Boston Red Sox: Ten Greatest Starting Pitchers of All-Time
#6: Lefty Grove
Perhaps best known for his time with the Philadelphia Athletics to begin his career, Lefty Grove went on to continue his great run with an impressive stint with the Boston Red Sox from 1934-1941.
The Red Sox traded for Grove prior to the 1934 season, but his debut year was held back by a nagging arm injury. He went 8-8 with a 6.50 ERA that season, but clearly was not healthy. Grove got back in a groove in his second season with Boston, going 20-12 with a league-leading 2.70 ERA. Grove also led the league in ERA the very next season in 1936, with an impressive 2.81 mark.
Grove was a major part of the Red Sox in the late 30s and early 40s, but was never able to lead them to a World Series. However, Grove did win two World Series titles in three appearances with the Athletics.
Grove is arguably the best left-handed pitcher in Red Sox history, as he led the league in ERA four times, and was named an All Star five times in his eight-year Boston career. In his last season of 1941, Grove went 7-7 with a 4.37 ERA, but he won his 300th game late in the season. Grove lost his remaining three starts before retiring, so he finished his career with exactly 300 wins to 141 losses.
In 1947, Grove was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics. The Red Sox received the post-prime Grove, as he did not join the team until he was 34-years-old. Taking that into consideration makes him time in Boston even more impressive. Without eight seasons with the Red Sox, Grove is not a Hall of Fame player.
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