1921 New York Yanks vs.
2002 San Francisco Giants
The Babe vs. Barry!
In July, 2003, Bonds announced,
755 isn't a number that's always caught my eye -- the only number I'm concerned with is Babe Ruth's. As a left-handed hitter, I wiped him out. That's it. And in the baseball world, Babe Ruth's everything, right? I got his (single season) slugging percentage, I got him on on-base, I got him on walks and then I'll take his (lifetime) home run record and that's it. Don't talk about him no more.
In 1953 Mac’s Legendary Baseball interviewed Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth:
"You like Barry?" Lou Gehrig was asked.
"SURE!" Interjected the Babe. "He would have been great in ANY era."
"But Babe, he even said 'we don't have to talk about [the Babe] no more'..."
"Hell, he's right!" Shot back the Babe. "Everyone knows about me. Lou and me and all the old greats... no one will forget us! Barry pushed himself and pushed himself. If he'd have had this guy here behind him..." And the Babe slapped Lou on the back. "Barry would have hit 100 homers the year he hit 73. And the next year when they walked him 200 times... think they'd have done that with Lou in the on deck circle? Hell... Barry would have hit 70 again!"
The Babe vs. Barry and the Carl Mays Saga
1st game of the season: Babe Ruth hits the 1st home run of the season, as he often does. His solo shot soars over the brick RF wall, the catwalk full of fans and splashes into McCovey’s Cove. The blast gives New York a 2-1 lead. But Huggins brings Tom Sheehan in to begin the 6th, even though Mays has yielded only 1 run on 4 hits and thrown only 65 pitches. The Yanks lose a 2-1 lead late, 5-2.
Behind the Batting Cage at BP, before game 5.
PacBell Park, San Francisco, 2002.
“Wait till ya see the Polo Grounds, kid.”
Barry Bonds is startled momentarily by the deep semi-southern baritone voice. Babe Ruth leans on the batting practice cage at San Francisco’s Pac Bell Park. It’s 2002. The 1921 Yanks and the 2002 National League champs have split four games at the beautiful bay-front ballpark. The 1921 home run champ has sidled up next to the 21st century home run champ. And The Bambino introduces himself. “Babe Ruth…” The two shake hands.
“I’ve heard about it from my Godfather.” Answered Barry.
“When you see it, you’ll realize two things.”
“What’s that, Babe?”
“One… that with your quick bat, you’ll do well.”
“And the second?”
“Your Godfather could play some centerfield.”
Jason Schmidt goes out and throws a complete game masterpiece, throttling the 1921 American League champions on just three hits and striking out eight. Bonds doubles in a run and scores two. Reggie Sanders, Benito Santiago and JT Snow knock in two apiece as the Giants roll 7-2. The San Fran clan heads to New York, 1921, and their former home of half-a-century, the Polo Grounds… and they do so with a 3-2 record.
Behind the Batting Cage at BP, before game six.
The Polo Grounds, Manhattan NY, 1921.
New York Yankees Home Opener.
“You weren’t kidding, Babe!” Mused Barry.
“You’ve seen the film of Willie’s catch, ain’t you?”
“Yep. Everybody has.”
“Too bad the Giants left New York… although that park out there is beautiful.”
“Yep. Wish they built it 40 years earlier, so Willie could’ve played there.”
“I played in old Seals Stadium. In the fall, after the season.”
“No kidding!”
“Yep! Same place as Joe D, Lefty O’Doul…”
“Who are those guys?” Barry grinned. Then so did the Babe.
The Babe vs. Barry!
Game 8: Polo Grounds 1921.
Barry Bonds goes deep for the 1st time this season. It’s a booming drive to deep right center, clearing the wall near the 429 sign with plenty to spare. Like the Babe in game one, Barry’s 1st home run is a solo blast. And like the Babe’s, it comes in a losing cause. The Yanks edge the Giants 6-5 with run scoring doubles from Ruth, right fielder Bob Meusel and catcher Wally Schang.
Game 9: NY wins 4-3 in 11 to go 6-3 on the season. Babe Ruth leads off the bottom of the 11th with his 2nd HR to dead center, approximately 510 feet deep into the Polo Grounds bleachers, to win the game.
The next day at BP…
“Could Willie have caught that one, Babe?” Kidded Barry.
“Sure, kid!” The Babe winked. “For the price of a 25 cent bleacher ticket.”
