Ever since its interduction in the American League in 1973, baseball fans have been arguing with each other the merits of the designated hitter rule. I for one like the rule, others however do not. I like it just the way it is. Whoever said that both "Leagues" had to be exactly the same, has no idea what is good for the game.
Today we are looking at one of the greatest hitting performances in professional baseball history by a pitcher. On June 5, 1914 a game was played by two teams in the Georgia-Alabama League between the Opelika Pelicans and the Talladega Indians. The Pelicans, who were the home team, were led by pitcher John Cantley who went 4 for 5 with 3 home runs in a 19-1 victory.
It is widely accepted that Cantley hit 3 grand slams in this game. However, an examination of the linescore shows differently. The Pelicans scored 7 runs in the 1st and 2nd innings, a single run in the fourth inning and 2 runs each in the 7th and 8th innings. Keeping those facts in mind, we can see that no one in the game could have had hit 3 grand slams in the course of the game. This throws into doubt the claim that Cantley had 15 RBIs in the game. Even if he haad grand slams in the first two innings and drove in the all the runs in the 4th, 7th and 8th innings, he would have had no more than 13 RBIs. It is possible that a writer misunderstood the verbage of the day, thus incorrectly intrperting the facts. I am sure that when all of the facts are found and correctly understood, we will find that Cantley still had a great day at the plate.
Tomorrow we look at the humble beginings of what became the NBA.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
A Stange one
Through out baseball history their have been hundreds of no-hitters pitched, just none quite as strange as the one pitched by Paul H. Stuffel of Schnectady Blue Jays of the Eastern League on June 4, 1951 at McNearney Stadium in Schnectady.
On that day the 24 year old struck out 20 hitters during the course of his "Gem". Had he not walked 10 batters in the course of the game, he might have punched his ticket back to the majors. Stuffel, who had pitched 3 games in September for the Phillies the year before. He would go on to pitch 4 more games for the Phillies over the course of two seasons. At least he picked up the win in the 6-3 win over the Elmira Pioneers.
Tomorrow we will look at a pitcher who disguised himself as a slugger.
On that day the 24 year old struck out 20 hitters during the course of his "Gem". Had he not walked 10 batters in the course of the game, he might have punched his ticket back to the majors. Stuffel, who had pitched 3 games in September for the Phillies the year before. He would go on to pitch 4 more games for the Phillies over the course of two seasons. At least he picked up the win in the 6-3 win over the Elmira Pioneers.
Tomorrow we will look at a pitcher who disguised himself as a slugger.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
An ordinary baseball day
As the day of June 3, 1932 many baseball fans knew that it would be a historical day in Baseball. Few had an idea as to how historical the day would be. Most of those who knew it would be a historical day were fans of the Columbus Redbirds of the Class AA American Association.
That was day their new stadium, Redbird Stadium, was to be opened. By itself this event warrents calling the day historical. On this date the redbirds opened their new home with an 11-2 victory over the Louisville Colonels. Most people outside the league failed to notice the event as there was more history on this date.
At Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Yankee players Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri had other ideas. In the Yankees 20-13 win over the Philadelphia A's, Gehrig had 4 home runs and Lazzeri had a natural cycle capped by a grand slam home run. Gehrig became the first player in the 20th century and third overall to hit four home runs in one game. This game certianly would have taken a majority of the headlines in the days sports pages except...
This was the day that longtime New York Giants manager John J McGraw chose to resign his position. For the headline stealing McGraw this the end of a long and honorable career in the game. Although the Hall of Fame had not yet been concieved everyone knew that McGraw was a great of the game.
Somedays its easy to take the headlines, other times their is lots of competion. Tommorrow we look at a wild no-hitter.
That was day their new stadium, Redbird Stadium, was to be opened. By itself this event warrents calling the day historical. On this date the redbirds opened their new home with an 11-2 victory over the Louisville Colonels. Most people outside the league failed to notice the event as there was more history on this date.
At Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Yankee players Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri had other ideas. In the Yankees 20-13 win over the Philadelphia A's, Gehrig had 4 home runs and Lazzeri had a natural cycle capped by a grand slam home run. Gehrig became the first player in the 20th century and third overall to hit four home runs in one game. This game certianly would have taken a majority of the headlines in the days sports pages except...
This was the day that longtime New York Giants manager John J McGraw chose to resign his position. For the headline stealing McGraw this the end of a long and honorable career in the game. Although the Hall of Fame had not yet been concieved everyone knew that McGraw was a great of the game.
Somedays its easy to take the headlines, other times their is lots of competion. Tommorrow we look at a wild no-hitter.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
A real twist in this story
The real challenge in this writing this blog is not finding stories to write about, I have plenty. The real challenge is figuring out which story will most interesting to my readers. Todays story has enough twists in it to make anyone dizzy. Our story today comes from June 2, 1951 in a league called the Coastal Plain League. This league was a class D league based in the state of North Carolina.
Most hitters would be happy to go 3 for 3 with a walk and 2 doubles. William Carr who was the shortstop for the the Tarboro A's had such a line, here comes the twist, in the fifth inning!! In the game played against the Wilson Tobs at Nash Memorial Stadium in Tarboro, the home team scored 24 runs in the fifth inning!! The A's sent 25 hitters to the plate before the first out of the inning was made. All told the A's had 17 hits, 29 at bats and 35 total bases in the inning. The Tobs sent 7 pitchers to the moound in the inning. When all was said and done, the home team scored a 31-4 win. Between the two teams 3 players would reach the majors, two of them from the Tarboro squad.
