Lon Warneke Lonnie Warneke Bats Right Throws Right Height 6'2 Weight 185 Born March 28, 1909 Mt. Ida, AR Died June 23, 1976 Hot Springs, AR (Heart Attack)

Pitching  

 Year Ag Tm    W   L  PCT.  SV   G  GS  CG SHO    IP     H    R   ER   BB   SO  HR  ERA  lgERA ERA+
+-----------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+-----+----+
 1931 22 PAW   5   5  .500   2  31  15   0   0  104.0   90   43   37   82   27      3.20  3.62  113  
 1932 23 PAW   8  10  .444   0  28  28   3   0  183.0  167   70   58   71   52      2.85  3.20  112  
 1933 24 MON  19   6  .760   0  32  32  15   1  239.1  248   89   80   51  123   6  3.01  4.15  138  
 1934 25 MON  10  15  .400   0  34  34   8   2  224.0  266  129  110   55   97  16  4.42  4.54  103  
 1935 26 MON  14  10  .583   0  30  30  11   1  225.1  225  107   89   40   99  25  3.55  4.16  117  

 1936 27 MON   6  14  .300   0  41  41   5   0  251.0  263  122  104   88  119  20  3.73  4.32  116  
 1937 28 MON  10  10  .500   0  30  30   4   1  180.0  200  109   99   47   91  29  4.95  4.28   86  
 1938 29 FRE  10  12  .455   0  29  29   6   3  183.2  177  100   91   80  115  14  4.46  4.28   96  
 1939 30 FRE   5  10  .333   0  23  23   2   1  159.0  161   67   58   50   60  13  3.28  4.19  128  
 1940 31 FRE   7  15  .318   0  29  29   4   0  171.0  202  102   86   47   82  20  4.53  4.26   94  

 1941 32 FRE  10  15  .400   0  34  34   6   0  217.0  230  108   99   63  110  23  4.11  4.22  103  
 1942 33 FRE   8   2  .800  17  97   0   0   0   92.2   93   33   26   26   45  10  2.53  4.04  160  
 1943 34 FRE   4   4  .500   3  90   0   0   0  114.2  105   44   38   28   47  11  2.98  4.08  137  
 1945 36                                                                                             
+-----------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+-----+----+
 13 Seasons  116 128  .475  22 528 325  64   9 2344.2 2427 1123  975  728 1067 187  3.74  4.12  110 
+-----------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+-----+----+
 154 Gm  Avg   9  10  .475   2  40  25   5   1  179.0  185   86   74   55   81  14  3.74 
 Career High  19  15  .760  17  97  41  15   3  251.0  266  129  110   88  123  29  2.85            
+-----------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+-----+----+
 3 Yrs.  PAW  13  15  .464   2  59  43   3   0  287.0  257  113   95  153   79      2.98  3.39  114  
 5 Yrs   MON  59  55  .518   0 167 167  43   5 1119.2 1202  556  482  281  529  96  3.87  4.30  111  
 6 Yrs.  FRE  44  58  .431  20 302 115  18   4  938.0  968  454  398  294  459  91  3.82  4.16  109  
+-----------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+------+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+-----+----+
 Year Ag Tm    W   L  PCT.  SV   G  GS  CG SHO    IP     H    R   ER   BB   SO  HR  ERA  lgERA ERA+

Shaded Text indicates partial season results.

Postseason Pitching

 Year Tm  OPP WLser   W   L  PCT.  SV   G  GS  CG SHO    IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO  HR   ERA  
+------------------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+-----+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+
 1942 FRE MON   L     0   0  .000   0   1   1   0   0   6.0   10    4    3    1    3   1  4.50
+------------------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+-----+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+
               0-1    0   0  .000   0   1   1   0   0   6.0   10    4    3    1    3   1  4.50
+------------------+---+---+-----+---+---+---+---+---+-----+----+----+----+----+----+---+-----+

WLser shows whether the player's team Won or Lost the series.

Appearances on Leaderboards and Awards  

Stats are Year-Value-Rank

All-Star 1942

ERA 1933-3.01-4 1935-3.55-9 1939-3.18-7

Wins 1933-19-2 1935-14-8

Strikeouts 1933-123-4 1936-119-6

Complete Games 1933-15-3 1935-11-10

Saves 1942-17-6

Innings Pitched 1933-239.1-5 1935-225.1-9 1936-251.0-4 1941-217.0-9

Games 1942-97-5 1943-90-1

Walks 1936-88-4 1938-80-4

Losses 1934-15-4 1936-14-9 1940-15-2 1941-15-4

Transactions January 1, 1930: Drafted 1st round (7th overall) by Pawtucket. March 28, 1933: Traded by Pawtucket to Montgomery for Willis Hudlin, Lloyd Waner, 1st Round pick in 1934 and 1935. December 14, 1937: Traded by Montgomery with Lou Gehrig to Fremont for their First Round Pick in 1938 draft.

