The Main Event
- May 28, 1930 – Grover Cleveland Alexander of the Philadelphia Phillies makes his last major league appearance, giving up two hits and two runs in relief in the Boston Braves’ 5-1 victory. The Phillies release the 43-year-old veteran a few hours after the game. In a twenty-season career, Alexander posted a 373-208 record with 2,198 strikeouts and a 2.56 ERA. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1938.
Grover Cleveland Alexander — nicknamed “Old Pete” and “Alexander the Great” — is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-handed pitchers in Major League Baseball history. Born on February 26, 1887, in Elba, Nebraska, Alexander compiled a career record of 373 wins and 208 losses across 20 seasons, pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. His story is one of extraordinary talent, personal hardship, and lasting legacy.
Alexander’s Rise to Dominance with the Philadelphia Phillies
Alexander defied his father’s wishes that he study law, instead taking a job as a telephone lineman so he could play baseball on weekends. It proved to be the right call. After several stints in semi-pro and low-level professional ball, he was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies for just $750.
His arrival in Philadelphia was nothing short of spectacular. In his rookie season of 1911, he posted a 28–13 record with a 2.57 ERA and 227 strikeouts, leading the league in wins, complete games, and innings pitched. The dominance only grew from there. He averaged 27 wins per season during his seven years in Philadelphia, including a remarkable three-year span in which he won 31, 33, and 30 games. His 1915 season was particularly historic: he won the first of three career pitching Triple Crowns, leading the NL in ERA (1.22), strikeouts (241), and wins (31), helping the Phillies capture the first NL pennant in team history. He also held the Phillies record for consecutive scoreless innings by a pitcher when he threw 41 scoreless innings in 1911. That record was just broken by Cristopher Sanchez on May 27, 2026 after 115 years.
Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem once offered perhaps the highest compliment in baseball: “Alexander is the one player in our league who could win the pennant for any of the seven teams that were not in first place.”
The 1926 World Series: Alexander’s Most Famous Moment
After stints with the Cubs and Cardinals, Alexander delivered one of the most celebrated performances in World Series history. In Game 7 of the 1926 Fall Classic, he entered in relief with the bases loaded and the Cardinals clinging to a one-run lead. As Alexander recalled it, Cardinals player-manager Rogers Hornsby was standing at second base when he reached the mound, and simply threw the ball to him — there was nothing that needed to be said. Alexander then struck out the Yankees’ Tony Lazzeri on four pitches and held New York scoreless the rest of the way to give the Cardinals a 3–2 World Series victory.
The performance made him a legend — and it came with a financial reward. After his 1926 heroics, Alexander received the best contract of his career: $17,500.
The Final Years and Release from the Phillies
By 1929, the wear of age and personal struggles — including battles with epilepsy and alcoholism — had taken their toll. He was traded back to the Phillies, but his glory days were clearly over, and for the first time in his career he had more losses than wins. The Phillies gave him his unconditional release, bringing his major league career to an end. He went on to pitch with the House of David traveling team — fielded by a communal Christian religious sect — until 1935.
Hall of Fame Induction and Alexander’s Legacy
Alexander was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938, receiving 80.9% of the vote on the third ballot. His reaction to the honor was memorably blunt. When informed of his selection, he was quoted as saying, “The Hall of Fame is fine, but it doesn’t mean bread and butter. It’s only your picture on the wall.” It was a sentiment that reflected a life that had grown difficult in retirement. He battled alcohol, depression, epilepsy, a heart attack, and ultimately cancer, with one of his lone bright moments being his Hall of Fame induction and a later appearance as a guest of honor at the 1950 World Series.
His 90 shutouts remain a National League record. His baseball biography was later portrayed on film in the 1952 movie The Winning Team, in which he was played by Ronald Reagan. More than 75 years after his death, Grover Cleveland Alexander’s place among the all-time greats of the game remains secure.
Philadelphia Baseball Events for May 28
- May 28, 1979 – Pete Rose has his first Sports Illustrated cover appearance as a Phillie.
- May 28, 1983 – Through the first seven innings against Montreal, Mike Schmidt had struck out four times — each time on only three pitches — and made a throwing error from third base. With one on in the bottom of the ninth, he hit a two-run home run to seal a 5-3 victory for the Phillies.
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Philadelphia Baseball Birthdays for May 28
- Pearce Chiles (born 1867) – Played two MLB seasons (1899-1900), both with the Phillies. In 130 games he hit three home runs, drove in 99 and batted .294.
- Bob Rice (born 1899) – Born in Philadelphia, Rice played one season in the majors and it was with his hometown Phillies. He hit .148 in 19 games as a utility infielder.
- Bobby Smith (born 1934) – An outfielder, Smith played for the 1960 and 1961 Phillies, hitting 6-45-.241 in 177 games.
- Steve Jeltz (born 1959) – Born in Paris, France, Jeltz was drafted by the Phillies in the ninth round of the 1980 Draft. He played seven seasons with the Phillies during the ’80s and hit .213.
- Craig Kimbrel (born 1988) – Went 8-6, 3.26 with 23 saves, pitching in 71 games for the 2023 Phillies and was an all-star for the ninth time. After being released by the Mets recently, he signed a major league deal with Tampa Bay earlier this week.
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