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While pitching for a men’s team at just 15-years old, Lynwood Thomas Rowe earned a nickname that stuck – “Schoolboy”. Impressive enough to be signed by the Tigers at age 16 in 1926, Schoolboy Rowe took a circuitous route to the big leagues.

After refusing to report to Detroit’s Class C team in ’27, he was suspended by Organized Baseball. The right-hander instead remained in high school and pitched in local leagues. From 1929-1931 he pitched in a semi-pro circuit.

Finally in 1932, Rowe accepted the Tigers assignment to Beaumont in the Texas League. There he found immediate success, winning 19 games and leading the league in ERA. In 1933 Rowe and his Beaumont teammate, future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg got called up to Detroit and were in the bigs to stay.

From 1934-1936, Rowe was terrific. In 1934 he won 24 games including a then-AL-record 16 in a row. Detroit tallied 101 victories and breezed to the American League pennant.

In Game 2 of the World Series against the Gas House Gang Cardinals, Rowe allowed just two runs in a 12-inning complete-game victory. Four days later he went the distance again in a loss to Paul Dean. The Cardinals won the Series the next day behind Dizzy Dean’s Game 7 six-hit shutout.

In 1935, Rowe again led Tiger hurlers in WAR by winning 19 games with a league-leading six shutouts. Detroit returned to the Fall Classic, beating the Cubs for the first World Series triumph in franchise history. Rowe was solid, tossing two complete games in his three starts, striking out 14 and walking just 1.

The Tigers slipped to 83 wins in ’36, finishing 19 1/2 games behind the Yankees. Rowe did his part, reaching the All Star Game for the second consecutive season on his way to 19 victories.

Arm troubles limited Rowe to just five starts over the next two seasons. He bounced back to win 10 in 1939. Then in 1940 he rallied to a 16-3 record, leading the Tigers to their third World Series in 7 years. Rowe was uncharacteristically ineffective in October, going 0-2 with a 17.18 ERA.

Schoolboy was a non-factor in 1941 and ’42, pitching to a 4.11 ERA. In Spring of ’43 the Phillies purchased his contract. Rowe enjoyed a renaissance in Philadelphia, going 14-8 with a career-low 2.94 ERA. At bat Rowe hit a team-high .300 and appeared in 56 games as a pinch hitter.

World War II intervened in ’44 and ’45 as Rowe went into the Navy. The hurler played on quite possibly the best service team ever. Saving his arm for his return, Schoolboy played outfield and led the team with a .446 average. Rowe and his mates went 48-2 playing against teams made up of major and minor leaguers, semi-pro and college players.

Back from the war in ’46, Rowe posted double-digit win totals in each of the next three years. The run was highlighted by a 2.12 ERA in ’46 and 14 wins in ’47. When Rowe was selected to the All Star Game in ’47 he became the to represent both the American and National Leagues in the Mid Summer Classic.

His final season came in 1949 when he went 3-7 and retired at season’s end. Schoolboy Rowe’s career statistics include 158 wins, 137 complete games, 22 shutouts, 12 saves, and a .263 lifetime batting average.

In the collection is this telegram from American League president William Harridge to Tigers owner Walter Briggs congratulating him on the opening of newly-renovated Briggs Stadium. In it, Harridge mentions Rowe.

After winning 62 games from 1934-1936 and helping the Tigers to two AL pennants, arm problems plagued Rowe in ’37. Limited to just two starts and eight relief appearances, Rowe went 1-4 with an 8.62 ERA.

The telegram is dated April 22, 1938 the day of Detroit’s home opener in the updated stadium. Tommy Bridges started the game and allowed four runs in as many innings before getting knocked out of the box.

Rowe came on in relief and twirled five scoreless frames, much to the delight of the Detroit faithful. Harridge’s telegram reads in part, “Schoolboy looked great and received immense ovation”.

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When Schoolboy Rowe won 24 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1934, he became a fan favorite. Before Rowe’s stellar campaign, only three Bengal hurlers ever had more victories in a season – all in the heart of the Deadball Era.

That same season Rowe put together a win streak that was unmatched in American League history. After a June 10th loss to the Chicago White Sox evened his record at 4-4, Rowe reeled off a then-league record of 16 straight victories. He went the rest of June, all of July, and nearly all of August before taking a loss.

A 20-game winner by the time he took another “L”, Rowe earned the respect and admiration of Tiger fans everywhere. Motown’s love for their pitcher only deepened after a radio interview in late September.

Known for his good looks and southern charm, Rowe was effusive in his love for his high-school sweetheart Edna. Appearing on Rudy Vallee’s popular national radio show, Rowe asked his then-fiancé on the air, “How’m I doin’, Edna honey?”

Women across the country swooned and Rowe’s unabashed devotion cemented his status as a Tiger favorite. The couple was married after the 1934 World Series.

Shown here is a postcard autographed by Rowe. The Lakeland, Florida postmark is dated March 7, 1941. Rowe was coming off of a 1940 campaign in which he went 16-3 to lead the league with an .842 winning percentage. The right-hander’s final full season in Detroit came in ’41 when he appeared in 27 games, made 14 starts, and posted 8 victories.

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The Detroit Tigers won back-to-back American League pennants starting in 1934. Their AL championship in’35 resulted in the franchise’s first World Series title.

The offense was led by Hall of Fame hitters Mickey Cochrane, Charlie Gehringer, Goose Goslin, and Hank Greenberg. Atop the pitching staff was the dynamic duo of Schoolboy Rowe and Tommy Bridges.

From 1934-1936 Rowe and Bridges combined to average more than 42 wins per season. Bridges won 20 or more each of the three campaigns and was named to the All Star team all three years. In those seasons Bridges topped Junior Circuit pitchers in starts and strikeouts twice each and in wins once.

Rowe wasn’t far behind. A 24-win season in 1934 earned him a fourth-place finish in MVP voting. A league leading 6 shutouts in ’35 earned him the first of back-to-back All Star appearances.

Together they helped the Tigers win 101 games to capture the AL flag in ’34. Despite a World Series defeat to St. Louis’ Gashouse Gang, Detroit was back in the thick of things in ’35. The Bengals repeated as American League champs and vanquished 100-win Cubs in the Fall Classic.

Though Bridges and Rowe combined for 42 wins the Tigers fell to second place in 1936. During their three-year dominance, the duo combined for 128 wins, 893 strikeouts, 25 shutouts, and 92 complete games.

In the collection is this Heilbronner Baseball Bureau information card filled out and signed by Tommy Bridges. By the time he took pen to paper here, Bridges was a 43-year old pitching coach for the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers Double-A affiliate. He would spend his entire adult life in the game, scouting and coaching for the rest of his days before succumbing to cancer on April 19, 1968 at age 61.