---

A four-time 20-game winner, Bob Shawkey played on seven American League championship teams and won 195 games in 15 seasons. He is most remembered for his 13 years with the New York Yankees from 1915-1927.

Shawkey got his start with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913 when he pitched to a 2.34 earned run average in 18 games. Throwing for Connie Mack’s first dynasty, Shawkey earned a World Series ring in ’13 and played a role on back-to-back pennant-winning clubs.

Mack dismantled his squad after capturing his fourth AL championship in five seasons. Shawkey became part of the exodus when he was sold to the Yankees for $3,000 in June, 1915. In his first full season in New York, Shawkey posted a 2.21 ERA. Among Junior Loop hurlers, only Walter Johnson had more than Shawkey’s 24 victories.

During his 13 seasons in the Big Apple, Shawkey pitched for five pennant winners. In addition to the 1920 ERA crown, his Yankee resumé includes four 20-win campaigns, an 18-win year, and two 16-victory seasons. The Opening Day pitcher the first Yankee World Series championship club in 1923, Shawkey also pitched for the famed ’27 Bronx Bombers.

As of the start of the 2023 season Shawkey remains high on the all-time Yankee leaderboard. He ranks 9th in franchise history in games and higher in many other categories. Among pinstriped pitchers, Shawkey ranks 5th in complete games, 6th in both wins and shutouts, and 7th in WAR.

Much more about his career is outlined on the rest of this page.

In the collection is this index card signed by Shawkey. The card has biographical information on the pitcher. Shawkey has crossed out the errant, “Brookfield, Pa.” and corrected it with, “Brookville, Pa.”

---

When Bob Shawkey broke into the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913, he was a raw 22-year old. The pitching staff was led by Charles “Chief” Bender, a 21-game winner with a 2.21 ERA.

Shawkey won 6 of his 11 decisions as he refined his role on the staff. Bender took the youngster under his wing, teaching him how to be a pitcher instead of a thrower. According to Donald Honig’s book, The Man in the Dugout, Shawkey said of Bender, ““I was throwing too much with my arm…[he] showed me how to get my body into it.”

Shawkey took what he learned from Bender and won 15 games in 1914. He started 31 contests, completed 18, and threw 5 shutouts. By the time his career was over, Shawkey doubled the number 20-win seasons Bender had, topping the plateau four times.

In the collection is Chief Bender’s signature on his Philadelphia driver’s license from 1940. More on Bender can be found on his page by clicking here.

---

Connie Mack built a baseball dynasty in Philadelphia in the early part of the 20th century. From 1909-1914 the Athletics averaged more than 97 wins per season. The six-year run included four pennants and three World Series titles.

Unfortunately for A’s fans, Mack dismantled his club after their final pennant. Hall of Famer pitchers Eddie Plank and Chief Bender were released in October. Star second baseman Eddie Collins was sold to the White Sox in December. Though under contract, third baseman Home Run Baker held out the entire 1915 season.

Mack didn’t stop there.

Herb Pennock threw a one-hit shutout on Opening Day and was released in June. On 28th of the same month Mack sold Athletics’ rotation stalwart Bob Shawkey to the Yankees for the relatively paltry sum of $3,000.

After winning 99 games and the AL pennant in 1914, Philadelphia lost 109 games in ’15. The following season, Mack’s squad had the lowest winning percentage (.235) of the 20th century by going 36-117.

The sale of Shawkey proved disastrous. The right-hander soon blossomed into an ace. Shawkey won 16 or more games for New York seven times, including four 20-win campaigns. In his last start of 1919 he struck out 15 of Mack’s batters to establish a Yankee franchise record. Shawkey held the mark for 59 years until Ron Guidry whiffed 18 Angels on June 17, 1978 .

Shown here is handwritten letter from Connie Mack, the man who sold Shawkey to the Yankees. He writes to Jack Lang, who at the time was seven years into his career as a baseball writer. Lang covered baseball for more than a half-century, eventually ascending to secretary-treasurer of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Lang held the position he held from 1966 until 1988. In that capacity, Lang was responsible for tallying the writers’ votes for elections to the Hall of Fame and calling players who were elected. In all, he welcomed 44 players to Cooperstown, spanning from Red Ruffing to Willie Stargell.

