1927 Yanks-1930 Chicago Cubs at COORS FIELD!

1995. Denver, Colorado.

This one I admit freely is wholly irresponsible. Little kid playing with a hammer and a stick of dynamite irresponsible. I decided to take two great offensive forces, bring them to 1995 Coors Field, Denver Colorado, and grab some popcorn.
Well, the hammer and dynamite did what I thought it would. BLAM! BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM! The 1930 Cubs had Hack Wilson, who knocked in 190 in 1930, and another after he died, since he’s now credited with 191. They also featured Gabby Hartnett, Kiki Cuyler and Riggs Stephenson. Stephenson, not a Hall-of-Famer like the other two, owns the highest lifetime average of the three - and in the line-up - at .336. That honor would go to Rogers Hornsby, who mashed it in the .380s in ’29. But the Rajah was hurt in 1930, depriving the Cubs fans one of the truly historic line-ups. They scored 998 without Hornsby!

1930 Cubs stats:
Hack Wilson… .356, 56 HR 191 RBI
Kiki Cuyler…. .355, 13 HR 134 RBI 37SB
Riggs Stephenson.. .367, 5 HR 68 RBI
Gabby Hartnett…… .339, 37 HR 122 RBI

1930 Cubs stats at 1995 Coors Field:
English….. .383/.567 14 91
Riggs…….. .398/.490 7 110
Cuyler…… .408/.574 11 143
Hack…….. .426/.716 41 221
Gabby……..403/.582 22 189
Grimm…….318/.402 3 114
And of course, if the Cubs had three .400 hitters:
1927 Yankees stats at 1995 Coors Field:
Combs .473/.712 19 161 500 TB
Koenig .424/.550 5 100
Ruth .495/1.306 135 389 794 TB
Gehrig .498/1.124 95 323 733 TB
Meusel .424/.682 19 150
Lazzeri .399/.695 26 158
Collins .359/.617 29 149
Dugan .357/.495 4 125 60 2B
Paschal .444/.838 22 156
Gazella .335/.513 3 101
Grabowski .318/.418 5-3B 22 RBI (110AB)

Game 4 NY wins 29-14(11)
NYY- 2 0 0 3 0 0 7 0 0 0 17 - 29 25 1
Chi - 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 3 0 2 - 14 27 3

For those of you who don’t comprehend, that’s 29-14 in extra innings, folks! In a typical Coors Field settling of hostilities, the score was 12-12 at the end of regulation – and what us baseball fanatics like to call ‘free baseball’. Well the good people of Denver, all 50,445 of them, saw the Murderers’ Row win the free baseball portion 17-2! The Yanks sent 22 men to the dish. Believe it or not, nobody homered. Just lots and lots of singles, doubles and walks. Gehrig singles in Combs and later doubles him in along with Koenig and Ruth. Meusel singles, doubles and walks, scores three, and drives home two. Lazzeri scores two and drives in two. Pinch-hitter Mike Gazella singles and walks, driving in a run each time and scoring twice.

Gehrig 13 RBI in 2 games.
Meusel 1ST 4 g: 12-22 .545 21TB .954 SA 9 RBI

Game 6 Chi 15-11 5-1
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)

Don’t blame the Babe!
In game 6, the Babe goes four for four with a walk.
1st : Walk.
3rd: 2-run HR to left-center, 396 ft.
6th: 2-run HR to right-center, 401 ft.
7th: 2-run HR to centerfield ‘rock pile’, 488 ft.
(Lou follows with back-to-back shot)
9th: Solo HR to RF, 422 ft.

In game 8, Gehrig doesn’t hit four; he hits three for the 2nd time in six games. The next day Ben Paschal subs for Combs in the lead-off spot (“I bribed Earle…”, says Big Ben). Paschal hits for the cycle. At this point (after game 9) Ruth has homered in 6 consecutive games (total 10), and driven in a run in seven straight (total 22).
Gehrig has homered in 6 of 7 games (total 10), and driven in runs in seven straight games (total 25).

Game 16 NY 18-17 13-3
Chi - 1 6 4 0 3 0 0 0 3 - 17 18 0
NY - 6 4 0 0 2 1 4 0 1 - 18 20 0
Lou Gehrig snaps a 17-17 tie, leading off the bottom of the ninth with his 12th HR of the season, a 415 ft blast to deep right-center. Mark Koenig, Tony Lazzeri and Pat Collins each collect four safeties. Lazzeri drives home five. New York’s two-through-seven hitters, (Koenig Ruth, Gehrig, Meusel, Lazzeri, Collins) all hit home runs. For the Cubs, Cuyler, Wilson, Hartnett and Grimm (their three-through-six) go 12 for 17 and drive in all of Chicago’s 17 scores – Cuyler leading the charge with six.

