Sam Leever

A righthander of quiet ways, sober temperament, and sharp-breaking curveball, Leever was a mainstay of the Pirate pitching staff during the heyday of Honus Wagner. Born in Goshen, Ohio, and a former teacher (hence his nickname), Leever was not colorful, just consistent, posting 11 consecutive winning seasons. In 1903, his best year, he led the NL in winning percentage (.781), ERA (2.06) and shutouts (7). Two of his 25 wins came in a string of six consecutive shutouts, still the ML record. Near the end of that season he injured his shoulder while trapshooting, a second sport at which he excelled. As a result he had a sore arm during the 1903 WS and lost twice to the Red Sox.