Congratulations Boys! Great Job!
As I type this the 2011 Yankees just signed off on the season. They've just conceded to the Central Div Champion Detroit Tigers, by one run in the bumper game. I shook my head when they left the bases jammed. I smacked the armrest when they did it again an inning later. And I could see the end in sight, even though I root-root-rooted till A-Rod whiffed in the 9th.
Only a week or so ago the New Yorkers hung up their 17th AL East banner to go with 40 AL flags and 27 WS trophies. That's a lotta t-shirts. I've already read the tired Yankees-must-win-World Championship-or-failed season stories that started popping up when NY went down 2-1 in the Motor City. It's long since gotten old... older than the left side of the Yankee infield.
The Yanks had no right to the postseason, let alone The World Series. C'mon people! Yeah the Bombers could...well, bomb. But did you seriously think early in the season, even at the all-star break that the Yankee pitching staff after CC would hold up this well, this far? Hughes was not huge. Garcia and Colon were minor miracles. AJ was like spotting the AL one game a week just to keep things even. Salary cap? Signing guys like Burnett is its own punishment.
And yet my boys fought hard. Came all the way back from deep in the rear-view mirror of the Bosox, zoomed by the stuck-in-the ditch favorites as they spun their wheels in the mud, and claimed the AL East brass ring. Yeah, the Red Sox did the el-foldo. But the Bombers seized the day - actually the month - and did what champs have to do.
Next year boys. Some of you, anyway. You need to get younger. On the mound. On the left side of the infield. Behind the plate. Sign CC or somebody else. Nobody over 30, ESPECIALLY on the hill. Give Nunez and Montero and Nova a chance at 'for real'. Next year.
But this year? Nice job! You see it here first. Hopefully not here only.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
An All-Boston World Series!
Pop quiz! Did Boston ever have two league champions in the same year? Yes! 1891!
The city of Boston had three shots at an all-Beantown world championship. And they had three historic near-misses.
The 1914 Braves – 1915 Red Sox.
As an oddity, each team played their World Series home games in the other team's park… the Braves played the ’14 Series in brand-new Fenway Park. Then the ’15 Sox hosted the Phillies in brand-new Braves Field. Both switches were done to allow increased seating and revenue.
The 1948 Braves – 1948 Red Sox.
Teddy Ballgame missed his 2nd shot at a ring when his team lost to the Cleveland Boudreau’s in a one-game playoff.
The 1891 Beaneaters – 1891 Boston Reds.
The Boston Beaneaters won the National League flag. And in the American Association’s 10th and final year of operations as a major league, the Boston Reds captured their title. Unfortunately the two teams never met in any formal championship series.
Until Now!
Mac’s Legendary Baseball presents…
The 1891 Boston Reds
93-42 American Association Champs
Vs.
1891 Boston Beaneaters
87-51 National League Champs
1891 Boston Reds
93-42 American Association Champs
Manager: Arthur Irwin
Dan Brouthers (HOF) .350, 109 RBI, future member of 1894-96 NL champion Baltimore Orioles.
Hugh Duffy (HOF) .336, 110 RBI, 85 SB, member of 1892-3, 1897-8 NL champion Boston Beaneaters, .440 hitter in 1894.
Vs.
1891 Boston Beaneaters
87-51 National League Champs
Manager Frank Selee
Kid Nichols (HOF) 30-17, 2.39, 425 innings
John Clarkson (HOF) 33-19, 460 inn.
Steve Brodie .260, future member of three-time (1894-96) NL champion Baltimore Orioles. Hit .331 over 6 seasons.
Bobby Lowe 2B, and Herman Long SS members of 1891-3, 1897-8 NL champion Boston Beaneaters
Note: Though Lowe was part of a championship DP combo, he played left field for the 1891 squad.
The two teams will face off in a classic best-of-seven game format. They will play the first two at Boston’s South End Grounds, home of the Beaneaters. They will then switch to the Congress Street Grounds, which the Reds called home. Then if necessary the two teams will return to South End Grounds to finish things up.
1891 Boston Reds Starting Line-up
CF Tom Brown .321, 106 SB, 177 R
SS Paul Radford .259, 102 R
RF Hugh Duffy .336, 110 RBI, 5 SB, 134 R
1B Dan Brouthers .350, .471 OBA,.512 SA
3B Duke Farrell .302, 110 RBI
LF Hardy Richardson .255, 52 RBI, 278 AB
C Morgan Murphy .216
2B Cub Stricker .216
P George Haddock 34-11, 2.49, 379 IP
P Charlie Buffinton 29-9, 2.55, 363 IP
1891 Boston Beaneaters Starting Line-up
LF Bobby Lowe .260, 43 SB, 129 R
CF Steve Brodie .260, 25 SB, 84 R
RF Harry Stovey .279, 57 SB, 95 RBI, 118 R
SS Herman Long .282, 60 SB, 75 RBI, 129 R
3B Billy Nash .276, 28 SB, 92 R, 95 RBI
C Charlie Ganzel .259
2B Joe Quinn .240
1B Tommy Tucker .270, 103 R
P John Clarkson 33-19, 2.79, 460 IP
P Kid Nichols 30-17, 2.39, 425 IP
Game 1 South End Grounds, Boston
Reds 10 Beaneaters 5.
Reds lead series 1 game to 0.
Bost. Reds - 2 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 - 10 18 2
Beaneaters - 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 - 5 9 6
Here’s how it happened:
Top of the 1st for the 1891 Boston Reds
John Clarkson (33-19) enters the game to pitch. Clarkson won 38 in 1887, 49 in 1889 and 53 in 1885. He led the NL in wins, games, complete games, and innings pitched, topping 600 innings twice. This Massachusetts native went 328-178 over 12 seasons. (Stats: Baseball-Reference.com).
Centerfielder Tom Brown, a .321 hitter in 1891, grounds a single past the mound into center. He attempts a steal of 2nd but is promptly gunned down by Beaneater catcher Charlie Bennett.
Shortstop Paul Radford then grounds a single to right-center. He promptly swipes 2nd, not at all discouraged by Brown’s failed attempt.
After Hall of Fame right-fielder Hugh Duffy is retired, Hall of Fame 1st baseman Dan Brouthers is intentionally walked. But 3rd baseman Duke Farrell smacks the third ground ball single of the frame, scoring Radford.
LF Hardy Richardson lines a single to left-center, plating Brouthers. And the Boston Reds have a 2-0 lead before their cross town rivals have batted.
This initial frame of the 1891 all-Boston World Championship is a harbinger of how things will go. The swiped sack, the moving of runners and timely hitting – not the long ball, is the approach teams take in the days of gaslamps and horse-drawn trolleys. And teams will not be cowed just because someone gets thrown out. They just keep running.
Bottom of 2nd. 1891 Boston Beaneaters
SS Herman Long grounds a single. He swipes 2nd and 3rd on successive pitches. He scores when Reds 2B Cub Stricker bobbles a grounder. 2-1, Reds.
End of 2nd:
1891 Boston Reds………….. 2 5 1
1891 Boston Beaneaters…. 1 2 0
Top of the 4th to you, 1891 Boston Reds!
Cub Stricker walks. Pitcher George Haddock lays down a sacrifice bunt to 1B. Tom Brown delivers Stricker with a line single to right. Brown steals second base. He scores on a groundball single to LF by Hugh Duffy… who promptly swipes 2B.
He’s left there, but you catch the recurring theme, right? Small-ball is BIG-time in ’91!
End of 4th:
1891 Boston Reds…………… 4 7 1
1891 Boston Beaneaters….. 1 2 0
Boston Reds top of the 5th:
A Hardy Richardson walk and two errors by Herm Long load the sacks with one down. But John Clarkson limits the damage to one run on a sac fly by opposing pitcher George Haddock. Reds lead 5-1.
In the top of the 6th with one away, Hugh Duffy reaches on a dribbler to 3B. He promptly steals second, and then scores on a Duke Farrell line drive single to RF.
The Reds lead 6-1.
But in the bottom of the 6th the 1891 Boston Beaneaters, down by five, use the running game to get back into the game.
Charlie Ganzel drives home Herm Long with a groundout to first.
Tom Tucker singles and swipes 2nd. Billy Nash singles to RF to deliver Tucker with the Beaneaters 3rd run. Nash steals 2nd and scores when Bobby Lowe smokes a line drive single to left-center. The 1891 Boston Reds lead is trimmed to two.
Then in the 7th, Herman Long smacks a solo homer that rattles the leftfield foul pole. The Reds lead is down to one. The 1891 Boston Reds lead 6-5.
But that’s as close as the Beaneaters get. Hall of Famer Hugh Duffy steals two more and scores two more, leading the Reds to a 10-5 win over 33 game winner John Clarkson and the NL champs. Herman Long bobbles three grounders on the day.
The 1891 Boston Reds win game 1, 10-5.
1891 Boston Reds
RBI: T.Brown (1), P.Radford (1), H.Duffy (1), D.Brouthers (1), D.Farrell 2 (2), H.Richardson 2 (2), G.Haddock (1)
SB: T.Brown 2 (2), P.Radford (1),
H.Duffy 4 (4), D.Farrell (1),
H.Richardson 2 (2), B.Joyce (1), J.Irwin (1)
1891 Boston Beaneaters
2B: B.Lowe (1)
HR: H.Long (1)
RBI: B.Lowe (1), H.Long (1), C.Ganzel (1), T.Tucker (1)
SB: H.Long 2 (2), B.Nash (1)
Errors: H.Long 3 (3), C.Ganzel 2 (2), J.Quinn (1)
George Haddock,
W (1-0) 6.0 IP 8H 4R 2ER 3K 5W 3.00ERA
George Haddock went 34-11, 2.49 in 1891. The year before he went 9-26, 5.76 for Buffalo in the 1890 Players League. The Bisons were terrible. But a couple of notables; his catcher was 27-year old Connie Mack, who was still employed in baseball 60-years later. One of his outfielders was Dummy Hoy, who hit .288 lifetime, lived to be 99, and never heard a single cheer or boo.
John Clarkson, L (0-1),
9 IP 18H 10R (7ER) 6K 1W 156P 7.00
Game 2 South End Grounds, Boston
Reds 7 Beaneaters 3.
Reds lead series 2 games to 0.
1891 Bost. Reds - 410 000 002 7 13 0
1891 Beaneaters - 000 000 300 3 6 1
Pitching for the Beaneaters: Kid Nichols 360-202, seven-time 30 game winner and Hall of Famer.
Top of the 1st to you, 1891 Boston Reds!
For the 2nd day in a row the Reds jump all over an all-time great pitcher. Tom Brown again grounds a single. He again attempts a steal. This time he makes it - and scores on a Hugh Duffy hit, a blue-darter to left.
Duffy swipes 2B. He scores on a bloop single to right off the bat of Duke Farrell. The Duke himself later scores on a Cub Stricker single to deep short. Dan Brouthers also scores on a Hardy Richardson ground single to right.
1891 Boston Reds…………… 4 5 0
1891 Boston Beaneaters…. 0 0 0
In the 2nd it’s Tom Brown again, singling to deep short, stealing 2B and scoring on a Dan Brouthers single to right-center.