As a harbinger of how the season is bound to go, the first 10 games go something like this:
10 Games -’21 Yanks are 7-3
PLAYER - BA SA HR RBI BB OBP
Ruth .225 .483 2HR 5RBI 14BB .467
Meusel .205 .307 0HR 8RBI
Pipp .325 .425 0HR 8RBI
Baker .294 .382 0HR 7RBI
Schang .176 .235 0HR 2RBI
Bonds .214 .429 1HR 7RBI 18BB .522
Kent .182 .181 0HR 0RBI
Sanders .181 .250 0HR 6RBI
Mays 1-0 13 inn 1.31
Hoyt 1-0 15 inn 1.20
Shawkey 3-0 13 inn 4.73
Game 12: Back in San Francisco the 1921 Yankees win their 6th straight, 7-2. The SRO crowd at PacBell Park boos lustily. Not because their hero lost. Because the Babe and Barry combine to go zero for eight – with five walks.
The next day behind the BP Cage:
“They sure booed the shit out of us, didn’t they?”
“Yeah, Babe. You know these days (2002) they pay $200 for some tickets.”
“Holy crap! For 200 bucks I’d do more than boo. I’d throw things!” Barry nodded and grinned.
Game 19:
Bob Meusel hits a 420 foot grand slam to left in the 3rd after Hernandez walks 2. That drives him from the game.
NY wins 11-3 to go 14-5, winning their 9th of 11. Of course the Giants are starting to tire of the losing.
Next day behind the BP cage:
“Livan ain’t foolin’ anybody right now…” Said Barry.
“Hell!” Spat manager Dusty Baker. “He ain’t even fooling me… with my glasses off!”
Game 27:
Jason Schmidt out-duels Carl Mays to hand the submarine-dealing right-hander his first loss. Mays is 4-1 with a 2.63 (51 innings) even after giving up 4 runs in 7-2/3 innings. SF wins 6-2.
Next Day behind the BP cage:
“I don’t care if we finally beat Mays…” said Barry. “I hate batting against him. His wind-up… his delivery… feels like it’s coming at your head, every pitch.”
“Well…” said the Babe quietly. “He did kill a guy with a pitch.”
Game 35. PacBell Park, 2002.
NY wins 11-0, knocking SF southpaw Kirk Rueter out of the box. The Yanks are 25-10. The Babe and Barry combine for one single – and six walks.
Next day, behind the BP cage:
“Pitching against you guys is like throwing against a threshing machine… or a wood-chipper.” Kirk Rueter
“You’ve had our number a couple of times,” said the Babe. “Nobody dominates a big-league team all the time.”
“Yeah, Babe, but when we walk you, your guys make us pay.” Interjected Barry.
“Well… you do have some good hitters.” The Babe winked. “But we do have lots of them.”
Game 36. Polo Grounds , 1921.
SF wins 6-5.
Ruth slices a 300 ft HR to LF in 6th
Sanders belts 440 ft bomb to right-center in 7th.
Ruth takes a fast one on the knee in 8th. He glares at Schmidt as he trots to 1st.
Bonds lines a 370 ft HR to LF in 9th. It makes the score 6-2, but turns out to be the game-winner, as Yanks rally for 3 in bottom of 9th… before leaving the bases loaded as the game ends.
Game 38: Behind the cage at BP:
“Uh, Babe…am I nuts, or is this park different?”
“Yes!” Said the Babe seriously. “And Yes!”
Barry grinned wryly. “Okay, you ain’t nuts. This is the Polo Grounds after ’23. That’s when you guys kicked us out and we built the Stadium. Good move, eh?”
“The Giants were nuts, Babe. I’d have just bumped up the rent.” The Babe grinned broadly.
“You’re a smart fellow, Barry.”
For some reason the Giants pitch to Ruth. He hits two homers and plates four. NY wins 7-5.
At the BP cage before game 41:
“Okay Babe, you’ve seen way more hitters than I have. Who do I remind you of? Anybody?”
“That’s easy!” Babe answered. “Williams. Ted Williams.”
“No kidding?” Barry answered back.
“No doubt. Both of you real scientific. Both of you quick on the inside pitch. Both of you real patient… more patient than I’ll ever be. Only thing is you can run a lot faster. But we’re talking hitting.”
“I choke up, though.”
“Very unusual. But you still swing hard… quick… like Ted. Both of you are quicker coming around than me.”
