Chuck Munson
by Martín Abresch
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A lackadaisical talent, Chuck Munson was one of baseballs greatest arms and greatest characters. Winner of over 300 games, he led Pittsburghs pitching staff for over a decade from the late 1930s through the 1940s.
Led by second baseman Mel Hunt and pitcher Birdie Deaton, Pittsburgh won a championship in 1931 and back-to-back titles in 1934 and 1935. Hungry to extend their dynasty, management got into a bidding war with the New York Knickerbockers over a 21-year-old pitcher with a golden arm. The pitcher was a New York City native, but the Industrials made the stronger offer, and cash trumped sentiment. Chuck Munson was coming to Steel City.
Munsons talent was obvious, but so was his nonchalance. His teammates achievements didnt seem to impress him, and his demeanor on the mound failed to impress his teammates. Munson shuffled around the mound, smiling and smirking and talking to himself. This was tolerable when the bases were empty but rubbed teammates and fans the wrong way when the bases were full. That first year, Munson went 7-12 with a 4.34 ERA. Pittsburgh finished in third place, well back of the leaders.
Munson improved a little in his second season. He went 15-16 and struck out more batters than he walked, but his 4.39 ERA was not an improvement. In a late season game, he gave up a long home run in a tight game. He reacted to this by chuckling to himself. As the batter rounded the bases, the competitive Mel Hunt ran to the mound and began to shout in Munsons face. Munson shrugged. Hunt took a swing at him, missed, and teammates had to separate the two. Munson was taken out of the game.
After the game, Hunt was quoted as saying, Id rather lose with a man who wants to win than win with a man who dont care. For his part, Munson said, I thought I threw a good pitch, but man oh man was I wrong. Thats just how it goes sometimes, aint it?. The confrontation provided fodder for the Pittsburgh Press. Sportswriters were squarely on the side of Hunt, the proven winner. They described Munson as an expensive disappointment and pushed for him to be traded. Pittsburgh finished third, well back of the leaders.
Trade rumors circulated all off-season, but none materialized. In the spring of 1938, Munson was back in a Pittsburgh uniform. The youngster seemed unphased by the drama surrounding him. His demeanor hadnt changed, but it soon became clear that something had. He led the team with 20 wins and lowered his ERA to 3.10. Deaton went 18-14 with a 2.64 ERA. Led by those two, Pittsburghs was the best pitching staff in the league. The Industrials finished in third once more, but 91 wins showed that they were improving.
In 1939, Munson went 18-8 and led the league with a 1.82 ERA. Deaton went 23-6 with a 2.45 ERA. Pittsburgh pitchers allowed just 560 runs to score, 123 runs fewer than any other team in the league. Hunt had the last great season of his career, batting .317 and scoring 132 runs. Pittsburgh also led the league in runs scored. The relationship between the two stars continued to be frosty, but winning heals all ills. The Industrials won a team-record 111 games. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh left their bats at home for the World Series. They scored just three runs over four games and were swept by the New York Knickerbockers.
In 1940, Munson won the Royal Ricketts Award. He tied Aart MacDonald for the league lead in wins with 23 and led the league with a 2.48 ERA. Deaton, now 35, went 16-11. It would be the last time that his win total would reach the double digits. Pittsburgh won the West with 93 wins and faced cross-state rivals Philadelphia in the World Series. Munson out-dueled legendary Clay Easton in Game Two, pitching a complete game and allowing just one run. Pittsburgh took the Series in five games.
Munson continued to pitch at a high level throughout the 1940s. He dominated during the war years, and in 1943 he went 31-2 with a 1.79 ERA. This remains the only 30-win season in league history since Brock Rutherford won 32 in 1926. Amazingly, he did not win the Royal Ricketts Award that year, finishing second to sophomore hurler Joe Shannon. Second place in the Royal Ricketts became something of a habit for him: he finished second in 1939 (behind Hugh Zipp), 1941 (Pat Terrigan), 1942 and 1943 (Joe Shannon), and 1944 (Aart MacDonald).
In 1942, Munson no-hit the Buffalo Beavers. In 1944, he no-hit the Cincinnati Packers. He is the first pitcher in league history to throw two no-hitters, a feat since equalled by Hank Tobey and Tony Williams.
In 1946, Munson led a rather average Pittsburgh pitching staff by going 26-11 with a 2.70 ERA. He allowed just three home runs over 326 innings. The Industrials won 88 games, which was good enough to take the West. Once again playing cross-state rivals Philadelphia, Pittsburgh lost in five.
In 1949, Munson was traded to Philadelphia. The expensive disappointment had become a fan favorite. The press had come to like him, too, often going to him for a quote on the game. On an opposing batter, he once said, Hes already out, he just dont know it yet. On his relaxed approach to preparation, he said, I like the excitement. Lifes more interesting when you dont practice.
Munson finished the 1950 season with 299 career victories. During spring training of 1951, he tore a tendon in his elbow. He took the season off and came back in 1952. He not only got his 300th win, he went a respectable 13-12. Unfortunately, his 4.74 was unsightly. At seasons end he decided to hang them up.
Munson led the league in wins (1940, 1943-44), ERA (1939-40), innings pitched (1941-42, 1944-45), strikeouts (1941-42, 1945), whip (1940, 1944), complete games (1940, 1942, 1944-46), and shutouts (1940-41, 1944, 1946, 1950). He is the most recent player to win 30 games in a season (31 in 1943), the next most recent being Brock Rutherford's 32 wins in 1926. He was the first pitcher to throw two no-hitters (a feat since equalled by two others, Hank Tobey and Tony Williams). For his career, Munson went 312-194 with a 2.94 ERA. He struck out 2,226 batters. He was named Player of the Week six times and Pitcher of the Month 12 times. He was a seven-time All Star. He won the Royal Ricketts Award in 1940, the same season in which he won a Championship with Pittsburgh.
In 1952, the Pittsburgh Industrials retired No. 32 in Chuck Munson's honor. In 1958, Chuck Munson appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. He was elected unanimously, and he became just the third player (after Royal Ricketts and Brock Rutherford) to be ranked first on every ballot.