Baseball History

[67RedSox]

First, Happy Birthday to all my friends to the south. I hope this weekend is a lot of fun for everyone and that baseball will be part of it. Most think fun and frolicking on a weekend like this. My guess is that 4thefences is a bit more apprehensive about such weekends…if you read this and are working – I hope it’s quiet in a positive way. The odd birth would be okay.

Ah, the good old days when you could go to a ballgame and have 1,000 people around you firing guns into the air. How did we ever get away from that. It was on this date in 1900 that approximately one thousand people in the crowd of 10,000 fans attending the game at West Side grounds in Chicago celebrate Independence Day by firing pistols into the air. I’m thinking if you’re a Rockies fan and go to the game at Coors Field tonight you might prefer to see that then the Dodger bats exploding the way they have been over the last couple of games.
West Side Park was the home field of the team now known as the Chicago Cubs (they didn’t adopt that name until 1903) of the National League. That ballpark saw Baseball at its best, championship baseball. It was the home of the last World Champion Cubs team (1908), the team that posted the highest win percentage in MLB history and won the most games in National League history (1906), the only cross-town World Series in Chicago (1906), and the immortalized Tinker to Evers to Chance double play combo. What I didn’t know was that it was MLB’s gun-toting capital.

There’s a few birthdays today in the baseball world and one of those celebrating is Vinny Castilla, born on this date in 1967, who I suspect, is and continues to be one of the fan favourites over the years. It’s been 7 years since he knocked his last HR out of a ML park but he’s still contributing to the Rockies in a real way.

It was on this date in 1942 that Hal Lanier was born. The SF Giants had some pretty good teams in the 1960s and part of that was due to the contributions Lanier made particularly as their Shortstop. He came up in 1964 and was selected to the Topps All-Star Rookie team when he hit .274. A serious beaning in 1965 must have affected him at the plate because he never hit higher than .233 thereafter but he made up for it with his glove. He never made it to the World Series as aplayer but did earn two Rings as a Coach with the Cardinals in the 1980s before becoming a successful ML Manager with the Astros and winning the NL Manager of the Year Award in 1986. He’s still managing in the low minors today in his 70’s and his father was a very good ML pitcher for 14 seasons before him so you know Baseball is in his blood.

George Mullin was born on this date in 1880. He would anchor the Tiger’s pitching staff on their great teams that went to three consecutive World Series in Ty Cobb’s early years. He was a 20 game Winner five times in those years peaking at 29 Wins in 1909. On this date in 1912 he celebrated the nation’s and his own birthday by tossing a No-Hitter against the St. Louis Browns. He was also one of the best hitting pitchers the game has ever seen.

It was on this date in 1939 at Yankee Stadium that Lou Gehrig delivered his “I’m the luckiest man on the face of the earth” speech and his uniform #4 was retired…the first in MLB history.

It was on this date in 1982 celebrating Independence Day at Mile High Stadium in Denver, that 65,666 fans watch an American Association contest and enjoy a giant fireworks display after game. The gathering is the largest crowd in minor league history.

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki remembers what happened on this date in 2008. He needed 16 stitches to close up a gash in his right palm caused by a maple bat when he pounds it into the ground in frustration and it shatters. It was also the zaniest of all 4th of July games the Rockies have engaged in.The Marlins were the opponent and connected for 22 hits and 17 runs, had leads of 5-0, 7-1 and 13-4 but thanks to RBI singles from Atkins and Iannetta (and lot before that) in the bottom of the 9th the Rockies win 18-17.

In the very first 4th of July game in Rockies’ history the Rockies defeat the Cubs 3-1 on this date in 1993 before 59,000 at Mile High Stadium. The Cubs can do nothing against Rockies’ starter, Jeff Parrett. LFer, Chris Jones, drives in the winning run with a 6th inning single.

Finally, Happy Birthday to someone who never played the game of baseball but played on ML baseball fields from 1969-1999 and always left you wanting more. It was on this date in 1947 that Morganna, the Kissing bandit was born.

 

[HammerDown]

Today seems especially historic.

 

[67RedSox]

HammerDown, I think every single day in the history of this grand old game is historic. Tis the beauty of the game.