The 1891 Boston Reds lead 5-0 after two. The lead would hold up.
The Beaneaters would make a game in the 7th. Herm Long singles home Steve Brodie, and then scores, along with Harry Stovey on a double in the left-center field gap off of the bat of 3rd baseman Billy Nash.
The gap between the two teams is down to two (5-3), but that’s as close as the Beaneaters get. The American Association champions take a 2-games-to-none lead home to their Congress Street grounds. Reds centerfielder Tom Brown steals three and scores three. Hugh Duffy drives in three.
2nd game final:
1891 Boston Reds…………. 7 13 0
1891 Boston Beaneaters… 3 6 1
1891 Boston Reds
2B: M.Murphy (1)
RBI: H.Duffy 3 (4), D.Brouthers (1), D.Farrell (1), H.Richardson (1), C.Stricker (1)
SB: T.Brown 3 (5), H.Duffy (5), D.Brouthers (2)
1891 Boston Beaneaters
2B: B.Nash (1)
RBI: H.Long (1), B.Nash 2 (2)
Charlie Buffinton,
W (1-0) 100 9.0 6 3 3 1 1 0 105 3.00
Kid Nichols,
L (0-1) 100 9.0 13 7 7 2 3 0 126 7.00
Game 3 Congress Street Grounds, Boston
Beaneaters 12 Reds 2.
Reds lead series 2 games to 1.
1891 Beaneaters - 001 142 022 - 12 17 1
1891 Reds - 001 000 001 – 2 7 4
The series shifts to the Congress Street Grounds, home of the AA champion Boston Reds.
1st inning 1891 Boston Reds
John Clarkson might be a 33 game winner in 1891, but he’s 0-1 here as he enters the game to pitch. Tom Brown, having a great series, laces Clarkson’s first offering into the gap in deep right center. The angry Clarkson walks SS Paul Radford. Radford annoys him even more by swiping 2nd with Charlie Ganzel holding the ball – and holding Tom Brown at 3rd.
But Clarkson goes behind the pitcher’s box (still a box in 1891). He takes a couple of deep breaths. Then he gets back in the box and shows why he won 328 games. Clarkson stiffens; retiring Hall of Famers Duffy and Brouthers, and handcuffing Hardy Richardson with a fast one on the fists and inducing a shallow flyout to left.
In the 3rd the 1891 Boston Beaneaters take their first lead of the series. Tommy Tucker smokes a line drive single to RF. Then he -you guessed it - swipes 2B. He then steals 3rd, and when Reds catcher Murphy’s throw sails into LF, Tucker scores.
The 1891 Boston Beaneaters lead 1-0.
Hugh Duffy answers in the bottom of the 3rd. He crushes a solo homer to left, tying the game 1-1.
Charlie Ganzel singles home Herman Long in the 4th. But it’s in the 5th that the Bean men take control. With two away, pitcher John Clarkson works Cinders O’Brien for a walk. Third-sacker Duke Farrell bobbles a bouncer off the bat of Bobby Lowe. And Steve Brodie bounces a single through the hole, into right. Bases loaded.
Harry Stovey, H.Long and B.Nash follow with base hits. Clarkson, Lowe, Brodie and Stovey all score. The Beaneaters jump out to a commanding 6-1 lead.
In the 6th, run-scoring singles by Tucker and Clarkson, plus a theft of 2nd by Tucker, pad the Beaneaters lead. 1891 Boston Beaneaters lead 8-1.
8th inning 1891 Boston Beaneaters
Clarkson doubles to left-center, advances to third on Bobby Lowe’s single to left , and scores his 2nd run on Steve Brodie’s RBI Texas League single to CF… although I don’t think the term ‘Texas Leaguer’ had been coined in ’91. Interestingly, Cinders O’Brien is relieved at this point by a Hall of Famer, 21-year old Clark Griffith. He got into just seven games in ’91, but before this young gun became the Old Fox he won 237 ballgames, and then established his legacy as the patriarch of the Washington Senators.
The Young Fox retires the , but the game is essentially over. The Beaneaters win 12-2 and are back in the series.
Beaneaters
2B: J.Clarkson 2 (2)
RBI: B.Lowe (2), S.Brodie (1), H.Stovey 2 (2), H.Long 2 (4), B.Nash (3), C.Ganzel (2), T.Tucker (2), J.Clarkson (1)
John Clarkson,
W (1-0) 100 9.0 7 2 2 3 1 1 120 2.00
Reds
2B: C.Stricker (1)
3B: T.Brown (1)
HR: H.Duffy (1)
RBI: H.Duffy (5), C.Stricker (2)
SB: P.Radford (2)
Cinders O'Brien,
L (0-1) 7 IP 14H 10R 5ER 6.43ERA
Game 4 Congress Street Grounds, Boston
Beaneaters 6 Reds 5.
Series tied 2 games to 2.
1891 Beaneaters – 022 000 101 6 9 0
1891 Reds – 010 100 030 5 9 1
Game 4 is the best thus far. It goes into the 9th tied 5-5.
With two gone in the 2nd, catcher Charlie Ganzel grounds it thru the hole to LF for a single. Of course Ganzel swipes 2B.
He scores on a Tommy Tucker single to center.
Paul Radford misplays a routine grounder and Kid Nichols reaches on the error. Joe Quinn later scores on a 2nd Paul Radford error off the bat of Kid Nichols. And the Beaneaters lead 2-0.
Bottom 2nd 1891 Boston Reds
With one out Duke Farrell skies one to left-center that falls in for a double.
After Nichols fans Hardy Richardson catcher Morgan Murphy grounds a single to CF, bringing home Duke Farrell.
The 1891 Boston Beaneaters lead 2-1.
It’s Charlie Ganzel again in the 3rd, blooping a two run single to right to score Harry Stovey and Herman Long – after the H&H boys pull off a nifty double steal.
The 1891 Boston Beaneaters lead 4-1.
4th 1891 Boston Reds
Big Dan Brouthers homers to left-center in the Reds 4th, but the Reds otherwise are quiet until the 8th.
1891 Boston Reds 8th:
With Duffy and Brouthers on board, 3rd baseman Duke Farrell belts one to deep center. Steve Brodie breaks back quickly as 14,000 fans jump to their feet (many of the SRO throng are already on their feet). All follow the flight of the drive, and the crowd roar rises as the ball disappears over the boards. The Duke’s 3-run shot has tied the game, 5-5.
After a heroic comeback though, the Reds let it slip away in agonizing fashion. The Beaneaters put two on with singles from Tucker and Lowe. After George Haddock gets Steve Brodie swinging for strike 3, he inexplicably loses control, walking Stovey to load them up for Herman Long. Then he walks Long on a 3-2 pitch to force in Tommy Tucker.
The Beaneaters take the lead 6-5.
And in the 9th, John Clarkson takes the ball! He sets down the Reds with little trouble, striking out Tom Brown for the game-ender.
And just like that, the series is tied 2-2!
1891 Boston Beaneaters… 6 9 0
1891 Boston Reds………….. 5 9 1
Beaneaters
3B: B.Lowe (1)
RBI: H.Long (1), C.Ganzel 2 (2), J.Quinn (1)
SB: H.Stovey (1), H.Long (3), C.Ganzel (1)
Kid Nichols,
W (1-0) 100 8.0 9 5 5 2 7 2 108 5.63
John Clarkson,
SV (1) 19 0 0 0 1 1 0 18 4.26
Reds
2B: D.Farrell (1)
HR: D.Brouthers (1), D.Farrell (1)
RBI: D.Brouthers (1), D.Farrell 3 (6), M.Murphy (1)
SB: T.Brown (6), B.Joyce (1)
George Haddock,
L (1-1) 15 9 6 4 4 4 0 140 3.60
Note: the road team has won each of the 1st four games.
Game 5 Congress Street Grounds, Boston
Beaneaters 9 Reds 1.
Beaneaters lead series 3 games to 2.
1891 Beaneaters – 400 010 004 – 9 8 1
1891 Reds – 000 000 100 – 1 7 5
Top of the 1st 1891 Boston Beaneaters
Charlie Buffinton enters the game to pitch.
Charlie Buffinton went 29-9, 2.55 in 1891. He went 233-152 over 11 seasons, won 20 games 7 times. In 1884 he won 48, starting 67, completing 63 and spreading a 2.15 ERA over 587 innings. Charlie’s 29-9, .763 winning percentage in ’91 led the NL, but today the defense behind him lets him down. He gives up nine runs but only two are earned.
The butterfingers start right away
With one away Steve Brodie walks and swipes 2B. Dan Brouthers boots a routine grounder off the bat of Harry Stovey. With Brodie advancing to 3rd, Stovey bolts for 2nd without a throw. Herman Long lifts a routine fly to right. Hugh Duffy un-routinely drops the ball. Brodie scores easily and Long, running hard all the way, reaches 2nd.
Harry Stovey scores on a sac fly from Billy Nash. Then catcher Charlie Ganzel smacks a 2-run homer to LCF that barely clears the wall.
1891 Boston Beaneaters 4 1 0
1891 Boston Reds 0 0 2
In the 5th with two gone Stovey bloops a single to LCF. Stovey steals second and then scores on a bloops a single to short center off the bat of Herman Long.
1891 Boston Beaneaters 5 5 0
1891 Boston Reds 0 3 2
Tom Brown, having himself a wonderful series, triples home his pitcher Charley Buffinton. But it’s far too little, far too late. Because in the 9th the sloppy play behind Buff dooms him. After he opens things by walking his opposite number, Beaneaters hurler John Clarkson, Brouthers bobbles another grounder. That opens the gates for another rally. Buffinton, perhaps tiring, walks Stovey and Long – the latter walk forcing in Clarkson and making it a 6-1 Beaneaters lead. Then with two outs it’s Charlie Ganzel again, flaring a Texas Leaguer to left-center for a double. Stovey Long and Nash all score to ice it, 9-1.
“Yeah, my mates kicked a couple…” Buffinton says afterwards. “But I walked a few too. We just gave the Bean boys too many chances to make something happen.”
Final Game 5:
1891 Boston Beaneaters 9 8 1
1891 Boston Reds 1 6 5
Beaneaters
2B: C.Ganzel (1)
3B: B.Lowe (2)
HR: C.Ganzel (1)
RBI: H.Long 3 (8), B.Nash (4),
C.Ganzel 5 (9)
SB: S.Brodie (1), H.Stovey 2 (3), H.Long (4)
John Clarkson,
W (2-1) 28 7 1 1 3 3 0 129 3.21
Reds
3B: T.Brown (2)
RBI: T.Brown (2)
SB: D.Brouthers (3)
Errors: H.Duffy (1), D.Brouthers 2 (2), D.Farrell (1), C.Stricker (1)
Charlie Buffinton,
L (1-1) 18.3 8 9 2 4 3 1 138 2.45
Game 6 South End Grounds, Boston
Beaneaters 6 Reds 4.
Beaneaters win series 4 games to 2.
1891 Reds – 210 001 000 - 4 8 0
1891 Beaneaters – 001 004 10x – 6 12 1
Top of the 1st. The 1891 Boston Reds, who won the 1st two games of the series, now find their backs to the wall. Their bid to tie the series back up begins well. They rough up the great (360-202) Kid Nichols, touching him up for three in the 1st two frames.
