Burleigh Grimes Hall of Fame MLB

Burleigh Grimes was one of the toughest pitchers of baseball’s early 20th century and the last player legally allowed to throw the spitball. Pitching from 1916 to 1934, he earned a reputation for his gritty style and unshaven game-day look, earning him the nickname “Ol’ Stubblebeard.” Grimes won 270 games over his 19-year career, struck out more than 1,500 batters, and logged over 4,000 innings.

He posted five 20-win seasons and led the National League in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and complete games during various years in the 1920s. Grimes played for multiple teams but found championship success with the St. Louis Cardinals, helping them win the 1931 World Series with a Game 7 victory. His legacy as a fierce competitor and one of baseball’s most unique pitchers earned him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964, preserving his place in the game’s rich history.

Grimes's Awards and Records

• World Series champion (1931)
• 2× NL wins leader (1921, 1928)
• NL strikeout leader (1921)
• Five 20-win seasons (1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1928)

MLB Records

• Last legal spitball pitcher in Major League Baseball
• Led the National League in wins – 1921, 1928
• Led NL in strikeouts – 1921
• Led NL in innings pitched – 1923, 1924, 1928
• Led NL in complete games – multiple seasons in the 1920s
• Led NL in shutouts – 1928
• Won Game 7 of the 1931 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals

MLB Teams:

As player
Pittsburgh Pirates (1916–1917)
Brooklyn Robins (1918–1926)
New York Giants (1927)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1928–1929)
Boston Braves (1930)
St. Louis Cardinals (1930–1931)
Chicago Cubs (1932–1933)
St. Louis Cardinals (1933–1934)
New York Yankees (1934)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1934)
As manager
Brooklyn Dodgers (1937–1938)