 

[4thefences]

Well 67RS I am off today and work Fri. and Sunday. Hope everyone plays it safe and enjoys the holiday weekend. Speaking of births the mother of the 1st one last month apparently stopped by the station when I was off. She wants a picture taken of all those involved. I'll catch up with her in the near future. No firework displays in my town, way too dry! Enjoy baseball, family and good food everyone...take care

 

[4thefences]

On this 4th of July the Braves defeat the Mets 16-13 after 19 innings. The game ended at 4am and they still set off the fireworks!! Gary Thorne is calling the O's(team announcer) & ChiSox game right now on MLB TV and said he was calling that game. Fell out of is chair when the 1st display went off

 

[67RedSox]

This is an important date in the history of the Colorado Rockies. It was on this date in 1991 the Rockies (and the Florida Marlins) receive unanimous approval from owners to join the National League in 1993.

It was on this date in 1947 that Larry Doby becomes the first black to play in the American League. He strikes out as a pinch hitter as the Chicago White Sox edge the Indians 6-5. Doby was the first player to go directly to the majors from the ***** leagues. A seven-time consecutive All-Star center fielder, Doby and teammate Satchel Paige were the first African-American players to win a World Series championship when the Indians won in 1948. He was also the first black player to hit a home run in the World Series and All-Star Game. He helped the Indians win a franchise-record 111 wins and AL pennant in 1954 and finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award voting as he was the season's RBI leader and home run champion for the second time in three seasons. In 1978 he became the second African-American manager in the majors when he joined the Chicago White Sox.

Eleven years ago today in 2002 Baseball legend Ted Williams, considered by many the greatest hitter in the history of the game, dies of cardiac arrest at the age of 83. The first-ballot Hall of Famer, who was a lifetime .344 hitter, won the MVP award and Triple Crown twice, led American League in batting for six seasons, and hit .406 in 1941 during his 19-year career with the Red Sox. In his final At Bat in his final ML game he hits a HR to deep CF in the 8th inning of Boston’s 5-4 win over the Orioles. Attendance at Fenway Park for that game was 10,454. That was almost twice the 5,840 that were in the park the previous day so there were no final farewell tours for stars in those days as there are today. Stangely Williams did not play in the Red Sox final three games of that season, particularly strange, as it was a Series in Yankee Stadium.

During the 1950s if you said Robin Roberts was the best pitcher in the Majors you would get an argument only from the supporters of Warren Spahn and Whitey Ford. For the 4 consecutive seasons – 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1955 he led not only the NL but all of MLB in Wins averaging 24 Wins a season. In 6 consecutive seasons 1950-1955 he pitched more than 300 innings per season averaging 323 innings per season. He was so proficient in finishing what he started it was on this date in 1953 that he hurls his 28th consecutive complete game.

 

[geneh_33]

HammerDown, I think every single day in the history of this grand old game is historic. Tis the beauty of the game.

You need to get out more. Life is more than baseball. ::

 

[67RedSox]

You need to get out more. Life is more than baseball. ::

...and this from someone who averages over 40 Posts a day on these Boards. My guess is you're an accountant and your favorite color is white.

 

[geneh_33]

...and this from someone who averages over 40 Posts a day on these Boards. My guess is you're an accountant and your favorite color is white.

I'm an accountant but I have more than just one job and my favorite color is blue. I post that much because my interests lie in most all sports.

Baseball history is interesting but seriously, you need to get a girlfriend and enjoy life.

 

[67RedSox]

It was on this date in 1963 that Lance Johnson was born. In 1995 he led the AL in Basehits with 186. He followed that up by leading the NL in Basehits in 1996 with 227. He’s the only player in ML history to lead both Leagues in Basehits. He is also the player in ML history to lead the League in Triples 4 years in a row.

Enzo Hernandez has been mentioned before as the San Diego rookie shortstop who had all of 12 RBIs in an entire season despite coming to the Plate over 600 times in 1971. Well, it was on this date in 1966 that Boog Powell the slugging 1B for the Baltimore Orioles and AL MVP in 1970 knocks in 11 runs in a single day… in a doubleheader. In game one he hits two homers, including a grand slam, two doubles and a sacrifice fly to drive in seven runs in the Orioles' 11-0 victory over the Kansas City A's and adds four more RBIs in the nightcap and on this date in 1970 Ron Santo drives in 10 runs helping the Cubs sweep a doubleheader against Montreal at Wrigley Field. The third baseman's two-run homer in the opener gives the team a 3-2 victory, and his eight RBIs, that includes another two round-trippers, contribute to the club's 14-2 rout in the nightcap.