“Thank you? Wow!”
“Yep! Hey, there’s different ways. Mine is more power and timing. Yours is more speed and form and precision. Take me and Lou Gehrig. Couldn’t be more different. Both approaches worked great. That’s why I love watching the guys on the other team. Don’t get me wrong… I wanna win… bad. But when it’s all said and done, I like to watch a good hitter operate.”
“What about my Dad?”
“Hey kid… I’m sorry about him. He was a great hitter. And you showed a lotta guts the year you lost him.”
“Thanks, Babe.” Barry said quietly.
“But as a hitter…” Babe brightened. “He was more like me. Swung from way back home. And he could throw like I could. Ran waaay better!” Barry nodded and grinned.
“You would have a hell of an outfield… you in left, your Pop in right, and your God-Dad in center. A thousand or so homers, a thousand or so stolen bases, and five or six thousand runs. Think that would work?”
“Hey, Babe.” Barry grinned again. “Reggie Jackson is a cousin of mine!” The Babe pointed a finger at Barry.
“Yeah, but you can’t have him! He’s also a Yankee!”
“True, true. And he definitely swung like you.”
“Especially in October, kid!”
“Amen!”
At the 50-game mark the Yanks are 31-19.
PLAYER: BA/SA… HR… RBI… BB… OBP
Ruth: .266/.509… 10… 34… 58… .450
Bonds: .266/.443… 5… 28… 69… .489
BP cage:
“What a sorry sack of .260 hitters, eh?” Barry laughs.
“Yeah, Babe. Seems like everybody’s in a slump. Except Reggie Sanders.”
“Yeah… he’s got a quick bat!” Just then Hoyt appears.
“Sorry about the game, Waite.” Babe shrugged.
“Forget it Babe! I’ve blown some leads in my time. Who’s the Giant among Giants here?”
“This is Barry, Waite. Barry, this is…”
“I know who this Hall-of-Famer is, Babe.” The two greats shook hands. “You were also a Giant, weren’t you, Mr. Hoyt?” Waite Hoyt grinned.
“Why you sandbagger! You reading up on me?”
“Scouting on you!” Replied Barry.
“See Barry?” Boomed the Babe, who winked. “Told you that you reminded me of Ted Williams!” Babe looked at Hoyt. “Watch him, Waite. Careful!”
“Careful!” Exclaimed Barry. “How more careful could you guys be? I’m lucky I get one strike a game!”
Game 54: NY wins 9-2 to go 34-20.
PacBell Park, 2002. San Francisco.
With two on in the 6th, and NY leading 1-0, Huggins sends up Chicken Hawks to pinch-hit. Predictably, there is a loud, comical reaction from the Bay Area crowd when Hawks is announced. Then the Chicken hits a 393 foot drive over Barry Bonds’ head and into the left-field seats, giving the Yanks a 4-0 cushion. But he isn’t done. The Yanks bat around and the Hawk Man comes up again. He singles in another run, to make the score Yanks 9-0. It would be 10-0, except Barry Bonds makes a great throw to nail Schang trying to score from 2nd. No one laughs at Chicken Hawks, who took 2nd on the throw. But out in left field, Bonds whistles. Hawks looks and Barry tips his cap. Hawks returns the salute. Hawks ends up 2-2 with a HR and 4 RBI.
Game 55: NY wins 5-1 to go 35-20.
PacBell Park, 2002. San Francisco.
Top of the 1st:
“Ladies and gentlemen! Please give a warm Bay Area welcome to San Francisco native, Santa Clara University alumnus, and owner of a lifetime major league batting average of .316 in 146 games… Nelson…Louis… HAWKS!”
The startled crowd looks at Chicken Hawks as he digs in the left-hand batter’s box. Slowly they start applauding… a noise crescendo as the fans gradually stand, one-by-one. The applause grows into a loud, long ovation that circles and echoes the beautiful new San Francisco stadium. The startled Hawks steps out. The umpire comes around to dust the plate even though only two batters have hit. Hawks looked around and hesitates. “Tip your cap!” Said catcher Benito Santiago. Hawks takes off his dinky cloth Yankee cap and waves it. The ovation grows anew, loud and powerful. Santiago says, “It’s a pretty salty team keeps a .316 hitter on the pines!” Hawks smiles… “Yes sir… and a fella named Ruth!” Santiago nodded, smiles, and pulls his mask over his face as he squats back down. “Number One!” Santiago barks. Hawks steps back in and waits. Ortiz fires the fastball as promised. Hawks connects solidly, belting a long drive to center, where, alas, Kenny Lofton corrals it, 399 feet away. Hawks rounds first and trots back to the Yankee dugout to another loud San Francisco ovation. He again tips his cap. He squints up at the press box, where a beaming Babe Ruth, holding the PA announcers microphone winks back.