Game 26 NY 28-4 23-3
Chi - 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 4 14 2
NYY- 3 5 1 1 13 1 4 0 x - 28 27 0
The starting nine all reached base.
The starting eight all scored. The starters do not include the Bambino, but do include Ben Paschal in right. They don’t miss the Babe because Big Ben goes 6-for-7 with two doubles, a homer, and 4 RBI. They also don’t miss the Babe because he comes off the bench to pinch-hit for pitcher George Pipgras. George Ruth smacks a 2-run homer that barely clears the RF wall. The Babe scores twice, of course, the second time on a 3-run Earle Combs double, after Ruth had walked.

Amidst all of this madness Wilcy Moore, the NY relief ace, pitches a shutout inning… extending his scoreless inning streak to 14-2/3… all at Coors Field of course.

NY outscores Chicago 89-15 in five games.

Game 31 Chi 18-16 27-4
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)
Cubs snap 15 game losing streak in a big way.

NYY - 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 6 0 - 16 20 1
CHI - 2 1 2 0 11 1 1 0 x - 18 20 1
Cubs led 16-0 after 5.
NY starting nine all reach base.
Cubs starting nine all hit safely.
Hack Wilson goes deep twice, the 2nd time in the 11-run 5th. Gabby Hartnett hits a grand slam to dead center later in the inning.


Game 34 Chi 27-11 29-5
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)

NYY - 0 0 2 1 0 5 0 0 3 - 11 20 3
CHI - 0 0 0 7 2 2 2 14 x - 27 26 0
NY starting eight all hit safely, as does PH Gazella.
Cubs starting nine all hit safely.
In the 14-run 8th Chicago 1st baseman Charlie Grimm makes two of the three outs AND draws a walk AND scores.

Game 39 NY 22-12 33-6
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)
Chi - 4 2 2 0 0 1 0 1 2 - 12 16 1
NYY- 5 4 6 2 2 0 1 2 x - 22 24 7
Ben Paschal, subbing for the Babe , doubles twice, triples twice and drives in five. Lazzeri singled, doubled and tripled, driving in seven. And the Bambino interrupts his day off to smack a pinch-hit run scoring triple. The seven errors are all committed by Combs (3) and Koenig(4). So what.

Game 40 NY 21-20(10) 34-6
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
The starting eight for NY all hit safely. Yankee starting pitcher Ruether was out of game before he came to bat. In fact he was gone before Chicago made a single out. Hack Wilson drove Ruether’s 15th and last pitch far over the 390 sign in left-center for a grand slam. The Hacker goes four-for-four with nine driven home – his greatest day here. But Ben Paschal, giving Ruth another day off, drives in seven himself. He doubles and homers twice… the 2nd a three run shot that wins the game in the bottom of the tenth, topping off a six-run comeback.

Babe who?

Paschal has 12 RBI in two games and 54 in 40 games (133 AB), and 22 starts. Thus far Paschal has reached double figures four times, including 10 in each of the last two games.
Game 42 NY 22-3 36-6
(Game number) (Final score) (Yankees’ record)
NYY- 10 0 3 0 0 5 0 4 0 - 22 24 0
Chi - 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 - 3 12 1
"During the 1920s New York Yankee owner Jacob Ruppert once described his perfect afternoon at Yankee Stadium. 'It's when the Yankees score eight runs in the first inning,' Ruppert said, 'and then slowly pull away. '"

Game 43 NY 16-0 37-6
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)
NYY- 3 0 5 0 0 4 2 0 2 - 16 19 0
Chi - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 3 0
Yankee right-hander Urban Shocker (8-0, 4.97, 67 IP) holds the Cubs to three singles. Chicago pitchers hold Lou Gehrig to five doubles and five RBI in five at-bats.

Game 49 NY 13-11 43-6
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)
Trailing in th 9th by 6 runs, the Yanks rally, helped by a 2-run blast from Tony Lazzeri to bring NY within three, then capped by a 2 run blast by the Babe for a come from behind victory.

Game 50 NY 16-12 44-6
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)
This time it’s the 8th inning for a 7-run comeback. Lou Gehrig ties it with a homer. Then the rally is again capped by a Ruth HR – this time a grand slam.
Game 72 NY 33-5 62-10
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)
Wilcy Moore: 16 consecutive scoreless innings.
NYY – 3 15 0 2 3 4 0 2 4 – 33 31 0
Chi – 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 – 5 9 1

Mike Gazella: Six-of-six with a double, two triples and six driven home. The Babe drove in eight with a triple and two bombs. Together the two men total 24 bases.

Game 82 Chi 12-11 69-13
(Game number) (final score) (Yankees’ record)
Chicago scores 5 in 9th; wins 3rd straight for 1st time!