Where were you on this date in 2010. Maybe among the 32,000 at Coors Field watching the Rockies play the Cardinals. Up until the bottom of the 9th inning you were not a happy camper as the Rockies were down 9-3 with one out. However the Rockies’ bats were just getting warmed up. They had 8 hits in the inning including two 3-Run HRs, the 2nd being a game winning shot by Seth Smith in a 12-9 victory. I wonder how many , who were at the game, heard the comeback Win on their car radio driving home.

It was on this date just last year that the Toronto Blue Jays release Jamie Moyer, effectively ending any final chance he may have had to return to the Majors. That means his final ML game was as the starting pitcher for the Rockies against the Reds on May 27, 2012 in which he took the Loss.

Of the 473 players who have come to the plate in a Rockies uniform 120 have managed to hit a triple while 353 have not. Among those to have never hit a triple while playing for the Rockies there are four players with at least 500 Plate Appearances. They are Charles Johnson: 0 Triples - 776 PA’s, Todd Zeile: 0 Triples – 580 PA’s, Brent Mayne: 0 Triples – 574 PA’s, Jason Giambi: 0 Triples – 518 PA’s

 

[4thefences]

I'll tell you who was at that game in 2010. Our daughter Courtney(pre-Jordyn)was not able to make the trek to Morro Bay with us since she had to work the summer because of being a student at CSU. So she calls me in the 9th inning and says"dad I convinced all of my friends to stay because you said never leave a Rockies game until it's over." She called again sometime later trying to talk over the screaming as the Rockies came back to win. So she is part of this day in history.

 

[Silas]

Keep the History posts coming, RS67............there are those of us here who appreciate them.

 

[67RedSox]

I'll tell you who was at that game in 2010. Our daughter Courtney(pre-Jordyn)was not able to make the trek to Morro Bay with us since she had to work the summer because of being a student at CSU. So she calls me in the 9th inning and says"dad I convinced all of my friends to stay because you said never leave a Rockies game until it's over." She called again sometime later trying to talk over the screaming as the Rockies came back to win. So she is part of this day in history.

4thefences...that's priceless and your response is so much better than the original Post. I guess kids do listen sometimes...at least to the important stuff.

 

[67RedSox]

Keep the History posts coming, RS67............there are those of us here who appreciate them.

Thanks, Silas...means a lot.

 

[4thefences]

Ditto to Silas. You keep that history rolling in. If he doesn't like, he doesn't have to read it.. his loss our gain.

 

[67RedSox]

Christian Friedrich was born on this date in 1987. He’s still only 26….there’s time. When I think of the game he pitched against the Giants last May at AT & T Park I drool. With that big curveball working the way it was he had the pleasure, for a couple of hours anyway, of feeling how Koufax must have felt when he was pitching.