Want another twist to this story? Just 4 days later, the league was down to six clubs when the A's and the Greenville, NC Robins Clubs folded. The A's final record was 13-22, hardly the record of a team competing for the league championship. The Tobs finished the season with a 69-57 record. I guess the moral here is one bad inning does not a year make.
Tomorrow we will look at a busy day in the headlines of a single baseball day in 1932.
Most hitters would be happy to go 3 for 3 with a walk and 2 doubles. William Carr who was the shortstop for the the Tarboro A's had such a line, here comes the twist, in the fifth inning!! In the game played against the Wilson Tobs at Nash Memorial Stadium in Tarboro, the home team scored 24 runs in the fifth inning!! The A's sent 25 hitters to the plate before the first out of the inning was made. All told the A's had 17 hits, 29 at bats and 35 total bases in the inning. The Tobs sent 7 pitchers to the moound in the inning. When all was said and done, the home team scored a 31-4 win. Between the two teams 3 players would reach the majors, two of them from the Tarboro squad.
Want another twist to this story? Just 4 days later, the league was down to six clubs when the A's and the Greenville, NC Robins Clubs folded. The A's final record was 13-22, hardly the record of a team competing for the league championship. The Tobs finished the season with a 69-57 record. I guess the moral here is one bad inning does not a year make.
Tomorrow we will look at a busy day in the headlines of a single baseball day in 1932.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Pitching a 4th one
On September 9, 1965 future Baseball Hame of Famer Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched his fourth career no-hitter, a 1-0 perfect game against the Chicago Cubs. Many fans and the media as well thought for sure they had witnessed a record that would never be broken, let alone tied.
Lurking deep in the minors, another future Hall of famer was making his mark. 18 year old Nolan Ryan had just completed his first year in professional baseball at Marion, Virginia in the ppalachiian League. To make a long story short, Ryan pitched his fourth major league no-hitter on June 1, 1975, less then 10 full years after Koufax had pitched his fourth. Ironically, Ryan pitched his fifth against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the very team that Koufax had pitched for. Ryan would finish his career with seven no-hitters.
Will this record ever be broken? Possibly will be. Probably, not as fewer and fewer pitchers are pitching complete games any more. Saturday night saw Roy Halliday pitch a perfect game, but that was his first in a long career. He may pitch another someday, but to pitch a third or fourth at this point in his career, not likely.
Tomorrow we will look at a 24 run inning.
Lurking deep in the minors, another future Hall of famer was making his mark. 18 year old Nolan Ryan had just completed his first year in professional baseball at Marion, Virginia in the ppalachiian League. To make a long story short, Ryan pitched his fourth major league no-hitter on June 1, 1975, less then 10 full years after Koufax had pitched his fourth. Ironically, Ryan pitched his fifth against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the very team that Koufax had pitched for. Ryan would finish his career with seven no-hitters.
Will this record ever be broken? Possibly will be. Probably, not as fewer and fewer pitchers are pitching complete games any more. Saturday night saw Roy Halliday pitch a perfect game, but that was his first in a long career. He may pitch another someday, but to pitch a third or fourth at this point in his career, not likely.
Tomorrow we will look at a 24 run inning.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Now that is pitching
May 31, 1947 saw one of the best pitching performances in professional baseball. This great feat was not a no-hitter nor was it pitched in the majors.
This great feat was pitched in the Class A Western League by a future major leaqgue named Bobby Shantz. On this day Shantz of the Licoln A's pitched a 6 hit 4-0 shutout over the des Moines Cubs at Pioneer Memorial Stadium in Des Moines. On the surface this does not appear to be a great feat worthy of our attention some 63 years later, even he did strike out 12 batters.
What made this feat great was the fact that only 17 of his pitches were called balls. No batter in the Cubs lineup saw more then 2 pitches called a ball in a single at bat. Clearly the Cubs needed to go up to the plate swinging on this particular day.
Tomorrow we look at another great pitching feat, this one is career feat.
This great feat was pitched in the Class A Western League by a future major leaqgue named Bobby Shantz. On this day Shantz of the Licoln A's pitched a 6 hit 4-0 shutout over the des Moines Cubs at Pioneer Memorial Stadium in Des Moines. On the surface this does not appear to be a great feat worthy of our attention some 63 years later, even he did strike out 12 batters.
What made this feat great was the fact that only 17 of his pitches were called balls. No batter in the Cubs lineup saw more then 2 pitches called a ball in a single at bat. Clearly the Cubs needed to go up to the plate swinging on this particular day.
Tomorrow we look at another great pitching feat, this one is career feat.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Lots of Homers, no win
In the Major Leagues the record for most home runs by a single hitter in one game is four. In the minor leagues five hitters have hit more then four home runs in a game. Today we look at a game played on May 30, 1934 in the West Dixie League.
William L "Lou" Frierson of the Paris Pirates had 5 home runs and 8 RBIs in the Pirates 17-12 loss to the Jacksonville Jax. The worse thing about the game was that it was played at League Park in Paris. One can only imagine what it was like to see one of your hitters go do so well in the game and your team still loses.
Every game feat that I have talked about in this blog is a part of my upcoming book "The Great This date in Sports History Book". I will be looking for a publisher soon.
Tomorrow we will look at a pitching feat in the Western League.
William L "Lou" Frierson of the Paris Pirates had 5 home runs and 8 RBIs in the Pirates 17-12 loss to the Jacksonville Jax. The worse thing about the game was that it was played at League Park in Paris. One can only imagine what it was like to see one of your hitters go do so well in the game and your team still loses.
Every game feat that I have talked about in this blog is a part of my upcoming book "The Great This date in Sports History Book". I will be looking for a publisher soon.
Tomorrow we will look at a pitching feat in the Western League.
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