Yanks lead 11-4 in the middle of the 7th.
Charlie Grimm knocks in 2 with a single in the bottom of the inning. Kiki Cuyler brings in Woody English on a fielder’s choice in the 8th. But going into the bottom of the 9th it was still NY 11-7. But Bob Shawkey and Joe Giard can’t hold the lead. Footsie Blair singles in Charlie Grimm. The injured Rogers Hornsby pinch-hits and singles in Charlie Beck to make it a 2-run game. After Myles Thomas becomes the 3rd Yankee hurler of the frame, Riggs Stephenson’s 5th single of the day with the bases jammed knocks in 2 and ties the game at 11-11. After Hack Wilson walks to reload the sacks, Gabby Hartnett singles to left to win it, 12-11.

Game 84 Chi 15-14 70-14
(Game number) (Final score) (Yankees’ record)
Chicago wins 4 of 5 for the 1st time, clinches 1st 5 game series!

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig each drive in their 191st run. Each time the Coors Field scoreboard notes that they have tied Hack Wilson’s all-time single-season mark. Each brings an ovation from the crowd. And each brings a tip of the cap from Ruth and Gehrig toward Wilson in center field, who returns the salute with a grin.

Once again the Yanks fail to hold a huge lead. In the 6th the Cubs start their comeback from a 14-7 deficit with a 2-run bomb to RF from mighty mite Hack Wilson. In the 7th it’s Wilson again, clearing loaded bases with a 3-run double, a Texas Leaguer made possible because the NY outfielders are forced to play so deep. The score is now 14-12. Woody English brings it one closer in the 8th with an RBI single. Finally in the 9th, it all happens after two out. Hartnett, Grimm and Beck all single to load them up. Footsie Blair then hits a Texas Leaguer of his own. Hartnett scores easily to tie it, and Charlie Grimm challenging the weak arm of Earle Combs, slides in with the winning run.

Game 87 NY 18-13 72-14
(Game number) (Final score) (Yankees’ record)
Chi - 3 0 6 0 1 1 1 0 1 - 13 18 2
NY - 0 0 0 10 2 0 4 2 x - 18 21 1
As has happened numerous times, Chicago get off to a huge lead: 9-0 after three, aided by a Gabby Hartnett HR nine other Cubs hits and a Koenig error. And as it happens, Chicago can’t hold the lead. After shutting out the Yanks on two hits through three, starter Hal Carlson suddenly serves batting practice in the 4th; consecutive singles by 2B Mike Gazella, C Pat Collins, Jumping Joe Dugan, and relief pitcher Myles Thomas yield two runs. Cubs 3B Footsie Blair then plays footsies with an Earle Combs grounder… instead of a possible 5-5-3 DP, the bases are jammed. Mark Koenig singles in the 3rd run, bringing up the Bambino. Ruth yells to Gehrig behind him “Want me to leave you some?” Gehrig grins and yells back, “Nah! Take ‘em all!” Ruth then grins, settles in, and lines his 69th HR of the year, a 410 foot grand slam to left-center. As Ruth comes in, he says to Gehrig, “Start it up again!” Lou and the rest of the Yanks do, reloading the bases for Pat Collins’ 2nd AB of the inning. Collins fans this time. But Jumping Joe jumps on a Bob Osborn curve, lining it down the RF line for a 3-run double, scoring runs 8, 9 and 10 and putting the Yanks ahead.

The Cubs did not wilt. They immediately tied it in the 5th, Kiki Cuyler singling home Footsie Blair. But in the bottom of the 5th, Gehrig homered to RF, bringing in the Babe ahead of himself. Gehrig would double two more in the 7th. The Babe would hit his 70th HR, a two-run shot in the eighth that yields his 200th RBI . And the Yanks win going away after spotting the Cubs a 9-ball on the break.

Babe Ruth 1st on either squad to reach 200 RBI
Ruth also 1st to hit 70 HRs.

Game 90 NY 15-6 76-14
(Game number) (Final score) (Yankees’ record)
Lou Gehrig becomes 2nd Yankee, and 2nd overall to surpass 200 RBIs. HE also becomes 2nd Yankee and 2nd overall to hit 60 HRs.
Gehrig’s 60th was memorable, an opposite field line-drive off the LF foul pole, hit past, not over the Chicago third-baseman Footsie Blair, who actually moved to his right for the ball as it rocketed past him.

Game 101 NY 24-6 86-15
(Game number) (Final score) (Yankees’ record)
NYY – 0 0 0 0 14 6 2 1 1 - 24 29 1
Chi – 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 3 - 6 10 1
14-run 5th, 3rd highest inning of season.
All nine starter reached base.
All nine starters drove in runs.
All nine starters scored.
Game 102 Chi 21-8 86-16
NYY – 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 5 - 8 12 1
Chi – 6 0 6 5 4 1 0 0 x - 21 21 1
Chicago answers with some fireworks of their own.

