Lefty Grove Marquee Hall of Fame 1947

He did not reach the majors until he was 25. Baltimore of the International League owned his contract and would not sell it, so he pitched there while Connie Mack waited. Once Mack had him, he led the American League in strikeouts every season from 1925 through 1931.

The peak was consecutive pitching triple crowns in 1930 and 1931. He went 31-4 in the second of them and was named the league's Most Valuable Player. Mack also used him in relief between starts: in 1930 he made 32 starts and still led the league in saves, with nine.

Mack sold him to Boston after 1933 to raise cash, and the arm went almost at once, 8-8 with a 6.50 ERA in 1934. He learned to pitch without the fastball, won 20 the next year, then stopped at exactly 300 wins. His .680 winning percentage is the highest any 300-game winner has managed.