Dick Fowler was a lanky, golden-armed 18-year-old when he dazzled the Toronto Maple Leafs brass at training camp in 1939. The local sensation would debut for his hometown squad in 1940, and Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics would purchase his contract later that same year.
The 6-foot-5 hurler made his big league debut on September 13, 1941 and followed that up by pitching in 31 games for the Athletics the following year, including one stint where he tossed 16 innings in a 1-0 loss. After his first full season in the majors, he was called for military duty and served in the Canadian army for three years. In his first start upon his return, the powerful right-hander would no-hit the St. Louis Browns on September 9, 1945 and was the first Canadian to accomplish that feat.
On an A’s staff that also boasted fellow Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer, Phil Marchildon, Fowler pitched eight consecutive complete games between July 10 and August 27, 1947. Battling through bursitis, the workhorse hurler tossed at least 14 complete games in each season from 1946 to 1949. During his 10-year big league career, he won 15 games twice (1948, 1949) and finished in the top 10 in shutouts three times (1947, 1948, 1949).
CAREER MAJOR LEAGUE STATISTICS:
| W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SH | SV | IP | H | ER | R | HR | HBP | BB | SO |
| 66 | 79 | 4.11 | 221 | 170 | 75 | 11 | 4 | 1303 | 1367 | 685 | 595 | 96 | 19 | 578 | 382 |
To view season by season MLB statistics click HERE.