Game 103 NY 23-6 87-16
NYY – 0 1 5 6 1 8 0 0 2 - 23 25 1
Chi – 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 0 - 6 13 2
And then NY answers back!

Game 106 NY 20-19 90-16
Chi – 2 0 7 0 6 0 0 1 3 - 19 26 0
NY - 2 6 5 3 0 0 0 0 4 - 20 21 1
Just another one-run game!

Game 108 Chi 19-16 91-17
Chi – 0 0 1 1 4 4 0 4 5 - 19 19 3
NY - 1 0 2 5 4 4 0 0 0 - 16 16 1
Chicago scores nine in last two frames to comeback.
Hack Wilson leads the way with a 2-run double and a three run HR. Gabby Hartnett and Kiki Cuyler also hit 2-run doubles to spur the comeback.

Game 112 NY 15-5 95-17
HR: B.Ruth 3 (96), L.Gehrig 2 (75)
RBI: B.RUTH 9 (290), L.GEHRIG 6 (257)

Ruth and Gehrig supply all of the 15 runs.
Ruth hits 3 HR, including a grand slam in the 5th. Gehrig follows the grand slam with a HR off the LF foul pole. The HR is Lou’s 2nd of the day and both hit the pole. His 3-run bomb in the 1st clangs high off the pole while his 5th inning blast is a screaming liner that rattles the pole, which can be heard throughout Coors Field.
Between them, they total 25 bases, 15 RBI, 5 HR and 8 hits.

Game 116 NY 14-10 99-17
The Babe goes 5 of 5 with 2 HR 8 RBI.
Babe Ruth hits his 100th HR, and drives in his 300th run! Of course he’s the 1st on either side to do this.

Game 117 NY 20-3 100-17
Earle Combs hits for the cycle! Combs drives in six, as does Joe Dugan, who goes 5 of 5 with a double and HR.
Jumping Joe Dugan becomes 8th Yankee and 11th overall to surpass 100 RBIs.

Game 123 NY 25-6 105-18
NYY - 0 0 0 6 3 6 4 4 2 - 25 23 0
Chi - 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 6 10 0
Bob Meusel: 6 for 6, 2 HR 8 RBI.

Game 129 NY 17-9 107-22
Bob Meusel: 6 for 6, 2 doubles, HR 4 RBI.

Game 128 Chi 9-8 106-22
In the 8th, Hack Wilson walks with the bases loaded, forcing home Footsie Blair with Chicago’s tie-breaking 6th run, igniting the winning 5-run rally. As Wilson stood on 1st, a roar went up from the crowd, which rose to their feet for a long ovation.
“That’s for you, Hack!” Said Gehrig.
“What’s the big deal?”
“The scoreboard, Hack. Look!”

WITH THAT RBI, HACK WILSON MATCHES HIS ORIGINAL ACCREDITED RECORD OF 190 SET IN 1930. THOUGH THAT TOTAL HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED TO 191, NEITHER TOTAL HAS BEEN MATCHED SINCE.

Wilson grinned and tipped his cap, bemused. Then he said to Gehrig, “What’s the big deal? You got 200-something here. Babe has 300-something.”
“This is a lot of fun Hack.” Gehrig grinned back. “But none of this stuff counts. There’s only one single-season RBI leader. And right now 45,000 Colorado citizens are acknowledging who it still is.” As the fans continued the ovation for several minutes, Hack’s look of bemusement faded, replaced by a look of wonder, then gratitude. He gulped. And misty-eyed, he then doffed his cap and held it high, nodding in all directions. That’s when he noticed that all the players… the Yanks in the field, the Chicago base runners (the bases were still full), the 1st and third base coaches, and the players in both dugouts, were also applauding. “Nice going Hack!” Gehrig said finally, before retreating back to his position, since holding Wilson on with the bases loaded was unnecessary.

Game 132 NY 14-5 109-23
RUTH HITS 3 HRS FOR 4TH TIME THIS SEASON (INCLUDING ONE GAME WITH FOUR)!

Game 133 NY 20-13 110-23
GEHRIG HITS 3 HRS FOR 4TH TIME THIS SEASON; HAS FIVE IN TWO GAMES.
Hack Wilson becomes 1st Cub and 3rd overall to surpass 200 RBIs.
NYY - 1 0 0 6 2 1 1 0 9 - 20 25 1
Chi - 4 4 0 1 3 0 0 0 1 - 13 14 1
4th: Gehrig triples with the bases full. 3RBI
5th: Gehrig homers to right center with one on. 2 RBI.
7th: Gehrig homers to CF that passes by Wilson and barely clears the fence. 1 RBI.
9th: Gehrig lines a grand slam to right-center. 4 RBI.
HR: Lou GEHRIG 3 (87). 4TH TIME THIS SEASON!
RBI: Lou GEHRIG 10 (291)
TOTAL BASES: Lou GEHRIG 15.