If Friedrich is the youngest to get birthday greetings today the oldest was born on this date in 1859. He played 7 years in the Major Leagues during the 1880’s. If you wanted to stretch it you could say that at best he was a mediocre pitcher and a crummy hitter. Three times he lost 20 Games going 9-28, 8-20, 16-29. He did manage 2 seasons in the NL going a rather pedestrian 75-78 with the Cincinnati Reds in 1912 and 78-76 with the 1914 Cubs for an overall losing record of 153-154. Yet…he has been awarded the highest honour Baseball can grant…he’s in the Hall of Fame, or will be in about 3 weeks. First, we’re talking about Hank O’Day who was born on this date in 1859. Second, it was his 35 years as a ML umpire that got him into the HOF. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Hall of Fame's new Pre-Integration Era Committee on December 3, 2012 which considers managers, umpires, executives, and players from the 1886 to 1946 era once every three years beginning in 2012. He will be inducted posthumously ( oh, really ) on July 28, 2013 in Cooperstown.
O'Day remains one of the few men in history to play, umpire, and manage in the National League. A loner with no family life and little interest in anything but baseball. My favourite quote about him comes from Christy Mathewson whose 373 ML Wins means he was around long enough to know about umpires. Mathewson said of O’Day, “arguing with O'Day was like using a lit match to see how much gasoline was in a fuel tank." Another umpire of his day, Silk O’Loughlin said, "Look at O'Day, ”he is one of the best umpires, maybe the best today, but he's sour. Umpiring does something to you. The abuse you get from the players, the insults from the crowds, and the awful things they write about you in the newspapers take their toll."
After O'Day finished his playing career, he worked as a clerk for the Chicago city recorder's office. While attending a Chicago baseball game as a spectator one Sunday in 1894, O'Day was recruited from the stands to substitute for umpire Thomas Lynch, who was unable to make it to the game due to a train service cancellation. O'Day performed so well that he was recruited into full-time service as a National League umpire the following year.
O'Day umpired in 10 World Series including the very first in 1903. Only Bill Klem, whose hiring was recommended by O'Day, worked more. O'Day's World Series appearances include four of the first five played. In his first three World Series, a two-umpire system was used, with the two alternating between working home plate and the bases. In his next three Series, four umpires were assigned, but they worked in two-man crews that officiated alternating games; not until the 1918 Series did all four work every game. During the 1920 World Series, O'Day was the base umpire when Bill Wambsganss executed the only unassisted triple play in Series history. O'Day called balls and strikes for no-hitters in four different decades, a distinction that has been matched only by Harry Wendelstedt; he was behind the plate when Ted Breitenstein (April 22, 1898), Johnny Lush (May 1, 1906), Hod Eller (May 11, 1919) and Jesse Haines (July 17, 1924) each accomplished the feat.

In the 1960’s if the LA Dodgers needed a Save they usually entrusted the job to Ron Perranoski (as would the Twins later) but on this date in 1962 after Sandy Koufax loads the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning in San Francisco Walter Alston brings in Don Drysdale to get the final two outs and preserve the 2-0 score and make a Winner out of Koufax. It was only fair anyway as one month earlier Koufax pitched the 9th inning for Drysdale to earn a Save in a game against the Pirates. Drysdale’s 25 Wins and 1 Save that season wins him the Cy Young Award.

On this date in 2002 Jason Giambi wins the All-Star Game’s HR Derby. Incidently , Giambi has gone deep 6 times for the Indians this year.

 

[Silas]

The job of an umpire is difficult on a good day and their job is essentially thankless. As much, with new technology, that we see blown calls these days, these guys do a pretty remarkable job.

Being an umpire in the genesis of baseball often times bordered on sheer lunacy as umpires sometimes needed police protection to escape an angry crowd and/or to leave the ballpark.

Any way, we wouldn't have these games without the men in blue, so hats off to the work they do.

Nice piece on a very colorful figure in the game and even nicer whenever you mention Mr. Koufax and Mr. Drysdale.

 

[67RedSox]

We better start with the sad stuff and get it out of the way. It was on this date in 1998 that Bud “The Dud” Selig becomes the Commissioner of MLB. Selig had, in fact, been running the show since 1992 when Faye Vincent refused to be the Owner’s stooge and resigned. Selig’s reward for leading the coup against Vincent was to be given the title of ‘Acting Commissioner’.
The beginning of the end for Vincent started when he tried to ban Steve Howe for life because of repeated drug offences. How ironic that a Commissioner who was willing to take strong action against drug users becomes a target of the Owners for over-reacting. A group of six owners formed to oust Vincent. They were dubbed, The Great Lakes Gang, and were led by Selig. By resigning Vincent told them to take a hike and to take their job and shove it. Among his parting words were…”To do the job without angering an owner is impossible. I can't make all twenty-eight of my bosses happy. People have told me I'm the last Commissioner. If so, it's a sad thing. I hope they [the owners] learn this lesson before too much damage is done.”
I guess fans will have to be the judge as to whether the grand old game is better or worse off as a result of Selig’s ‘leadership’ over the past 20 years. If you’re an Owner or Player and love counting money you probably can tolerate the guy. If you’re a fan and don’t measure things in dollars and cents (other than the cost to go to a ballgame ) you’ll have to make up your own mind. A recent ABC report on the state of Baseball in America is not encouraging. Once upon a time in America, children and baseball were inseparable companions. Major League ballplayers were their heroes, Although Little League numbers are at a record high and most baseball parks are busy, there has been an alarming 28 percent drop in children's interest in the sport since 1987. Over the last decade, the companies that make baseballs, bats and gloves have seen their sales plummet. A study by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association found that overall baseball participation dropped by 3 million players in the last 10 years. "We're losing the casual baseball player, the sandlot player," said Tom Cove, the association's vice president of government relations. Some critics say today's players often don't connect with children. In the last five years, the number of viewers under 18 who watched the World Series has fallen by 30 percent. The number of African American players in MLB has declined in recent years. The percentage of African American players on Opening Day rosters has dropped from 19% in 1995 to 8.5% in 2013. MLB is desperately trying to get back in children's and African American’s good graces but that’s sort of like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.