Game 60: NY wins 5-1 to go 40-20.
Polo Grounds, NY. 1921.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Ruth lifted a 277 foot fly-ball that floated down the RF line. Reggie Sanders race over and watched helplessly as it dropped over the 11 wall to the left of the 256 foot marker for a 2 run HR. The following inning, Barry Bonds led off and golfed a pitch off his shoe tops which also floated lazily down the RF line for a 282 foot HR. As he rounded 2nd, he tipped his hat to the Babe in left, who grinned and returned salute.
Game 62: NY wins 6-4 to go 42-20.
Yanks win 12th straight. At the urging of Babe Ruth, Miller Huggins decides to give Nelson ‘Chicken’ Hawks some playing time as part of a left-hand hitting platoon. Elmer Miller isn’t happy, but the San Francisco crowd is, giving their native son a rousing ovation when he comes to the plate in the 1st, as well as each successive plate appearance. Hawks rewards Huggins with 3 hits, including a triple, and two runs.
Game 79: NY wins 10-6 to go 52-27
In the 1st, Chicken Hawks homered to left field, a solo blast travelling some 380 feet. Ruth, on deck, smiled and shook his hand at the plate. In the 3rd, Hawks walked to load the bases. He got to shake the Babe’s hand again, after Ruth belted a grand slam home run, 474 feet to center field.
Game 82: SF wins 10-3.
With the Giants already up 5-0 in the top of the 4th, the San Francisco crowd is in a festive mood. Thus they cheer wildly when hometown hero Chicken Hawks leads off the 4th by lining a 420 foot home solo home run to left.
103rd Game. PacBell Park. 2002. SF wins 4-1.
In the 1st, Chicken Hawks hit a tremendous solo HR into McCovey’s Cove, his 1st ‘splash’ HR. He circled the bases to a tremendous ovation for what turned out to be all of the Yanks’ offense.
105th game. PacBell Park. SF wins 5-4.
Chicken Hawks:
.427 BA (41 for 96), .466 OBP, .531 SA, 5 HR, 10 RBI.
Actual Major League BA .316 (146 g), .387 OBP, .453 SA
Minor League BA .306 (1206 g),
.299 (AA-982g), .337 (A-224g)
Game 110: The Bambino gets hot, hitting 6 homers and knocking home 14 in five games. Then here in game 110 Kirk Rueter throttles the Yankees, allowing just two singles in eight innings. With a 4-0 in the 8th he tires.
Dusty Baker comes to the mound in the 8th to take the ball from Rueter. Rueter has just walked Babe Ruth with the bases full to force home the Yanks 1st run. But thus far he has allowed only two singles.
“Skip, sorry about the walks…”
“Son that last one was the smartest thing you’ve done all day. I’m takin’ you out 'cause you look gassed. I’m bringing in Rod.” Baker grinned. “He’ll show these guys some gas of his own. Outstanding job, Kirk.” Rueter departs to an ovation from the enemy NY crowd. And indeed, Rodriguez strikes out Meusel and induces Pipp to pop up weakly, stranding 3 runners.
130 Games 81-49 (4-6)
Ruth .304 .667 45HR 131RBI 143 BB .469
Meusel .274 .442 13HR 100RBI
Pipp .330 .447 7HR 109RBI
Baker .266 .373 13HR 83RBI
Schang .286 .413 7HR 61RBI
Bonds .364 .607 18HR 76RBI 177 BB .550
Kent .253 .352 5HR 80RBI
Sanders .260 .422 7HR 94RBI
Mays 19-7 236 inn 3.20
Hoyt 13-6 234 inn 3.53
Shawkey 20-9 240 inn 4.32
Chicken Hawks: .348 BA (63 for 181), .401 OBP, .464 SA, 6 HR, 14 RBI.