Game 137 NY 18-11 113-24
Combs hits for cycle for 2nd time. Also, with five hits, Combs becomes the first Yankee, and overall, to collect 300 hits (302-649, .465). Gehrig is hitting .500 (296-592).

Game 138 NY 15-14 114-24
Lou Gehrig becomes 2nd Yankee and overall to surpass 300 RBIs. Riggs Stephenson becomes 5th Cub and 14th overall to reach 100 RBIs.

Another tough, wild one-run barn-burner. The Cubs took a 14-10 lead into the 6th. Hack Wilson’s 3-run bomb in the 1st gave the Cubs a quick 4-0 lead. Gabby Hartnett’s grand slam down the LF line in the 2nd made it 9-0. The Cubs knew not to ease up and they didn’t. But the Yanks got off the mat. The Babe’s 2-run blast in the 2nd capped a 5-run rally. In the 4th Hartnett hit his 2nd HR. Gehrig tripled a run in in the 4th and singled in another in the 5th. And in the 7th, the Yanks erased what was left of the lead. Lazzeri’s leadoff HR started a 4-run game knotting rally. Nine batters, six hits, including Gehrig’s third RBI hit in 3 innings tied it. And in the 7th, Dugan capped it with a single to CF. Ben Paschal dented the plate with what would be the winner.

Game 141 NY 18-4 117-24
Game 142 NY 18-4 118-24
Game 145 NY 18-5 120-25
NYY- 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 5 10 - 18 22 1
Chi - 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 - 5 15 0
Mike Gazella becomes 10th Yankee and 15th overall to reach 100 RBIs.

Game 146 NY 14-13 121-25
Chi - 5 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 - 13 15 0
NYY- 2 3 1 2 2 0 1 0 3 - 14 22 1
Ruth hits 3 HRs in a game for the 5th time, including a four HR game during 6th game of season.
Note: Ruth and Gehrig had been tied with four 3-HR games.

As has happened countless times this season, the Cubs slugged it out with NY, grabbed the lead, but couldn’t stave off the Murderer’s Row in the end. Lou Gehrig crushed a 2-run bomb to right-center in the 9th to tie it. Then Johnny Grabowski singled home Ben Paschal to win it, with Ben sliding under a tag from a great relay by Footsie Blair. Ruth homered to left-center with 2 on in the 2nd, again with one on in the 5th, and a 3rd time in the 7th. Gehrig homered twice.

1930 Cubs stats at 1995 Coors Field:
English….. .383/.567 14 91
Riggs…….. .398/.490 7 110
Cuyler…… .408/.574 11 143
Hack…….. .426/.716 41 221
Gabby……..403/.582 22 189
Grimm…….318/.402 3 114
And of course, if the Cubs had three .400 hitters:

1927 Yankees stats at 1995 Coors Field:
Combs .473/.712 19 161 500 TB
Koenig .424/.550 5 100
Ruth .495/1.306 135 389 794 TB
Gehrig .498/1.124 95 323 733 TB
Meusel .424/.682 19 150
Lazzeri .399/.695 26 158
Collins .359/.617 29 149
Dugan .357/.495 4 125 60 2B
Paschal .444/.838 22 156
Gazella .335/.513 3 101
Grabowski .318/.418 5-3B 22 RBI (110AB)

1927 Yankees vs 1922 STL Browns!

1922 STL Browns
Yankees go 85-65 .566 (2nd)

PLAYER……BA/SA…....HR……RBI
Combs .337/.478 7 50
Koenig .297/.417 3 84
Ruth .326/.777 66 155
Gehrig .350/.676 32 147
Meusel .344/.494 5 125
Lazzeri .320/.510 20 142
Collins .278/.442 20 103
Dugan .258/.352 4 68
Paschal .314/.548 15 101(465AB)
Gazella .261/.374OBA 26(252AB)

PLAYER……BA/SA…....HR……RBI
Tobin .336/.450 6 87
Sisler .390/.520 6 97
Williams .339/.509 15 148
Jacobson .303/.401 5 141
McManus .285/.416 5 117
Severeid .328/.414 2 58
Collins .283/.389 7 45
Vangilder .413/.652 1 22
Since 4-16 start, Browns go 20-20, 9-21, 15-15, 17-13

The ’22 Browns gave the 1927 Yankees the most fits of everyone except the Cubs. Their approach could not have been more diametrically opposite. The Brownies bludgeoned pitching staffs into submission. As I pointed out when they ‘played’ (and beat) the 1932 Yankees, the Browns could also pitch – they paced the 1922 American League in staff ERA, and were 2nd in runs allowed – by two runs – to the 1922 AL champion New York Yankees. Of course the Browns’ batsmen led the American League in hitting, slugging, stolen bases, scoring and triples. Kind of begs the question – HOW DID THEY BLOW THAT ’22 PENNANT?