It was on this date in 2005 that after 11 years, Coors Field finally had a 1-0 game as the Rockies escape a bases full ninth inning to edge the Padres. The span of 847 regular season games is the longest time ever needed for any big league ballpark to host a contest with baseball’s lowest possible score. It breaks the previous record of 635 games held by the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association from 1882 to 1891 at the Jefferson Street Grounds. A 6th inning double by SS Luis Gonzalez drives in 2B Aaron Miles with the game’s only run. Jason Jennings gets the Win and Brian Fuentes the Save.

Can striking out on three pitches in your only Major League At Bat be a good thing? If your name is Adam Greenberg, maybe it is. On the same day that Coors Field saw its first 1-0 game Adam Greenberg plays in his first ML game. He enters the game for the Cubs as a 9th inning pinch-hitter. On the very first pitch of his first big league plate apperance, the 24-year old is struck in the back of the head by a 92-mph fastball thrown by Marlin hurler Valerio de los Santos and sustains a concussion. The effects of the beaning take a long time to recover from. Greenberg will go on the DL‚ then go to the minors‚ then be released in November. Greenberg kicks around in the Minors for years never getting back to the Majors. He was one of two players in league history to be hit by a pitch in their only plate appearance without ever taking the field. However, his story takes a positive turn when a successful online petition drive in 2012 led to him getting signed by the Miami Marlins to a one-day contract. He had one at bat for the Marlins and struck out on three pitches seven years after his first plate appearance.

Which would you say sold for more money at an auction of baseball memorabilia on this date in 1999.
1) The flannel pinstripe uniform that Lou Gehrig wore on July 4, 1939 when he made his famous “ luckiest man on the face of the earth “ speech, or
2) The home run ball Carleton Fisk hit to win Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.

Well, I’m totally surprised. Not that Gehrig’s uniform went for more, $451,541.00 but that Fisk’s home run ball went for only $113,273.00.

Talk about true grit. It was on this date in 1985 that Toronto catcher, Buck Martinez, makes two outs on the same play. In the bottom of the third inning of a game between the Blue Jays and the Mariners‚ Phil Bradley is on second with one out when Gorman Thomas singles to right. Jesse Barfield's throw home to Buck Martinez nails Bradley‚ though Martinez breaks his ankle in the collision. When Thomas tries to take 3B on the play‚ Martinez' throw sails into LF. Thomas tries to score but George Bell's throw to Martinez beats him. Buck makes the catch and tag while sitting on the ground.

By the time Carl Yastrzemski was playing his 19th season in the Majors he was no longer a full-time OFer but still quite productive with the bat. He played a little in the OF, a little at 1B and more as the DH. However, on this date in 1979 he along with Outfield mates Jim Rice and Fred Lynn were fan-elected to be the starting Outfield for the AL All-Star Game. All those boys did in 1979 was average .311, 33 HRs, 113 RBIs, 101 Runs, How would you like to have an Outfield like that…and have Dwight Evans as your 4th OFer. If you were to ask me how good a player Dwight Evans was... I would tell you that he belongs in the Hall of Fame and is among the best RF’ers I ever saw play the game. Here, incidentally is one voting I saw for the Game’s All-Time Greatest Right Fielders: All I can say is, WOW!

1- Babe Ruth
2- Hank Aaron
3- Frank Robinson
4- Mel Ott
5- Roberto Clemente
6- Ichiro Suzuki
7- Al Kaline
8- Reggie Jackson
9- Vladimir Guerrero
10- Tony Gwynn

It was on this date in 1973 that you would have watched a record in the making had you been among the 27,000 on hand at Jarry Park in Montreal…and you might have fallen asleep in the process. The Reds defeat the Expos 11-6 thanks to a 7 run 6th inning. There are 20 basehits in the game, 10 by each side but that accounts for less than one-half the base runners as a record 25 base on balls are issued.