Actual ML BA .316 (146 g), .387 OBP, .453 SA
Minor League BA .306 (1206 g),
.299 (AA-982g), .337 (A-224g)
Game 132 NY 7-2 83-49
The Carl Mays Saga
Carl Mays was an enigmatic figure in early 20th century baseball. He was a great right-handed pitcher. He went 27-9, 3.05 in 1921, leading the AL in wins, winning percentage, games pitched, innings pitched AND saves – even though he started 38 times. Additionally Mays hit .343, drove in 22 runs and struck out only 7 times in 156 plate appearances!
For his 15-year career he went 208-126, 2.92. But for all his greatness Mays is remembered for just one thing – throwing the only fatal pitch in major league history. He struck Cleveland Indians’ 2nd baseman Ray Chapman on the temple with a high, tight fast one. Chapman died of a skull fracture early the following morning at a nearby hospital.
But there was more.
The Yanks won their first pennant in 1921. They lost the ensuing World Series to their Polo Grounds landlords, the 1921 New York Giants. They lost 5 games to 3 after winning the 1st 3 of 5. There were rumors and allegations that Carl Mays ‘threw’ a game or two the Giants’ way. Although never proven, many said that Yankee manager Miller Huggins tried to get rid of Mays – his biggest winner – immediately after that World Series. Huggins also used him less. By 1923 Mays was a mop-up man even though he was still in what should have been in his prime. Indeed once Mays was dealt to the Cincinnati he continued to be an effective starter.
In this mythic season of Mac’s Legendary Baseball, the computerized Miller Huggins uses Mays in curious fashion. Let’s review:
1st game of the season: Huggins brings Tom Sheehan in to begin the 6th, even though Mays has yielded only 1 run on 4 hits and thrown only 65 pitches. The Yanks lose a 2-1 lead late, 5-2.
6th game: Carl Mays wins his 1st decision. He goes a strong 8-plus innings, allowing one earned run on 6 hits. Mays also drives in two at the bat.
11th game: This time Huggins removes his ace, Mays, at the start of the fifth, even though the Yanks lead 12-3, and Mays has thrown only 59 pitches. By getting of Mays after the 4th frame, Huggins renders his hurler ineligible to get the win with a 9-run lead.
Game 27:
Jason Schmidt out-duels Carl Mays to hand the submarine-dealing right-hander his first loss. Mays is 4-1 with a 2.63 (51 innings) even after giving up 4 runs in 7-2/3 innings. SF wins 6-2.
The day after game 27 behind the BP cage:
“I don’t care if we finally beat Mays…” said Barry. “I hate batting against him. His wind-up… his delivery… feels like it’s coming at your head, every pitch.”
“Well…” said the Babe quietly. “He did kill a guy with a pitch.”
Now in game 132:
Carl Mays is the winning pitcher… the winningest on either squad. He’s now 21-7 with a 3.40 ERA over 270 innings. He goes 6-plus today yielding only 7 hits and 2 earned runs. But today’s success comes wrapped in near-tragedy.
In the Giants’ 6th, Mays is coasting with a 5-hit shutout. Then a frozen rope off the bat of Russ Ortiz rockets toward the mound – and Carl Mays’ face. Reflexively he whips his right arm up to guard himself. The ball caroms off of May’s right biceps drops and straight down. Mays scrambles for the ball, picks it up and fires to 1st – wildly. The throw pulls Wally Pipp of the bag and Ortiz legs it out for a hit. Then time is called and everyone rushes to the mound where a dazed Mays has sunk to a knee, grimacing in great pain, clutching his pitching arm.
The huge PacBell Park crowd stands in silence as the Yankees and Giants medical staff tend to the stricken hurler. After an excruciatingly long wait Mays, with the aid of the Yankee Trainer, arises to his feet, to a thunderous ovation from the somewhat relieved crowd.
What happens next stuns everybody. Manager Miller Huggins, who has been quietly feuding with Mays all season, is reminded by the home plate umpire, Bill Klem, that whoever relieves Mays gets all the time to warm up he needs.
“What the hell you talking about!” Barks Carl Mays. Gimme the damn ball!” Mays indeed grabs the ball and motions to Wally Schang, who takes his position behind the plate. The spectators murmur. Ten warm-up tosses later they are on their feet again, cheering for the pitcher of the visiting squad as Mays motions for the next Giant batter, Benito Santiago, to take his cuts. And the San Francisco SRO crowd gives Carl Mays a deafening ovation when he heads for the Yankee bench after retiring the side.
