[6], Alexander played semi-professional baseball in his youth, signing his first professional contract at age 20 in 1907 for $50 per month ($1,570 in current dollar terms). Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Rog knew there wasnt anything he had to tell me. After throwing two curves, one a ball and the other a strike, catcher Bob OFarrell called for an inside pitch to try and cross Lazzeri up in the hopes he would be looking for a another curve. We pride ourselves on providing an upbeat, energetic, fun, & unique experience for the hobby on card show days. The more prevalent being the use of his initials G.C. He was also sometimes called "Alec", and on occasions when he succeeded in grand fashion (as with the 1926 World Series), they would call him "Alexander the Great". He led the Phillies to their first pennant, but Philadelphia was defeated in the World Series by the Boston Red Sox and Babe Ruth. Alexander had within him the greatness and the frailty that make for tragedy. Weve updated the security on the site. Hall of Fame MLB pitcher who retired with 373 wins and a career 2.46 ERA; helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series Championship in 1929. And Alexander was just getting started. (17771825), emperor of Russia from 18011825, son of Emperor Paul I and Maria Fyodorovna, grandson of Empress Catherine the Great. He then was sold to the Syracuse Chiefs, but by the time the season began, Alexander's vision was clear. She would be the only person who had any real influence over him she once explained, I feel more like a mother to him and him a small boy. In 1909 Alexander was signed to a professional contract with Galesburg, Illinois, of the Illinois-Missouri League. [22] He died less than a month later, on November 4 in St. Paul, Nebraska, at the age of 63. What was Grover Cleveland Alexander illness? How did he die? By 1915 Alexander was one of the dominant pitchers in the National League, achieving 31 victories, 241 strikeouts, and a stingy earned run average of 1.22. In spite of all this, Alexander gave Chicago several successful years and won another pitching triple crown in 1920. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. His pitching exploits rank him among the greatest right-handed pitchers in National League history, alongside his rival, the New York Giants' "Christian Gentleman" Christy Mathewson. There is a problem with your email/password. [19] Alexander has the most career wins of any pitcher who never threw a no-hitter. His body, racked by years of abuse, had finally given out. Try again later. In fairness, Alexander did struggle with epilepsy, and due to the lack of effective drugs of those days, the disease was nearly impossible to control. Arrants visited him in the hospital to check on his condition then filed for divorce for the second time and left to live in Los Angeles, far away from her former husbands self-destruction. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. 2023 . That left his career total at 373 victories, only one more than the great Christy Mathewson, who retired with 372. Above all, Alexander was a phenomenal pitcher with an attitude, who, despite personal demons that haunted him throughout most of his adult life, established major-league records, many of which still stand today. Learn more about managing a memorial . a . Drag images here or select from your computer for Aimee Marie Arrant Alexander memorial. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Alexander was an alcoholic in a time when little was known about the disease. Babe Ruth would later write, Just to see Old Pete out there on the mound, with the cocky little undersized cap pulled down over one ear, chewing away at his tobacco and pitching baseballs as easy as pitching hay is enough to take the heart out of a fellow., After the victory, Hornsby in his exuberance was quoted as saying, Alex pitches better drunk than any other pitcher sober. This only served to fuel the rumor, which incidentally made for outstanding press. After an all out bout of drinking before a game in Devils Lake, N.D., he managed to get himself thrown out of the game when he showed up drunk, acted erratically, and tried to pick a fight with the umpire. He was arrested and jailed after a car accident and six-mile chase, for suspicion of intoxication, reckless driving, speeding, illegal transportation of liquor, fleeing the scene of an accident, and failing to stop when ordered by police. He had become increasingly difficult to get along with and cited extreme cruelty as the reason for the dissolution of marriage. By 1921, it was fairly common knowledge that Alexander had a serious drinking problem. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. vision for many months afterwards, making him a liability as a pitcher. ." She mixed them each a highball and they went to bed. Fans who visited him there reported a certain quiet dignity that the great pitcher managed to maintain in the midst of his surroundings as he gave his lectures to the crowds that would wander in reliving that third strike to Lazzeri hundreds of times and demonstrating how to throw the curve ball before concluding his talk by answering questions from the audience. Owen, Tricia R. "Alexander, Grover Cleveland However, his baseball career was sidetracked when he was knocked unconscious by a thrown baseball as he attempted to break up a double play at second base. Killefer was a master at mediation and at getting along well with others. . cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. He played for several teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals during his career. On Oct. 10, in the seventh inning of the seventh and deciding game of the 1926 World Series, a great pitcher sometimes dubbed "Old Pete" or "Alex the Great" became a legendary, baseball folk-hero. Meanwhile, Alexander continued to tour with The House of David team, although his usefulness with the team had begun to wear thin. The pair were married for a second time on June 2, 1931. Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) Damaged, aging, surviving on experience and will, Alexander now fit the name "Old Pete" perfectly. Kavanagh, Jack. If there is another hell in this world, I dont want to ever get there. He checked out of the hospital and vanished for two days only to show up at the ballpark drunk. [15] Following his return from the war, Alexander suffered from shell shock and was plagued with epileptic seizures, which people often misinterpreted as a sign of drunkenness; this only exacerbated his drinking problem. Grover Cleveland Alexander, also known as "Old Pete," was a prominent American baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1911 through 1930. Before Fame He signed his first pro contract at the age of 20, paying him $50 a month. These sell today in the $1,500-$2,000 price range and have more than doubled in value over the past two years. The infected ear was amputated with more misfortune to follow. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. "Alexander, Grover Cleveland //Grover Cleveland | The White House Grover Cleveland's grandson is still alive - Washington Examiner Lazzeri lunged but didnt come close and the inning was over with three Yankees runners left cooling their heals on base. Again, he was in search of a job. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188381654/aimee-marie-alexander. In a local hotel, he fell asleep with a cigarette and destroyed the bed. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. "Alexander, Grover Cleveland Alexander posted a lifetime winning percentage of .642, compared to Mathewson's .665. [7], Alexander made his Philadelphia Phillies debut during the pre-season 1911 City Series, pitching five innings of no-hit, no-run baseball against the Athletics. The Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association, thinking there might be a few pitches left in his old arm, signed him to a contract. Encyclopedia.com. The popular team known for their unshorn appearance toured and played ball to help spread their Old Testament religious beliefs. However, Alexander was not the only player of his day to feel little sentimentality about the honor. Very little in the way of unsigned memorabilia has surfaced over the years. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. won twenty-eight games (still the rookie record), including seven shutouts. The opposing team was the New York Yankees, who had already lost to the Cardinals the previous day, with Alexander pitching. Alexander was admitted into a sanitarium for dual treatment of the effects of alcoholism and epilepsy after the season in 1925. Alexander was traded back to the Phillies, but his glory days were clearly over. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander (1887-1950) - Find a Grave When presidential doctor Major Robert O'Reilly came by for a social call, the president asked O'Reilly to take a look at it. Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. He had even acted as a matchmaker in convincing Arrants to give Alexander another chance and marry him the second time. She testified that Alexander was beyond redemption. He continually tried to quit drinking and repeatedly failed. If ever there was a baseball love story the story of Grover Alexander and Amy Arrants would be it. This browser does not support getting your location. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Alexander continued to play baseball, touring as a player-coach for the Grover Cleveland Alexander's House of David Team. Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. Grover Cleveland Alexander Chronology. NORTH CONWAY, N.H. " I used to think I had a kind of competition going on with Gov. He had no recollection of how he had received his injuries. Early in the 1926 season the new Cubs manager Joe McCarthy, seeking to curb his club's drinking, allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to claim Alexander on waivers. 3. He discovered that by sipping ammonia from a small bottle, he could forestall a pending attack." [8] He was joined on the Phillies that year by catcher Bill Killefer, who went on to become Alexander's favorite battery mate, catching 250 of his games.[9][10]. . Pete Alexander - Cooperstown Expert Encyclopedia.com. Another theory suggested that it was the serious head injury Alexander incurred early in his career that was to blame. He had injured his leg, neglected it, and it had become infected. Death Date November 4, 1950 Age of Death 63 years Cause of Death Heart Failure Place of Death Saint Paul, Nebraska, United States Place of Burial Elmwood Cemetery, Saint Paul, Howard County, Nebraska, United States Profession Baseball Player The baseball player Grover Cleveland died at the age of 63. Twenty-nine years later when Arrants died in a California nursing home, a baseball from the 1926 World Series, a souvenir of Alexanders greatest triumph was found near her body. "Alexander, Grover Cleveland He listens to me more than anyone else.. Frances Clara Cleveland Preston (ne Folsom, christened Frank Clara; July 21, 1864 - October 29, 1947) was the first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897, as the wife of President Grover Cleveland.She is the only first lady to have served in the role during two non-consecutive terms. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Encyclopedia.com. [31] On his 1940 Playball baseball card he was referred to as "Ol' Pete." [5] After completing his education, Alexander was employed digging postholes for the Howard County Telephone Company. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/alexander-grover-cleveland, Owen, Tricia R. "Alexander, Grover Cleveland Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. based on information from your browser. I doubt that I ever felt sorrier for any man who ever worked for me than I did for Alexander. Alexander won Game 2, holding the powerful Yankees team to only four hits. Grover Cleveland Alexander - IMDb A system error has occurred. Alexander's 90 shutouts are a National League record and his 373 wins are tied with Christy Mathewson for first in the National League record book. One of the most frequently reported moments in World Series play occurred in 1926 when the aging Grover Cleveland Alexander came out of the St. Louis Cardinal bullpen to strike out New York. The Pitcher. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 - November 4, 1950), nicknamed " Old Pete ", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. Neither one of them could have known then how tragic their lives would later become or how they would both be inextricably bound together through all of it. Then, finally a break. She was told that Alexander was In bad shape and hiding out in a Philadelphia hotel room. Hornsby tried to help by finding Alexander a room in St. Louis with the promise of a job. Sometimes postmarked from small towns that dotted the country along the railroad route between Nebraska and Los Angeles as Alex would frequently attend to autograph requests during his train trips as a way to relieve the monotony. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. In 1916 Alexander won thirty-three games, including sixteen shutouts, followed by another thirty-win season the following year. The film was large on romance and short on facts. In 1893, soon after entering his second term as president, Grover Cleveland became aware of a rough spot on the roof of his mouth.