Unlikely Hero, Philadelphia Athletics’ Howard Ehmke Delivered in Game One of the 1929 World Series

The 1929 Philadelphia Athletics boasted four future Hall of Famers: Jimmie Foxx, Robert “Lefty” Grove, Al Simmons and Mickey Cochrane. But the most unexpected hero of that season was a thirty-five year old right-handed pitcher with a submarine-style motion, Howard Ehmke. 

Born in Silver Creek, New York, Ehmke moved to Los Angeles in 1913. The Los Angeles Angles of the Pacific Coast League signed him to a contract, and then sold his rights to the Washington Senators. Ehmke spurned the Senators in favor of signing with the Buffalo Blues of the upstart Federal League. 

But Ehmke’s year with the Blues was disappointing. After the Federal League folded, Ehmke played with the Syracuse Stars, and was sold to the Detroit Tigers. However, the Senators claimed that they still owned the rights to Ehmke. AL President Ban Johnson agreed. The Senators then sold their rights to the Tigers. 

Ehmke played six seasons with the Tigers, until he was traded to the Red Sox before the 1923 season. The Athletics acquired Ehmke from the Red Sox in the middle of the 1926 season. 

Ehmke’s 1929 season with the Athletics was not stellar by any definition. He appeared in only eleven games, starting eight. Showing his age, Ehmke never pitched more than three games in a single month. When the A’s took a long road trip from August 10th through the 28th, Ehmke stayed in Philadelphia nursing a sore shoulder. 

But Connie Mack, known as the Tall Tactician, had plans for Ehmke. After clinching the American League pennant in September, Mack remained tight-lipped about who would start the first game of the World Series. The obvious choice was Lefty Grove. But the Cubs’ line-up, which included the great hitter Rogers Hornsby, was heavily right-handed. Plus, with the series beginning in Chicago, Mack thought he could take advantage of the white shirted fans in Wrigley’s center field bleachers. 
 
Ehmke had taken advantage of his time in Philadelphia during the A’s August road trip by scouting the Cubs when they came to the Baker Bowl to play the Phillies from August 22nd through the 24th. 

When the Series started on October 8th, Mack surprised many by skipping over Grove, Rube Walberg and George Earnshaw in favor of Ehmke. Ehmke responded by using his knowledge of the Cubs hitters and his side-arm throwing style to baffle Chicago, striking out thirteen in a 3-1 win. This was a World Series record that stood until 1953. The Athletics went on to win the Series in five games. 

Connie Mack’s move in starting Ehmke was a huge risk that paid off. After setting the tone for the Series in that first game, Mack brought a World Championship back to Philadelphia for the first time in sixteen years. 

William J. Kovatch, Jr. 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
References

“108 Things Every Cubs Fan Should Know,” Chicago Tribune (October 5, 2016) http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-108-things-every-cubs-fan-should-know-story.html.

“1929 World Series,” Baseball Almanac http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/yr1929ws.shtml. 

David M. Jordan, The Athletics of Philadelphia: Connie Mack’s White Elephants 1901-1954 (McFarland & Co. 1999).


Rob Neyer, “Connie Mack Makes His Mark on the 1929 World Series,” The National Pastime Museum (March 23, 2017) https://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/article/connie-mack-makes-his-mark-1929-world-series. 

Gregory H. Wolf, “Howard Ehmke,” Society for American Baseball Research: Biography Project https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/753ebff0. 

Al Yellon, “A Day in Wrigley Field History: October 8, 1929,” SBNation: Bleed Cubby Blue (November 19, 2013) https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/11/19/5117426/wrigley-field-history-october-8-1929. 

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