Ernest Groth
Encyclopedia
Ernest William Groth was an American
Major League Baseball
right-handed pitcher
who played for three seasons. He played for the Cleveland Indians
during the 1947
and 1948
seasons and the Chicago White Sox
during the 1949 season
. In four career games, Groth pitched 7⅓ innings and had a 4.91 earned run average
(ERA).
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Groth began his professional career in the Wisconsin State League
in 1942. After his rookie season, he spent the next three years serving in the military during World War II
. After he returned, he spent more time in the minor leagues, then spent parts of the 1947 and 1948 seasons with the Cleveland Indians. After the end of the 1948 season, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox, and played with them in 1949. He spent the next seven seasons pitching in the minor leagues, retiring at the end of the 1956 season. After his retirement, he ran Groth's Nursery and worked for Standard Steel, and died in 2004.
to William T. and Clara Court Groth. He played American Legion Baseball
in East Palestine, Ohio
in his teens, and attended Beaver Falls High School
. He grew up pitching in the county league, and was both a right fielder
and pitcher for the Chippewa Indians. After pitching for Chippewa in 1941, he was offered a contract for the 1942 season by the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Groth turned down the offer instead signing with the Cleveland Indians
, spending the 1942 season with the Indians' D-Class (rookie league) affiliate, the Appleton Papermakers
of the Wisconsin State League, where he played alongside future teammate Mike Garcia. In 26 games, he pitched in 203 innings, had a 16–10 win–loss record and a 3.59 ERA.
After the 1942 season, Groth spent the following three years serving with the United States Army
in the Pacific Theater of Operations
during World War II. After the war, he returned to baseball, spending the 1946 season with the Wilkes-Barre Barons, a Cleveland Indians minor league team that played in the Eastern League
. His performances that season included a one-hitter against the Elmira Pioneers
in the second game of a doubleheader
on August 19. In 29 games, Groth finished with a 13–7 ecord and a 2.98 ERA. Shortly afterward, he became engaged to Blanche Klein, a fellow graduate of Beaver Falls High. The two were married shortly after.
of the Texas League
, the Cleveland Indians' AA-class minor league affiliate. In 33 games with Oklahoma City, he threw 180 innings and finished the season with a 7–11 record and a 3.45 ERA. After the minor league season ended in September, Groth was called up to the Cleveland Indians major league roster, and made his debut on September 11, 1947. He pitched in one more game, finishing the season having pitched 1⅓ innings, striking out one batter and not allowing a run.
Groth was looking to stay in the major league in 1948. He spent spring training
on the Indians' roster, and originally made a great impression on the team. However, he was one of seven Indians stricken with dysentery
in early April, causing him to miss some time. By the end of spring training, Groth was optioned to the Baltimore Orioles
of the International League, the Indians' AAA-class minor league affiliate. He spent the season with the Orioles, and his pitching performances included a 13–0 victory over the Newark Bears
, as well as a 1–0 victory where Groth limited the Bears to three hits. Groth finished the season with Baltimore having amassed 29 pitching appearances, 27 of them starts, a 12–12 record and a 4.48 ERA, while also pitching in two games for the Dallas Eagles. After Baltimore's season ended, he was promoted to the Indians' roster, and pitched in one game for the Indians that season.
At the end of the 1948 season, on December 2, the Indians traded Groth to the Chicago White Sox
along with Bob Kuzava
for Frank Papish
. After signing a contract with the White Sox, Groth took part in spring, training alongside many other newcomers to the White Sox, where his pitching performance earned him a place on the major league roster. He pitched in three games for the White Sox, losing one, and finished his tenure with the White Sox with a 5.40 ERA in five innings pitched. After his final game on May 4, the White Sox purchased Ed Klieman
and sold Groth to the Kansas City Blues
, a New York Yankees
minor league team, ending his major league career.
of the Pacific Coast League
, the Yankees' AAA minor league affiliate. The Yankees sent Groth to the Oaks to make up for sending over George Earl Toolson last season, who the Oaks had to return because his condition was poor. Groth finished the season with a 7–11 record and a 5.09 ERA. In January 1951, the Oaks sold Groth to the Baltimore Orioles of the International League, now a farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies
. He struggled in ten appearances, finishing with an ERA of 7.58, and was sent to the Chattanooga Lookouts
, the AA minor league team of the Washington Senators
. He pitched in 26 games for the Lookouts, finishing with a 3–8 record and a 6.29 ERA.
