Tex Carleton
Buried in Oakwood Cemetery: Comanche, Texas.
1932-1934 St. Louis Cardinals; 1935-1938 Chicago Cubs; 1940 Brooklyn Dodgers.
1934 World Series Winner. 1935 and 1938 NL Pennant Winner.
Made his MLB debut on April 17, 1932 against his future team, the Chicago Cubs, throwing 8IP with five hits, four runs (three earned), and striking out six batters - an impressive line considering he issued nine walks in that start. Recorded his first win on June 19 by throwing a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits, against the New York Giants. Ended his rookie season with a four-game run of throwing 33IP, 27H/7ER, a 1.91 ERA.
Threw a career-high 277IP in 1933, including a heroic 16 scoreless inning performance on July 2 which somehow ended in a 1-0 loss after Giants pitcher and future Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell threw all 18 innings. In this outing Carleton held future Hall of Famers Bill Terry and Mel Ott to a 2-for-12 day. Carleton finished 1933 with a career-high 17 wins, but the Cardinals lost four games in which Carleton threw 9+ innings, scoring two or fewer runs in all four.
1934 brought a World Series to St. Louis' Gashouse Gang, in which Carleton played alongside seven future Hall of Famers (Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Frankie Frisch, Burleigh Grimes, Jesse Haines, Joe Medwick, and Dazzy Vance). In the 1934 World Series, a 7-game classic between the Cardinals and Tigers, Carleton pitched twice, starting Game 4 and getting popped for three earned runs in 2.2IP. The following day Carleton allowed just a hit in the 9th inning with no runs scored. Down 3-2 in the series, the Cardinals won Games 6 & 7 to take the Series.
Traded to the Cubs before the 1935 season, Carleton and the Cubs rattled off 21 straight victories in September to capture the NL Pennant and head back to the World Series. Again Carleton started a World Series Game 4 against the Tigers, and this one went much better with Carleton throwing 7IP, 6H/2R (1ER), but with 4K:7BB. Detroit won 2-1 and went on to win the Series again.
Carleton won 40 games for the Cubs over the next three seasons, tied for the NL lead in shutouts (four) but found himself with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940 after getting injured, missing 1939, and contemplating retirement. In his Age 33 season, Carleton threw a career-low 149IP. However, in his second start of the season, on April 30, Carleton threw not only his second straight complete game but also his first no-hitter - against the Cincinnati Reds, walking just two batters.
In his eight-year career, Carleton went 100-76 with a 3.91 ERA.
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