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Home › Hall of Famers ›
Grimes, Burleigh
Burleigh Arland Grimes
Born:
August 18, 1893, Emerald, Wisconsin
Died:
December 6, 1985, Clear Lake, Wisconsin
Bats:
Right
Throws:
Right
Played For:
Pittsburgh Pirates (1916-1917, 1928-1929, 1934), Brooklyn Dodgers (1918-1926), New York Giants (1927), Boston Braves (1930), St. Louis Cardinals (1930-1931, 1933-1934), Chicago Cubs (1932-1933), New York Yankees (1934)
Elected to the Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee:
1964
Biography:
Pitching for seven different franchises, fiery spitballer Burleigh Grimes posted five 20-win seasons and won 270 games over his 19-year career. Grimes was just 26 years old when the spitball was banned in 1920, but he was one of 17 veteran hurlers exempted from the ban. He continued using the pitch effectively, helping his teams to four World Series appearances and winning two Series games in 1931 at age 38 for the victorious St. Louis Cardinals. When he retired in 1934, he was the last of the legal spitballers.
Click here to see additional information provided by Baseball-Reference
HOFers who reached their 90th birthday (pdf)
Did You Know:
that Burleigh Grimes was nicknamed Ol' Stubblebeard because he never shaved on days that he was scheduled to pitch?
The only time I was ever scared in my life was one time when Burleigh threw at me on a 3-and-0 count.
Frankie Frisch
Photo Galleries
This Day in Baseball History
On May 22, 1911, Clifford Curtis of the Boston Braves sets a major league record by losing his 23rd consecutive game. Curtis had begun the streak by losing a game on June 13, 1910. Curtis’ record will eventually be broken by Anthony Young, a luckless right-hander with the New York Mets.