But when Mays takes the mound in the 7th it becomes apparent that something isn’t right. His command isn’t what it was. He yields two runs. Then something goes terribly wrong. Mays unleashes a submarine fastball which rises from the ground and rockets straight for the batting helmet of one Barry Bonds. There’s an audible THWACK… a sickening gunshot sound as Bonds collapses.
At BP the next day:
“Sorry about hitting you, kid.” Said Carl Mays.
“You’ve got a lotta nerve talking to me…” answered Barry.
“Yeah I do. But you showed a lotta guts coming back and hitting that bomb off of me yesterday. Are you okay?”
“I still have a headache.”
“You still are a headache…” answered Carl. “And by the way, my arm still hurts. And if I hadn’t used it to block my face…”
“So you throw at me?”
“Nah! I was just trying to move you off the plate. You stand right on it, you know!”
“I’m in the batters’ box. Totally legal.”
“So is pitching inside, kid. And you got the quickest bat on an inside pitch I have ever seen.”
“No kidding? Now you’re trying to flatter me? Get on my good side after damn near killing me?”
“No kidding. And no, I ain’t flattering anybody. Ask any of my teammates. You’re quicker than Ted Williams. Quicker than Cobb. Quicker than the Babe. Quicker than anybody.”
“Damn!” mused Barry.
“Babe is all about timing and power. You got some power, but it comes from being quick. Like Ruth said, you’re kind of like Ted. But I think you’re quicker inside.”
“Damn…” repeated Barry.
“Anyway, sorry about the duster kid!” Mays stuck out his hand. Barry hesitated. Then he shook hands with Carl Mays. Mays then rolled up the sleeve of his pitching arm. He showed Barry his triceps, which had a huge purplish baseball sized welt… two days after Mays had been hit by Russ Ortiz.
“Damn!” Barry said a 3rd time. “You did get nailed!”
“This is my pitching arm, kid. When I hit you, I had just been nailed myself. My whole upper arm was just about numb. I swear to you, I did not mean to hit you.”
“I was right, Mr. Mays. You do have a lot of nerve.”
“I know what you’re wondering. About Ray Chapman.”
“He the guy you…”
“Killed?” Mays’ eyes looked downward. “Haunts me from that day to this. Kid… Chappie crowded the plate even worse than you. The pitch I hit him with might have been a strike. I swear, he never even moved. I don’t think he ever saw the ball. It was horrible. When the ball hit his head, I thought it hit his bat. I actually fielded the ball and threw to 1st. Everybody thought the same thing. Then Chappie collapsed.”
“Man... that is horrible.”
“A nightmare. One I’ll never wake up from. You know something? I think that pitch might have kept us both out of the Hall of Fame. Not that I give a damn about that.”
“You don’t?”
“Nah. I’d just as soon have that pitch back. Look… I’ve been part of championship teams. Boston and New York. I had a great career.” Mays brightened a bit. “I was a good hitter, too.”
“You are a good hitter. You should pinch-hit and then stay in the game. You’d get a lot of wins that way.”
“You’re a pretty good hitter yourself, kid.”
“Actually, I’m 40.” Said Barry. “No kid anymore.”
“Hell…” Mays grinned. “You’re a whippersnapper. I’ve got bunions older than you.” Barry also grinned. Then he stuck out his hand. “Just keep ‘em below the neck, okay?” Carl Mays shook Bonds’ hand once more. Then he gestured toward McCovey’s cove.
“You keep ‘em out of that damn water!” Mays and Barry both grinned at that one.
Game 136 SF wins 5-3
At BP the next day:
“I wasn’t just pitching around you, Barry…” cracked Waite Hoyt. “I was pitching around everybody.” Barry grinned. In the 5th inning, leading 2-0, the normally sharp Hoyt walked Bonds to put men on 1st and 2nd. Then he walked two more to force in a run.
140 Games NY is 85-55
Chicken Hawks: .355 BA (71 for 200),
.406 OBP, .490 SA, 8 HR, 21 RBI.
Actual ML BA .316 (146 g), .387 OBP, .453 SA
Minor League BA .306 (1206 g),
.299 (AA-982g), .337 (A-224g)
Game 144 NY wins 15-11 to go 87-57
Carl Mays goes 8-1/3 to go to 22-9, 3.68 (286 innings). He also drives home two. Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent and JT Snow each double home two runs for the Giants. The Bambino and Frank ‘Home Run’ Baker each homer for the Yanks. But the big offensive star is New York’s 5’7” Nelson ‘Chicken’ Hawks. Hawks collects three hits, homers twice and drives in seven.
