Every June the College World Series descends upon Omaha. Some of the best players in the country compete to see which school has the best team. Many of these players have aspirations to play professionally, hopefully reaching the Majors in the near future. The state of Nebraska has sent 119 players to the Major Leagues. The best pitcher from the Cornhusker State is Grover Cleveland Alexander. His 119.02 career WAR is the third highest for any state or territory pitching leader. The greatest position player born in Nebraska is Wade Boggs. His 91.42 career WAR ranks 15th highest among state and territory leaders. Nebraska’s combined 210.44 WAR, ranking the state 10th in the United States of Baseball. 

Grover Cleveland Alexander was born in Elba. He is the only baseball player named for a sitting American President, Grover Cleveland, and portrayed by a future one in film, Ronald Reagan. Growing up in rural Nebraska, Alexander developed strong forearms shucking corn, which later enabled him to throw a devastating curveball. Life and baseball were not always easy. He developed Epilepsy after taking a baseball to the face while breaking up a Double Play in 1909. Epilepsy was considered a curse of the devil, so Alexander actively hid his condition. After the Phillies bought him for $500 from Syracuse he pitched for 20 seasons in the Majors with three teams: Philadelphia Phillies (1911-1917, 1930), Chicago Cubs (1918-1926), and St. Louis Cardinals (1926-1929). 

The Sidearm Pitcher burst into the Majors in 1911, finishing with a 28-13 record and 2.57 ERA. Alexander’s 28 Wins were the most by a rookie in the 20th century. In his career, Alexander pitched in 696 Games, made 600 Starts, threw 436 Complete Games, including 90 Shutouts, Pitched 5,190 Innings, allowed 4,868 Hits, 1,852 Runs, 1,476 Earned Runs, 165 Home Runs, 951 Walks, 2,198 Strikeouts, posted a 373-208 record, 2.56 ERA, 1.121 WHIP, and 135 ERA+. He won 20 games in nine seasons, five ERA titles in six years from 1915 to 1920, and the Pitching Triple Crown three times in the same span. Alexander is the only pitcher to win the Pitching Triple Crown with multiple teams. He was the 11th pitcher to reach 300 wins and helped the Cardinals win the 1926 World Series. Alexander’s baseball legacy was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1938. 

The best season of Alexander’s career was with the 1915 Phillies. He pitched in 49 Games, made 42 Starts, threw 36 Complete Games, including 12 Shutouts, Pitched 376.1 Innings, allowed 253 Hits, 86 Runs, 51 Earned Runs, 3 Home Runs, 64 Walks, 241 Strikeouts, posted a 31-10 record, 1.22 ERA, 0.842 WHIP, and 225 ERA+. Alexander led the National League in Complete Games, Shutouts, Innings Pitched, Strikeouts, Wins, ERA, Winning Percentage, WHIP, and ERA+. He also threw four one hitters that season. 

Alexander pitched in three World Series: 1915 with the Phillies and 1926 and 1928 with the Cardinals. He pitched in 7 Games, made 5 Starts, threw 4 Complete Games, Pitched 43 Innings, allowed 36 Hits, 18 Runs, 17 Earned Runs, 3 Home Runs, 12 Walks, 29 Strikeouts, posted a 3-2 record, 3.56 ERA, and 1.116 WHIP. His success in the Regular Season carried into the Fall Classic. 

The war in Europe brought an end to Alexander’s time in Philadelphia. The Phillies, believing he would be drafted, sold him to the Cubs for $55,000. Philadelphia was right, Alexander soon changed uniforms again, trading baseball for the United States Army. He spent seven weeks on the front lines, from which he never fully recovered. Combat left Alexander deaf in his left ear, shrapnel in his right ear, muscle damage to his right forearm from firing his rifle, shell shock (PTSD), and he became an alcoholic trying to hide his epilepsy. Alexander returned to the mound with the scars of war, but Cubs Manager Joe McCarthy traded him to St. Louis for the waiver price due to his drinking. Cardinals manager Rogers Hornsby would handle Alexander’s drinking so long as he continued pitching well. Eventually his drinking overwhelmed his abilities. After a brief reunion with the Phillies Alexander retired. He finished with one more victory than Christy Mathewson, to whom he was often compared. However, researchers later found Mathewson’s win total was off by a single victory due to a mistake in the 1902 season. The correction meant Alexander and Mathewson, both masters of their craft and devastated from the horrors of World War I, finished their careers with 373 wins. 

In retirement, Alexander continued struggling with alcoholism. He pitched briefly for the House of David, but was ineffective. He sought out coaching opportunities, but none materialized. He was divorced before reconciling with his wife. He was in and out of sanitariums. Alexander’s financial difficulties led baseball to establish a pension fund so the Hall of Famer did not live in poverty. 

Superstitions are only crazy if they do not work. Eating chicken before every game worked for Wade Boggs. The Omaha native was drafted in the 7th Round of the 1976 MLB Draft, taking his many superstitions all the way to Cooperstown. Boggs played 18 seasons in the Majors with three teams: Boston Red Sox (1982-1992), New York Yankees (1993-1997), and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-1999). He finished third for the 1982 American League in Rookie of the Year behind Cal Ripken Jr. Boggs was not a one season wonder. He played in 2,439 career Games, collected 3,010 Hits, 578 Doubles, 61 Triples, 118 Home Runs, 1,014 RBI, scored 1,513 Runs, 24 Stolen Bases, 1,412 Walks, 745 Strikeouts, .328 BA, .415 OBP, .443 SLG, .858 OPS, and 131 OPS+. He was a 12 time All Star. Boggs collected 200 Hits seven times, scored 100 Runs seven times, and Walked 100 times four times. He hit over .300 every season from 1982 to 1991. Boggs won two Gold Gloves at Third Base, five Batting Titles, and eight Silver Sluggers. He put the ball in play, never striking out more than 68 times in a season. Boggs’ final Home Run was also his 3,000th hit.  Along the way he moved from the Red Sox to the Evil Empire, winning the 1996 World Series with the Yankees. In 2005, Boggs was elected to the Hall of Fame with 91.9% of the vote in his first year of eligibility.

The best season of Wade Boggs’ career is difficult to pin down. You could select any season from 1983 to 1988. His 240 Hits in 1985 were the most in a season since 1930. His best could be the 1987 season with Boston. He played in 147 Games, collected 200 Hits, 40 Doubles, 6 Triples, 24 Home Runs, 89 RBI, scored 108 Runs, 1 Stolen Base, 105 Walks, 48 Strikeouts, .363 BA, .461 OBP, .588 SLG, 1.049 OPS, and 174 OPS+. He set career highs in Home Runs and RBI, never coming close to equally his 24 long balls again. Boggs led the American League in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, OPS, and OPS+. He won his third Silver Slugger and finished ninth for the MVP with a Red Sox team that finished six games below .500 and 20 games behind the Eastern Division champion Detroit Tigers. 

Boggs played through the Curse of the Bambino, only to reach the top of the baseball world in the House That Ruth Built. He was playing Third when a grounder forever immortalized Bill Buckner. He was critical to his team’s success in October. In 39 Postseason Games, Boggs collected 42 Hits, 9 Doubles, 1 Triple, 2 Home Runs, 16 RBI, scored 15 Runs, 16 Walks, 20 Strikeouts, .273 BA, .337 OBP, .383 SLG, and .720 OPS.

There are six Nebraskans enshrined in Cooperstown: Grover Cleveland Alexander, Richie Ashburn, Wade Boggs, Sam Crawford, Bob Gibson, and Billy Southworth. Next week the United States of Baseball heads to the deserts of the Silver State. Nevada is next. 

DJ