Paul Radford beats out an infield single to 2nd, and of course, steals 2nd. Hugh Duffy picks him up with an RBI ground single to right. Duffy then swipes 2nd. Big Dan Brouthers then belts a booming drive to deep right center. Duffy scores easily and Brouthers pulls into 3rd with a stand-up triple.
In the 2nd Tom Brown steals 2nd, his 7th steal of the series. Duffy singles home Tom Brown for his 7th RBI of the series and steals his 8th base. The Reds jump out to a 3-0 lead. In the 3rd Bobby Lowe draws the walk and steals 2nd. Steve Brodie bloops a single to left-center, scoring Lowe. The Reds still lead 3-1.
They extend that lead in the 6th. Reds catcher Morgan Murphy smokes a line drive to right-center for a double, swipes 3rd and scores when pitcher George Haddock bounces a single between short and third. The Reds lead 4-1, and are looking good to send the series to a decisive 7th game. Haddock has held the Beaneaters to three hits thus far.
But in the bottom of the 6th the 1891 Boston Beaneaters rise up. It all happens with two away. Shortstop Billy Nash singles home Steve Brodie. Beaneaters catcher Charlie Ganzel singles home Herman Long. For Ganzel it’s his tenth RBI of the series, leading everybody. Joe Quinn and Tommy Tucker follow with RBI hits. Tucker’s hit gives the Beaneaters their 1st lead of the game and drives Haddock from the box. He is relieved by 21-year-old future Hall-of-Famer Clark Griffith. Harry Stovey puts an exclamation point on the game and the series in the 7th, lining a solo home run to left field. The Beaneaters lead 6-4. And that’s how the game and the series ends.
Game 6 Final:
1891 Boston Reds…………. 4 7 0
1891 Boston Beaneaters… 6 10 1
Reds
2B: M.Murphy (1)
3B: D.Brouthers (1)
RBI: H.Duffy 2 (7), D.Brouthers (4), G.Haddock (1)
SB: T.Brown 3 (9), P.Radford (3), H.Duffy 2 (7), M.Murphy (1)
George Haddock,
L (1-2) 20 inn. 4.79
Beaneaters
3B: J.Quinn (1)
HR: H.Stovey (1)
RBI: S.Brodie (2), H.Stovey (3), B.Nash (5), C.Ganzel (10), J.Quinn (2), T.Tucker (3)
SB: B.Lowe (1)
Kid Nichols,
W (2-1) 26 inn. 5.54
1891 Boston Reds- 1891 Boston Beaneaters
Beaneaters win 4 games to 2.
Reds Batting Leaders
CF Tom Brown .357, 9 Stolen Bases, 2-3B
SS Paul Radford .291
RF Hugh Duffy .296, 7 RBI, 7 Stolen Bases
1B Dan Brouthers .291
3B Duke Farrell .440, 6 RBI
Beaneaters Batting Leaders
LF Bobby Lowe .407
SS Herman Long .454, 8 RBI, 4 Stolen Bases
C Charlie Ganzel .346, 10 RBI.
Pitching Leaders
John Clarkson 2-1, 3.21, 28 IP (Beaneaters)
Kid Nichols 2-1, 5.54, 26 IP (Beaneaters)
George Haddock 1-2, 4.79, 20-2/3 IP (Reds)
Charlie Buffinton 1-1, 2.45, 18 IP (Reds)
Cinders O’Brien 0-1, 6.42, 7 IP (Reds)
The two teams played 6 games and 54 innings. Kid Nichols and John Clarkson pitched all 54 innings for the Beaneaters.
The 1891 baseball season marked the finale for the American Association. Ten years of two leagues with eight teams each came to a halt as the National League regained the monopolistic dominance it seemingly wanted. Four teams from the AA were ‘absorbed’ by the NL; the other four were told to get lost.
Interestingly, Boston fans benefitted from the NL’s hostile take-over. The Beaneaters took ex-Red outfielder Hugh Duffy and installed him in centerfield. Duffy would hit .332 for 1153 games over nine seasons, including, of course, his spectacular .440 mark in 1894. Duffy would help make the Beaneaters the winningest team in baseball for the decade, adding titles in ’92, ’93, ’97 and ’98. The only threat to Boston’s dominance, the legendary Baltimore Orioles, would collect ex-Red Dan Brouthers and ex-Beaneater Steve Brodie. Brodie, only a .260 hitter for the 1891 NL champs, and only 22, would hit better than .330 over six seasons with Baltimore. And the Orioles would interrupt Boston’s reign with pennants in 1894-6.
But what about some of the others?
Reds Centerfielder Tom Brown, who hit .357 and stole 9 sacks in the all-Boston 1891 World Series, finds steady work at Louisville. But the man batted .321 and led the 1891 AA in seven offensive categories never replicated that type of success again. In fact he didn’t top .260 until 1896, when as a 35-year-old he was playing out the string with the 9th place Washington Senators.
Brown was joined on that poor Washington team by ex-Beaneater Duke Farrell.
Farrell, who led the NL in homers and RBI in ’91, and hit .440 in the mythical all Boston series, hit over .300 each of his three full seasons with the Senators (1896-8). Farrell didn’t hit .300 in 1899, but he hit .299 for the Brooklyn Superbas, helping them win the 1899 pennant. He tastes more glory the next year when Brooklyn wins again.
After five National League pennants and one American Association title in the Gaslamp 1890s, the next time Boston would see the baseball mountaintop would be in 1903. The Boston Americans of the upstart American League would win the pennant – and then rattle the baseball world by beating the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates in the first ‘modern’ World Series.
The city of Boston had three shots at an all-Beantown world championship. And they had three historic near-misses.
The 1914 Braves – 1915 Red Sox.
As an oddity, each team played their World Series home games in the other team's park… the Braves played the ’14 Series in brand-new Fenway Park. Then the ’15 Sox hosted the Phillies in brand-new Braves Field. Both switches were done to allow increased seating and revenue.
The 1948 Braves – 1948 Red Sox.
Teddy Ballgame missed his 2nd shot at a ring when his team lost to the Cleveland Boudreau’s in a one-game playoff.
The 1891 Beaneaters – 1891 Boston Reds.
The Boston Beaneaters won the National League flag. And in the American Association’s 10th and final year of operations as a major league, the Boston Reds captured their title. Unfortunately the two teams never met in any formal championship series.
Until Now!
Mac’s Legendary Baseball presents…
The 1891 Boston Reds
93-42 American Association Champs
Vs.
1891 Boston Beaneaters
87-51 National League Champs
1891 Boston Reds
93-42 American Association Champs
Manager: Arthur Irwin
Dan Brouthers (HOF) .350, 109 RBI, future member of 1894-96 NL champion Baltimore Orioles.
Hugh Duffy (HOF) .336, 110 RBI, 85 SB, member of 1892-3, 1897-8 NL champion Boston Beaneaters, .440 hitter in 1894.
Vs.
1891 Boston Beaneaters
87-51 National League Champs
Manager Frank Selee
Kid Nichols (HOF) 30-17, 2.39, 425 innings
John Clarkson (HOF) 33-19, 460 inn.
Steve Brodie .260, future member of three-time (1894-96) NL champion Baltimore Orioles. Hit .331 over 6 seasons.
Bobby Lowe 2B, and Herman Long SS members of 1891-3, 1897-8 NL champion Boston Beaneaters
Note: Though Lowe was part of a championship DP combo, he played left field for the 1891 squad.
The two teams will face off in a classic best-of-seven game format. They will play the first two at Boston’s South End Grounds, home of the Beaneaters. They will then switch to the Congress Street Grounds, which the Reds called home. Then if necessary the two teams will return to South End Grounds to finish things up.
1891 Boston Reds Starting Line-up
CF Tom Brown .321, 106 SB, 177 R
SS Paul Radford .259, 102 R
RF Hugh Duffy .336, 110 RBI, 5 SB, 134 R
1B Dan Brouthers .350, .471 OBA,.512 SA
3B Duke Farrell .302, 110 RBI
LF Hardy Richardson .255, 52 RBI, 278 AB
C Morgan Murphy .216
2B Cub Stricker .216
P George Haddock 34-11, 2.49, 379 IP
P Charlie Buffinton 29-9, 2.55, 363 IP
1891 Boston Beaneaters Starting Line-up
LF Bobby Lowe .260, 43 SB, 129 R
CF Steve Brodie .260, 25 SB, 84 R
RF Harry Stovey .279, 57 SB, 95 RBI, 118 R
SS Herman Long .282, 60 SB, 75 RBI, 129 R
3B Billy Nash .276, 28 SB, 92 R, 95 RBI
C Charlie Ganzel .259
2B Joe Quinn .240
1B Tommy Tucker .270, 103 R
P John Clarkson 33-19, 2.79, 460 IP
P Kid Nichols 30-17, 2.39, 425 IP
Game 1 South End Grounds, Boston
Reds 10 Beaneaters 5.
Reds lead series 1 game to 0.
Bost. Reds - 2 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 - 10 18 2
Beaneaters - 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 - 5 9 6
Here’s how it happened:
Top of the 1st for the 1891 Boston Reds
John Clarkson (33-19) enters the game to pitch. Clarkson won 38 in 1887, 49 in 1889 and 53 in 1885. He led the NL in wins, games, complete games, and innings pitched, topping 600 innings twice. This Massachusetts native went 328-178 over 12 seasons. (Stats: Baseball-Reference.com).
Centerfielder Tom Brown, a .321 hitter in 1891, grounds a single past the mound into center. He attempts a steal of 2nd but is promptly gunned down by Beaneater catcher Charlie Bennett.
Shortstop Paul Radford then grounds a single to right-center. He promptly swipes 2nd, not at all discouraged by Brown’s failed attempt.
After Hall of Fame right-fielder Hugh Duffy is retired, Hall of Fame 1st baseman Dan Brouthers is intentionally walked. But 3rd baseman Duke Farrell smacks the third ground ball single of the frame, scoring Radford.
LF Hardy Richardson lines a single to left-center, plating Brouthers. And the Boston Reds have a 2-0 lead before their cross town rivals have batted.
This initial frame of the 1891 all-Boston World Championship is a harbinger of how things will go. The swiped sack, the moving of runners and timely hitting – not the long ball, is the approach teams take in the days of gaslamps and horse-drawn trolleys. And teams will not be cowed just because someone gets thrown out. They just keep running.
Bottom of 2nd. 1891 Boston Beaneaters
SS Herman Long grounds a single. He swipes 2nd and 3rd on successive pitches. He scores when Reds 2B Cub Stricker bobbles a grounder. 2-1, Reds.
End of 2nd:
1891 Boston Reds………….. 2 5 1
1891 Boston Beaneaters…. 1 2 0
Top of the 4th to you, 1891 Boston Reds!
Cub Stricker walks. Pitcher George Haddock lays down a sacrifice bunt to 1B. Tom Brown delivers Stricker with a line single to right. Brown steals second base. He scores on a groundball single to LF by Hugh Duffy… who promptly swipes 2B.
