Edwin Americus Rommel (September 13, 1897 – August 26, 1970) was an American right-handed pitcher and umpire in Major League Baseball. He spent his entire playing career (1920–1932) with the Philadelphia Athletics. He is considered to be one of the earlier adaptors of the modern knuckleball. Early life and career Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Rommel pitched for the minor league Newark Bears in 1918 and 1919. 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 after noting that Rommel's curveball was breaking on the inside rather than the outside. Pitching career 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. Rommel won 20 games twice for the Athletics, in 1922 and 1925. Rommel made many relief appearances during his career, leading the AL in relief wins in three different seasons. Rommel was reasonably handy with the bat for a pitcher, compiling a lifetime batting average of .199—though this was in an era where batting averages were generally higher than today. In 1931, he was called upon three times by Mack to play the outfield, where he made six putouts without an error, and once to play second base, where he was given no fielding chances. Rommel surrendered ten home runs to Babe Ruth, tying him for tenth place. However, fellow Athletics pitchers Rube Walberg (17) and Howard Ehmke (13, but nine of them were with other teams) surrendered more, and Rommel gave up the same number of Ruth home runs as teammate George Earnshaw. Toward the end of his career, he relied mostly on the knuckleball. Notable games Rommel pitched in relief and earned the win in the epic Game 4 of the 1929 World Series; the Athletics overcame an 8–0 deficit by scoring ten runs against the Chicago Cubs in the seventh inning to win 10–8. Sent into the game with the Athletics down 7–0, he pitched one inning, gave up one run and was taken out for a pinch hitter. He wound up the winning pitcher, thanks to the "Mack Attack". On an intense stretch of four home doubleheaders and a single road game in five days, he pitched 17 innings in relief