1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #33 "Schoolboy" Rowe

Lynwood Thomas Rowe

Detroit Tigers

Pitcher

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'4" Weight: 210

Born: January 11, 1910, Waco, TX

Major League Teams: Detroit Tigers 1933-1942; Brooklyn Dodgers 1942; Philadelphia Phillies 1943, 1946-1949

World Series Appearances: Detroit Tigers 1934-1935, 1940

Died: January 8, 1961, El Dorado, AR (50)

While playing on an adult baseball team while a 15-year-old high school student, Lynnwood Rowe was given the nickname "Schoolboy," and the moniker stuck throughout his career. Superstitious and a fan-favorite, Rowe was a star pitcher for the Tigers in the mid-1930s, winning a career-high 24 games in 1934 and following that up with consecutive 19-win seasons in 1935 and 1936. Rowe was second in the league in strikeouts with 140 in 1935, and recorded a career-high 149 strikeouts in 1934. He was named to both the 1935 and 1936 American League All-Star teams. He started four games for the Tigers in the 1934 and 1935 World Series, as the team lost to the Cardinals in seven games in 1934, but won the Championship in six games over the Cubs in 1935. In Game 2 of the 1934 Series, he pitched a 12-inning complete game for the win. Rowe was 2-3 with a 2.76 ERA over 42 1/3 innings pitched in those two Series, to go along with 26 strikeouts. A threat at the plate too, he batted .307 with five home runs in 1934 and 1935.

Shoulder pain and related injuries began to take a toll on Rowe beginning in 1937, although he rebounded in 1940 to go 16-3 with a 3.46 ERA for the pennant-winning Tigers. He'd be limited to pitching in only 55 games between 1942 and 1946, due his injuries and two years of service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Finishing up his career with the Phillies, Rowe won at least 10 games each season between 1946 and 1948 and made his final All-Star team in 1947. He retired with a career record of 158-101 and an ERA of 3.87 with 913 strikeouts. Rowe batted .263 for his career with 18 home runs and 153 RBIs. He served as the Tigers pitching coach in 1954 and 1955.

Building the Set

March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Dean's House of Cards) - Card #46

I wrote about this show over at The Phillies Room, and admittedly the focus of my morning was putting a huge dent in the remaining cards needed for our 1965 Topps set. But shortly after entering the showroom floor, my attention was drawn to a table containing open binders with DeLong and Goudey cards from the 1930s. I thought this dealer would also have some Diamond Stars cards for sale, and my assumption was correct. I soon found a decent amount of Diamond Stars cards for sale, in varying conditions, and from all three series of the set.

The backs of the cards had two prices listed - one fairly high and one relatively reasonable. The dealer, Larrie Dean, told me it was my choice which price I paid. Appreciating that sort of sense of humor, I set out to find three or four cards and I told Larrie I'd be opting to pay the lower of the two prices.

This Rowe card was one of four cards purchased from Dean's House of Cards from Midlothian, Virginia. Based on the lower of the two prices on the back of the card, it cost me only $25.

Variations Available

1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright

The final 12 cards in the Diamond Stars set, released as part of series three in 1936, contain the exact same photos and players as earlier cards from the set. Rowe shows up again as card #98, with the same text on the back save for his 1935 statistics at the bottom replacing his 1934 statistics. Also, the ink on the back of card #98 is blue, similar to all cards from the third series.

The Card / Tigers Team Set

The back of the card contains an odd tip, basically telling a pitcher not to aim for the catcher's mitt but rather to aim at some part of the catcher's body other than the mitt. The tip goes on to claim that Rowe not only endorses this tip, but that Rowe himself can't hit a target more than two out of every three times.

1935 Season

Coming off arguably his career year, Rowe stayed steady with a 19-13 record and a 3.69 ERA while leading the league with six shutouts. Tommy Bridges (#5) had a few more wins than Rowe with 21, and Bridges recorded 163 strikeouts to Rowe's 140. Rowe was named to his first All-Star team, but did not pitch. In the World Series, he started Games 1 and 5 and pitched four innings out of the bullpen in Game 3, earning the win. The Tigers defeated the Cubs in six games, with Rowe the losing pitcher in both games won by the Cubs.

Phillies Career

Rowe was purchased by the Phillies from the Dodgers on March 24, 1943. Now throwing a knuckle ball, he'd appear in 27 games that season for the Phillies, going 14-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 199 innings pitched. Rowe was also the team's top pinch-hitter with 15 pinch-hits in 51 at-bats. After two years in the Navy, Rowe made an impressive comeback in 1946, and was 11-4 with a 2.12 ERA in 17 games pitched. In his first start in nearly two years on April 21, 1946, the 36-year-old Rowe threw an 11-inning complete game, although in a losing effort. He'd win 14 games in 1947 and was named to the National League All-Star team. Rowe would pitch in two more seasons for the Phillies before injuries finally caught up to him, and the team released him following the 1949 season. Rowe would just miss participating in the triumphant march of the Whiz Kids towards the 1950 National League pennant. In 128 games with the Phillies, he was 52-39 with a 3.54 ERA and 245 strikeouts.