Class of: 1992 (Veterans Committee)
Team: Tigers
Key Stats: 207 Wins, 60.7 WAR, 3.06 ERA
Hal Newhouser became a Tiger out of circumstance. Newhouser lived in Detroit, and they quickly made a deal to sign him to the hometown team when Newhouser turned 17. That very day while he was out for a walk, a scout from the Indians pulled up next to him in a new car and offered him the car plus $15,000 to sign with the Tribe (his signing bonus with the Tigers was only $500). Newhouser missed out on being part of a dynamic rotation featuring both himself and Bob Feller because the Indians’ scout was getting the car picked up. Instead, he would lead the Tigers’ staff during the War years and became probably their best pitcher prior to Justin Verlander while not being as popular.
Newhouser’s nickname of “Prince Hal” wasn’t one that he earned due to a kind disposition. Newhouser was something of a perfectionist in the game and was hard on both himself and his teammates. The moniker was given to him more as an insult than a term of endearment because Newhouser would have some very childish moments in the clubhouse. He was famous for throwing tantrums and breaking things when he didn’t pitch well, and he would get on teammates’ nerves because he would be too focused on the game. Among fans and writers, he didn’t endear himself either. Newhouser pitched during the WWII years while several of his peers were fighting overseas. Newhouser attempted to enlist, but had a heart defect that caused him to fail his physical and he was classified as 4-F. Newhouser was healthy enough to play baseball, however, but this worked against him when it came to the Hall of Fame.
After a couple of average years to begin his career, Newhouser blossomed in the first WWII season with 2.5 WAR in 180 innings and a 2.45 ERA. From 1942-1950, Newhouser was worth at least 2.5 WAR each season with six straight years of 5.9 or more WAR in that stretch. He began winning a lot of games in 1944 with three straight seasons of 25 or more wins and another 21-win season in 1948. Newhouser struck out more than 140 batters almost every season during his peak and was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. Unfortunately, shoulder issues began to surface for Newhouser, and he began a period of decline after the 1950 season. From 1951-1955 when he retired, Newhouser only topped 100 innings one time, never reached double digits in wins and was worth a total of 3.3 WAR for that five-year span.
During his career, Newhouser was at the top of many pitching stats. He was first in WAR, FIP- and ERA- while being second in wins, strikeouts, strikeout rate and RA9-WAR. The only pitcher who could claim to be better than Newhouser in that stretch would be Bob Feller, whose numbers are similar to Newhouser’s career numbers in many respects (Feller pitched about 1000 more innings though). A big difference between the two, however, was their public perceptions. Feller was beloved as a war hero and seen as one of the best pitchers ever. Newhouser’s career was always derided by the BBWAA and some fans due to his best years occurring when a lot of the best players were serving overseas. That’s incredibly unfair to Newhouser who had a medical condition that prevented him from being drafted. No matter what the competition was, when Newhouser was at his best he dominated the game.
With the perception of how his numbers came during a weak time in the game and opinions regarding his demeanor, Newhouser went overlooked by the various voting bodies of the Hall of Fame for a long time. He did finally gain induction in 1992 nearly 40 years following his retirement. Newhouser should have been honored much sooner, and any slight against his numbers is not fair. Against the competition he faced, Newhouser was the best pitcher in the game, and was well worthy of his induction. He even has a case as a baseball lifer. Following his career as a player, he was a scout for several teams only retiring after 1992. He had advised the Astros to take a shortstop from Kalamazoo with the overall first pick in the draft that year. They took Phil Nevin instead, while the Yankees signed that kid from Kalamazoo who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next year. Newhouser’s influence on the game was great, and his pitching was even better. His plaque was certainly well-earned.
Baseball From the Outside 