Books and articles about Herb Pennock

Pennock pitched with grace, economy, and style. Nothing he did was overpowering; everything he did was tantalizingly effective. A typical Pennock game had few strikeouts, but even fewer walks - 2.3 on average. He was hittable. Over 22 years, he allowed more than a hit an inning, yet those hits somehow produced only 3.61 earned runs a game. He seemed to give up many lazy flies to the outfield. Even-tempered, Pennock never got rattled under pressure. He threw with an effortless, unvarying motion, and it was said that a peek inside his head would reveal the weakness of every batter in the league. He pitched 35 shutouts.

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Pennock came from historic Kennett Square, PA, amid comfortable country acres whose owners were horsemen and fox hunters. Pennock himself was an expert rider and a master of hounds. As a profitable hobby, he raised silver foxes for their pelts. Hence, the cumbersome but appropriate nickname: the Squire (or Knight) of Kennett Square.

Originally an unpromising first baseman, Pennock found his true talent on the mound, pitching a no-hitter in 1911, which his catcher, Earle Mack, brought to the attention of his father, Connie Mack. Only 18 when he joined the Athletics, Pennock steadily improved, even earning a brief World Series appearance in the 1914 loss to the Braves. Early in 1915, Mack waived Pennock to the Red Sox.

After two mediocre seasons and a year in the WWI Navy, Pennock hit his stride and, in 1923, became one of the many prizes the Yankees stripped from Boston. The price: three nondescript players and $50,000. In that first year with New York, he led the league in winning percentage (.760), going 19-6, the first of four over-.700 seasons. He then won two games in the 1923 Series triumph over the Giants. He followed with a 21-9 record in 1924, and was a combined 59-25 in 1926-28. He added two more WS victories in 1926, and one in 1927 - a jewel in which he retired the first 22 Pirates he faced and ended with a three-hitter.

