Claude Passeau
Passeau threw one of the most dominant one-hitters in World Series history, blanking Detroit 3-0 in Game 3 of the 1945 Fall Classic while pitching with a severely injured fingernail that required a steel brace. The Cubs right-hander allowed just a Rudy York single in the second inning, striking out three Tigers in what became his signature moment.
His 1945 campaign epitomized vintage Passeau — 17 wins with a 2.46 ERA that was 49 percent better than league average. The Mississippi native consistently outpitched his raw statistics, posting a career ERA+ of 114 despite modest strikeout totals. Five All-Star selections reflected his steady excellence during the war years.
Passeau's knuckleball made him particularly effective at home in Wrigley Field's swirling winds. His 162 career victories came almost entirely with Pittsburgh and Chicago, where his pinpoint control and off-speed repertoire neutralized power hitters in an era dominated by offense.
Career · Hitting
13 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — |
| 1936 | PHI | 50 | 78 | 2 | 7 | .282 | — | — |
| 1937 | PHI | 50 | 107 | 1 | 11 | .196 | — | — |
| 1938 | PHI | 45 | 80 | 0 | 3 | .163 | — | — |
| 1939 | CHC | 43 | 97 | 1 | 7 | .165 | — | — |
| 1940 | CHC | 46 | 98 | 1 | 6 | .204 | — | — |
| 1941 | CHC | 34 | 86 | 3 | 12 | .221 | — | — |
| 1942 | CHC | 35 | 105 | 2 | 10 | .181 | — | — |
| 1943 | CHC | 35 | 96 | 0 | 5 | .198 | — | — |
| 1944 | CHC | 34 | 80 | 0 | 3 | .163 | — | — |
| 1945 | CHC | 34 | 91 | 2 | 9 | .187 | — | — |
| 1946 | CHC | 21 | 49 | 3 | 7 | .204 | — | — |
| 1947 | CHC | 19 | 14 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — |
| Career | 447 | 982 | 15 | 80 | .192 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
13 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | PIT | 1 | 3.0 | 0 | 1 | 12.00 | 36 | 1 | 3.000 |
| 1936 | PHI | 49 | 217.3 | 11 | 15 | 3.48 | 132 | 85 | 1.390 |
| 1937 | PHI | 50 | 292.3 | 14 | 18 | 4.34 | 100 | 135 | 1.461 |
| 1938 | PHI | 44 | 239.0 | 11 | 18 | 4.52 | 96 | 100 | 1.565 |
| 1939 | CHC | 42 | 274.3 | 15 | 13 | 3.28 | 130 | 137 | 1.247 |
| 1940 | CHC | 46 | 280.7 | 20 | 13 | 2.50 | 168 | 124 | 1.133 |
| 1941 | CHC | 34 | 231.0 | 14 | 14 | 3.35 | 118 | 80 | 1.359 |
| 1942 | CHC | 35 | 278.3 | 19 | 14 | 2.68 | 133 | 89 | 1.286 |
| 1943 | CHC | 35 | 257.0 | 15 | 12 | 2.91 | 121 | 93 | 1.210 |
| 1944 | CHC | 34 | 227.0 | 15 | 9 | 2.89 | 124 | 89 | 1.251 |
| 1945 | CHC | 34 | 227.0 | 17 | 9 | 2.46 | 149 | 98 | 1.163 |
| 1946 | CHC | 21 | 129.3 | 9 | 8 | 3.13 | 115 | 47 | 1.237 |
| 1947 | CHC | 19 | 63.3 | 2 | 6 | 6.25 | 64 | 26 | 1.911 |
| Career | 444 | 2719.5 | 162 | 150 | — | — | 1104 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.