Do you remember middle infielder Leo Foster who played for 5 seasons in the Majors during the 1970’s, mostly for the Atlanta Braves. He never played full time but when he did play he was both pretty decent in the field and with the bat albeit with little power. If you don’t remember him that’s not surprising. I’m sure he would like to forget his first game in the Majors which happened on this date in 1971. Lum Harris, the Manager of the Braves told him he was in the line-up as the starting Shortstop against the Pirates. The very first batter for the Pirates, Dave Cash, grounds one out to Foster…E6…he flubs the first ball hit to him. Maybe he can make up for that with the bat. Nope, he hits into a double-play to end a rally in the 5th inning and tops that by hitting into a triple-play to end another rally in the 7th inning.

 

[67RedSox]

If I asked who Johnny Burnett was chances are the response would be that rockabilly guy who had the big hit in 1960 with You’re Sixteen and you’d be correct but I mean the other guy, the guy who played Baseball for the Cleveland Indians back in the 1930’s. For most of his 9 year ML career he was a utility infielder but in 1932 he was the Indians Shortstop and on this date in 1932 he set a ML record that stands today 81 years later. He collected 9 Basehits in a single game. The game, against Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics went 18 innings. Still a game is a game.
Unfortunately, both Johnny Burnetts died way too young… the ballplayer with acute leukemia and the singer by drowning as a result of a boating accident. I miss our old Posting friend, mtn vaquero but I still feel his presence so I should add that the singer was born Burnett but added an e to his name, Burnette, later in life because mtn vaquero would likely have pointed that out.
I mentioned above the game went 18 innings and Burnett’s Indians lost by a score of 18-17 despite his efforts. There;s more to it. The game was in Cleveland, a one game Series, with the same two teams starting a 4 gamer in Philadelphia the next day. Connie Mack, being his frugal self, saw no need to drag his entire pitching staff to Cleveland for one game and pay all that train fare so he took only two pitchers…Lew Krausse (whose son, Lew Krausse Jr. would pitch for the Athletics in the 1970’s) and Eddie Rommel, considered to be the “Father” of the modern day knuckleball. The only problem was Krausse lasted but an inning and Rommel had to enter the game in the 2nd inning. Of course no one knew the game would go 18 and Rommel had to tough it out to the end…he had to face 87 batters in the game but Won it in the end. It would be the last of his 171 ML Wins.

Going back to 1876 there have been 691 Triple Plays in MLB. Unassisted Triple Plays ( a la Troy Tulowitzki ) are the rarest of Baseball feats…only 15 since 1900. If you’re wondering, and I know you weren’t, I think there have been two players in MLB to complete an Unassisted Triple Play and hit for the cycle. Tulo was the second to it after John Valentin of the Red Sox did it back in 1996. Valentin, who lost his SS job in Boston to one of Tulo’s favourite players growing up…Nomar Garciaparra...is however the only player in MLB history to pull off an Unassisted Triple Play, hit for the cycle and hit 3 HRs in a single game.