The Squire retired in 1934 after one year as a Red Sox reliever. He was a Boston coach, 1936-40, then became the supervisor of their farm system. In 1944 Bob Carpenter made him general manager of the Phillies, a post he held until his death in 1948, the year of his induction into the Hall of Fame. (ADS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 18, 1912: The Tiger players protest Ty Cobb's suspension and vote to strike. Faced with a $5,000 fine for failing to field a team, club owner Frank Navin orders manager Hugh Jennings to sign up some local amateurs. Al Travers, Bill Leinhauser, Dan McGarvey, Billy Maharg (whose real name was Graham, "Maharg" reversed), Jim McGarr, Pat Meany, Jack Coffey, Hap Ward, and Ed Irvin put on Tiger uniforms. Two Detroit coaches, Joe Sugden, 41, and Jim McGuire, 48, complete the lineup, and score the only two runs for Detroit. The Athletics win 24–2, as Travers goes all the way, giving up 26 hits and 24 runs in eight innings. The only recruit to hit for Detroit is Irvin, who laces two triples in three at bats and closes his ML career with a 2.000 slugging average (only three other players will debut with two triples -— Roy Weatherly, Willie McCovey, and John Sipin). Only one ever plays another ML game: Maharg will bat once for the Phils in 1916. He will also be involved as a conspirator in the Black Sox scandal of 1919. A's starter Jack Coombs leaves after three innings with a 6–0 lead, good enough for a win under the rules at the time. Boardwalk Brown and Herb Pennock divide the rest of the pitching for the A's. Starter Travers, having pitched his only ML game, returns to his studies at St. Joseph's College and later becomes a Catholic priest. » September 22, 1913: In the opener of a doubleheader, the A's Joe Bush tops Detroit, 4–0. In game 2, Herb Pennock, 19, aided by Eddie Plank, blanks the Tigers 1–0 to clinch the AL pennant for the A's. Plank gets the win in relief. » August 25, 1914: The A's score nine runs to back Rube Bressler's shut out of the Browns in the first of two games. Teammate Herb Pennock then follows with a 1–0 shut out. » October 13, 1914: The first World Series sweep in history belongs to the Braves—the only World Series the franchise will ever win. Bob Shawkey and Herb Pennock allow just six hits, but one is a 2-run single by Johnny Evers, as Dick Rudolph wins 3–1. » April 14, 1915: The A's young Herb Pennock comes within one out of pitching the first Opening Day no-hitter. A scratch single by Harry Hooper with two out in the 9th is the Red Sox' only hit in a 2–0 loss to Philley. Ernie Shore is the loser. The Sox like what they see in Pennock: on June 13th they will claim him on waivers. » May 29, 1915: Whoops. Connie Mack waives Herb Pennock, his Opening Day pitcher, to the Red Sox for $1,500. Mack states that Pennock will probably become a good pitcher, but that the A's have several pitchers joining the team who will help immediately. The A's will finish last this year and the next seven years as well. » June 13, 1915: The Red Sox pick up Herb Pennock (3–6) on waivers from the A's. Pennock was the Opening Day winner for Connie Mack. » April 13, 1916: Ernie Shore and Herb Pennock combine to give the Red Sox an 8–2 win over the A's. » June 18, 1917: On Bunker Hill Day, the Red Sox celebrate by sweeping two from the White Sox, 6–4 and 8–7. In the afternoon game, Chicago loses a 3-run lead in the 9th when the Sox use three singles, two errors and a passed ball to score four runs. Carl Mays and Herb Pennock are the winners, while Babe Ruth is limited to a pinch hitting appearance in game 2. Bosox players Ernie Shore and assistant-manager Heinie Wagner are notified that they are suspended indefinitely for arguments voiced during Friday's game. » October 4, 1917: In the season closer, Washington's Jim Shaw tops the Red Sox, 5–4 despite giving up 13 hits. The Senators tally 14 safeties off Herb Pennock. By winning his 15th game, Shaw earns a $500 bonus. » September 4, 1922: At the start of the day, both New York teams are on top, and both Boston teams are on the bottom. But today, the Red Sox will take two and knock the leaders off their perch as they sweep the Yankees, 4–3 and 6–5. Babe Ruth hits his last regular season home run, in the Polo Grounds. He gets it off Herb Pennock, who also gave up Ruth's first Yankee homer, also at the Polo Grounds. » January 30, 1923: The Red Sox continue to feed the Yankees, sending P Herb Pennock to New York in exchange for IF Norm McMillan, P George Murray, OF Camp Skinner, and $50,000. » May 22, 1923: Babe Ruth breaks a 1–1 tie between the Yanks and White Sox by clouting a 2-run homer in the 15th inning. The blow breaks up a tense pitching duel between little Mike Cvengosa and Herb Pennock, who goes all the way giving up just four hits. The Yanks have now won 12 of 13 contests in their western swing. » May 30, 1923: In 1st of two games in New York, Ruth's homer in 1st inning off Walter Johnson propels the Yankees to a 6–4 win over Washington. Herb Pennock is the winner. » October 11, 1923: Babe Ruth hits two home runs, and Aaron Ward one, as Herb Pennock (19-6) scatters nine hits for a 4–2 Yankee win at the Polo Grounds. » 