Top Tigers #54: Harry Coveleski
By Blake VandeBunte • Jan 22nd, 2009 • Category: Harry Coveleski, Top 100 Tigers- Rank: 54
- Name: Harry Frank Coveleski
- Position: Pitcher
- Tigers Tenure: 1914-1918
- Awards: None
- Best Season: 1916. Coveleski put together three straight, dominant seasons for the Tigers, ending in 1916. That season saw Coveleski win 21 games and post an ERA under 2.00. His 21 wins ranked him fourth in the American League and his 1.97 ERA was also the fourth best in the AL. Coveleski also ranked in the top ten in the AL in winning percentage, WHIP, innings, complete games, shutouts, and K/BB ratio. The 30 year old Coveleski helped lead the Tigers to an 87-67 record as he lead the pitching in staff in almost every pitching statistic.
- Good Stuff: Coveleski was out of baseball for four seasons before signing with Detroit prior to the 1914 season. He had never reached double digits in wins in his four seasons before joining the Tigers, so I cannot imagine that a lot was expected of Coveleski. During a three year run from 1914-1916, Coveleski won 65 games and appeared in a league high 50 games in 1915. Coveleski could keep the ball in the park; he seldom gave up home runs. In fact, during his 50 game season of 1915 he allowed only two home runs the entire season.
- Bad Stuff: The Tigers pitched Coveleski until he couldn’t pitch any longer. He last only three full seasons with the Tigers. From 1914-1916 he pitched 940.1 innings, an astounding number of innings even when considering the era in which he played. In 1917 he pitched only 69 innings and the following season was his last as he threw only 14 innings. Had he been able to pitch the way he did for twice as long he would have been a lot higher up on this list.
- Place In Tigers History: The Tigers have employed hundreds of pitchers in their rich history. In fact, the club has had 37 pitchers throw at least 1,000 innings in a Tigers uniform, including: Hal Newhouser, Mickey Lolich, George Mullin. Still, if you do a search for ERA leaders amongst that impressive group, Coveleski still ranks at the very top. His 2.34 ERA with the Tigers is the best in club history and no one appears to be on the verge of taking his spot.
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