We all know that Ireland is a divided country and has been for about 100 years thanks to the Irish Catholics and Protestants not being able to sort things out between themselves. Baseball has not been above that sort of silliness. The main character is Jimmy McAleer who was born on this date in 1864 in Youngstown, Ohio to an Irish-born father and English-born mother. They immigrated from Ireland and first went to Canada and then the U.S. before Jimmy was born. They ended up in Youngstown, Ohio. Endowed with large deposits of coal and iron Youngstown was destined to become a steel industry town and it did. Jimmy had 5 older brothers and every one ended up working in the steel plant. Jimmy, however, loved baseball and was not interested in spending his life in the steel mills. He was determined to earn a living in the game, and he did. He played in the Majors for the NL’s Cleveland Spiders for pretty much 10 full seasons starting in 1889 and pinch-hit for a couple after that but he wasn’t much of a hitter. He was a brilliant defensive outfielder as well as a clever and ambitious man who would make his mark after he stopped playing.
He helped create two of the original eight franchises of the American League. In 1900 he became the first manager of the Cleveland franchise now known as the Indians, and two years President Ban Johnson chose him to assemble and manage a new team in St. Louis in direct competition with the established Cardinals of the rival NL. McAleer then moved to the Washington Senators as Manager and part owner.
In 1911 the Boston Red Sox put half of their team up for sale. Ban Johnson arranged a deal in which McAleer and Robert McRoy, Johnson’s personal secretary, bought 50 percent of the team and McAleer took over as president of the club. McAleer personally owned only 10 percent of the Red Sox, with the rest of the money coming from a syndicate of investors assembled by Johnson. One key shareholder was H.W. Mahan, a Chicago banker who was the father-in-law of Garland “Jake” Stahl, a former Boston infielder. McAleer, at the insistence of his investors (and Johnson) hired Stahl to manage the Red Sox. Their first year in Boston, with McAleer as club president, was an unqualified success. The team opened Fenway Park on April 20, coasted to the pennant by 14 games and defeated the NY Giants in the WS. However, under the surface trouble was brewing. The team was divided by friction between Irish Catholic players, led by catcher Bill Carrigan, and the Protestant contingent headed by stars Tris Speaker and Joe Wood. McAleer was an Irish Catholic, while Stahl, a Protestant, was a close friend of Speaker and Wood. The two factions engaged in petty bickering and the occasional physical altercation, while Stahl and McAleer battled openly.
The differences between Stahl and McAleer came to a head during the World Series. With the Red Sox leading the Series three games to one (with one tie), Stahl chose Joe Wood to pitch Game Six at Fenway Park. McAleer, however, ordered his manager to send Buck O’Brien, an Irish Catholic, to the mound instead. McAleer had his way, and the Red Sox lost 5-2, with all five runs scored off O’Brien in the first inning. Wood was so angry with the outcome that he reportedly attacked O’Brien with a bat before the 7th game. Teammates broke up the ugly fight, but Wood pitched so poorly afterward that many believe to this day that he lost the game on purpose. He appeared to be merely lobbing the ball across the plate, perhaps to show his disgust with McAleer, or possibly because he was exhausted from the pregame fight with O’Brien. Though the Red Sox eventually prevailed in the eight-game Series, questions about the integrity of the 7th game of the 1912 WS have lingered ever since.
McAleer’s popularity in Boston was further damaged by a ticket fiasco before Game Seven. The Royal Rooters, Boston’s boisterous, mostly Irish fan club headed by Mayor John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, paraded on the field at Fenway Park before the game and proceeded to their usual block of seats in the left-field stands, only to find that management had sold the seats out from under them. A near-riot ensued that delayed the game for nearly an hour before the police could gain control of the situation. McAleer blamed a “clerical error” for the mix-up, but the outraged Rooters called for a fan boycott of the eighth game the next day. As a result, only about 17,000 people, half of Fenway Park’s capacity, saw the Red Sox win the world championship.
The Red Sox, with Wood ailing struggled to stay in the pennant race during the early part of the 1913 season. The Philadelphia Athletics built a sizable lead, and by mid-July the dissension-ridden Red Sox were mired in fifth place, 18 games behind the Athletics and two games under the .500 mark. The tension between the Catholics and Protestants had to be resolved, one way or another, and on July 15 McAleer came down firmly on the side of the Irish Catholics. He fired Jake Stahl as manager and replaced him with Bill Carrigan.
Carrigan’s appointment as manager steadied the Red Sox, who played better ball during the last half of the 1913 season and finished in fourth place. However, McAleer’s dismissal of Stahl spelled the end of his tenure as president of the team. The moneymen behind the club were angry at McAleer for dumping Stahl only nine months after winning the world championship. The fans were upset by the team’s poor performance, and the Royal Rooters were still seething over the World Series ticket debacle of the previous fall. Ban Johnson secretly began looking for a man with deeper pockets to replace McAleer. A few months later, he found one in the person of a Canadian-born businessman, Joseph Lannin.
While McAleer was out of the country in late 1913, accompanying the Giants and White Sox on a round-the-world tour, Johnson met with members of McAleer’s investment group and persuaded them to sell their stock in the Red Sox to Lannin. Before long, Lannin controlled enough shares to depose McAleer. McAleer, stripped of power, had no choice but to sell out to Lannin as well, ending his association with the Red Sox and, as it turned out, with baseball itself. He never returned to the game, and never spoke to Johnson again.

