All-Time Indians: Doc Hamann & Harvey Grubb

For this very special holiday we will recognize two of the most interesting players in Indians history, Doc Hamann and Harvey Grubb. To begin, Hamann is a record holding Indians pitcher from the early 1920’s. There is no information on how Hamann was signed or why he was on the roster in the first place and there he has no minor league statistics available either. With that, it took some pretty remarkable circumstances for Hamann to make his name in the big leagues.

On September 21st, 1922 with the Indians already eliminated from the play-offs and just five games left in the season, manager Tris Speaker was put in an unfortunate situation when John Middleton gave up four runs (three earned) in three innings against the Red Sox and his replacement, Guy Morton, was even worse, allowing four more runs in two innings. In an age where pitchers generally completed games they started, the flood gates had opened with the team down 8-1 after the fifth. Logan Drake relieved Morton and got to the ninth allowing just one more run and the Indians started a come back bringing the score to 9-5 heading into the ninth inning. Enter, the doctor.

Hamann walked each of the first two batters he faced and hit the third, leading to a bases loaded, no out situation in his Major League debut. After another walk pushed the Red Sox tenth run across, Elmer Miller hit a three run triple and former and future Indian, George Burns knocked in run 14 with a single. Second baseman Del Pratt, Hamann’s seventh batter faced, had his first base hit of the game and Speaker finally went to his bullpen for George Winn, effectively ending Hamann’s career. Winn did the one thing Hamann couldn’t, get an out, although he still allowed Burns to score from second. In the end, Hamann officially pitched no innings in his MLB career, giving up six runs on three hits, three walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch.

For the record books, no pitcher has ever faced more batters without recording an out in his career than Hamann and he will remain in eternity as one of the few with the distinction of an infinite ERA.

Unlike Hamann, Harvey Grubb had a lengthy minor league career before and after his time with Cleveland. He began as an 18 year old in Greensboro, North Carolina and after four years in the Carolina and Appalachian minor leagues, he was signed by the Cleveland Naps in 1912. Prior to his signing on September 16th, 1912,  Grubb had played in 101 games for the Morristown Jobbers batting .275 with a .391 slugging percent, making him well deserving of the promotion.

In a situation much opposite of Hamann’s, Grubb was finally allowed to get into his first Major League game because the Naps were winning by so much. The final score of the game was a 16-5 Naps win against Detroit and Grubb was brought in for the eighth inning as a defensive replacement at third base for Terry Turner. In his two innings in the field, Grubb did make one defensive play, but was is more interesting was his single at bat. In his only Major League at bat ever, Grubb was hit by a pitch and stranded on base.

In Indians history, Grubb is one of two non-pitchers to get into at least one game and not have an official at bat in his career. The other is Larry Lintz, a pinch runner who was used in three games, getting caught stealing twice to one successful attempt. Grubb is one of eleven Indians (including pitchers) to finish his career with a perfect on base percentage of 1.000 and he is the only one of the group to do so without a hit.

After his dramatic 1912 debut, Grubb was not considered quite good enough for the 1913 team and ended up not playing professionally that year at all. In 1914, he did join the Waco Navigators of the Texas League, playing five seasons there before moving on to other teams in the various Texas minor leagues. He retired in 1924 at the age of 33 after 1,272 minor league games and one Major League hit by pitch.