Lefty Grove, George Earnshaw, and Rube Walberg all pitched for
the Athletics. Grove was as good as any pitcher who has ever
pitched; he still hadn't hit his peak, but was easily good enough
to be the best pitcher in the league. Earnshaw was huge for his
era; he is listed at 6'4", 210 pounds. He had debuted as a 28-year old rookie the year before, and this was his first of three
straight 20+ win seasons.
Neither Earnshaw nor Walberg was a great pitcher, though they
had good years. With Grove on the staff, the Athletics needed
pitchers who would be solid, eat up innings, and not lose the games
they should win. Both pitchers fit the bill, and had some terrific
won-loss records.
Firpo Marberry entered a new phase in his strange and
wonderful career. Earlier in the decade, he had been primarily a
relief pitcher, one of the first pitchers to consistently succeed in that role.
This year, the Senators decided to increase his starting workload.
Marberry had his best season, then for whatever reason had his
innings cut back again the next year. He continued to pitch well in
his role for several more years, and remains that best-ever pitcher
named Firpo.
Wes Ferrell won twenty games in his rookie season, his first
of four straight 20+ win seasons. Ferrell was an outstanding
hitter, but the Indians decided that he was more valuable in the
starting rotation. He and Walberg have very similar numbers, and
are hard to choose between, but I think Walberg's are a little bit
better, allowing fewer baserunners and throwing more shutouts.
