Carl Hubbell Wins His 24th Consecutive Game

On May 27, 1937, Carl Hubbell came out of the New York Giants' bullpen during a 2-2 tie against the Cincinnati Reds and pitched two scoreless innings of relief. Mel Ott hit a home run in the top of the ninth to give the Giants a 3-2 victory and Hubbell his record-setting 24th consecutive win, a streak that spanned two seasons and has never been equaled.

Hubbell's streak had begun on July 16, 1936, one start after his last loss on July 13 to the Cubs. He won his remaining 16 decisions that season, finishing 26-6 as the Giants won the National League pennant. When the 1937 season opened, Hubbell picked up where he left off. Victory after victory piled up through April and May, each start drawing more attention than the last. He won games as a starter and, as on this day, in relief. He won games with dominant pitching and games where he survived on guile and his signature screwball.

The screwball was the pitch that defined Hubbell's career. He threw it by turning his wrist inward on release, producing a pitch that broke in the opposite direction of a curveball. The motion was unnatural and punishing. It eventually deformed his left arm, leaving it permanently rotated so that his palm faced outward when his arm hung at his side. The damage was visible for the rest of his life.

Hubbell was 34 years old during the 1937 streak and already past his physical peak. The 1933 and 1934 seasons had been his best, when he won the NL MVP award both years and famously struck out five consecutive future Hall of Famers at the 1934 All-Star Game. The 24-game winning streak was the final act of his sustained dominance.

Three days later, on May 31, the Brooklyn Dodgers ended the streak with a 10-3 rout at the Polo Grounds before 61,756 fans. Hubbell lasted less than four innings. The record, though, was secure. No pitcher since has come within five wins of matching it.