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Lou Gehrig and Waite Hoyt were teammates from 1923-1930. During that time the pitcher won 128 games, highlighted by back-to-back 20-win seasons starting in 1927.

Gehrig started his career at age 19 as a teammate of Hoyt with the 1923 Yankees. By the time Hoyt left New York in 1930, Gehrig was one of the game’s greatest players at age 27.

During their eight years together with the Yankees Hoyt saw a terrific transformation of the Iron Horse.

In this letter Hoyt describes the evolution of Gehrig the man. He saw his Hall of Fame teammate change from a man of “complete unsophistication” with a “mother complex” to a man “assigned by the Supreme Power to fulfill a definite mission on earth”.

The entire content of the letter reveals Hoyt’s awe and admiration of Gehrig. Truly incredible content worth reading is in this letter from the Hall of Fame hurler.

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In the second page of this letter Waite Hoyt reaffirms his stance on teammate and fellow Cooperstown man Lou Gehrig.

“I believe I have outlined the aura in which he played during his wonderful career, both from his original naiveté, to his unblemished peak of accomplishment. I have done my part for you here and hope that it in some way satisfies.”

Hoyt signs in blue ink below at the bottom of the letter.

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In this two-page letter with stunning content, Waite Hoyt writes about his greatest thrills. The Hall of Fame pitcher goes into great detail in sharing four stories in chronological order.

Hoyt shares, “At the age of 15 in the summer of 1915 I signed a contract with John McGraw and the New York Giants. The YOUNGEST BOY TO EVER SIGN A MAJOR LEAGUE CONTRACT UP UNTIL THAT TIME…”

He goes on to to describe what it was like to be a teenager in the Deadball Era.

The second highlight Hoyt shares came in his first big league start in 1919 while playing for Red Sox skipper Ed Barrow. Hoyt pitched a 12-inning complete game against Hugh Jennings‘ Detroit Tigers, allowing just one run against a lineup that included Ty Cobb, Bobby Veach, and Harry Heilmann.

Hoyt next lists his experience in the 1921 World Series, the first of seven Fall Classics in which he’d appear. He threw three complete games and allowed only two runs, both unearned. Hoyt writes that it was, “…a feat that tied Christy Mathewson‘s record of 0 earned runs in three complete world series game [sic].”

The second page is shown in the next image.

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In page two of the letter, Hoyt gives specifics about learning of his election to the Hall of Fame as well as the induction ceremony itself.

Dayton Ohio Journal sports editor Ritter Collett first informed Hoyt of his election via phone.

“The impact was so great it shook my nervous system to the point I could not continue answering questions of the caller…I had to tell him I was shaking all over and crying…”

Later that summer Hoyt was inducted into Cooperstown with Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, and Stan Coveleski.

“I have to believe, that reaching that plateau of my chosen profession — my life’s work — the highest peak possible, it was also the highest peak of my baseball thrills.”

The entirety of the letter provides insight into a Hall of Fame career from beginning to end.

 

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Best remembered for ten years, six AL pennants, and three World Series triumphs with the Yankees, Waite Hoyt suited up for six teams during his 21-year big league career.

A two-time 20-game winner, Hoyt also won 19 games in two seasons and had one season each with winning totals of 18, 17, 16, 15.

Shown here is a 1933 Goudey baseball card of Hoyt with the Pirates, a team for whom he won 35 games in five years.

A winner of 237 games during his career, Hoyt was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969.

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Hall of Fame pitcher Waite Hoyt ended his 21-year playing career pitching in Brooklyn in 1937 and 1938.

In this handwritten letter he answers a fan’s question about the Dodge uniforms.

“Yes! The Dodgers did wear green trimmed uniforms in 1937 and green and white striped stockings.” Hoyt then draws a picture of a striped stocked adding the words, “Like this”.

Hoyt finished with a 237-182 record with 53 saves.

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It’s been said that the golden era of baseball is the one from our youth. For big league players the golden era is usually the one they played in.

In this letter, likely written in the late 1960s, Hall of Fame pitcher Waite Hoyt expresses his opinion that teammate Babe Ruth as a greater home run hitter than Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.

“Should Aaron or Mays equal Ruth’s 714 home runs – they would necessarily have to have been at bat (AB’s) some 2,500 more times than Ruth. How can anyone compare them as home run hitters.”

Hoyt was right that Aaron needed more at bats to catch the Bambino. A quick glance at the statistics shows that Hammerin’ Hank’s715th homer came in his 11,296th at bat. That’s 2,897 more at bats than Ruth needed to hit 714 round-trippers.

Hoyt played alongside Ruth from 1921-1929. The next image shows the back of the letter in which Hoyt expands on his thoughts.

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Shown here is the back of the letter in the previous image. For Hoyt, it wasn’t enough to state that Babe Ruth was a better home run hitter than Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. Here the Cooperstown hurler adds Lou Gehrig to the discussion.

“Ruth was better than Aaron – no comparison. Gehrig was better than Mays.”

Hoyt, Ruth, and Gehrig were Yankee teammates from the Iron Horse’s debut year in 1923 until Hoyt was traded to the Tigers after the 1929 season.

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One of the foremost experts on Babe Ruth, Waite Hoyt was in the Bambino’s inner circle of friends. The pair first played together with the Red Sox in 1919 when Ruth was 24 and Hoyt was just 19.

The Yankees purchased the rights to Ruth in December of ’19 and traded for Hoyt a year later. They were teammates in New York through the 1930 season.

In this letter, Hoyt responds to a question about the comparison between Ruth and Hank Aaron.

“Like Ruth vs. Aaron. No comparison, but you simply cannot make that clear to the moderns.”

Rife with typographical errors, the letter is closed with Hoyt’s recognition of the perils of the typewriter, “Forgive the typing. I rush and my fingers hit every key.”

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Waite Hoyt’s final big league appearance came with the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 15, 1938. Hoyt retired the Ray Mueller of the Boston Braves on a groundout to second.

Two years later Hoyt was hired to be the color commentator for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He worked for two years alongside Hall of Fame announcer Red Barber.

In 1942 the Reds lured Hoyt away as play-by-play man in Cincinnati, a job he held until 1965.

The Veterans Committee elected the hurler to the Hall of Fame in 1969. Because of his standing in the game and willingness to travel, Hoyt was a frequent quest at Old Timers Games and baseball celebrations.

Shown here is Hoyt’s invitation to the 1983 All Star game at Comiskey Park. Signed at the bottom by White Sox owners Jerry Reinsdorf, Eddie Einhorn, and Hall of Fame Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, the letter is dated March 7, 1983.

That year marked the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Mid Summer Classic. Many living Hall of Fame player were invited to the festivities that included the “Nite of the Stars” gala party, and the commissioner’s luncheon.