For the next five seasons, Groth played for the Oklahoma City Indians
of the Texas League
. He was sold to Oklahoma City by Baltimore in December 1951. In his first season with Oklahoma City, he finished with a 15–12 record, a 3.43 ERA, and 207 innings pitched. The following season, Groth started things off with a victory in an early appearance against the Dallas Eagles where he allowed only four hits. He finished the season with an 8–8 record and a 5.37 ERA. In 1954, Groth improved his pitching, finishing the season with a 14–11 record and a 3.75 ERA. After a 9–13 season in 1955, Groth split time between Oklahoma City and the Tulsa Oilers in 1956, finishing the season with a combined 9–16 record. He ended his professional career after the 1956 season.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played for three seasons. He played for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
during the 1947
1947 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was the 47th in franchise history. On July 5, Larry Doby broke the American League color barrier. Doby was signed by the Indians by their owner Bill Veeck in 1947, eleven weeks after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League...
and 1948
1948 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team won a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox and would then go onto win their second World Series in franchise history, its first in 28 years.-Off-season:...
seasons and the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
during the 1949 season
1949 Chicago White Sox season
The 1949 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 49th season in the major leagues, and their 50th season overall. They finished with a record 63-91, good enough for 6th place in the American League, 34 games behind the first place New York Yankees....
. In four career games, Groth pitched 7⅓ innings and had a 4.91 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA).
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Groth began his professional career in the Wisconsin State League
Wisconsin State League
There was a class D league called the Wisconsin State League which began in 1905. In 1908 it changed its name to the Wisconsin-Illinois League. Another Wisconsin State League began in 1940, shut down for World War II from 1943 through 1945, then operated from 1946 through 1953...
in 1942. After his rookie season, he spent the next three years serving in the military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After he returned, he spent more time in the minor leagues, then spent parts of the 1947 and 1948 seasons with the Cleveland Indians. After the end of the 1948 season, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox, and played with them in 1949. He spent the next seven seasons pitching in the minor leagues, retiring at the end of the 1956 season. After his retirement, he ran Groth's Nursery and worked for Standard Steel, and died in 2004.
Early life and minor leagues
Groth was born in Beaver Falls, PennsylvaniaBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
to William T. and Clara Court Groth. He played American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball
American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by teenage boys in 50 states in the USA. More than five thousand teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1925 at Milbank, South Dakota...
in East Palestine, Ohio
East Palestine, Ohio
East Palestine is a city in Unity Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States, near the border with Pennsylvania. The population was 4,917 at the 2000 census....
in his teens, and attended Beaver Falls High School
Beaver Falls High School
Beaver Falls High School, located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States, is the high school for the Big Beaver Falls Area School District...
. He grew up pitching in the county league, and was both a right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and pitcher for the Chippewa Indians. After pitching for Chippewa in 1941, he was offered a contract for the 1942 season by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. Groth turned down the offer instead signing with the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, spending the 1942 season with the Indians' D-Class (rookie league) affiliate, the Appleton Papermakers
Appleton Papermakers
The Appleton Papermakers were a minor league baseball team located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The team was part of the Wisconsin State League.-Affiliations:The Papermakers were affiliated with the following major league baseball teams:...
of the Wisconsin State League, where he played alongside future teammate Mike Garcia. In 26 games, he pitched in 203 innings, had a 16–10 win–loss record and a 3.59 ERA.
After the 1942 season, Groth spent the following three years serving with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
during World War II. After the war, he returned to baseball, spending the 1946 season with the Wilkes-Barre Barons, a Cleveland Indians minor league team that played in the Eastern League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
. His performances that season included a one-hitter against the Elmira Pioneers
Elmira Pioneers
The Elmira Pioneers are an amateur baseball team based in Elmira, New York. They currently compete in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league. Prior to the 2006 baseball season, the team was a professional ballclub with a rich history of league...
in the second game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
on August 19. In 29 games, Groth finished with a 13–7 ecord and a 2.98 ERA. Shortly afterward, he became engaged to Blanche Klein, a fellow graduate of Beaver Falls High. The two were married shortly after.
Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox
In 1947, Groth was promoted to the Oklahoma City IndiansOklahoma City Indians
The Oklahoma City Indians were an American minor league baseball franchise representing Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that played in the Texas League in 1909, 1933-42 and from 1946-57, and in the Western League from 1918-32...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
, the Cleveland Indians' AA-class minor league affiliate. In 33 games with Oklahoma City, he threw 180 innings and finished the season with a 7–11 record and a 3.45 ERA. After the minor league season ended in September, Groth was called up to the Cleveland Indians major league roster, and made his debut on September 11, 1947. He pitched in one more game, finishing the season having pitched 1⅓ innings, striking out one batter and not allowing a run.
