Grover Cleveland Alexander took the baseball world by storm in his first big league season. His 1911 campaign featured league-leading totals in innings (367), wins (28), complete games (31), shutouts (7).

The performance was for a team that went 51-60 when Alexander didn’t figure in the decision.

The high point of the season came on September 7 against 44-year old Cy Young. Alexander bested the all-time wins leader with a one-hit complete-game shutout. It marked the 24th of his still-standing rookie-record 28 wins.

Alexander finished with 373 career victories, the most by any hurler without a no-hitter to his credit.

Shown here is Cy Young’s signature adorned on a 1903 World Series reunion baseball. For more on the ball and Cy Young, click here.

To earn the season’s pitching Triple Crown, a hurler must lead his league in wins, earned run average, and strikeouts. Only 28 men have ever done it.

Grover Cleveland Alexander captured the honor four times, the most in big league history. All four crowning campaigns came from 1915-1920 when he dominated the baseball world.

It all started in 1915 when he won 31 contest with a stingy 1.22 ERA and 241 strikeouts. Those numbers didn’t just lead the league, they led all of baseball.

Alexander followed that up with 33 victories, a 1.55 earned run average and 167 Ks in 1916. That earned his second straight Triple Crown. In 1917 it was more of the same. Alexander reached the 30-win plateau for the third-consecutive season. He complimented the 30-spot by striking out 200 batters and posting a 1.83 ERA.

Today some fail to credit Alexander with the 1917 Triple Crown because of a rule change. According to the rules of his day, a minimum of 10 complete games was required for eligibility of the ERA title. In ’17 Fred Anderson of the New York Giants completed only 8 games. His 1.44 earned run average was lower than Alexander’s mark but did not qualify for the ERA title.

In December of 1917 the Phillies traded Alexander to the Cubs. The swap featured four players and included $55,000 going from Chicago to Philadelphia.

Alexander earned his fourth and final pitching Triple Crown in 1920 with the Cubs. That campaign featured 27 wins, a 1.91 ERA, 173 strikeouts, and a career-high 12.0 WAR.

Shown here is a payroll check from the Cubs during Alexander’s historic 1920 season. Dated May 31, 1920, the check was drawn the same day Alec notched his 219th career victory. The 10-inning complete-game masterpiece ran Alexander’s season record to 11-2. It was his 254th complete game of his career.

Grover Cleveland Alexander won 20 or more games in 9 seasons. The six-time strikeout champ put up a sub-2.00 ERA in six different campaigns, leading the league five times.

Alexander had ten seasons of at least 6.0 WAR, and led NL pitchers in the category six times. He reached double-digit totals four times.

Alexander’s highest seasonal WAR came in 1920 when he totaled 12.0. Since then, only two big league hurlers have surpassed Alec’s total, Steve Carlton in 1972 (12.1), and Dwight Gooden in 1985 (12.2).

Shown above is the back of the Cubs payroll check made out to Alexander during his historic campaign. Alexander’s signature appears in the form of an endorsement. Toward the bottom of the image his name is stamped.

Tuxedo Tobacco pulled together the greatest baseball players of the day for this advertisement. Hailing itself as, “The Perfect Pipe Tobacco”, Tuxedo secured the services of “G.C. Alexander, pitcher — Philadelphia Nationals”.

According to the advertisement, Alexander says, “It would be take a lot to make me give up Tuxedo. No other Tobacco could do it. Tuxedo is, in my estimation the perfect pipe tobacco.”.

The 1916 season was a great one for Alexander who earned his second consecutive pitching Triple Crown. That campaign saw him lead the NL in wins (33), ERA (1.55), and strikeouts (167).

Also featured in the ad is Hughie Jennings, Christy Mathewson, Joe Tinker, Wilbert Robinson, and Tyrus R. Cobb.

Truly one of the game’s greatest pitchers, Grover Cleveland Alexander is third on the all-time wins list with 373. Born in 1887, Alexander played in his first big league game in 1911 at the age of 24. Over the next 20 seasons, he would establish himself as a formidable twirler, averaging more than 27 wins during his first seven seasons.

