Hal Newhouser was the major league’s first pitcher to earn back-to-back MVP Awards. The dominant pitcher during the war years, Newhouser won 80 games with a 1.99 ERA from 1944-1946.

For his career, Prince Hal amassed 207 victories and 26 saves with 212 complete games and 33 shutouts.

The letter shown here was written a few months before the 1948 season, the last of his six All-Star campaigns. Newhouser thanks a fan for the interest in his career.

Before the era of free agency the team had most of the power when it came to contract negotiations. This letter, accompanied by the contract signed by Hall of Famer Billy Evans lends rare insight into the process. In it Evans alludes to the three outstanding seasons Newhouser completed from 1944-1946. “Those three sensational years enabled you to get from me $250,000 over a four year period an average of $62,500. You can’t laugh those figures off, Hal.”

Originally offered $42,000, the two-time MVP accepts the terms of the newest offer of $45,000.

Hal Newhouser rejected Evans’ first offer of $42,000. In this letter, Billy Evans ups the ante by $3,000. Evans writes, “That is more money than any other player on the Detroit Club receives. I feel it will be more money than any other pitcher in the American or National League will receive this year.” Evans goes on to encourage Newhouser to perform well to merit a raise, saying in part, “I’m sure if you have an exceptional year in 1951, and it is my sincerest hope you have one of your best seasons, you will find the Detroit Club very happy to reward such a superlative performance.”

Newhouser went 6-6 with a 3.92 ERA in ’51 and received an $11,000 pay cut for the following season.

The first page of the Uniform Player’s Contract calls for Newhouser to make $45,000 for the 1951 season. In it is the “Loyalty Clause” which states, “The player agrees to perform his services hereunder diligently and faithfully, to keep himself in first-class physical condition, and to obey the Club’s training rules, and pledges himself to the American public, and to the Club to conform to high standards of personal conduct, fair play, and good sportsmanship.”

The second page of the deal stipulates that the club may terminate the contract if the player shall at any time, “fail, refuse, or neglect to conform his personal conduct of good citizenship and good sportsmanship, or keep himself in first class condition.” It also puts forth that the agreement can be ended if the player fails, “to exhibit sufficient skill or competitive ability to qualify or continue as a member of the Club’s team.”

The third page of the standard four-page document holds the signature of Billy Evans in his position as General Manager of the Detroit Baseball Company. By virtue of his long career and of his many seasons in front offices of teams, Evans’ signature is not particularly rare. However his induction to Cooperstown 17 years after his 1956 death make his a much sought after signature. As this was Newhouser’s personal copy, there are no additional signatures beyond that of Evans. Generally the club sent two contracts, one for the player to sign and return, the other for the player’s personal reference.

The final page of the contract contains more legal stipulations for both the pitcher and the team. Newhouser would never again post a double-digit win total in any of his five remaining seasons. From 1951 until his retirement in 1955, Prince Hal won only 22 games against 18 losses. The 1951 season would be Evans’ last as Detroit GM. Twenty-two years later Billy Evans would be given baseball’s highest honor when he was voted into the Hall of Fame.

Baseball’s highest honor is induction into the sport’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. After a 17-year playing career that included back-to-back MVP seasons, Hal Newhouser received that distinction when the Veterans Committee selected him in 1992.

He was chosen by the committee along with respected umpire of 30 years Bill McGowan. The writers added two other men, first-ballot selection and three-time Cy Young Award winner Tom Seaver, and former World Series MVP Rollie Fingers who was in his second year of consideration.

The four men were inducted on a sunny afternoon on Sunday, August 2, 1992. Shown here is an invitation to the ceremony. Newhouser’s signature appears at the bottom of the invitation.

As Pittsburgh general manager from 1955-1976, Joe Brown saw many of the Pirate greats up close. Brown heaps praise on Newhouser, writing in part, “your career is truly worthy of recognition and placement with the other great men in Baseball’s history”. The handwritten letter serves as a congratulatory note and an autograph request by the former GM.