Monte Pearson

Montgomery Marcellus Pearson (September 2, 1908 – January 27, 1978) was an American baseball pitcher who played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Pearson was born on September 2, 1908, in Oakland, California.

He was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was one of the first Mormons to find success in the major leagues.

He later moved to Fresno, California and studied at Fresno High School, where he started playing baseball at catcher and third base and was a letterman in four sports.

After graduating, he attended college at the University of California, Berkeley, where he played two seasons of baseball for the California Golden Bears from 1928 to 1929.

He worked as a mechanic as one of his first jobs, and his ability to sing and play the guitar helped develop his reputation as a positive influence on the clubhouse throughout his major league career.

Pearson began his professional baseball career in 1929 with the Bakersfield Bees, a Minor League Baseball team that were members of the California State League.

He was signed by the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League the following year, and was optioned to the Arizona State League's Phoenix Senators after recording a 5.77 earned run average (ERA) in 24 games pitched.

However, he established himself in the Oaks' pitching rotation in 1931 and compiled a 17–16 win–loss record and a 4.46 ERA in 234 innings pitched.

His performance that year, coupled with his heavy-breaking curveball, caught the attention of the Cleveland Indians, who promptly bought his contract after the season ended.

Nicknamed "Hoot", he played for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds from 1932 to 1941.

He batted and threw right-handed and served primarily as a starting pitcher.

Pearson played minor league baseball for three different teams until 1932, when he signed with the Cleveland Indians.

After spending four seasons with the organization, Pearson was traded to the New York Yankees, where he spent the next five years.

Pearson made his major league debut for the Indians on April 22, 1932, at the age of 23, relieving Pete Appleton in the eighth inning and giving up 6 earned runs in 1 2⁄3 innings in a 16–3 loss against the Detroit Tigers.

His subsequent games were disappointing and, after compiling a 10.13 ERA in 8 innings from 8 games pitched, he was demoted back to the minor leagues.

He played the rest of the season for the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association (AA), where continued his dismal performance with a 3–9 record and 3.99 ERA.

However, he improved significantly the following year, posting an 11–5 record and 3.41 ERA in 148 innings with the Mud Hens, as well as leading the AA in strikeouts at the time he was called back up to the majors.

His pitching during the first half of the season prompted the Indians to bring him back up to the first team in early July.

He continued to pitch well in the majors and finished the season with a 10–5 record; his 2.33 ERA was the lowest in the American League (AL) that year and although he pitched only 135 1⁄3 innings, he is recognized as the AL ERA champion by Baseball-Reference.com.

Pearson followed up his impressive 1933 season with another strong showing in.

That year, he finished second in the AL in games started (33), fifth in strikeouts (140) and complete games (19) and sixth in wins (18).

In spite of 13 losses, a 4.52 ERA, 130 walks (the second-highest in the AL) and 15 wild pitches (the most in MLB), this was considered one of his best seasons.

However, his poor performance in —where he went 8–13 with a 4.90 ERA —convinced the Indians to cut their losses with their once-promising prospect.

Pearson was traded at the end of the season to the New York Yankees with Steve Sundra in exchange for Johnny Allen.

Pearson's trade to the New York Yankees was initially unpopular among fans, with Joe McCarthy receiving heavy criticism for dealing Allen—who had a 13–6 record in 1935 —for Pearson.

However, Pearson repaid his manager's faith in him by churning out the best statistical year in his career.

His .731 winning percentage (19–7 record) was third best in the AL; he finished fifth in ERA (3.71) and strikeouts (118) and sixth in wins, though he also recorded the third-highest number of walks in the AL with 135.

His performance during the first half of the season resulted in him being selected for the 1936 All-Star Game, though he did not pitch in it.

In the postseason, the Yankees advanced to the World Series, where they defeated the New York Giants 4–2.

In Game 4, Pearson—who insisted on being included in the rotation even after falling ill with pleurisy just before the Series —limited the Giants to just two runs while striking out seven in a complete game win.

Offensively, he managed to get two hits, including a double.

The 5–2 victory ended Carl Hubbell's streak of 17 consecutive regular and postseason wins.

During spring training of, Pearson injured his right ankle after accidentally stepping onto a rolling ball.

He was still able recover in time for the start the season and pitched solidly.

In arguably his best start of the year, he threw a one-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox on May 10; he also recorded three hits and drove in two runs in the 7–0 win.

However, other health problems and injuries—most notably a sore arm —began to affect him, limiting his season to just 144 2⁄3 innings pitched in 20 games started and 2 games finished in relief.

At the conclusion of the 1940 season, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he played his last game on August 5, 1941.

A four-time World Series champion, Pearson holds the MLB record for lowest walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) in the postseason.

He is noted for pitching the first no-hitter at the original Yankee Stadium.