The 1934 & 1935 American League Pennants
Rowe joined the Tigers in 1933, and the following year won 24 games (a 24–8 record), including an American League record sixteen consecutive wins. In the 1934 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals' Gashouse Gang, Rowe was 1–1 in two starts with a 2.95 ERA. In Game two, Schoolboy pitched a 12-inning complete game, allowing two earned runs, and retiring 22 consecutive batters. In Game 6, Rowe pitched another complete game, allowing four runs, but Paul "Daffy" Dean held the Tigers to only three. Schoolboy finished fourth in the American League's 1934 Most Valuable Player voting behind teammates Mickey Cochrane, who won, and Charlie Gehringer.
Rowe had another strong year in 1935 as the Tigers won their second consecutive American League pennant, going 19–13, with 21 complete games, a league-leading six shutouts, and was selected for the American League All-Star team. Rowe went 1–2 in the 1935 World Series, despite a 2.51 ERA. He was the losing pitcher in the first game, a 3–0 Cubs victory, striking out eight batters, pitching a complete game and allowing only two earned runs. In Game 3, Rowe got the win, pitching four innings in relief. Game 5 was another tough loss, as Schoolboy threw a complete game, allowing two earned runs, as the Tigers lost, 3–1.
Schoolboy had tremendous power and control. In the 1934 and 1935 seasons, he had 149 strikeouts (third in the AL) and 140 strikeouts (second in the AL), respectively. He also led the American League in "Strikeout-to-walk ratio" in both 1934 and 1935 and finished in the top four in the league in "Bases on balls per 9 innings pitched" seven times, including a career and league best 1.31 in 1943.
Rowe also contributed to the Tigers' success in 1934 and 1935 with his hitting. In 1934, he hit for a .303 batting average and had eight doubles, two home runs, and 22 RBIs in 109 at bats. In 1935, he raised his average to .312 with three home runs and 28 RBIs in 109 at bats. In his fifteen seasons in the big leagues, Rowe hit eighteen home runs (14th best in major league history for a pitcher) and 153 RBIs.
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