TOP OF THE GAME
The Montreal Saints signed pitcher Dave Paynter a couple of weeks ago--bringing the veteran hurler back to the Federal Leagues after a 3-year purgatory in the Century League, where he was the New Orleans Showboats's ace pitcher. He was made available because New Orleans ended their 21-year run as an independent Century League club (during which time they won 5 pennants) and are returning to their roots in the Dixie League, where they've signed an agreement with the Keystones to be Philadelphia's affiliate in the class AA league.
But this column isn't about New Orleans. Nor is it about Dave Paynter. Though Paynter is who got me thinking--he threw a perfect game against Fort Worth in July of 1927. We haven't seen a perfect game in the Federal Leagues since Jack Small turned the trick for Toronto against Philadelphia in 1906. Hell, we haven't seen a no-hitter since Brooklyn's Topsy Moran held the Foresters hit-less in June of 1926. We have had 2 perfect games in the Federal Leagues. Boston's John Blackburn had one against the
other Philadelphia club in May of 1904.
So I thought--on the cusp of 1929--who had the best performances of 1928?
For pitchers, look no further than Cleveland's Bob Lawrence, who threw 10 innings of shutout baseball to beat the Saints 1-0 on May 5th. I was fortunate enough to attend that Saturday contest. The score was knotted up at 0 after 9 innings. Lawrence had given up 3 hits with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. His opponent that afternoon was the unlikeliest of Saints--Cat Spanos. Spanos had just been summoned from Minneapolis to replace the ailing Al Allen on the Montreal roster. Allen had started the season pitching a lot like his father, and so I was in Cleveland to take a look at the Saints and maybe see Allen take the mound. But here was Spanos, making his first Federal League start, and holding the Foresters to 0 runs on 2 hits through 9 innings.
Lawrence came out in the top of the 10th and put the Saints down in order (which wasn't particularly difficult to do to Montreal in 1928). And then Spanos took the mound for the bottom of the 10th. The first batter he was to face was shortstop Russ Combs. After starting Combs with a ball off of the plate, Spanos threw a fastball in the strike zone and Combs deposited it in the bleachers in left. Spanos had now given up 3 hits (like Lawrence), but the third was deadly. 1-0, Cleveland.
I should also mention the game in which the Stars's Dick Richards gave up just 1 hit against Montreal (you don't say?). Saturday, August 11th, in Montreal, and New York won that game 1-0 on a run in the 10th inning also.
Hal Eason--who announced his retirement back in October--is 2nd on the all-time list in home runs to Max Morris. Eason was the first--and until this season, only--player to hit 3 home runs in a game. Eason did it in 1922 to Washington when he was playing for the Keystones. In 1928, the 3 home run feat was accomplished twice. By the same player. Four days apart. Who? Why, Tom Taylor, of course. On Thursday, August 2nd, Taylor went 3 for 5 with 3 home runs against the Stars in New York. Four days later, on Monday, August 6th, against the Kings in Brooklyn, Taylor went 4 for 5 with 3 home runs.