He’s left there, but you catch the recurring theme, right? Small-ball is BIG-time in ’91!
End of 4th:
1891 Boston Reds…………… 4 7 1
1891 Boston Beaneaters….. 1 2 0
Boston Reds top of the 5th:
A Hardy Richardson walk and two errors by Herm Long load the sacks with one down. But John Clarkson limits the damage to one run on a sac fly by opposing pitcher George Haddock. Reds lead 5-1.
In the top of the 6th with one away, Hugh Duffy reaches on a dribbler to 3B. He promptly steals second, and then scores on a Duke Farrell line drive single to RF.
The Reds lead 6-1.
But in the bottom of the 6th the 1891 Boston Beaneaters, down by five, use the running game to get back into the game.
Charlie Ganzel drives home Herm Long with a groundout to first.
Tom Tucker singles and swipes 2nd. Billy Nash singles to RF to deliver Tucker with the Beaneaters 3rd run. Nash steals 2nd and scores when Bobby Lowe smokes a line drive single to left-center. The 1891 Boston Reds lead is trimmed to two.
Then in the 7th, Herman Long smacks a solo homer that rattles the leftfield foul pole. The Reds lead is down to one. The 1891 Boston Reds lead 6-5.
But that’s as close as the Beaneaters get. Hall of Famer Hugh Duffy steals two more and scores two more, leading the Reds to a 10-5 win over 33 game winner John Clarkson and the NL champs. Herman Long bobbles three grounders on the day.
The 1891 Boston Reds win game 1, 10-5.
1891 Boston Reds
RBI: T.Brown (1), P.Radford (1), H.Duffy (1), D.Brouthers (1), D.Farrell 2 (2), H.Richardson 2 (2), G.Haddock (1)
SB: T.Brown 2 (2), P.Radford (1),
H.Duffy 4 (4), D.Farrell (1),
H.Richardson 2 (2), B.Joyce (1), J.Irwin (1)
1891 Boston Beaneaters
2B: B.Lowe (1)
HR: H.Long (1)
RBI: B.Lowe (1), H.Long (1), C.Ganzel (1), T.Tucker (1)
SB: H.Long 2 (2), B.Nash (1)
Errors: H.Long 3 (3), C.Ganzel 2 (2), J.Quinn (1)
George Haddock,
W (1-0) 6.0 IP 8H 4R 2ER 3K 5W 3.00ERA
George Haddock went 34-11, 2.49 in 1891. The year before he went 9-26, 5.76 for Buffalo in the 1890 Players League. The Bisons were terrible. But a couple of notables; his catcher was 27-year old Connie Mack, who was still employed in baseball 60-years later. One of his outfielders was Dummy Hoy, who hit .288 lifetime, lived to be 99, and never heard a single cheer or boo.
John Clarkson, L (0-1),
9 IP 18H 10R (7ER) 6K 1W 156P 7.00
Game 2 South End Grounds, Boston
Reds 7 Beaneaters 3.
Reds lead series 2 games to 0.
1891 Bost. Reds - 410 000 002 7 13 0
1891 Beaneaters - 000 000 300 3 6 1
Pitching for the Beaneaters: Kid Nichols 360-202, seven-time 30 game winner and Hall of Famer.
Top of the 1st to you, 1891 Boston Reds!
For the 2nd day in a row the Reds jump all over an all-time great pitcher. Tom Brown again grounds a single. He again attempts a steal. This time he makes it - and scores on a Hugh Duffy hit, a blue-darter to left.
Duffy swipes 2B. He scores on a bloop single to right off the bat of Duke Farrell. The Duke himself later scores on a Cub Stricker single to deep short. Dan Brouthers also scores on a Hardy Richardson ground single to right.
1891 Boston Reds…………… 4 5 0
1891 Boston Beaneaters…. 0 0 0
In the 2nd it’s Tom Brown again, singling to deep short, stealing 2B and scoring on a Dan Brouthers single to right-center.
The 1891 Boston Reds lead 5-0 after two. The lead would hold up.
The Beaneaters would make a game in the 7th. Herm Long singles home Steve Brodie, and then scores, along with Harry Stovey on a double in the left-center field gap off of the bat of 3rd baseman Billy Nash.
The gap between the two teams is down to two (5-3), but that’s as close as the Beaneaters get. The American Association champions take a 2-games-to-none lead home to their Congress Street grounds. Reds centerfielder Tom Brown steals three and scores three. Hugh Duffy drives in three.
2nd game final:
1891 Boston Reds…………. 7 13 0
1891 Boston Beaneaters… 3 6 1
1891 Boston Reds
2B: M.Murphy (1)
RBI: H.Duffy 3 (4), D.Brouthers (1), D.Farrell (1), H.Richardson (1), C.Stricker (1)
SB: T.Brown 3 (5), H.Duffy (5), D.Brouthers (2)
1891 Boston Beaneaters
2B: B.Nash (1)
RBI: H.Long (1), B.Nash 2 (2)
Charlie Buffinton,
W (1-0) 100 9.0 6 3 3 1 1 0 105 3.00
Kid Nichols,
L (0-1) 100 9.0 13 7 7 2 3 0 126 7.00
Game 3 Congress Street Grounds, Boston
Beaneaters 12 Reds 2.
Reds lead series 2 games to 1.
1891 Beaneaters - 001 142 022 - 12 17 1
1891 Reds - 001 000 001 – 2 7 4
The series shifts to the Congress Street Grounds, home of the AA champion Boston Reds.
1st inning 1891 Boston Reds
John Clarkson might be a 33 game winner in 1891, but he’s 0-1 here as he enters the game to pitch. Tom Brown, having a great series, laces Clarkson’s first offering into the gap in deep right center. The angry Clarkson walks SS Paul Radford. Radford annoys him even more by swiping 2nd with Charlie Ganzel holding the ball – and holding Tom Brown at 3rd.
But Clarkson goes behind the pitcher’s box (still a box in 1891). He takes a couple of deep breaths. Then he gets back in the box and shows why he won 328 games. Clarkson stiffens; retiring Hall of Famers Duffy and Brouthers, and handcuffing Hardy Richardson with a fast one on the fists and inducing a shallow flyout to left.
In the 3rd the 1891 Boston Beaneaters take their first lead of the series. Tommy Tucker smokes a line drive single to RF. Then he -you guessed it - swipes 2B. He then steals 3rd, and when Reds catcher Murphy’s throw sails into LF, Tucker scores.
The 1891 Boston Beaneaters lead 1-0.
Hugh Duffy answers in the bottom of the 3rd. He crushes a solo homer to left, tying the game 1-1.
Charlie Ganzel singles home Herman Long in the 4th. But it’s in the 5th that the Bean men take control. With two away, pitcher John Clarkson works Cinders O’Brien for a walk. Third-sacker Duke Farrell bobbles a bouncer off the bat of Bobby Lowe. And Steve Brodie bounces a single through the hole, into right. Bases loaded.
Harry Stovey, H.Long and B.Nash follow with base hits. Clarkson, Lowe, Brodie and Stovey all score. The Beaneaters jump out to a commanding 6-1 lead.
In the 6th, run-scoring singles by Tucker and Clarkson, plus a theft of 2nd by Tucker, pad the Beaneaters lead. 1891 Boston Beaneaters lead 8-1.
8th inning 1891 Boston Beaneaters
Clarkson doubles to left-center, advances to third on Bobby Lowe’s single to left , and scores his 2nd run on Steve Brodie’s RBI Texas League single to CF… although I don’t think the term ‘Texas Leaguer’ had been coined in ’91. Interestingly, Cinders O’Brien is relieved at this point by a Hall of Famer, 21-year old Clark Griffith. He got into just seven games in ’91, but before this young gun became the Old Fox he won 237 ballgames, and then established his legacy as the patriarch of the Washington Senators.
The Young Fox retires the , but the game is essentially over. The Beaneaters win 12-2 and are back in the series.
Beaneaters
2B: J.Clarkson 2 (2)
RBI: B.Lowe (2), S.Brodie (1), H.Stovey 2 (2), H.Long 2 (4), B.Nash (3), C.Ganzel (2), T.Tucker (2), J.Clarkson (1)
John Clarkson,
W (1-0) 100 9.0 7 2 2 3 1 1 120 2.00
Reds
2B: C.Stricker (1)
3B: T.Brown (1)
HR: H.Duffy (1)
RBI: H.Duffy (5), C.Stricker (2)
SB: P.Radford (2)
Cinders O'Brien,
L (0-1) 7 IP 14H 10R 5ER 6.43ERA
Game 4 Congress Street Grounds, Boston
Beaneaters 6 Reds 5.
Series tied 2 games to 2.
1891 Beaneaters – 022 000 101 6 9 0
1891 Reds – 010 100 030 5 9 1
Game 4 is the best thus far. It goes into the 9th tied 5-5.
With two gone in the 2nd, catcher Charlie Ganzel grounds it thru the hole to LF for a single. Of course Ganzel swipes 2B.
He scores on a Tommy Tucker single to center.
Paul Radford misplays a routine grounder and Kid Nichols reaches on the error. Joe Quinn later scores on a 2nd Paul Radford error off the bat of Kid Nichols. And the Beaneaters lead 2-0.
Bottom 2nd 1891 Boston Reds
With one out Duke Farrell skies one to left-center that falls in for a double.
After Nichols fans Hardy Richardson catcher Morgan Murphy grounds a single to CF, bringing home Duke Farrell.
The 1891 Boston Beaneaters lead 2-1.
It’s Charlie Ganzel again in the 3rd, blooping a two run single to right to score Harry Stovey and Herman Long – after the H&H boys pull off a nifty double steal.
The 1891 Boston Beaneaters lead 4-1.
4th 1891 Boston Reds
Big Dan Brouthers homers to left-center in the Reds 4th, but the Reds otherwise are quiet until the 8th.
1891 Boston Reds 8th:
With Duffy and Brouthers on board, 3rd baseman Duke Farrell belts one to deep center. Steve Brodie breaks back quickly as 14,000 fans jump to their feet (many of the SRO throng are already on their feet). All follow the flight of the drive, and the crowd roar rises as the ball disappears over the boards. The Duke’s 3-run shot has tied the game, 5-5.
After a heroic comeback though, the Reds let it slip away in agonizing fashion. The Beaneaters put two on with singles from Tucker and Lowe. After George Haddock gets Steve Brodie swinging for strike 3, he inexplicably loses control, walking Stovey to load them up for Herman Long. Then he walks Long on a 3-2 pitch to force in Tommy Tucker.
The Beaneaters take the lead 6-5.
And in the 9th, John Clarkson takes the ball! He sets down the Reds with little trouble, striking out Tom Brown for the game-ender.
And just like that, the series is tied 2-2!
1891 Boston Beaneaters… 6 9 0
1891 Boston Reds………….. 5 9 1
Beaneaters
3B: B.Lowe (1)
RBI: H.Long (1), C.Ganzel 2 (2), J.Quinn (1)
SB: H.Stovey (1), H.Long (3), C.Ganzel (1)
Kid Nichols,
W (1-0) 100 8.0 9 5 5 2 7 2 108 5.63
John Clarkson,
SV (1) 19 0 0 0 1 1 0 18 4.26
Reds
2B: D.Farrell (1)
HR: D.Brouthers (1), D.Farrell (1)
RBI: D.Brouthers (1), D.Farrell 3 (6), M.Murphy (1)
SB: T.Brown (6), B.Joyce (1)
George Haddock,
L (1-1) 15 9 6 4 4 4 0 140 3.60
Note: the road team has won each of the 1st four games.