Only Cy Young (511), Walter Johnson (417) have more victories than Alexander who is tied with Christy Mathewson for third on the all-time list. Alex finished with a 2.56 career ERA, 436 complete games, and 90 shutouts.

In the collection is a 3×5 card with a bold in which he has inscribed, “A Friend Grover Cleveland Alexander”.

From 1927-1929 Pete Alexander and Fred Frankhouse were both in the pitching staff for the St. Louis Cardinals. Frankhouse was just beginning a 13-year career that saw him win over 100 games while Alexander was finishing out his Hall of Fame career in which he earned 373 victories.

Featured here is a handwritten letter from Frankhouse about his former teammate. He writes about Alexander saying in part, “He was a man of ability who was hampered some what (sic) by the fact that he was an epileptic. This was a well-guarded secret for many years.”

Frankhouse revealed how the team worked with the limitations imposed by Alexander’s disease. “If any symptom of this ailment was manifested before a game he wasn’t used; if a symptom threatened during a game, he was relieved before a seizure occurred.”

In summing up Pete Alexander’s career, Frankhouse wrote, “It is my opinion this man was one of the greatest pitchers of all time. His control was almost perfect. Sincerely, Fred M. Frankhouse”.

Centerfielder Jigger Statz played with the Chicago Cubs as a teammate of Pete Alexander from 1922-1925. Though Alex was past his prime, he still had some left in the tank.

In 1923 Old Pete had 22 victories and the fourth-highest WAR among National League pitchers. He posted a career-best 0.9 walks per nine innings to lead the league. His 1.108 WHIP also paced NL hurlers.

The following season, Alexander received votes in MVP balloting though he made only 20 starts. In 1925 he once again led the NL in walks/9 and won 15 games.

In this handwritten letter Statz gives his thoughts on Alexander. “I was extra lucky to play center field behind Grover Cleveland Alexander who I think was the greatest control pitcher of all time.”

Interestingly, Statz served as technical advisor for The Winning Team, a biopic of the 373-game winner. Ronald Reagan starred as Alexander with Doris Day playing Old Pete’s wife in the Warner Brothers production.

During his professional playing career, Jigger Statz tallied 4,093 hits. That figure is surpassed only by Pete Rose, Ichiro Suzuki, Ty Cobb, Henry Aaron and Derek Jeter.

Though Alexander pitched in the big leagues until he was 43, he left the game with no other job skills and little hope of earning income. Plagued with epilepsy, Alexander found work playing with the House of David baseball team, a bearded bunch of folks who would travel town to town to play exhibitions.

In this letter, dated 1986, former commissioner Happy Chandler thanks Peter Ueberroff for helping former player Paul Derringer who pitched in the 1930s and 40s. The cause of helping the, “major league players of yesterday”, as Chandler put it was near and dear to his heart.

Chandler recalls with a sense of sadness that Alexander and Dazzy Vance fell on hard times in retirement.

“After their brilliant careers they were playing one night stands with the House of David Baseball Team. I thought that this was a tragedy, and made up my mind that if I ever had an opportunity, I would undertake to get a pension fund for the Major League players…”

The NL Chief quotes a letter he received from Mrs. Alexander. Ole Pete’s widow wrote, “Frankly I am desperate and hope you will see fit to help me. I am 66 years old and having a rough go of it, with neuritis and arthritis plus the news this week of a heart condition, along with being financially embarrassed for the moment. If and when I can be working again, I will not need help.”

Giles writes to Bavasi letting him know that the league and the Dodgers aren’t really going to help. “I don’t like to get the League involved on any monthly or annual welfare payments that we are not already committed for…While I realize she probably is in difficulty, I have doubt if her situation is ‘desperate’ at the present time. The fact that she is asking for employment indicates she is able to do some work and inasmuch as you have nothing to offer possibly she will find something elsewhere.”

With today’s multi-million dollar contracts it is difficult to image poverty for the family of a 373-game winner. Pete Alexander won over 20 games in nine seasons, leading the league six times.