1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #1 "Lefty" Grove

Sunday, January 19, 2025

#1 "Lefty" Grove - Boston Red Sox

Robert Moses Grove

Boston Red Sox

Pitcher

Bats: Left Throws: Left Height: 6'3" Weight: 190

Born: March 6, 1900, Lonaconing, MD

Major League Teams: Philadelphia Athletics 1925-33; Boston Red Sox 1934-41

World Series Appearances: Philadelphia Athletics 1929-31

Died: May 22, 1975, Norwalk, OH (75)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1947

One of the greatest pitchers of all-time, and a fitting selection for card #1 in this set, Lefty Grove dominated American League batters, and was nearly untouchable for the three seasons between 1929 and 1931. Those were the years he helped lead Connie Mack's (#142) Athletics to three straight pennants and World Series titles in 1929 and 1930. Grove was 79-15 with a 2.46 ERA in 133 games, 99 starts and 855 innings pitched during that run, winning the pitching Triple Crown in both 1930 and 1931, leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Grove was 28-5 with a 2.54 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 1930, and he topped those numbers in 1931 by going 31-4 with a 2.06 ERA and 175 strikeouts in 1931 while winning the league's MVP honors. He was a 20-game winner in seven straight seasons, led the league in ERA nine times and in strikeouts in seven consecutive seasons between 1925 and 1931. Grove was a six-time All-Star.

Grove retired following the 1941 season with a lifetime record of 300-141, a 3.06 ERA and 2,266 strikeouts in 3,940 2/3 innings pitched. He threw 298 complete games, including 35 shutouts. Inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1947 and widely acknowledged as the best left-handed American League pitcher of all-time, Grove was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Building the Set

December 16, 2024 from Santa Ana, CA (dahardaway) - Card #113

This was the second eBay auction I got lucky with in December, netting me the first card in the set and dropping the number of cards needed for my version of a master set down to six. I was surprisingly one of only two bidders on this auction from seller dahardaway, and I won the card with a bid only slightly higher than the starting price. To be honest, and given I had no expectation of winning the auction, I was caught off guard when the alert came through notifying me of the win and asking for payment. Fortunately, the auction was won well in advance of The Philly Show, meaning I didn't risk doubling up on the expensive Grove card while there.

Similar to the Jimmie Foxx (#64) card, and given this card's price tag, I opted to let Santa deliver it on Christmas morning.

Variations Available

1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright ✅

2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 copyright

The Card / Red Sox Team Set

Given that Grove joined the Red Sox following the 1933 season, collectors finding this card in early packs of Diamond Stars cards were likely getting their first look at the pitcher in his new team's uniform. The first line on the back of the card compares Grove's fastball to that of another all-time great, Walter Johnson. Ironically, Grove's fastball all but disappeared following his trade to the Red Sox, and he'd depend more on his curveball in his later years to get batters out. The write-up ends with a warning to boys under the age of 16 not to work too hard on mastering the fastball pitch.

1934 Season

With Mack and his Athletics in financial distress, and looking to capitalize on his aging stars, Grove became one of several superstars dealt away from Philadelphia following the World Series run that ended in 1931. On December 12, 1933, Grove, Max Bishop (#6) and Rube Walberg were traded to the Red Sox for Bob Kline, Rabbit Warstler and $125,000. Perhaps due to wear and tear over the years, Grove's arm started hurting in spring training, and he'd struggle throughout the season. In 22 games, including 12 starts, Grove was 8-8 with a 6.50 ERA. He threw just 109 1/3 innings.