Game 5 Congress Street Grounds, Boston
Beaneaters 9 Reds 1.
Beaneaters lead series 3 games to 2.
1891 Beaneaters – 400 010 004 – 9 8 1
1891 Reds – 000 000 100 – 1 7 5
Top of the 1st 1891 Boston Beaneaters
Charlie Buffinton enters the game to pitch.
Charlie Buffinton went 29-9, 2.55 in 1891. He went 233-152 over 11 seasons, won 20 games 7 times. In 1884 he won 48, starting 67, completing 63 and spreading a 2.15 ERA over 587 innings. Charlie’s 29-9, .763 winning percentage in ’91 led the NL, but today the defense behind him lets him down. He gives up nine runs but only two are earned.
The butterfingers start right away
With one away Steve Brodie walks and swipes 2B. Dan Brouthers boots a routine grounder off the bat of Harry Stovey. With Brodie advancing to 3rd, Stovey bolts for 2nd without a throw. Herman Long lifts a routine fly to right. Hugh Duffy un-routinely drops the ball. Brodie scores easily and Long, running hard all the way, reaches 2nd.
Harry Stovey scores on a sac fly from Billy Nash. Then catcher Charlie Ganzel smacks a 2-run homer to LCF that barely clears the wall.
1891 Boston Beaneaters 4 1 0
1891 Boston Reds 0 0 2
In the 5th with two gone Stovey bloops a single to LCF. Stovey steals second and then scores on a bloops a single to short center off the bat of Herman Long.
1891 Boston Beaneaters 5 5 0
1891 Boston Reds 0 3 2
Tom Brown, having himself a wonderful series, triples home his pitcher Charley Buffinton. But it’s far too little, far too late. Because in the 9th the sloppy play behind Buff dooms him. After he opens things by walking his opposite number, Beaneaters hurler John Clarkson, Brouthers bobbles another grounder. That opens the gates for another rally. Buffinton, perhaps tiring, walks Stovey and Long – the latter walk forcing in Clarkson and making it a 6-1 Beaneaters lead. Then with two outs it’s Charlie Ganzel again, flaring a Texas Leaguer to left-center for a double. Stovey Long and Nash all score to ice it, 9-1.
“Yeah, my mates kicked a couple…” Buffinton says afterwards. “But I walked a few too. We just gave the Bean boys too many chances to make something happen.”
Final Game 5:
1891 Boston Beaneaters 9 8 1
1891 Boston Reds 1 6 5
Beaneaters
2B: C.Ganzel (1)
3B: B.Lowe (2)
HR: C.Ganzel (1)
RBI: H.Long 3 (8), B.Nash (4),
C.Ganzel 5 (9)
SB: S.Brodie (1), H.Stovey 2 (3), H.Long (4)
John Clarkson,
W (2-1) 28 7 1 1 3 3 0 129 3.21
Reds
3B: T.Brown (2)
RBI: T.Brown (2)
SB: D.Brouthers (3)
Errors: H.Duffy (1), D.Brouthers 2 (2), D.Farrell (1), C.Stricker (1)
Charlie Buffinton,
L (1-1) 18.3 8 9 2 4 3 1 138 2.45
Game 6 South End Grounds, Boston
Beaneaters 6 Reds 4.
Beaneaters win series 4 games to 2.
1891 Reds – 210 001 000 - 4 8 0
1891 Beaneaters – 001 004 10x – 6 12 1
Top of the 1st. The 1891 Boston Reds, who won the 1st two games of the series, now find their backs to the wall. Their bid to tie the series back up begins well. They rough up the great (360-202) Kid Nichols, touching him up for three in the 1st two frames.
Paul Radford beats out an infield single to 2nd, and of course, steals 2nd. Hugh Duffy picks him up with an RBI ground single to right. Duffy then swipes 2nd. Big Dan Brouthers then belts a booming drive to deep right center. Duffy scores easily and Brouthers pulls into 3rd with a stand-up triple.
In the 2nd Tom Brown steals 2nd, his 7th steal of the series. Duffy singles home Tom Brown for his 7th RBI of the series and steals his 8th base. The Reds jump out to a 3-0 lead. In the 3rd Bobby Lowe draws the walk and steals 2nd. Steve Brodie bloops a single to left-center, scoring Lowe. The Reds still lead 3-1.
They extend that lead in the 6th. Reds catcher Morgan Murphy smokes a line drive to right-center for a double, swipes 3rd and scores when pitcher George Haddock bounces a single between short and third. The Reds lead 4-1, and are looking good to send the series to a decisive 7th game. Haddock has held the Beaneaters to three hits thus far.
But in the bottom of the 6th the 1891 Boston Beaneaters rise up. It all happens with two away. Shortstop Billy Nash singles home Steve Brodie. Beaneaters catcher Charlie Ganzel singles home Herman Long. For Ganzel it’s his tenth RBI of the series, leading everybody. Joe Quinn and Tommy Tucker follow with RBI hits. Tucker’s hit gives the Beaneaters their 1st lead of the game and drives Haddock from the box. He is relieved by 21-year-old future Hall-of-Famer Clark Griffith. Harry Stovey puts an exclamation point on the game and the series in the 7th, lining a solo home run to left field. The Beaneaters lead 6-4. And that’s how the game and the series ends.
Game 6 Final:
1891 Boston Reds…………. 4 7 0
1891 Boston Beaneaters… 6 10 1
Reds
2B: M.Murphy (1)
3B: D.Brouthers (1)
RBI: H.Duffy 2 (7), D.Brouthers (4), G.Haddock (1)
SB: T.Brown 3 (9), P.Radford (3), H.Duffy 2 (7), M.Murphy (1)
George Haddock,
L (1-2) 20 inn. 4.79
Beaneaters
3B: J.Quinn (1)
HR: H.Stovey (1)
RBI: S.Brodie (2), H.Stovey (3), B.Nash (5), C.Ganzel (10), J.Quinn (2), T.Tucker (3)
SB: B.Lowe (1)
Kid Nichols,
W (2-1) 26 inn. 5.54
1891 Boston Reds- 1891 Boston Beaneaters
Beaneaters win 4 games to 2.
Reds Batting Leaders
CF Tom Brown .357, 9 Stolen Bases, 2-3B
SS Paul Radford .291
RF Hugh Duffy .296, 7 RBI, 7 Stolen Bases
1B Dan Brouthers .291
3B Duke Farrell .440, 6 RBI
Beaneaters Batting Leaders
LF Bobby Lowe .407
SS Herman Long .454, 8 RBI, 4 Stolen Bases
C Charlie Ganzel .346, 10 RBI.
Pitching Leaders
John Clarkson 2-1, 3.21, 28 IP (Beaneaters)
Kid Nichols 2-1, 5.54, 26 IP (Beaneaters)
George Haddock 1-2, 4.79, 20-2/3 IP (Reds)
Charlie Buffinton 1-1, 2.45, 18 IP (Reds)
Cinders O’Brien 0-1, 6.42, 7 IP (Reds)
The two teams played 6 games and 54 innings. Kid Nichols and John Clarkson pitched all 54 innings for the Beaneaters.
The 1891 baseball season marked the finale for the American Association. Ten years of two leagues with eight teams each came to a halt as the National League regained the monopolistic dominance it seemingly wanted. Four teams from the AA were ‘absorbed’ by the NL; the other four were told to get lost.
Interestingly, Boston fans benefitted from the NL’s hostile take-over. The Beaneaters took ex-Red outfielder Hugh Duffy and installed him in centerfield. Duffy would hit .332 for 1153 games over nine seasons, including, of course, his spectacular .440 mark in 1894. Duffy would help make the Beaneaters the winningest team in baseball for the decade, adding titles in ’92, ’93, ’97 and ’98. The only threat to Boston’s dominance, the legendary Baltimore Orioles, would collect ex-Red Dan Brouthers and ex-Beaneater Steve Brodie. Brodie, only a .260 hitter for the 1891 NL champs, and only 22, would hit better than .330 over six seasons with Baltimore. And the Orioles would interrupt Boston’s reign with pennants in 1894-6.
But what about some of the others?
Reds Centerfielder Tom Brown, who hit .357 and stole 9 sacks in the all-Boston 1891 World Series, finds steady work at Louisville. But the man batted .321 and led the 1891 AA in seven offensive categories never replicated that type of success again. In fact he didn’t top .260 until 1896, when as a 35-year-old he was playing out the string with the 9th place Washington Senators.
Brown was joined on that poor Washington team by ex-Beaneater Duke Farrell.
Farrell, who led the NL in homers and RBI in ’91, and hit .440 in the mythical all Boston series, hit over .300 each of his three full seasons with the Senators (1896-8). Farrell didn’t hit .300 in 1899, but he hit .299 for the Brooklyn Superbas, helping them win the 1899 pennant. He tastes more glory the next year when Brooklyn wins again.
After five National League pennants and one American Association title in the Gaslamp 1890s, the next time Boston would see the baseball mountaintop would be in 1903. The Boston Americans of the upstart American League would win the pennant – and then rattle the baseball world by beating the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates in the first ‘modern’ World Series.
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Babe Goes Deep Four Times!
*The following is an excerpt from the post '1932 Yankees vs. 1976 Cincinnati Reds!'
Game 152 Batting Practice
Wrigley Field, Chicago
The 1932 Yanks vs. the 1976 Cincinnati Reds (September 2011). The Yanks have slumped, going 22-38 since starting the season 47-44. They are 69-82. With the season long decided, the Bambino has taken the Reds to visit 1932 Wrigley Field... where Joe Morgan asks the Babe one of baseball's eternal questions... did he or didn't he?
George Foster and Joe Morgan watch as the aging Bambino launches several BP tosses into the Wrigley Field bleachers… and a couple over them. Then Babe comes out to join them as Lou Gehrig takes his hacks.
“This is still the best part of the day for me,” Ruth wiped his brow and grinned broadly. “This is why I show up.”
“This is why we played as kids, Babe.” Joe replied.
“George…” Ruth was still breathing hard. “You went over 200 RBI’s. That’s amazing, pal.”
“You went over that scoreboard yesterday, George!!”
Foster grinned. “That’s amazing.”
Note: Ruth’s home run yesterday traveled approximately 512 feet, leaving the park to the right of the scoreboard.
“You know, I had a teammate named George Foster?”
“No kidding?” Foster queried.
“Yep… everyone called him Rube… just like the Negro Leaguer. And just like the Negro Leaguer, George was a great pitcher. He was our Ace on the ’15 Red Sox… the World Champion Red Sox.”
“You were pretty good yourself that year, Babe.” Said Joe Morgan.
“We had a staff!” The Babe mused. “I won 18 games. And I didn’t get to start in the World Series!”
“Damn!” Exclaimed George Foster. “Why not?”
