The series at Chicago continues as we enter June, and we split the remaining two games. A bout of forearm stiffness takes Jack out in the middle of a game we end up winning against the Cards, but the schedule fortunately lines up so that he doesn’t miss a turn.
It is about this time I try to initiate an extension with Pop Foster, whose contract with us runs out at the end of this season. However, like Hickman last year, he wants to test the FA market. I shop him around but for now the offers are pretty thin and it looks like we’ll have to let him go and buy him back if we so decide. What it most likely means is that, should it become apparent that we are no hope of challenging for the pennant, Campbell will be getting the majority of game time so as to hopefully accelerate his development.
Finally, we get Zaza back. Let’s see what that does to the group. I opt to send Neuer to the RR rather than a position player. Five relievers in these conditions is ample. He certainly doesn’t take long to get back into the swing, going 4-for-7 with a double and a ribbie his second game, an extra-inning 4-2 win at the Phils also notable for Cy’s excellent 13 IP / 3 H / 2 ER / 2 K performance. But this is another terrible series for us, with that the only win in four as we are shut out twice.
Leach hitting 074 for the month so far, Wagner 103, Foster 120. Little surprise we are struggling for consistency.
Harvey picks up another niggle. He’ll be able to play through it but we’ll be nursing him as much as possible.
By the time we head to Beantown for 5, the Cubs are 13 in front of us. We scrape by for a 3-2 series win that needs a 9th-inning rally and 2 dingers by Tommy Leach in the decider to secure with our second consecutive ugly 6-5 win.
And so on, and so forth. We crabwalk through the rest of June to finish with a 14-14 record that leaves us at 39-35 and still a dozen games adrift.
The View from the Gangplank- If one series encapsulates this season, it is our final one of the month at the Cards, in which we go WLWLW, alternating strong performances with weak ones, but not at either extremity of the performance spectrum, just spooling tightly around the nucleus like some heavy proton.
- One rare bright spot is Cy Young, who puts in a stellar 6-1 / 1.97 performance to win the monthly pitching award.
Around the Leagues- The Cubs do cool off a bit in the latter part of the month, just leaving the door ajar for the second-placed Phillies, who close to within 8 games. Over in the AL, the A’s still hold sway, although they, too, get the wobbles late to let both the Sens and White Sox pull within 2.
- Christy “Big Six” Mathewson no-hits the Doves. An error by Mike Mowrey stops it from being a perfect game. Ouch.
Awards- 06/01 POTW: AL – Tris Speaker (Boston) 433 / 5 RBI; NL – Cy Young (Pittsburgh) 2-0 / 0.00 / 10 K / 18 IP.
- 06/08 POTW: AL – George Stone (St. Louis) 600 / 1 HR / 6 RBI; NL – Joe Tinker (Chicago) 448 / 2 HR / 4 RBI.
- 06/15 POTW: AL – Addie Joss (Cleveland) 2-0 / 0.00 / 4 K / 12 IP; NL – Buttons Briggs (Philadelphia) 2-0 / 0.50 / 7 K / 18 IP.
- 06/22 POTW: AL – Johnny Evers (St. Louis) 500 / 2 RBI; NL – Tommy Leach (Pittsburgh) 455 / 2 HR / 5 RBI.
- 06/29 POTW: AL – Homer Smoot (Philadelphia) 708 / 6 RBI; NL – Sam Crawford (Cincinnati) 481 / 1 RBI.
- AL Batter of the Month: Homer Smoot (Philadelphia) 351 / 2 HR / 14 RBI.
- NL Batter of the Month: Sam Crawford (Cincinnati) 410 / 2 HR / 11 RBI.
- AL Pitcher of the Month: Joe Lake (Chicago) 5-1 / 1.35 / 24 K / 66.2 IP.
- NL Pitcher of the Month: Cy Young (Pittsburgh) 6-1 / 1.97 / 26 K / 77.2 IP.
- AL Rookie of the Month: Joe Lake (Chicago).
- NL Rookie of the Month: Ed Summers (Cincinnati) 3-5 / 2.64 / 22 K / 71.2 IP.
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