Groth was looking to stay in the major league in 1948. He spent spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
on the Indians' roster, and originally made a great impression on the team. However, he was one of seven Indians stricken with dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
in early April, causing him to miss some time. By the end of spring training, Groth was optioned to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (minor league)
The city of Baltimore, Maryland has been home to two minor league baseball teams called the Baltimore Orioles.-Name history:"Orioles" is a traditional name for baseball clubs in Baltimore . It was used by major league teams from 1882 through 1899 in the American Association/National League and by...
of the International League, the Indians' AAA-class minor league affiliate. He spent the season with the Orioles, and his pitching performances included a 13–0 victory over the Newark Bears
Newark Bears (1926-1949)
The Newark Bears were a team in the International League from 1926 to 1949. They played their home games at Ruppert Stadium in what is now known as the Ironbound section of Newark; the stadium was demolished in 1967....
, as well as a 1–0 victory where Groth limited the Bears to three hits. Groth finished the season with Baltimore having amassed 29 pitching appearances, 27 of them starts, a 12–12 record and a 4.48 ERA, while also pitching in two games for the Dallas Eagles. After Baltimore's season ended, he was promoted to the Indians' roster, and pitched in one game for the Indians that season.
At the end of the 1948 season, on December 2, the Indians traded Groth to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
along with Bob Kuzava
Bob Kuzava
Robert Leroy Kuzava is a retired American professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , Pittsburgh Pirates and St...
for Frank Papish
Frank Papish
Frank Richard Papish was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for six seasons. He played for the Chicago White Sox from 1945 to 1948, the Cleveland Indians in 1949, and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1950.-External links:...
. After signing a contract with the White Sox, Groth took part in spring, training alongside many other newcomers to the White Sox, where his pitching performance earned him a place on the major league roster. He pitched in three games for the White Sox, losing one, and finished his tenure with the White Sox with a 5.40 ERA in five innings pitched. After his final game on May 4, the White Sox purchased Ed Klieman
Ed Klieman
Edward Frederick "Specs" Klieman was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of eight seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics. For his career, he compiled a 26-28 record in 222 appearances, with a...
and sold Groth to the Kansas City Blues
Kansas City Blues (American Association)
The Kansas City Blues are a former minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association....
, a New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
minor league team, ending his major league career.
Return to minor leagues
Groth spent the 1949 season with the Kansas City Blues, finishing with a 12–9 record, a 4.28 ERA, and 162 innings pitched. When the 1950 season began, the New York Yankees had five holdouts (players who wanted more money and would not sign their contracts). Groth was one of them, and was the only minor leaguer to hold out. He eventually signed his contract with Kansas City, and after spring training ended, Groth was sent to the Oakland OaksOakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, the Yankees' AAA minor league affiliate. The Yankees sent Groth to the Oaks to make up for sending over George Earl Toolson last season, who the Oaks had to return because his condition was poor. Groth finished the season with a 7–11 record and a 5.09 ERA. In January 1951, the Oaks sold Groth to the Baltimore Orioles of the International League, now a farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He struggled in ten appearances, finishing with an ERA of 7.58, and was sent to the Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
, the AA minor league team of the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. He pitched in 26 games for the Lookouts, finishing with a 3–8 record and a 6.29 ERA.
For the next five seasons, Groth played for the Oklahoma City Indians
Oklahoma City Indians
The Oklahoma City Indians were an American minor league baseball franchise representing Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that played in the Texas League in 1909, 1933-42 and from 1946-57, and in the Western League from 1918-32...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. He was sold to Oklahoma City by Baltimore in December 1951. In his first season with Oklahoma City, he finished with a 15–12 record, a 3.43 ERA, and 207 innings pitched. The following season, Groth started things off with a victory in an early appearance against the Dallas Eagles where he allowed only four hits. He finished the season with an 8–8 record and a 5.37 ERA. In 1954, Groth improved his pitching, finishing the season with a 14–11 record and a 3.75 ERA. After a 9–13 season in 1955, Groth split time between Oklahoma City and the Tulsa Oilers in 1956, finishing the season with a combined 9–16 record. He ended his professional career after the 1956 season.