Roxie Lawson
Encyclopedia
Alfred Voyle "Roxie" Lawson (April 13, 1906, Donnellson, Iowa
- April 9, 1977, Stockport, Iowa
) was a Major League Baseball
player.
After attending Iowa Wesleyan College
, Roxie Lawson played nine Major League seasons as a right-handed pitcher
with the Cleveland Indians
(1930–1931), Detroit Tigers
(1933, 1935–1939), and St. Louis Browns
(1939–1940). Over nine seasons, he won 47 games and lost 39, with a career earned run average of 5.37.
By far, Lawson's best season was 1937, when he won 18 games and lost only 7 in 29 starts for the Tigers. He had career highs that year in wins (18), innings pitched (217.3), and games started (29). His 18 wins was third highest in the American League
, and his won-loss percentage of .720 was sixth in the League. Lawson also threw 15 complete games in 1937, 10th best in the American League. In 1937, he also had a .259 batting average with five RBIs. His performance garnered him enough votes to be 19th in the 1937 American League Most Valuable Player
voting.
In 1937, sportswriter Clifford Bloodgood wrote the following about Lawson in Baseball Magazine
: "(Roxie) Lawson is a pitcher who has a variety of stuff, the most baffling of which perhaps is an excellent change of pace. In delivering this he masks his intentions completely, the only way to make it effective." http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=lawsoro01
For much of his career, he was a relief pitcher, ranking sixth in the American League in saves in 1936 and eighth in 1940.
Donnellson, Iowa
Donnellson is a city in Lee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 963 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fort Madison–Keokuk, IA-MO Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Donnellson is located at ....
- April 9, 1977, Stockport, Iowa
Stockport, Iowa
Stockport is a city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 284 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Stockport is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
) was a 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...
player.
After attending Iowa Wesleyan College
Iowa Wesleyan College
Iowa Wesleyan College is a private four-year liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church located Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.Iowa Wesleyan is recognized as a pioneer in higher education in America. Founded in 1842, it ranks as the oldest coeducational college located west of the Mississippi River...
, Roxie Lawson played nine Major League seasons as a 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...
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...
(1930–1931), Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1933, 1935–1939), and St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1939–1940). Over nine seasons, he won 47 games and lost 39, with a career earned run average of 5.37.
By far, Lawson's best season was 1937, when he won 18 games and lost only 7 in 29 starts for the Tigers. He had career highs that year in wins (18), innings pitched (217.3), and games started (29). His 18 wins was third highest in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, and his won-loss percentage of .720 was sixth in the League. Lawson also threw 15 complete games in 1937, 10th best in the American League. In 1937, he also had a .259 batting average with five RBIs. His performance garnered him enough votes to be 19th in the 1937 American League Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
voting.
In 1937, sportswriter Clifford Bloodgood wrote the following about Lawson in Baseball Magazine
Baseball Magazine
Baseball Magazine is a now-defunct baseball magazine that existed from the dead-ball era to the 1950s. It is considered a good source for researchers researching those eras....
: "(Roxie) Lawson is a pitcher who has a variety of stuff, the most baffling of which perhaps is an excellent change of pace. In delivering this he masks his intentions completely, the only way to make it effective." http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=lawsoro01
For much of his career, he was a relief pitcher, ranking sixth in the American League in saves in 1936 and eighth in 1940.
See also
- Best pitching seasons by a Detroit Tiger
- 1937 Detroit Tigers season1937 Detroit Tigers seasonThe 1937 Detroit Tigers finished in second place in the American League with a record of 89-65. The team finished 13 games behind the New York Yankees. Their winning percentage of .578 ranks as the 15th best season in Detroit Tigers history....