In Mac’s Legendary Baseball the 1922 Browns finished 20 games behind the 1927 Yankees. Remember, the American League finished 64 games behind in ’27. Before facing the 1927 Murderer’s Row, the 1922 St. Louisians whipped the 1932 World Champions, posting a 84-66 mark against a squad that went 107-47 and swept the Cubs. Then the Brownies beat the 1921 AL pennant-winning Yankees, going 79-71. The 1921 NY Yankees were much better than the 1922 edition. So again - HOW DID THE ’22 BROWNS BLOW THAT ’22 PENNANT?

Here in Mac’s LB the Brown’s suffered two slumps, a 4-16 stretch to start the season and a 9-21 midseason funk just as it looked as if the Brownies were getting back into it. The 1922 Browns had one Hall-of-Famer, a .300 hitting outfield, and baseball’s first ‘30-30’ man. But they also had Elam Vangilder, who turned out to be, well, the Babe Ruth of the Browns. Vangilder batted .344 in 1922 with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, and 11 RBIs in only 93 at-bats. In addition he went 19-13 with a 3.42 ERA over 245 innings. A product of Cape Girardeau, Mo (born there 1896, died there 1977), Elam went 99-102 lifetime and batted a respectable .244. He never attained the same heights in pitching or hitting after that great 1922 season, which leads to an interesting rhetorical question; should he have switched another position a la Babe Ruth and his own ex-pitching teammate George Sisler?
Here Vangilder does even better – a fat .413 average, an even fatter .652 slugging mark, 18 doubles and 22 RBI – in only 121 at-bats.

To illustrate the ferocity with which these two offensive behemoths locked horns, here are a few games from this mythical season matchup.

Game 31
NYY – 2 2 5 3 2 1 3 2 2 - 22 23 1
STL – 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 - 4 10 2

The Yanks have actually scored more runs. Even this season – 24. But this was domination… not a single zero anywhere on the scoreboard for the Yanks. The Yanks won every inning. The ‘computer’ designated the Babe as the Player of the Game, and indeed it’s hard to argue with 3 HRs, 4 hits, 5 RBIs, and thirteen (13) Total Bases. Hard to argue but not impossible; super-sub Ben Paschal hit safely 5 times, including 3 doubles, 2 runs scored and six (6) driven in. And that was from the leadoff spot! The other super-sub, Mike Gazella, who has been spelling both Mark Koenig and Jumping’ Joe Dugan, only collected one safety, but he walked twice, scored thrice, and drove in three more. Every starter including hurler George Pipgras hit safely, and every starter except Pipgras scored – but Pipgras did drive one in!

The Bambino’s blasts come in the 1st (2-run, CF, 477 ft), 6th (solo, left-center, 421 ft), and 9th (2-run, LF, 388 ft).

Game 70
STL - 0 0 0 0 8 2 0 0 0 0 1 - 11 17 2
NYY - 4 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 - 10 11 1

This game sums up how close these two teams are, despite the Yanks’ 18-game bulge in the season. These two heavyweights swapped haymakers as they have all season. Today the Browns were left standing with arms raised, while the Yanks were bloody, beaten but unbowed.

It looked like a good day for the home crowd, which was 44,323. In the bottom of the 1st Bob Meusel lines a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double into the huge left-centerfield death valley gap (470 ft) of 1927 Yankee Stadium. One out later, Yankee catcher Pat Collins, having another fine season (actually two fine seasons, one for each squad…) lines a 411 foot triple into the same gap, easily scoring Meusel. With a 4-0 edge and 18-game winner Urban Shocker on the hill, things look good for the Murderer’s Row bunch.

Until the 5th. TO that point, Shocker holds the mighty Browns to one hit, a lonely single to his ex-catcher Hank Severeid. Interestingly enough, Severeid opens the 5th frame with his (and the Browns’) 2nd single, a shot to centerfield. This time, it opens a floodgate, allowing a tide that would carry Shocker away. Consecutive singles follow and load the bases. Pitcher Dixie Davis would knock in the 1st STL tally with a fielder’s choice, but then it would get ugly. Tiny Jack Tobin singles in 3B-man Eddie Foster. Hall-of-Famer Sisler walks to reload the rifle for Kenny Williams, who fires… crushing a grand slam HR down the RF line into the short porch at Yankee Stadium. STL takes the lead, 6-4.

Out comes Shocker, and in comes Myles Thomas, the reliever with an accountant’s name. But the numbers get ugly for Myles too. Baby Doll (did they have great names in the 1920s or what?) Jacobson singles, Marty McManus triples, and then Hank Severeid, who started all of this, ends it by singling home the 8th run of the inning.

