boys of summer Stan Coveleski

Stan Coveleski won at least 20 games in five of his 14 seasons in the American League. During a career in which he pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Cleveland Indians, the Washington Senators, and the New York Yankees, Coveleski posted a record of 214 victories and 141 losses. He led the American League in strikeouts in 1920, in games started in 1921, and in earned run average and winning percentage in 1925.

The prime of his career was spent with the Indians, for whom he was a major factor in a 1920 World Series championship. Coveleski was credited with three of the four victories over the Brooklyn Dodgers, yielding only two runs in the 27 innings he worked. One of his other major accomplishments was a 13-game winning streak for Washington in 1925, when he finished at 20-5.

Born in the coal-mining town of Shamokin, PA, he was the younger brother of pitcher Harry Coveleski and one of four professional players in the family. The Coveleskis agreed never to play against each other, and their managers always arranged for them not to have to. Determined to escape life in the coal mines, Stan Covelski signed his first professional contract with the Lancaster Red Roses, a minor league team managed by former outfielder Marty Hogan. In 1909, he helped that team secure its first championship in the Tri-State League.

Coveleski retired as a player in 1928, after a 5-1 season with the Yankees, and settled in South Bend, IN.

Pitching Statistics
Year Team W L G CG H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1912 Philadelphia 2 1 5 2 18 9 8 0 4 9 3.43
1916 Cleveland 15 13 45 11 247 100 88 6 58 76 3.41
1917 Cleveland 19 14 45 24 202 78 60 3 94 133 1.81
1918 Cleveland 22 13 38 25 261 90 63 2 76 87 1.82
1919 Cleveland 24 12 43 24 286 99 83 2 60 118 2.61
1920 Cleveland 24 14 41 26 284 110 87 6 65 133 2.49
1921 Cleveland 23 13 43 28 341 137 118 6 84 99 3.37
1922 Cleveland 17 14 35 21 292 120 102 14 64 98 3.32
1923 Cleveland 13 14 33 19 251 98 70 8 42 54 2.76
1924 Cleveland 15 16 37 18 286 140 108 6 73 58 4.04
1925 Washington 20 5 32 15 230 86 76 7 73 58 2.84
1926 Washington 14 11 36 11 272 122 85 1 81 50 3.12
1927 Washington 2 1 5 0 13 7 5 0 8 3 3.14
1928 New York 5 1 12 2 72 41 37 5 20 5 5.74

Career statistics
ERA  2.89
Wins  215
Complete Games  224
Strike Outs  981

2-Time AL ERA Leader
(1923 & 1925)

AL Winning Percentage Leader
(1925)

AL Strikeouts Leader
(1920)

2-Time AL Shutouts Leader
(1917 & 1923)

15 Win Seasons: 9
(1916-1922, 1924 & 1925)

20 Win Seasons: 5
(1919-1921 & 1925)

200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 11
(1916-1926)

300 Innings Pitched Seasons: 3
(1918, 1920 & 1921)

Won a World Series ring with the Cleveland Indians in 1920

Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1969