I’m not big on All-Star Games but will mention the 1984 game which took place on this date 29 years ago today. In the 4th inning Fernando Valenzuela strikes out the side getting Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson and George Brett. He’s replaced in the 5th by rookie Doc Gooden who also strikes out the side…Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Alvin Davis. Not bad for a couple of pitchers whose combined age is 42 (Valenzuela 23, Gooden 19 ) or 3 years younger than the AL’s Phil Niekro who is 45.

On this date in 2003…10 years ago today the Rockies sign 17 year old Esmil Rogers and release Vic Darensbourg who had come over to the Rockies the previous Fall in the trade that brought Wilson/Johnson/Ozuna for Hampton/Pierre. If you remember Darensbourg you have a very good memory indeed.

 

[67RedSox]

99 years ago today the Babe makes his ML debut for the Boston Red Sox. The rest, they say, is history.

I think everyone would agree that Michael Cuddyer is earning his keep with the Rockies this year. He’s an integral piece of the puzzle that makes up what I consider to be a successful year for the Rockies so far. I mentioned in a previous Post that the decline in kids watching the World Series is significant…30% in recent years and that is likely to continue. That’s easily understood, at least to those of us in earlier time zones than Mountain or Pacific, because WS games come on just too late for anyone to watch. That is a great shame because if the WS didn’t hook me into being a life-long fan of the game it at least played a large role. I believe Baseball has lost thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans because such a small portion of the population now watches it. O.K. so what’s the tie in to Michael Cuddyer, who I led off with, and the WS. Well, this Post is really about remembering Bob Allison who was born on this date in 1934. He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1959. He played through the 1960’s, with the Twins, until he retired after the 1970 season. I brought Cuddyer into it because if you don’t remember Allison or if he was before your time then I thought Cuddyer would give you a feel for the type of player Allison was. Similar builds, both Outfielders and part-time First Basemen. Both with 20+ HR power with the ability to notch it up to 30 or more. RBI’s in the 80-100 range, both very good in getting on base and both very, very good at being aggressive on the base paths. I will always remember the 1965 World Series. The Twins against the dreaded Dodgers. That meant the Twins against Koufax and Drysdale who Won a combined 49 games that year. The Twins could hit and they could score runs. The Dodgers, as a team, that year hit a mere .245 and no single player had more than 12 HRs. The Twins had a couple of pretty good pitchers in their own right in Jim Mudcat Grant and Jim Kaat. Grant beats Drysdale in Game 1 and Kaat beats Koufax in Game 2. I foolishly thought the Twins had a chance, alas, the Dodgers win 4 of the remaining 5 games and outhit the Twins in the Series to boot. Still, I rate it as one of my favourite and one of the best WS I’ve seen. Part of that is due to a fantastic catch Allison makes in Left Field off the bat of Jim Lefebvre in the 5th inning of a 0-0 game. I will always remember that catch and it’s too bad so many of today’s youth miss these memories. Sadly, Allison died close to 20 years ago from a disease with similar symptons to ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUQCLfttnxE]LAD@MIN: Allison makes an amazing backhand catch - YouTube[/ame]

It was on this date in 1968 that Hank Bauer was replaced by Earl Weaver as the Manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Weaver didn’t know it then but he had started his walk to the Hall of Fame. All Weaver ever wanted was to be a ML ball player. He never got a sniff of fulfilling that dream because the talent just wasn’t there. After kicking around the Minors for about 9 years he came to realize his days of playing Baseball were over. At 26, Weaver was prepared to leave baseball. He had married, had two children and he enjoyed his off-season job with Liberty Loan in St. Louis; the company told him he would soon be managing an Office. But an assistant in the Orioles’ farm system, Harry Dalton, had met Weaver in Knoxville and was impressed. The Orioles offered him a job as manager of Class D Fitzgerald, Georgia, a one-restaurant town at the bottom level of professional ball. Weaver took the job—and a pay cut but the decision was a good one.

It was on this date in 1996 that Mighty Casey made it to a stamp. The United States Postal Service issues “Mighty Casey'', a commemorative stamp which depicts the title character of Ernest L. Thayer's immortal poem, 'Casey at the Bat'. Coincidentally, Chuck Connors often performed "Casey" for his Dodger and Cubs teammates on the bus before going on to fame as TV's "The Rifleman"

https://www.google.ca/search?q=migh...a-general%2Fmodern%2Fcatalog-3050.htm;280;434