STL piles it on in the 6th, with Williams and Jacobson again driving in runs to increase the score to 10-4 STL.

After the glum home fans stand for the 7th inning stretch, they are cheered by their home team. As they root-root-rooted the Yankees on, the boys show why 44,000 paid their way in and stuck around thus far. The Yanks score a half-dozen times to tie it 10-10. Super sub Paschal, imitating the man he replaced (Earle Combs), leads off with a triple (Earle led the AL with 23 in ’27). Mark Koenig likes the idea, and triples himself… no I don’t mean that Koenig replicated himself twice! Anyway, Koenig scores a moment later on Gehrig’s single and the NY comeback is in full swing. Lazzeri, super sub #2 Gazella, reliever Wilcy Moore, and super sub #1 Ben Paschal all drive in runs. Gazella and Paschal both take bases-loaded walks, while Moore is hit by a pitch, all of which is driving STL manager Lee Fohl out of his baseball mind. This streak of wildness by STL hurlers Hub Pruitt and Bill Bayne furnish the Yankees with runs 8,9, and 10 to knot the game.

And knotted it stays until the STL 11th. By the 11th it’s ex-Yankee ace Bob Shawkey on the mound. 1927 is Bob’s final year, and unfortunately, today he shows why… he walks the winning run on board in 3rd baseman Eddie Foster. Huggins then relieves him with current ace Waite Hoyt. Hoyt tries nobly to stem the tide. But this is a great hitting club he’s up against. Hoyt gets Wally Gerber to bounce into a fielder’s choice, with Koenig tossing to Lazzeri to erase Foster. Foster upends Tony Lazzeri, preventing a throw to 1st for a double play. Of course that would prove crucial. Up comes Elam Vangilder.

STL emergency reliever Elam Vangilder, a starter who himself entered the game in the 8th, has pitched 3 innings of one-hit shutout ball. He is also, during this fictional season is batting near .400, slugging well over .600, and pitching whenever and however Lee Fohl can ask.

Now here in the 11th Elam lines a single to RF, sending Eddie Foster to 2nd. Foster then scores the game winner when 142 pound Jack Tobin grounds a single to LF. Rifle-armed Bob Meusel makes a strong, on-the-money throw to home but Wally Gerber slides around Pat Collins’ tag with the ball game.

Game 94
NY….1 0 0…1 0 1…0 0 0 – 3 8 4
STL.. 0 9 4..3 0 3..0 3 x – 22 21 1

Marty McManus doubles three times, triples once, and knocks in seven.

STL puts their stamp on the game in the 2nd, scoring nine times. George Pipgras self-destructs, loading the bases by walking Baby Doll Jacobson, Pat Collins and Wally Gerber. Jacobson and Collins pull off a double steal before the Gerber walk, which rattles Pipgras. Then opposing pitcher Elam Vangilder, a .370 hitter all year, rattles Pipgras big time, lining a long one between Combs and Paschal… a 3-run, bases clearing triple, giving STL a 3-1 lead. Tobin, Sisler, Williams, and Jacobson (batting for the 2nd time in the inning) all follow with singles. Miller Huggins relieves the battered Pipgras with a hastily warmed up Myles Thomas. The barrage continues. Marty McManus, who had stuck out looking earlier in the inning, doesn’t miss this time, lining a double past Ruth down the RF line. Williams and Jacobson score runs 7 and 8. Third sacker Frank Ellerbe rounds out the scoring by singling home McManus, and the Browns are on their way to a romp.

Interesting side notes of this matchup. I gave two Yankee subs much more playing time than they got in 1927… Ben Paschal and Mike Gazella. Ben Paschal was the Yanks 4th outfielder, and by all accounts, really good. A .309 lifetime hitter in 364 games, he played what amounts to one full season from 1925-28. He hit .321 (214-666) with 43 doubles, 11 triples, 22 homers and 22 steals. His on-base average was .380 and he slugged .518. Ben did this playing in mammoth Yankee Stadium, which was even bigger in 1927 than it would be later on.

In this particular mythic season I spotted all three Yankee outfielders with Ben Paschal. He started enough to accumulate 465 at-bats. And besides the numbers listed above Big Ben lined 46 doubles and 9 triples. Note: whenever I don’t start Paschal, he’s always Miller Huggins’ (the computerized version) 1st and best pinch-hitter.

The other sub, infielder Mike Gazella, started seeing playing time as both Mark Koenig and Jumping Joe Dugan each got off to slow starts. Koenig was stuck at .222 after 40 team games, and Dugan .203. Mike Gazella was not a thumper. But apparently he knew how to play winning baseball…the 5’7” Gazella posted a .407 on-base mark in ’27, a skill that placed atop this line-up has immense value. And in this mythic season it did. Mike managed to post a .374 OBP here in 299 plate appearances. And if you look at the stats above, you see that Koenig and Dugan were able to revive their seasons in the 2nd half, giving this team some nice infield options!

