duel 26 innings to a 1-1 tie in the longest game ever played in the ML. Oeschger shuts out the Dodgers for the last 21 innings, topping Art Nehf's 20 scoreless frames in a row on August 1, 1918. He gives up nine hits, and Cadore allows 12, in the 3-hour, 50-minute game. The Dodgers lose to the Phils at home in 13 innings the next day, then return to Boston for a Monday game where they lose again in 19. For 58 innings work in 3 days, they are 0-2. An unusual double play occurs in the 17th inning when the bases are loaded with one out. A grounder to P Oeschger results in a throw home, forcing the runner. C Hank Gowdy's throw to 1B Walter Holke is fumbled, and when the runner tries to score from 2B, the throw back to Gowdy nips the sliding Ed Konetchy. » August 24, 1921: The Pirates, in front by seven 1/2 games, drop a doubleheader to the Giants in New York before 35,000. Art Nehf wins the opener 10–2 handing Babe Adams his first loss in 10 games. Phil Douglas takes the nightcap, 7–0. » August 27, 1921: The Bucs reel out of New York after dropping their fifth straight loss to the Giants as Art Nehf, pitching with two days rest, wins 3–1. The Giants are just two 1/2 games in back. » October 6, 1921: In the opener, Johnny Rawlings and Frank Frisch collected the only Giants hits. In game two it's the same story. Waite Hoyt (19-13) surrenders two singles in another 3–0 Yankee win. Art Nehf (20-10) deserves better, allowing just three hits; but three errors and two mental lapses by the Giants, plus a steal of home by Bob Meusel, put the Giants down 2–0. The five hits are the fewest ever in a World Series game. » October 10, 1921: In game five an unearned run in the first is all the Giants can manage off Waite Hoyt, despite 10 hits and a walk. A 1–1 game is decided in the 4th when abe Ruth surprises the Giants IF with a perfect bunt, then makes it home on Meusel's double off Art Nehf. Bob Meusel scores on a sacrifice fly, and 3–1 is the result. The 35,758 spectators bring the players' pool to a record $302,522.23. » October 13, 1921: Waite Hoyt and Art Nehf come back for game eight with two days rest. With two on and two outs in the first, Giants 1B George Kelly hits a grounder to short that goes through Roger Peckinpaugh, and a run scores. Not another Giant reaches 3B the rest of the day. After Aaron Ward walks in the 9th, Frank "Home Run" Baker hits a drive toward right, but 2B Johnny Rawlings spears it and throws him out while on the ground. Ward heads for 3B and is gunned down by a throw from Kelly to Frisch to end the Series. Hoyt does not allow an earned run in three complete games. The Giants are the first to lose the first two games and come back to win the Series. » October 4, 1922: For the first time since 1908, two repeaters meet in the WS. The Yankees get there with an all righthanded starting pitching staff; the Giants on a .305 BA. In a return to the 7-game format, the Giants will win four games while scoring in only five innings. The Yankees’ Joe Bush (26–7) leads Art Nehf (19–13) 2–0 when Irish Meusel’s 2-run single and Pep Young’s sacrifice fly score three runs in the eighth for a 3–2 win in game 1. Rosy Ryan (17–12) gets the win in relief. » October 8, 1922: The Yanks score first, but the Giants score two in the third and three in the eighth to win the finale 5–3, as Art Nehf hands Joe Bush his second loss. » September 28, 1923: The Giants beat Brooklyn 3–0 behind Art Nehf to clinch the National League flag. » October 12, 1923: Yankee Stadium fills with 62,430 fans to see an old-fashioned pitching duel. Once again a Stengel home run is the difference, as Art Nehf (13-10) bests Sam Jones (21-8) 1–0 in game 3. » October 15, 1923: After Babe Ruth's first-inning home run, the Giants peck away at Herb Pennock for four runs and take a 4–1 lead into the 8th. With one out, Art Nehf loads the bases on two singles and a walk, then walks in a run. Reliever Rosy Ryan forces in another run with a walk to Joe Dugan. Ruth strikes out, but Bob Meusel raps a single that scores the go-ahead runs. Sam Jones holds off the Giants, and the Yankees have their first World Championship. » October 4, 1924: For the 4th straight year, the Giants are in the Series. At 3B is Fred Lindstrom, at 18 years, 10 months, the youngest ever to play in a World Series. President Calvin Coolidge is among 35,760 who jam the DC stands in Game One as an Army band greets the two teams by playing Sidewalks of New York and Dixie. George Kelly drops a home run into the temporary bleachers in the 2nd, and Terry does the same in the 4th for a 2–0 New York lead. Art Nehf (14-4) gives up one in the 6th. In the last of the 9th, the Senators score to send the game into extra innings. The Giants net two runs in the 12th. In the last of the 12th, Washington scores one, but the rally falls a run short, and Walter Johnson (23-7) loses his World Series debut. Johnson strikes out 12 in the loss. Nehf becomes the 5th pitcher to get three hits in a World Series game, a feat that will not be repeated until Orel Hershiser does it in 1988. » September 3, 1925: The second-placed Giants top the Phillies 5–4 on Billy Terry solo homer in the 10th inning. Starter Dutch Ulrich tees up the homer, losing to Art Nehf who pitches the last 6+ innings. » May 11, 1926: The Giants sell sore-armed pitcher Art Nehf to the Reds. The fair-minded Nehf is upset that John McGraw has not informed Reds' manager Jack Hendricks of Nehf's arm problems, and the pitcher will not speak with the Giants' manager for years. » September 27, 1928: With the Giants just a half game behind the Cardinals, New York loses the 1st game of a doubleheader to the Cubs 3–2. On a controversial play at the plate in the 6th inning, New York's Shanty Hogan hits a ball back to P Art Nehf who throws to third to get the runner. But the runner Andy Reese was off with the crack of the bat and bowls over C Gabby Hartnett. Hartnett grabs the runner to keep from falling. and as Hartnett holds him, Reese is tagged out by the Cubs 3B. The Giants bench erupts, but umpire Bill Klem rules Reese is out. The subsequent protest will be disallowed, despite a photo clearly showing Hartnett up the line holding Reese. The Giants win the nitecap 2–0, but a loss tomorrow clinches the pennant for St. Louis. » January 8, 1930: Art Nehf, who pitched in five World Series, announces his retirement. He won 184 games in his career, last pitching for the Cubs in the 1929 Series.