Hawks: 3H, 3R, 2 HR, 7 RBI.
1st: line single to left, scores on Ruth’s HR.
4th: Crushes grand slam to RCF into McCovey Cove.
8th: Crushes 3 run HR to dead center, 443 feet.
Behind the BP cage, before game 152, the final game of the season at PacBell Park, San Francisco, 2002:
“I just wanna thank you boys for letting me back on the field just one more time…” said Chicken Hawks.
“You ain’t gotta thank anybody, Chicky!” said the Babe. “You are a helluva hitter!”
“Amen!” Chimed in Barry, who stuck out his hand. Chicken Hawks shook it. “Mr. Hawks… why didn’t you stick around? You are obviously good enough.”
“Thank you Barry. I don’t know. I had a real good minor league career. Hit .320 with the Phils in ’25. Not a lot of power though. But things were different. You could make a lot of money in the high minors. They were independent back then.”
“No kidding?” Answered Barry.
“Well… a lot of money for 1925!” Answered Hawks. All three men laughed. Hawks continued. “I played a few years in the International League… that’s where you got it rolling, right Babe?”
“Damn right!” The Babe beamed.
“Best part… finished up right here in San Francisco, at Seals Stadium! I was 35… still hit .290-something.”
“That’s great…” said Barry quietly. “But like I said Mr. Hawks, you’re a big leaguer, and a good one. You got a good eye too. Glad you got one more shot.”
“Thanks fellows. Today’s my last game. Want to finish up where it began, know what I mean?”
Chicken Hawks: .339 BA (79 for 233), .398 OBP, .485 SA, 10 HR, 31 RBI.
Actual ML BA .316 (146 g), .387 OBP, .453 SA
Minor League BA .306 (1206 g),
.299 (AA-982g), .337 (A-224g)
1920 Batting Champ .358
Calgary Broncos
Western Canada league
9th inning: “Ladies and Gentlemen! Now batting for New York, with an average of .339… San Francisco’s own…
Nelson… ‘Chicken’… HAWKS!” The Bay Area crowd stood one final time and gave a long, loud ovation for the 165 pound Bay Area native who proved he belonged in the bigs.
Hawks finished his season with a single, 3 walks and 3 runs as the Yanks romp 15-6.
BP before Game 153
At Ebbets Field, Brooklyn.
Behind the BP cage in Brooklyn.
“Check it out Barry…” said Babe. “This is where it all happened.” Babe winked. Barry of course knew what ‘it’ was. “April 15, 1947…”
“This is really something Babe.”
“I’ll tell you something, Barry. Six pennants in ten years. A World Championship. MVP. Batting title. Yeah, the guy had guts and class. But the guy could flat play ball!”
“Wish I could have met him, Babe.” Barry said quietly.
“Who knows, kid? You met me didn’t you?”
Both men grinned.
Game 153 SF 7-5 94-59
2B: D.Bell (1), R.Aurilia (1)
3B: J.Snow (1)
HR: J.Kent (1)
RBI: K.Lofton 2 (2), J.Kent 3 (3), D.Bell (1), J.Snow (1)
WP-Rueter
2B: B.Meusel (1), R.Peckinpaugh (1)
HR: B.Ruth 2 (52)
RBI: B.Ruth 4 (152), W.Schang (1)
“One more game Barry. Where do you want to play it? Here? Polo Grounds? You name it.”
“Right here Babe. Right here.”
“You know I coached here for the Dodgers? 1938.”
“So we’re ending up where you ended up?” The Babe stuck out his hands and Barry shook it. Babe winked.
“We’ll do it again sometime, Mr. Bonds. It’s been fun!”