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. » July 4, 1925: The Athletics' Lefty Grove battles the Yankees' Herb Pennock 15 innings before taking a 1-0 loss. Pennock is a model of control, issuing no walks and giving up four hits. » May 10, 1926: At Yankee Stadium, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth hit back-to-back homers off Tiger starter Sam Gibson, and the Yankees outscore the Tigers, 13–9. Herb Pennock is the winner. » September 25, 1926: The Yankees take two from the Browns to nail down the American League flag, winning the opener 10–2 behind Herb Pennock. Ruth's grand slam is the big blow. In the nitecap, Lou Gehrig homers in the 3rd inning, off Milt Gaston, while Ruth matches him with a 2-run home run in the 6th off Win Ballou. Ruth adds a solo shot in the 9th, his 46th, off Joe Giard to seal the Waite Hoyt 10–4 victory. Despite the score, the game is played in a new AL record 55 minutes. The National League record is 51 minutes, on September 28, 1919. » October 2, 1926: Game one of the World Series before 61,658 at New York belongs to southpaws Herb Pennock (25-11) and Bill Sherdel (16-12). Two hits give the Cards a quick first-inning run. Sherdel issues three walks for a New York run without a hit. In the 6th, Babe Ruth slaps a single to left, moves to 2B on a sacrifice, and scores on a Lou Gehrig single for a 2–1 win. It is the first of Gehrig's record eight game-winning RBI in World Series play. » October 7, 1926: With the Series tied at 2–2, 39,552 pack Sportsman's Park to watch Herb Pennock and Bill Sherdel duel again. The Cards score first on a double by Jim Bottomley and single by Les Bell. Ragged play costs the Cards a run in the 6th. Tied 2–2 in the 10th, Mark Koenig singles, takes 2B on a wild pitch, and after a sacrifice, comes home on Tony Lazzeri's long fly for a 3–2 Yankees win. » May 7, 1927: At Comiskey Park, Lou Gehrig christens the new RF pavilion by parking a 9th inning grand slam there, off Ted Lyons. It's the 1st homer in the remodeled park. The Yankees coast to an 8–0 win behind Herb Pennock. » June 13, 1927: New York defeats the Indians 14–6 at New York. Ben Paschel belts two homers, a triple and double to scores five runs to lead NY. Lazzeri, Collins and Dugan also homer with Collins a grand slam. Herb Pennock is the winner. » May 24, 1928: In the first game of a doubleheader in Philadelphia, a major-league record 13 future Hall of Famers take the field as the first-place Yankees take on the 2nd-place A's. This number does not include non-playing Hall of Famers Herb Pennock and Stan Coveleski, managers Miller Huggins and Connie Mack, nor umpires Tom Connally and Bill McGowan. [HOFs: Earle Combs, Leo Durocher, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, and Waite Hoyt for New York; Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Eddie Collins, Lefty Grove, and Jimmie Foxx for the A's.] Led by Lazzeri's three hits and six RBIs, the Yanks edge the A's, 9–7, handing the defeat to Lefty Grove. The A's win the nitecap, 5–2, behind rookie Ossie Orwell. » May 31, 1928: At Yankee Stadium, Herb Pennock tosses his 2nd shutout, beating Washington, 4–0, for his 8th win. Irv Hadley is the loser, giving up a home run to Cedric Durst and another to Babe Ruth, his 19th. Babe almost adds his 20th when he blasts a long high fly with two on, but Leo Durocher, the runner on first, holds up to see if the ball will be caught. Durocher scores but the Babe is cut down at the plate. » August 25, 1931: At Chicago, the Yankees record their first shutout of the season when Herb Pennock blanks the White Sox, 6–0. Ben Chapman has a good day with a triple, single, two runs scored and his 50th and 51st stolen bases of the year. In addition, he beats the Sox Carl Reynolds in a pre-game 100-yard dash. » May 21, 1932: Before 60,000 at Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers roll over Washington, 14–2 and 8–0. Washington collects just 11 hits off Herb Pennock and Johnny Allen. In the opener, Ruth homers in the 5th off Lloyd Brown and he and Lou Gehrig connect in the 6th off Frank Ragland. Tony Lazzeri is 6-for-7 on the afternoon, including a HR, two doubles and a triple. » June 6, 1933: New York's Herb Pennock allows 11 hits but still shuts out the Red Sox, 4–0. » September 23, 1933: The Yankees make seven errors, three by Frank Crosetti, but have enough firepower to outslug the Red Sox 16–12. Including in New York's 23 hits are homers by Ruth and Lou Gehrig, number 31 for each; Lou adds two doubles and a single. Byrd, Chapman, and Crosetti have three hits apiece, and reliever Wilcy Moore drives in the last run with his first hit of the year. The Red Sox chase winning pitcher Herb Pennock in the 6th and make the score 13–9, but fall short at the end. » January 30, 1948: Herb Pennock, 53-year-old general manager of the Phillies and former star southpaw, collapses in a New York hotel lobby and dies a short time later at a local hospital. » February 27, 1948: Newly elected to the Hall of Fame are Herb Pennock and Pie Traynor. Needing 91 votes for selection, Pennock, who died a month before, gets 94 votes, Traynor 93. Just missing are Al Simmons, Charlie Gehringer, and Bill Terry.