Biography St. Louis sportswriter J. Roy Stockton dubbed right-hander Lon Warneke "the Arkansas Hummingbird" after what Stockton termed his "darting form of delivery." Warneke's delivery was good enough to earn him the National League lead in victories three times and in shutouts twice. Yet, Warneke might never have made it to the major leagues had it not been for catcher Zack Taylor's advice. Taylor counseled Warneke to watch the plate instead of his feet, noting that Warneke "keeps lookin' at his dogs instead of the hitter." Once that flaw was corrected, there was no stopping Warneke. In high school, Warneke's diamond experience was limited to first base. He became a pitcher by throwing batting practice for Houston of the Texas League. Signed by the Cardinals, Warneke was so unimpressive that they quickly dropped him. But he caught on with Alexandria of the Cotton States League, and Cleveland sent a scout to look at him. That day it rained, and to amuse himself Warneke pantomimed rowing over to second base. The scout had no sense of humor and reported, "He's a screwball. Forget him." The Cubs, however, paid $10,000 to take a chance on Warneke. In 1931, Warneke's first full major-league season, he reportedly went out and purchased 12 suits of clothes. But he still wasn't rich enough to consider the off-season a vacation—that winter he delivered telegrams for Western Union. In 1932, Warneke came into his own. That year he led the senior circuit in victories, won-lost percentage, shutouts and ERA, and was named to The Sporting News Major League All-Star team. Warneke's Cubs faced the Yankees in that year's World Series. Before taking the mound in Game 2, he made contradictory statements to journalists. First he said, "Maybe I'll beat 'em and maybe I won't. I ain't worryin'. Why should you?" But to a passing photographer he warned: "I never pose for any pictures when I'm going to pitch. Superstitious, hell! I just think it's unlucky." Perhaps he was photographed on the sly. Warneke lost 5-2 to Lefty Gomez. In 1934, Warneke started the season in grand style, hurling back-to-back one-hitters on the road. On Opening Day, he held Cincinnati batters helpless for 8 1/3 innings before Adam Comorosky singled. In his second start, he gave up only a fifth-inning double to the Cardinals' James "Ripper" Collins. He finished the year with 22 wins and a 3.21 ERA. In 1935, Warneke went 20-13, his third season of at least 20 victories in four years, as the Cubs won the National League pennant. In the World Series, Warneke four-hit the Tigers in Game 1 and surrendered only three hits in Game 5 before leaving with a sore shoulder after six shutout innings. "I don't give a damn if it's the World Series. Your arm is more important than any ballgame," yelled manager Charlie Grimm to Warneke when he yanked the unhappy pitcher. In October 1936, Warneke was traded to the Cardinals in a deal that sent Ripper Collins to the Cubs. Warneke fit right in with the freewheeling Redbirds, even joining teammate Pepper Martin's clubhouse combo, the Mudcat Band. On Aug. 30, 1941, Warneke no-hit the Reds 2-0, surrendering only one walk and striking out two. In June 1942, he was sold back to the Cubs. He spent 1944 and most of the following year in the service before retiring after the 1945 campaign. Warneke's 10 years in Chicago ranks him among a four-way tie for fifth place in terms of tenure for Cubs pitchers during the 1900s. His ERA of 2.84 during that time ties with Grover Cleveland Alexander and Claude Hendrix for eighth best by a Cub in the 20th century. In 1946, with the help of Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley, Warneke obtained a position umpiring in the Pacific Coast League. In 1949, he was promoted to the N.L.. The first challenge he met as an N.L. umpire was obtaining the proper garb. "I tried every place to get a blue serge suit. But I'm doggoned, they just aren't to be had," he complained. Warneke became the only man to both pitch in and umpire a World Series. After retiring as an arbiter, Warneke spent 10 years as a judge in Mount Ida, Ark., where he had always spent his winters. "Heck, I can live a whole winter down home for $50. I can't live a week up [North] for that," he once remarked. He died on June 23, 1976. Information courtesy of chicagocubs.com.