154 Games 94-60 Final!
Ruth .304 .661 52HR 152RBI 165 BB .466
Meusel .270 .421 13HR 114RBI
Pipp .326 .466 9HR 131RBI
Baker .268 .370 14HR 100RBI
Schang .288 .418 7HR 71RBI
Bonds .349 .586 21HR 87RBI 222 BB .551
Kent .259 .364 7HR 104RBI
Sanders .262 .425 9HR 114RBI
Mays 22-10 302 inn 3.72
Hoyt 17-6 271 inn 3.51
Shawkey 20-11 263 inn 4.62
The Babe vs. Barry
10 Games 7-3
Ruth .225 .483 2HR 5RBI 14BB .467
Bonds .214 .429 1HR 7RBI 18BB .522
20 Games 15-5(8-2)
Ruth .221 .397 2HR 11RBI 24BB .424
Bonds .203 .484 2HR 14RBI 32BB .484
30 Games 20-10(5-5)
Ruth .265 .520 6HR 20RBI 37BB .460
Bonds .287 .500 4HR 20RBI 42BB .507
50 Games 31-19 (4-6)
Ruth .266 .509 10HR 34RBI 58BB .450
Bonds .266 .443 5HR 28RBI 69BB .489
80 Games 53-27 (5-5) (22-8)
Ruth .293 .637 26HR 71RBI 91 BB .469
Bonds .314 .534 11HR 50RBI 109 BB .500
100 Games 65-35 .650(7-3) (34-16)
Ruth .303 .654 34HR 95RBI 112 BB .472
Bonds .366 .609 14HR 62RBI 138 BB .555
154 Games 94-60 Final!
Ruth .304 .661 52HR 152RBI 165 BB .466
Bonds .349 .586 21HR 87RBI 222 BB .551
Bonds Games 21-100 266-107 .402
Bonds Games 21-120 335-131 .391
Dusty Baker (Born Riverside, Ca) 242 HR 1013 RBI .278 BA
Bobby Bonds (Born Riverside) 332 HR 1024 RBI .268 BA
Barry Bonds (Born Riverside) 762 HR 1996 RBI .298 BA
The Carl Mays Saga – Finale
By all accounts Carl Mays was one of the most unpopular players in baseball, even among his teammates. It is entirely possible that Mays’ surly disposition was the root cause of all of his problems.
When I was a young boy, I read all about the great Walter Johnson. The Big Train was considered by most the greatest pitcher of all time. With 416 wins over 21 years for a mostly mediocre Washington Senators team. All the stories always featured two things; Johnson’s lightning fastball and his gentle, genial disposition. Combining the two traits, everyone emphasized that Walter Johnson had a mortal fear of hitting and seriously injuring batter. Luckily, with his pinpoint control, that wasn’t a problem. Ty Cobb even crowded the plate, making the Big Train pitch to the outer half of the plate.
Bull.
Guess which pitcher plunked more hitters than any other? Yep! In 5914 innings the Big Train nailed 205 batters, leading the AL twice. That works out to a 162 game average of 274 innings and 9 HBP a season.
Carl Mays? The submarine-ball headhunting scourge of the American League? He pitched 3021 innings from 1915 to 1929, hit 89 men, and led the AL once. His 162 game average: 252 innings and 7 victims a season.
By the way, Carl Mays lifetime record is 208-126 over those 15 years. The Big Train accumulated nearly the exact same mark… 206-128, over his first nine years (1907-15)! And that was pitching for greatly inferior teams! Walter Johnson’s greatness is not exaggerated!
Let’s line up those two seasonal averages again:
Johnson - 274 innings and 9 HBP a season.
Mays - 252 innings and 7 HBP a season.
Carl Mays may not have been a toastmaster. But history may have dealt him a raw deal. Before he allegedly ‘killed’ Ray Chapman and ‘dumped’ the 1921 World Series, he won 53 games and pitched 642 innings! That’s a lot of pitches. One or two is bound to get away. They didn’t think batting helmets were a necessary expense for another 30 years.
I remember seeing Goose Gossage bounce a fastball off of the batting helmet of Ron Cey. Cey’s head was in the helmet of course. There was a gunshot sound and Ron Cey went down like – well, like he’d been shot with a gun. Cey was in the line-up the next day. And when the Dodgers defeated the Yankees to become 1981 World Champs, Cey was named co-MVP. And Gossage continued his Hall of Fame career.
Sadly the batting helmet arrived too late for Ray Chapman – and Carl Mays. Mays, if remembered at all, is remembered as a cold-hearted head-hunting killer. And the only plaque Chapman ever got was found in a store room at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. It was taken to the new Jacob’s Field – where it was again tossed in a storeroom where it rusted and deteriorated to the point that the text was unreadable. Re-discovered in 2007 it was finally refurbished and put on display, clean and untarnished. No such fate has yet come to the memory of Carl Mays.
