Eddie Rommel

Edwin Americus Rommel (September 13, 1897 – August 26, 1970) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1920 to 1932. He is considered to be the "father" of the modern knuckleball. After retiring as a player he went on to have a successful second career as a major league umpire. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he was picked up by Philadelphia after manager Connie Mac... more

Edwin Americus Rommel (September 13, 1897 – August 26, 1970) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1920 to 1932. He is considered to be the "father" of the modern knuckleball. After retiring as a player he went on to have a successful second career as a major league umpire. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he was picked up by Philadelphia after manager Connie Mack saw him start both ends of a doubleheader for Newark; although he was knocked out by the third inning in both contests, Mack purchased his contract, noting that Rommel's curveball was breaking on the inside rather than the outside, and that was what he liked. Rommel won twenty games twice for the Athletics, in 1922 and 1925. Towards the end of his career, he relied mostly on the knuckleball. In 1922, Rommel led the American League in wins with 27 despite playing for a team that finished seventh in the league and won only 65 games. He was the... less