Carl Hubbell: Five Fabulous Seasons that Paved the Way to Cooperstown (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781620064818)

What made Carl Hubbell one of the great left-handed pitchers of all time?

It all boils down to two things: his remarkable control and one of the best screwballs in baseball history. Carl Hubbell pitched for the New York Giants from 1928 to 1943. During his career, he was named an All-Star nine times, led the National League in wins and ERA three times, and even took home the MVP trophy twice.

But Hubbell wouldn't have gone down as one of the sport's best without his improbable five-year stretch from 1933-1937. In this book, baseball historian Ronald Mayer relays the story of how Hubbell's five-year run cemented his legacy as one of the MLB's greatest pitchers of all time. Achievements during that time include:

• Winning 21 or more games each season
• Became the first unanimous NL, MVP in 1933
• Won 24 consecutive games (MLB Record) between '36 and '37
• Led the NY Giants to a World Championship in '33 with a 1.66 ERA

In addition to recounting Hubbell's incredible five-year run, Mayer shares stories, stats, and anecdotes about other NY Giants players like Bill Terry, Mel Ott, Jo-Jo- Moore, and Gus Mancuso.

Ironically, the screwball, the pitch that earned him the nickname "King Carl" and the "Meal Ticket" was the one that eventually ended his career at age forty. This book follows Hubbell's outstanding pitching career all the way to his Hall of Fame induction in 1947.