Another interesting side note: there were two men who participated on both sides of this battle – catcher Pat Collins and pitcher Urban Shocker. Shocker didn’t do particularly great for either side here. He went 11-11 for the Yanks and 6-19 for the Brownies. Shock did much better in real life and also in other seasons of Mac’s Legendary Baseball. Pat Collins did so-so here with the Browns, where he is often manager Lee Fohl’s 1st option off the bench. He did much better with the Yanks. Of course, the Browns have/had two good hitting catchers, and it’s hard to justify sitting Hank Severeid for very long. Still, Fohl never pinch-hits with Severeid, but always finds a way to get Collins’ bat in there, even for just one swing.

Once again, the Final Stats.

1922 STL Browns vs 1927 Yanks
Yankees go 85-65 .566 (2nd)

PLAYER……BA/SA…....HR……RBI
Combs .337/.478 7 50
Koenig .297/.417 3 84
Ruth .326/.777 66 155
Gehrig .350/.676 32 147
Meusel .344/.494 5 125
Lazzeri .320/.510 20 142
Collins .278/.442 20 103
Dugan .258/.352 4 68
Paschal .314/.548 15 101(465AB)
Gazella .261/.374OBA 26(252AB)

PLAYER……BA/SA…....HR……RBI
Tobin .336/.450 6 87
Sisler .390/.520 6 97
Williams .339/.509 15 148
Jacobson .303/.401 5 141
McManus .285/.416 5 117
Severeid .328/.414 2 58
Collins .283/.389 7 45
Vangilder .413/.652 1 22
Since 4-16 start, Browns go 20-20, 9-21, 15-15, 17-13

1927 Yanks - 1894 Boston Beaneaters!

1927 New York Yankees
You know who they are!

1894 Boston Beaneaters
83-49 (.629) 3rd NL
Scored 1220 runs 1st NL
103 Home Runs 1st NL
272 Doubles 1st NL
.331 Batting Avg 3rd NL
.401 OnBase Pct 3rd NL
.484 Slugging Avg 1st NL

3 Hall of Famers:
-Tommy McCarthy .292 lifetime BA
-Hugh Duffy .440 highest single season BA (.438 at the time)
-Kid Nichols 361-208 (.634) 2.96 ERA; 329-183 (.643) 3.00 with Boston
Seven time 30 game winner.
Eleven time 20 game winner

Kid Nichols left the big leagues and bought a percentage of the minor league Kansas City franchise in 1902, and left MLB to manage and pitch for them in 1902-03. Nichols won 48 games in the two seasons there before returning to MLB in 1904, where he won 21 for the St. Louis Cardinals. Therefore it is possible, and indeed likely, that had Kid played in the majors in 1902-03, he would have won 400 games. Looking further at his stats and bio at baseball-reference.com, the Wisconsin-born (British Columbia) Kid evidently discovered Kansas City and developed an abiding, lasting affection for that midwestern town. He debutted there in 1888 as an 18-year old. The Kid went 16-2 with a 1.14 ERA for the Kansas City Blues. Then after taking a brief hiatus to win 329 games over a brilliant 12-year career, the Kid, still only 32, came home to KC. He managed the single-A team, now called the Blue Stockings for two seasons. He also managd to go 47-19 on the mound, hurling 595 innings.

After his return to the bigs at St. Louis and Philadelphia, and a final stop in Pueblo, Colorado, Nichols apparently returned to KC... he passed away there a good long time later (1953).

Boston’s South End Grounds
LF 255 LCF 445 CF 440 RCF 440 RF 255

Boston’s South End Grounds was a miniature Polo Grounds. The fences were extremely close down the foul lines and then dropping quickly back to cavernous power alleys and a deep centerfield.

Bobby Lowe 5-10 150 lb.
1894 17 HR 115 RBI .346 AVG.
May 30, 1894 became 1st player in MLB history to hit 4 HR in one game. Bobby was the leadoff hitter; went 5 for 6 with 6 RBI. Two Hr came in a Boston 9 run 3rd inning. Boston won 20-11. Kid Nichols went the distance, scattering 14 hits and 11 runs to beat Cincinnati. Lowe’s HRs came in 4 consecutive at-bats.
This feat would not be duplicated until June 3, 1932, by Lou Gehrig.

Hugh Duffy 5-7 168 lb.
1894 18 HR 145 RBI .440 AVG.
51 2B 16 3b 48 SB.
Simply one of the greatest seasons of all time. Led NL in hits, doubles, HRs, On-Base-plus-Slugging, and of course, Batting Average.