“Partly because of that damn George Foster!” Foster. Morgan and Ruth all laughed. “Seriously, Rube won 20, won 2 more in the Series. And he went 4 for 8.”
“Did you ever hit against the Black Rube Foster, Babe?” Asked Joe.
“Nah… he was before my time. He was a manager by the time I was a rookie. I did hit against Cannonball Redding and Smoky Joe Williams. And of course, there was Satch.”
“You hit against Satch?” Foster asked excitedly.
“Nah…” Ruth grinned. Foster looked dejected. “I mostly missed.” They all grinned. “I homered off of him once. But he was tough. Remember, he was in his twenties. He had it going!”
“Who was the fastest?” Morgan asked.
“That’s a tough one. Redding was the toughest to hit because he pitched inside. Pushed you off the plate. Then again, I was older when I faced Satch. And Williams was in his forties when he faced me.”
"Tell me about '32, Babe." Said Joe Morgan.
“The bench jockeying was fierce Joe.” The Babe said quietly. “They called me ‘Nigger…’”
“Really…” Joe answered, a bit disquieted.
“Yeah. I got that a lot. Some guys were vicious. And I think it hurt them more tham it hurt me.”
“I can believe that.” Morgan nodded.
“Ben Chapman… he was a Hall Of Fame talent. He could do it all. Actually, Joe, he played like you. Steal bases, hit homers, .300-hitter, good fielder… he could do it all. But I think he let that crap ruin his career.”
“What about you, Babe?” Joe asked.
Babe smiled. “See that scoreboard out in center field?”
“Yep.”
“That ball I hit in ’32 went right past it… just to the right.” Babe winked. “And I owe that to those bastards on the Chicago bench.” For the first time both Morgan and Ruth grinned. Then Joe asked the question.
“What about it Babe? Did you call it?”
“It’s all right there in the papers.”
“C’mon Babe!”Joe insisted.
“I’ll tell you just what I did. I pointed to the pitcher, Root. I said ‘I’m gonna knock the next pitch right down your throat!’” Ruth winked again. “Guess I got under it a bit.” Joe and the Babe both laughed.
Game 152 Cincy wins 13-11 the Yanks fall to 69-83
Yanks 22-39 since going 47-44
Wrigley Field, Chicago
PLAYER …….POS… AB H 2B 3B HR TB
Babe Ruth…….RF… 5 4 0 0 4 16
Lou Gehrig…....1B … 5 5 0 0 2 11
HR: B.Chapman (1),
B.Ruth 4 (59), L.Gehrig 2 (38)
RBI: B.Chapman (1),
B.Ruth 7 (174), L.Gehrig 2 (168), F.Crosetti (1)
HR: K.Griffey Sr. (10)
RBI: P.Rose 2 (2), K.Griffey Sr. 3 (79), G.Foster (203), T.Perez (161), J.Bench (1), D.Concepcion 4 (4),
G.Nolan (1)
1st: Ruth grounds out to Perez at 1B, unassisted.
The Reds score 5 in the bottom of the first to take the lead, 5-0.
3rd: Ruth hits a 390 foot HR into the right-center field bleachers. Red Ruffing scores ahead of the Babe to make the score 6-3, Cincinnati.
6th: The Babe leads off, and rockets a drive down the right that clears the 353 foot fence and Sheffield Avenue behind it. Ruth’s 2nd HR makes it Reds 8, Yanks 4. Lou Gehrig follows immediately with a blast to right-center, which clangs against a bleacher seat 414 feet away. Reds now lead 8-5.
7th: “Try to get on ahead of me, Ben!” Ruth says to Chapman as both men loosen up in the on-deck circle. Chapman grins and walks to the plate to lead off. Gary Nolan fires a fast-ball, and Ben Chapman lines a home-run to left field. He circles the bases and shakes Ruth’s hand at the plate. “Sorry, Babe!” Chapman yells over the roaring, 39,000-plus crowd. Ruth grins back. Then, after Sparky Anderson relieves Gary Nolan with Pedro Borbon, the Babe swings at a two-strike waste pitch, two feet outside an inches off the ground. The Babe’s 3rd HR soars to the left of the huge CF scoreboard, leaves Wrigley Field, and bounces approximately 550 feet away. In the dugout, Ben Chapman shakes his head… Holy crap!” Ruth’s 3rd home run closes the gap to 9-7.
9th inning: Cincinnati has the game in hand, 13-7. With one out, Will McEnaney walks Ben Chapman. Sparky Anderson shakes his head and comes out to remove him in favor of Pat Darcy. Darcy takes the ball and immediately fires a brushback fast-ball at the Bambino. Bambino, who of course disdains batting helmets, hits the dirt. The fans boo heavily. Ruth gets up slowly. Through the crescendo of boos, the Babe’s face is creased by a grin. He quietly says to catcher Johnny Bench… “Your boy shoulda hit me.” Johnny grinned back. “Go easy on him Babe.” Ruth steps back into the batter’s box and digs in…six inches closer to the plate. And he stares right at Darcy. Darcy throws a change-up, which drops toward the Babe’s shoe-tops… low and inside. Ruth steps back and golfs the pitch. The Babe’s 4th home run soars majestically toward Sheffield Avenue, clearing the bleachers and disappearing from view. As Ruth trots past 2nd, Joe Morgan swats him on the rump with his glove. Ruth comes around third and hears a whistle from the pitching mound. The Babe glances up and Darcy tips his cap ever so slightly. Ruth returns the salute and dents home plate. Bench swats him on the shoulder with his catcher’s mitt as the Babe goes by.
While the Chicago throng is still cheering, Lou Gehrig hits Darcy’s first offering over the RF wall. Lou’s 2nd HR makes the score 13-11. And makes a suddenly nervous Sparky Anderson relieve Darcy with Rawly Eastwick.
“That was the best I’ve ever seen, Babe. And the best I ever hope to see.” Joe Morgan says quietly.
“Thanks, Joe.” Ruth grinned. “But you guys still won. And by the way, your hero, Willie… he hit four in a game in real life. In sixty or sixty-one, sometime around there.”
“Yeah, but I was able to witness this one. You and Gehrig both. What did you have…?”
“Twenty-seven total bases!” Sparky Anderson interjected, having just walked up behind the batting cage. “I could never hit. But I can count with anybody. Lou had 11. And this colossus had six-teen!”
“Hello, Sparky.” Said Ruth.
“Babe, do you know that Sparky’s real name is George?”
“Sunovabee!” Ruth grinned as the two Georges shook hands. Anderson repeated the number, shaking his head.
“Twenty-seven total bases! That’s three singles apiece for the whole starting line-up. Babe, it was an honor to be here and see it… and be a part of it.”
“Thanks, George!” Ruth and Anderson both grinned.
“The most amazing thing… at least two of those homers came on pitches nowhere near the plate. Darcy’s… that was a great pitch!”
“Yes it was.” Nodded the Babe. “If I could explain how I’d hit it…”
“You hit it because you’re Babe-friggin-Ruth!” Interjected Sparky Anderson. Ruth grinned.
“Sometimes that helps.” Joked Ruth.
Game 152 Batting Practice
Wrigley Field, Chicago
The 1932 Yanks vs. the 1976 Cincinnati Reds (September 2011). The Yanks have slumped, going 22-38 since starting the season 47-44. They are 69-82. With the season long decided, the Bambino has taken the Reds to visit 1932 Wrigley Field... where Joe Morgan asks the Babe one of baseball's eternal questions... did he or didn't he?
George Foster and Joe Morgan watch as the aging Bambino launches several BP tosses into the Wrigley Field bleachers… and a couple over them. Then Babe comes out to join them as Lou Gehrig takes his hacks.
“This is still the best part of the day for me,” Ruth wiped his brow and grinned broadly. “This is why I show up.”
“This is why we played as kids, Babe.” Joe replied.
“George…” Ruth was still breathing hard. “You went over 200 RBI’s. That’s amazing, pal.”
“You went over that scoreboard yesterday, George!!”
Foster grinned. “That’s amazing.”
Note: Ruth’s home run yesterday traveled approximately 512 feet, leaving the park to the right of the scoreboard.
“You know, I had a teammate named George Foster?”
“No kidding?” Foster queried.
“Yep… everyone called him Rube… just like the Negro Leaguer. And just like the Negro Leaguer, George was a great pitcher. He was our Ace on the ’15 Red Sox… the World Champion Red Sox.”
“You were pretty good yourself that year, Babe.” Said Joe Morgan.
“We had a staff!” The Babe mused. “I won 18 games. And I didn’t get to start in the World Series!”
“Damn!” Exclaimed George Foster. “Why not?”
“Partly because of that damn George Foster!” Foster. Morgan and Ruth all laughed. “Seriously, Rube won 20, won 2 more in the Series. And he went 4 for 8.”
“Did you ever hit against the Black Rube Foster, Babe?” Asked Joe.
“Nah… he was before my time. He was a manager by the time I was a rookie. I did hit against Cannonball Redding and Smoky Joe Williams. And of course, there was Satch.”
“You hit against Satch?” Foster asked excitedly.
“Nah…” Ruth grinned. Foster looked dejected. “I mostly missed.” They all grinned. “I homered off of him once. But he was tough. Remember, he was in his twenties. He had it going!”
“Who was the fastest?” Morgan asked.
“That’s a tough one. Redding was the toughest to hit because he pitched inside. Pushed you off the plate. Then again, I was older when I faced Satch. And Williams was in his forties when he faced me.”
"Tell me about '32, Babe." Said Joe Morgan.
“The bench jockeying was fierce Joe.” The Babe said quietly. “They called me ‘Nigger…’”
“Really…” Joe answered, a bit disquieted.
“Yeah. I got that a lot. Some guys were vicious. And I think it hurt them more tham it hurt me.”
“I can believe that.” Morgan nodded.
“Ben Chapman… he was a Hall Of Fame talent. He could do it all. Actually, Joe, he played like you. Steal bases, hit homers, .300-hitter, good fielder… he could do it all. But I think he let that crap ruin his career.”
“What about you, Babe?” Joe asked.
Babe smiled. “See that scoreboard out in center field?”
“Yep.”
“That ball I hit in ’32 went right past it… just to the right.” Babe winked. “And I owe that to those bastards on the Chicago bench.” For the first time both Morgan and Ruth grinned. Then Joe asked the question.
“What about it Babe? Did you call it?”
“It’s all right there in the papers.”
“C’mon Babe!”Joe insisted.
“I’ll tell you just what I did. I pointed to the pitcher, Root. I said ‘I’m gonna knock the next pitch right down your throat!’” Ruth winked again. “Guess I got under it a bit.” Joe and the Babe both laughed.
Game 152 Cincy wins 13-11 the Yanks fall to 69-83
Yanks 22-39 since going 47-44
Wrigley Field, Chicago
PLAYER …….POS… AB H 2B 3B HR TB
Babe Ruth…….RF… 5 4 0 0 4 16
Lou Gehrig…....1B … 5 5 0 0 2 11
HR: B.Chapman (1),
B.Ruth 4 (59), L.Gehrig 2 (38)
RBI: B.Chapman (1),
B.Ruth 7 (174), L.Gehrig 2 (168), F.Crosetti (1)
HR: K.Griffey Sr. (10)
RBI: P.Rose 2 (2), K.Griffey Sr. 3 (79), G.Foster (203), T.Perez (161), J.Bench (1), D.Concepcion 4 (4),
G.Nolan (1)
1st: Ruth grounds out to Perez at 1B, unassisted.