Mack writes to Lang about Carstairs Whiskey company’s all-time team which as attributed to him. “…I did not pick (Pie) Traynor and George Sisler. The sport writers picked the team that you wrote…I did pick George Sisler at one time. I never have picked Traynor at third. I was in favor of Corcoran who was a Buffalo man.”

The letter is written by the 90-year old Mack in his final year of ownership of the Philadelphia Athletics on beautiful team letterhead of the era.

---

When America joined World War I, Bob Shawkey tried to get an exemption because he was married. His wife who was eight years his senior declined to sign the affidavit declaring her financial dependence on him.

In the Navy Shawkey was a chief yeoman and accountant while playing on the shipyard baseball teams. While Shawkey was on a furlough in late June of 1918, Yankee manager Miller Huggins persuaded the pitcher to toss three games for New York. On July 4th he threw a three-hit shutout against the Senators in the nation’s capital.

The Navy responded by placing transferring Shawkey to the USS Arkansas, a battleship in the North Sea. The move proved fortuitous for the pitcher-turned-yeoman. Shawkey witnessed the greatest moment of his life – the surrender of the German fleet in the final month of the war.

In the collection is a contract for Miller Huggins for the 1923 season. For more on Huggins, click here.

---

At the start of the 1923 season the Yankees had yet to win a World Series title. Opening Day at their new stadium that year was the most memorable moment in franchise history. The House that Ruth Built was palatial. For the April 18th opener 74,200 fans jammed the stands.

The home team trotted out their ace, Bob Shawkey. A winner of at least 20 games in three of his previous four seasons, Shawkey was the obvious choice. Visiting team Boston had an ace of their own in Howard Ehmke. He’d enjoy his finest campaign in ’23, tossing a no-hitter and winning 20 games of his own.

The first hit of the game – and by virtue, the stadium – was collected by Red Sox first baseman George Burns in the form of a third-inning flare. In the bottom half of the inning the Yankees plated the first run when Joe Dugan singled home Shawkey. The Yankees never relinquished the lead, making Shawkey the first winning pitcher in The House that Ruth Built.

In the collection is this index card signed the Howard Ehmke, the first losing pitcher in Yankee Stadium history.

---

Babe Ruth was as much man as myth. He’s known as the architect of Yankee Stadium. Indeed, the hallowed ground in the Bronx was known as The House that Ruth Built.

The day it opened, Ruth performed a mythical yet expected feat – he hit the first home run in the stadium’s history. The three-run blast came off of his former team, the Boston Red Sox. Hollywood couldn’t concoct a better script.

Ruth’s homer off of pitcher Howard Ehmke in the bottom of the third inning extended the Yankee lead to 4-0. The 74,200 in attendance rose to their feet and shook the grandstand in glee.

After the Bambino’s shot, the team cruised. New York ace Bob Shawkey went the distance, striking out Boston first baseman George Burns for the final out of the game. Behind their mythical slugger Ruth, the Yankees earned earned the first victory at their new palatial estate. That season they were also crowned World Series champions for the first time in franchise history.

Shown here is a photo autographed by the Sultan of Swat in the final year of his life.

 

---

Every pitcher has a batter or two who owns him. Light-hitting right fielder Elmer Smith was that man for Bob Shawkey. A career .276 hitter, Smith slugged .437 in a decade of big league play.

Against Shawkey, Smith was otherworldly. He hit .346 with an on-base percentage of .429 and a slugging mark of .718. Fifteen of Smith’s 27 hits against Shawkey went for extra bases. In 3,641 career plate appearances Smith hit 70 home runs. Six of those dingers came against Shawkey in just 78 at bats.

Shown here is an index card signed by Elmer Smith. He has added an inscription that details proudest career moment. Smith writes, “The player that was really my idol was Ty Cobb and of course Babe Ruth was to. The highlight of my career was hitting a home run with the bases loaded in 1920 World Series.”