Boston Red Sox: 30 Greatest Players in Team History
18: Lefty Grove, SP (1934-1941)
Perhaps best known for his time with the Philadelphia Athletics to begin his career from 1925-1933, Lefty Grove went on to continue his great career with an impressive stint with the Red Sox.
The Red Sox traded for Grove prior to the 1934 season, but his debut year was held back by an arm injury. He went 8-8 with a 6.50 ERA that season, but clearly was not healthy, and immediately got back in a groove the next year, going 20-12 with a league-leading 2.70 ERA. Grove also led the league in ERA the very next season in 1936, with a 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.
In 1947, Grove was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics, but if you take away his time in Boston, Grove was not a Hall of Fame player.
Next: Number 17