The Reds score 5 in the bottom of the first to take the lead, 5-0.
3rd: Ruth hits a 390 foot HR into the right-center field bleachers. Red Ruffing scores ahead of the Babe to make the score 6-3, Cincinnati.
6th: The Babe leads off, and rockets a drive down the right that clears the 353 foot fence and Sheffield Avenue behind it. Ruth’s 2nd HR makes it Reds 8, Yanks 4. Lou Gehrig follows immediately with a blast to right-center, which clangs against a bleacher seat 414 feet away. Reds now lead 8-5.
7th: “Try to get on ahead of me, Ben!” Ruth says to Chapman as both men loosen up in the on-deck circle. Chapman grins and walks to the plate to lead off. Gary Nolan fires a fast-ball, and Ben Chapman lines a home-run to left field. He circles the bases and shakes Ruth’s hand at the plate. “Sorry, Babe!” Chapman yells over the roaring, 39,000-plus crowd. Ruth grins back. Then, after Sparky Anderson relieves Gary Nolan with Pedro Borbon, the Babe swings at a two-strike waste pitch, two feet outside an inches off the ground. The Babe’s 3rd HR soars to the left of the huge CF scoreboard, leaves Wrigley Field, and bounces approximately 550 feet away. In the dugout, Ben Chapman shakes his head… Holy crap!” Ruth’s 3rd home run closes the gap to 9-7.
9th inning: Cincinnati has the game in hand, 13-7. With one out, Will McEnaney walks Ben Chapman. Sparky Anderson shakes his head and comes out to remove him in favor of Pat Darcy. Darcy takes the ball and immediately fires a brushback fast-ball at the Bambino. Bambino, who of course disdains batting helmets, hits the dirt. The fans boo heavily. Ruth gets up slowly. Through the crescendo of boos, the Babe’s face is creased by a grin. He quietly says to catcher Johnny Bench… “Your boy shoulda hit me.” Johnny grinned back. “Go easy on him Babe.” Ruth steps back into the batter’s box and digs in…six inches closer to the plate. And he stares right at Darcy. Darcy throws a change-up, which drops toward the Babe’s shoe-tops… low and inside. Ruth steps back and golfs the pitch. The Babe’s 4th home run soars majestically toward Sheffield Avenue, clearing the bleachers and disappearing from view. As Ruth trots past 2nd, Joe Morgan swats him on the rump with his glove. Ruth comes around third and hears a whistle from the pitching mound. The Babe glances up and Darcy tips his cap ever so slightly. Ruth returns the salute and dents home plate. Bench swats him on the shoulder with his catcher’s mitt as the Babe goes by.
While the Chicago throng is still cheering, Lou Gehrig hits Darcy’s first offering over the RF wall. Lou’s 2nd HR makes the score 13-11. And makes a suddenly nervous Sparky Anderson relieve Darcy with Rawly Eastwick.
“That was the best I’ve ever seen, Babe. And the best I ever hope to see.” Joe Morgan says quietly.
“Thanks, Joe.” Ruth grinned. “But you guys still won. And by the way, your hero, Willie… he hit four in a game in real life. In sixty or sixty-one, sometime around there.”
“Yeah, but I was able to witness this one. You and Gehrig both. What did you have…?”
“Twenty-seven total bases!” Sparky Anderson interjected, having just walked up behind the batting cage. “I could never hit. But I can count with anybody. Lou had 11. And this colossus had six-teen!”
“Hello, Sparky.” Said Ruth.
“Babe, do you know that Sparky’s real name is George?”
“Sunovabee!” Ruth grinned as the two Georges shook hands. Anderson repeated the number, shaking his head.
“Twenty-seven total bases! That’s three singles apiece for the whole starting line-up. Babe, it was an honor to be here and see it… and be a part of it.”
“Thanks, George!” Ruth and Anderson both grinned.
“The most amazing thing… at least two of those homers came on pitches nowhere near the plate. Darcy’s… that was a great pitch!”
“Yes it was.” Nodded the Babe. “If I could explain how I’d hit it…”
“You hit it because you’re Babe-friggin-Ruth!” Interjected Sparky Anderson. Ruth grinned.
“Sometimes that helps.” Joked Ruth.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Babe Beats The Yanks! TWICE!
Boston's Fenway Park. 1915.
93rd Game of a 154 game season.
Ninth inning.
Rookie left-hander George Ruth casually slings his warm-up tosses plateward. Behind him his infielders toss a ball around. And in the on-deck area, Yankees third baseman Red Rolfe limbers up with two bats as he prepares to lead off the top of the ninth. And in the stands, 23,556 Fenway faithful stand and cheer. Boston has a comfortable 6-0. Wins have been hard to come by for the Red Sox lately. The 1915 World Champs had gone toe-to toe with their 1936 New York counterparts for the first half of the season. The two teams split the first 68 contests. New York's powerful line-up seemed unable to overpower the superb pitching staff. Boston seemed to be able to come up with timely hits over and over, play great defense, and of course, send a strong hurler to the mound day in and day out. Five men with at least 15 wins in the actual 1915 campaign, with lefty Dutch Leonard, 15-7, sporting the lowest winning percentage.
But suddenly, as the second half of this mythical season arrives, the 1936 Yankees seem to find an extra gear. They win an astounding 17 out of 22. Gehrig, Dickey and rookie Joe DiMaggio are not knocking out home runs left-and-right (Gehrig leads with seven after 90 games). But New York seems to adapt to the 'small ball' or 'dead ball' game very well. Their pitching solidifies. And the Red Sox find themselves fighting to get back in contention.
Which brings the two teams, and us, to game 93. New York has extended their hot streak to 19 of 24. Boston has sent rookie Ruth to the mound to try and halt the Yankee train. And here, now, for eight terrific innings, the Babe from Baltimore has done it. He has completely shut down the line-up that terrorized the American League to the tune of 1000-plus runs. And Ruth had even helped out at the plate, lining a Lefty Gomez fastball 444 feet to right center for a solo homer in the fifth. Now, three outs are all that separates he and his mates from cheer and beer for a well earned victory.
Ruth finishes his warmup tosses. Forrest Cady fires the ball down to second. Red Rolfe settles into the left-hand batters box. Ruth snags the ball from third baseman Larry Gardner and walks up to toe the rubber. Umpire Bill Klem gives the 'play ball' signal. And 23,000 Red Sox rooters remain standing and cheering.
Ruth nods at the signal from catcher Cady, winds and fires. Rolfe swings at the first pitch fastball and lifts a high fly ball. It floats down the right-field line before barely clearing the wall just fair of the pole... home run.
The fans gasp and groan loudly. Then, they begin to cheer. As Rolfe circles the bases the cheer gets louder and louder. On the mound, Ruth shrugs and calls for another ball from umpire Klem. Then he notices Boston Manager Bill Carrigan coming to the mound.
"You taking me out, Skip? I ain't tired."
"Babe! Don't you know what's going on?"
"Yeah! We're about to win. And it's about damn time!"
"Babe! They're cheering you!"
Just then umpire Klem comes to the mound with a fresh baseball.
"Nice job, Babe!" The umpire Klem grins.
"Thanks! I won't call you 'Catfish' just for that."
"Babe!" Interjects Carrigan. "You really don't know what's going on, do you? Tip your damn cap!" The Bambino looks quizzically at Carrigan. he indeed doffs his cap to the Boston fans who are on their feet, still cheering. "Babe, that home run you just surrendered to Rolfe was the Yanks' first hit of the game. You pitched a no-hitter for eight innings!" The Babe grinned.
"You're not upset?" queried umpire Klem.
"Nah! These fans ain't had much to cheer about for a long, long time." The Babe waved his cap again. Then he retired the side to secure the victory.
After the game Ruth comes out of the Red Sox clubhouse. He's surprised to see the losing pitcher, Lefty Gomez.
"Kid; that was the best I've seen in a long time. That was a clinic you gave out there today." The youngster stammered a bit.
"T-Thanks, Mr. Gomez."
"Lefty! You call me 'Mr. Gomez', it makes me sound like your grandpa!" Ruth grinned.
"That was a long time coming. I'm sick and tired of losing."
"Listen Babe... this Yankee team... do you know how damn good they are?"
"I'm gettin' the idea."
"They score a thousand runs a year. Without my help. They keep me on the mound to keep me away from the batters' box. Sometimes after I retire the side, they sneak off the field and hope I stay out there!" The Babe laughed.
"They keep you on the mound because you're a great pitcher. Something I'm trying to be."
"Something you already are."
"Thanks, Lefty. Maybe someday they'll call me 'Lefty' too."
"I think they've got another nickname in mind for you." Lefty then stuck out his hand. "Just keep pitching them, son. Let's do it again in four days." And the two left-handers shook hands.
Then… one year later.
1916 Boston Red Sox VS
1937 New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium, Bronx NY.
Boston's Babe shuts down the Yankees! Again!
Babe Ruth, now a second year southpaw, again locks horns with Lefty Gomez and the Yankees. More than 53,000 are in attendance. Ruth’s record is 7-7, with an ERA of 3.72. Lefty Gomez has a sterling 12-3 record with a 1.64 ERA… and a line-up behind him that scored more than 1000 runs in 1937.
Yankee Stadium-
Bottom of the 9th:
With the Red Sox leading 1-0, Babe Ruth takes the mound to begin the bottom of the ninth, three outs from victory, and three outs from immortality. He has allowed three base runners in 8 innings:
-A walk to Lou Gehrig in the 5th.
-A walk to Tommy Henrich in the 8th.
-A walk to Tony Lazzeri in the 8th.
And that’s it.
Now in the ninth, Ruth stands on the hill. 53,345 paid attendees stand in the Yankee Stadium stands, cheering. It is hard to tell what they are rooting for. After all, the Yans are down by only one tally.
But when Frank Crosetti leads off with a walk, a good many faithful groan. It is the obvious that at least some want to see some history.
With the Boston infield at double play depth,
R.Rolfe squares and lays down a sacrifice bunt to the right side of the mound. Ruth fields it and throws it to Jack Barry covering first. Crosetti reaches second with one out.
There are more cheers, but it is still not clear why. After all, Rolfe’s successful sacrifice puts Crosetti in scoring position, with two powerful run producers due to get their hacks.
But George Selkirk swings at the first pitch and hits a routine three-hopper to Barry, who throws him out for the second out. The fans explode. Crosetti advances to third with the tying run, but it is apparent that many here are cheering the fact that the Bambino needs one more out to achieve the unthinkable. And the mighty Lou Gehrig stands in his way.
With Frank Crosetti edging off third in foul territory, Ruth pitches from the stretch. After looking over his shoulder at Crosetti, he nods to his catcher and fires a tailing fastball. Gehrig watches it go by. “Stee-riiiike ONE!”
