Books and articles about Rip Sewell

Sewell was one of the National League's dominant pitchers during WWII, compiling a 70-45 record for the Pirates from 1942 through 1945. Part of his foot had been shot off in a 1940 hunting accident, keeping him out of the war. The injury led to the development of his famous blooper pitch, or "eephus," as it was dubbed by teammate Maurice Van Robays. Ted Williams hit an eephus pitch for his second home run in the 1946 All-Star Game.

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Sewell worked seven years in the minors and had a five-game 1932 tryout with Detroit before reaching the Pirates in 1938. He lost a league-high 17 games in 1941, but won 21 in both 1943 and 1944. His 21 wins and 25 complete games in '43 led the league, as he was named NL Pitcher of the Year by the BBWAA. From '40 through '45, he averaged 237 innings per year. He set league records for pitchers with 12 chances accepted in a game and 11 assists in a game in 1941, when he also equaled a ML record with three assists in one inning.

Sewell was an outspoken critic of the burgeoning players' union being organized after WWII by Robert Murphy, with efforts concentrated in Pittsburgh. He led Pirate players against the union, and was reported as saying that he was "glad the owners had finally told these ungrateful players where to get off. First they wanted the hamburg, then filet mignon, eventually the cow and the entire pasture." (GB)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 21, 1942: Only 4 games are played in the ML, but all end in shutouts: Pirate Rip Sewell blanks the Cubs 6-0; Reds P Johnny Vander Meer beat the Cards 1-0 in 11 innings; Cleveland's Jim Bagby nips the Tigers 1-0, and the Browns Al Hollingsworth beats the White Sox 3-0. » June 19, 1942: Paul Waner, now with the Braves, joins Cap Anson and Honus Wagner as NL players with 3,000 hits. He hits a single off Pittsburgh's Rip Sewell at Boston. » June 1, 1943: Rip Sewell of the Pirates throws his dew-drop ball in a game. Sewell loops the ball 18 to 20 feet high on its way to the strike zone. Later it is called a blooper or eephus ball. The pitch is more than a gag, and Sewell is on his way to a 20-win season. » August 6, 1943: Rip Sewell, now throwing his blooper pitch some 25 feet high, loses to the Cardinals after 11 straight wins. He has won 18 already but will get only three more victories the rest of the season. » November 23, 1944: Five groups totaling 23 players, managers, umpires, and writers visit war theaters as part of the USO program. Included are Mel Ott, Dutch Leonard, Frankie Frisch, Bucky Walters, Harry Heilmann, Carl Hubbell, Freddie Fitzsimmons, Bill Summers, Beans Reardon, Johnny Lindell, Tuck Stainback, Steve O'Neill, Leo Durocher, Joe Medwick, Nick Etten, Dixie Walker, Paul Waner, and Rip Sewell. » April 27, 1945: The first-place Cubs win their 5th straight, as Paul Derringer shoots down the Pirates, 7–3. Rip Sewell allows four hits in four innings, but four errors hand him the loss. » April 20, 1946: Bucky Walters, in a tight pitching duel with the Pirates Rip Sewell, steals home in the 6th, but Sewell wins the squeaker 2-1 before 28,000 in Pittsburgh. » July 9, 1946: With seven Red Sox teammates on the AL squad, Ted Williams stages a power show with two HRs, two singles, a walk, 4 runs scored, and 4 RBI to lead the AL to a 12-0 laugher over the NL at Fenway Park. The highlight of the All-Star Game is Williams's HR off a Rip Sewell blooper pitch. » April 15, 1947: In his National League debut, Hank Greenberg doubles home the only run in the 6th as the Pirates Rip Sewell wins the opener in Chicago 1–0. Hank Borowy takes the loss. » September 28, 1949: Called up from Toronto in mid-September, Eddie Sanicki of the Phils gets his 3rd hit of the season. All 3 are homers. On September 14 Sanicki had homered with 2 men on his first big-league at bat, against Rip Sewell of the Pirates.