Ruth takes the return throw from catcher Pinch Thomas. He then peers in for the next sign. He nods, checks the runner. He then fires another fastball. This one is a tad higher and a little tighter to Gehrig.
Gehrig swings mightily. The ball flies high in the air, straight up. “I-GOT-IT! I-GOT-IT! I-GOT-IT!” First baseman Dick Hoblitzel comes charging to the right side of the mound, frantically waving his arms as he looks skyward. Then finally he reaches up, and snares the falling ball.
PANDEMONIUM!
Gehrig has popped up for the 27th and final out. Hoblitzel squeezes the ball, and then squeezes his pitcher, hugging him tightly as the rest of the Boston infield quickly joins the fray, jumping, hollering and whooping it up.
And the fans in the Yankee Stadium stands are also jumping, cheering wildly for the arch-rival team’s left-hander. Last year, as a rookie, Ruth had carried a no-no into the 9th in Boston against the 1936 Bombers. As it is today, Ruth’s mound opponent was Lefty Gomez. Gomez was a worthy adversary, then, and he is today, yielding but one run and 7 hits himself. Now, today he yields the stage, his stage, to a fellow left-handed ace.
Amidst the throng of jumping, yelling teammates on the Stadium infield, Ruth manages to glance into the Yankee dugout, where most of the players still are. He spots Gomez, who nods quietly and slightly, touching the bill of his cap. On the mound, the Babe also touches his bill and nods.
When the Bambino finally begins to depart the mound and Yankee Stadium infield, the New York partisan denizens cheer loudly once more. And the Babe responds, tipping his cap in all directions and waving to the roaring throng.
TEAMS......................... 123 456 789 - R H E
1916 Boston Red Sox.... 001 000 000 - 1 7 0
1937 N Y Yankees.........000 000 000 - 0 0 0
A year earlier in this imaginary drama, the rookie Ruth had squared off against Lefty Gomez and the 1936 Yankees, and had come within three outs of no-hitting them in the 93rd game of the season. Now he's a second year left-hander who would win 23 in the actual 1916 season. He would fire 9 shutouts, an AL record for lefties which still stands. He would win the longest game in World Series history 2-1, going the 14 inning distance. And here, he would use the no-hitter as a springboard, turning a 7-7 record into a 22-9 mark with a 3.11 ERA… against the finest aggregate of hitters ever to take the field.
93rd Game of a 154 game season.
Ninth inning.
Rookie left-hander George Ruth casually slings his warm-up tosses plateward. Behind him his infielders toss a ball around. And in the on-deck area, Yankees third baseman Red Rolfe limbers up with two bats as he prepares to lead off the top of the ninth. And in the stands, 23,556 Fenway faithful stand and cheer. Boston has a comfortable 6-0. Wins have been hard to come by for the Red Sox lately. The 1915 World Champs had gone toe-to toe with their 1936 New York counterparts for the first half of the season. The two teams split the first 68 contests. New York's powerful line-up seemed unable to overpower the superb pitching staff. Boston seemed to be able to come up with timely hits over and over, play great defense, and of course, send a strong hurler to the mound day in and day out. Five men with at least 15 wins in the actual 1915 campaign, with lefty Dutch Leonard, 15-7, sporting the lowest winning percentage.
But suddenly, as the second half of this mythical season arrives, the 1936 Yankees seem to find an extra gear. They win an astounding 17 out of 22. Gehrig, Dickey and rookie Joe DiMaggio are not knocking out home runs left-and-right (Gehrig leads with seven after 90 games). But New York seems to adapt to the 'small ball' or 'dead ball' game very well. Their pitching solidifies. And the Red Sox find themselves fighting to get back in contention.
Which brings the two teams, and us, to game 93. New York has extended their hot streak to 19 of 24. Boston has sent rookie Ruth to the mound to try and halt the Yankee train. And here, now, for eight terrific innings, the Babe from Baltimore has done it. He has completely shut down the line-up that terrorized the American League to the tune of 1000-plus runs. And Ruth had even helped out at the plate, lining a Lefty Gomez fastball 444 feet to right center for a solo homer in the fifth. Now, three outs are all that separates he and his mates from cheer and beer for a well earned victory.
Ruth finishes his warmup tosses. Forrest Cady fires the ball down to second. Red Rolfe settles into the left-hand batters box. Ruth snags the ball from third baseman Larry Gardner and walks up to toe the rubber. Umpire Bill Klem gives the 'play ball' signal. And 23,000 Red Sox rooters remain standing and cheering.
Ruth nods at the signal from catcher Cady, winds and fires. Rolfe swings at the first pitch fastball and lifts a high fly ball. It floats down the right-field line before barely clearing the wall just fair of the pole... home run.
The fans gasp and groan loudly. Then, they begin to cheer. As Rolfe circles the bases the cheer gets louder and louder. On the mound, Ruth shrugs and calls for another ball from umpire Klem. Then he notices Boston Manager Bill Carrigan coming to the mound.
"You taking me out, Skip? I ain't tired."
"Babe! Don't you know what's going on?"
"Yeah! We're about to win. And it's about damn time!"
"Babe! They're cheering you!"
Just then umpire Klem comes to the mound with a fresh baseball.
"Nice job, Babe!" The umpire Klem grins.
"Thanks! I won't call you 'Catfish' just for that."
"Babe!" Interjects Carrigan. "You really don't know what's going on, do you? Tip your damn cap!" The Bambino looks quizzically at Carrigan. he indeed doffs his cap to the Boston fans who are on their feet, still cheering. "Babe, that home run you just surrendered to Rolfe was the Yanks' first hit of the game. You pitched a no-hitter for eight innings!" The Babe grinned.
"You're not upset?" queried umpire Klem.
"Nah! These fans ain't had much to cheer about for a long, long time." The Babe waved his cap again. Then he retired the side to secure the victory.
After the game Ruth comes out of the Red Sox clubhouse. He's surprised to see the losing pitcher, Lefty Gomez.
"Kid; that was the best I've seen in a long time. That was a clinic you gave out there today." The youngster stammered a bit.
"T-Thanks, Mr. Gomez."
"Lefty! You call me 'Mr. Gomez', it makes me sound like your grandpa!" Ruth grinned.
"That was a long time coming. I'm sick and tired of losing."
"Listen Babe... this Yankee team... do you know how damn good they are?"
"I'm gettin' the idea."
"They score a thousand runs a year. Without my help. They keep me on the mound to keep me away from the batters' box. Sometimes after I retire the side, they sneak off the field and hope I stay out there!" The Babe laughed.
"They keep you on the mound because you're a great pitcher. Something I'm trying to be."
"Something you already are."
"Thanks, Lefty. Maybe someday they'll call me 'Lefty' too."
"I think they've got another nickname in mind for you." Lefty then stuck out his hand. "Just keep pitching them, son. Let's do it again in four days." And the two left-handers shook hands.
Then… one year later.
1916 Boston Red Sox VS
1937 New York Yankees
Yankee Stadium, Bronx NY.
Boston's Babe shuts down the Yankees! Again!
Babe Ruth, now a second year southpaw, again locks horns with Lefty Gomez and the Yankees. More than 53,000 are in attendance. Ruth’s record is 7-7, with an ERA of 3.72. Lefty Gomez has a sterling 12-3 record with a 1.64 ERA… and a line-up behind him that scored more than 1000 runs in 1937.
Yankee Stadium-
Bottom of the 9th:
With the Red Sox leading 1-0, Babe Ruth takes the mound to begin the bottom of the ninth, three outs from victory, and three outs from immortality. He has allowed three base runners in 8 innings:
-A walk to Lou Gehrig in the 5th.
-A walk to Tommy Henrich in the 8th.
-A walk to Tony Lazzeri in the 8th.
And that’s it.
Now in the ninth, Ruth stands on the hill. 53,345 paid attendees stand in the Yankee Stadium stands, cheering. It is hard to tell what they are rooting for. After all, the Yans are down by only one tally.
But when Frank Crosetti leads off with a walk, a good many faithful groan. It is the obvious that at least some want to see some history.
With the Boston infield at double play depth,
R.Rolfe squares and lays down a sacrifice bunt to the right side of the mound. Ruth fields it and throws it to Jack Barry covering first. Crosetti reaches second with one out.
There are more cheers, but it is still not clear why. After all, Rolfe’s successful sacrifice puts Crosetti in scoring position, with two powerful run producers due to get their hacks.
But George Selkirk swings at the first pitch and hits a routine three-hopper to Barry, who throws him out for the second out. The fans explode. Crosetti advances to third with the tying run, but it is apparent that many here are cheering the fact that the Bambino needs one more out to achieve the unthinkable. And the mighty Lou Gehrig stands in his way.
With Frank Crosetti edging off third in foul territory, Ruth pitches from the stretch. After looking over his shoulder at Crosetti, he nods to his catcher and fires a tailing fastball. Gehrig watches it go by. “Stee-riiiike ONE!”
Ruth takes the return throw from catcher Pinch Thomas. He then peers in for the next sign. He nods, checks the runner. He then fires another fastball. This one is a tad higher and a little tighter to Gehrig.
Gehrig swings mightily. The ball flies high in the air, straight up. “I-GOT-IT! I-GOT-IT! I-GOT-IT!” First baseman Dick Hoblitzel comes charging to the right side of the mound, frantically waving his arms as he looks skyward. Then finally he reaches up, and snares the falling ball.
PANDEMONIUM!
Gehrig has popped up for the 27th and final out. Hoblitzel squeezes the ball, and then squeezes his pitcher, hugging him tightly as the rest of the Boston infield quickly joins the fray, jumping, hollering and whooping it up.
And the fans in the Yankee Stadium stands are also jumping, cheering wildly for the arch-rival team’s left-hander. Last year, as a rookie, Ruth had carried a no-no into the 9th in Boston against the 1936 Bombers. As it is today, Ruth’s mound opponent was Lefty Gomez. Gomez was a worthy adversary, then, and he is today, yielding but one run and 7 hits himself. Now, today he yields the stage, his stage, to a fellow left-handed ace.
Amidst the throng of jumping, yelling teammates on the Stadium infield, Ruth manages to glance into the Yankee dugout, where most of the players still are. He spots Gomez, who nods quietly and slightly, touching the bill of his cap. On the mound, the Babe also touches his bill and nods.
When the Bambino finally begins to depart the mound and Yankee Stadium infield, the New York partisan denizens cheer loudly once more. And the Babe responds, tipping his cap in all directions and waving to the roaring throng.
TEAMS......................... 123 456 789 - R H E
1916 Boston Red Sox.... 001 000 000 - 1 7 0
1937 N Y Yankees.........000 000 000 - 0 0 0
A year earlier in this imaginary drama, the rookie Ruth had squared off against Lefty Gomez and the 1936 Yankees, and had come within three outs of no-hitting them in the 93rd game of the season. Now he's a second year left-hander who would win 23 in the actual 1916 season. He would fire 9 shutouts, an AL record for lefties which still stands. He would win the longest game in World Series history 2-1, going the 14 inning distance. And here, he would use the no-hitter as a springboard, turning a 7-7 record into a 22-9 mark with a 3.11 ERA… against the finest aggregate of hitters ever to take the field.
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