THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL
July 11, 1938
EXTRA, EXTRA! INNINGS THAT IS
CONTINENTAL PREVAILS IN ALL-STAR GAME
For the second consecutive season and third time in 6 years the All-Star game required extra innings to determine a winner. And just like in 1934 and again last season it was the visitors that came out on top as the stars of the Continental Association got a much needed 5-4 victory in 13 innings. It was just the second win in the now six year old series for the CA.
Fred McCormick, who had previously played in 4 of these games for the Federal Association prior to his trade to Toronto over the winter, was the star of the show for the Continental boys, getting 3 hits including a pair of doubles and driving in 2 runs to capture game MVP honours. Bob Cummings of the Brooklyn Kings pitched two scoreless innings of relief to get the win with Boyd Harper of the New York Stars earning the save despite the fact he made things tense by walking a pair of Federal Association hitters in the bottom of the 13th. Don Attaway of the Philadelphia Keystones was tagged with the loss a year after he was the hero of the 19 inning marathon 1937 contest when he pitched 5 innings of 2-hit ball. Attaway also has an all-star game save on his resume from the 1935 game.
The CA struck first with 3 straight singles off Lefty Allen after Cleveland's Roy Bradley flied out to start the second inning. Harry Barrell's fielder's choice plated the game's first run but Allen escaped with no further damage by inducing a fly ball out of Nick Wallace. The Feds evened things up in the third when Joe Owens led off with a walk off of Brooklyn's Mike Murphy. Pete Layton singled to move Owens to third, aided by a Pablo Reyes bobble of the ball, and Owens would score on a sac fly from the Chiefs Hank Barnett.
A pair of Detroit Dynamos teamed up in the bottom of the fourth to put the Feds up 3-1. Rookie first baseman Red Johnson single and then scored on a 2-run homer by Leon Drake off of the Sailors Doc Newell. The Continental cut the gap to 1 run in the top of the fifth when Detroit's Charlie Wheeler was victimized by singles from Bob Smith and Reyes to start the inning. After Wheeler fanned Frank Vance, Fred McCormick delivered his first hit of the contest, a rbi single to plate Smith.
The score would remain 3-2 in the Feds favour until the 7th inning when McCormick went to work again. He followed up a 2-out double by Vance with one of his own and then McCormick scored the go-ahead run on an rbi single by Roy Bradley. The Feds refused to go quietly as they tied the game in the 8th when Ernesto Perez of the hometown Gothams brought the sold out crowd of 52,000 at the Bigsby Oval to it's feet with a one out double. Two batters later Hank Barnett would deliver the game tying single and after a scoreless 9th despite each side putting a runner in scoring position we headed to extra innings for the second year in a row.
There were a couple of base runners but neither side threatened until the 13th when Attaway got into trouble although it was started by an error from Jack Cleaves. The long-time Philadelphia Sailors infielder was making his debut with the Fed side after a trade to Pittsburgh and he was forced to play shortstop because Pete Layton, who had long since left the game, was the only natural shortstop on the Fed roster. Things started quietly enough for Attaway as Jorge Nava fly out to start the inning but then Adam Mullins delivered a groundball that Cleaves failed to handle cleanly. Running out of players the CA let pitcher Bob Cummings hit for himself and the result was a second fly out. That brought Bob Smith to the plate with two out and Mullins still perched on first base. The 27 year old Sailor, playing in his first all-star game and with 2 hits already under his belt, delivered a third one in a big way, lining a double to plate Mullins with the go ahead run.
That would prove to be all Boyd Harper would need to close out the game but not before he made it interesting by walking Ron Rattigan with one out and then taking no chances with homerun leader Sal Pestilli, he issued a free pass to the young Dynamos slugger with 2 out. That brought up Jack Cleaves with a chance to make amends for his miscue but it was not to be as Cleaves flew out to end the game.
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ALL STAR GAME RESULTS
YEAR LOCATION RESULT WINNING PITCHER MVP
1933 Whitney Park Federal 8 Continental 5 Ben Curtin STL Pete Asher Pit
1934 Riverside Stadium Federal 11 Continental 7 Chick Stout PIT Tom Taylor Cougars
1935 Broad Street Park Federal 5 Continental 2 Art Myers Keystones Freddie Jones StL
1936 Pioneer Field Continental 6 Federal 4 Tom Barrell BKN Dick Walker Sailors
1937 Dominion Field Federal 2 Continental 2 Don Attaway Keystones Don Attaway Keystones
1938 Bigsby Oval Continental 5 Federal 4 Bob Cummings BKN Frank McCormick Tor
DID DAN ANDREW COST THE FEDERAL SIDE THE ALL-STAR GAME?
Once again Pittsburgh Miners manager Dan Andrew finds himself on the hot seat after a controversial decision in a big game. Last year you might recall that the Miners, having won the Opener of the World Championship Series were sailing along with a 3-1 lead after 7 innings. The Brooklyn Kings bats were in a funk as the club was baffled by the offerings of Miners starter Charlie Stedman when Andrew decided to replace Stedman on the hill with Lou Ellertson for the 8th inning. Brooklyn scored 7 runs in that frame and went on to win 4 straight. Stedman had allowed a 3 hits over the previous two innings and may have showed some signs of tiring so who knows what might have happened but it was clear, even at the time, that the 8th inning of Game Two turned the tide of the Series.
Now we get to Andrew's next moment on the stage - certainly not as bright as a World Championship Series but an All-Star Game is still a special occasion. For some inexplicable reason Andrew chooses to play his new Pittsburgh infielder Jack Cleaves at shortstop - a position Cleaves has only played 10 times in his career and none since getting 2 innings of work there in 1931. Andrew could have shifted his former infielder, now a Detroit Dynamo in Ed Stewart, to shortstop especially after Cleaves committed the first of what would be two errors on the day. Stewart is not an ideal choice for shortstop either but at least he did play 7 games there for Pittsburgh a year ago and 103 at the position in his career. Instead Andrew let things play out with Cleaves at short and sure enough, he booted a ground ball that led to the game winning run.
Again you can make the argument that Andrew is not to blame as one could easily make the case he was saddled with a poorly constructed roster considering Pete Layton was the only one who played shortstop regularly to be named to the Fed side for the game. But the bottom line is twice Andrew has had the spotlight glared in his direction for questionable moves on a big stage.
TOUGH WEEK SLOWS PIONEERS DOWN
The St Louis Pioneers had won 9 of 11 games heading into last Sunday and were within 4.5 games of first place Detroit as the July 4th doubleheaders were set to begin. You knew it might be a tough week for the Pioneers when they had to face Rabbit Day and Jim Lonardo in the Independence Day twin bill and things would get tougher after the all-star break with a trip to Detroit. Add in the fact that pitcher David Abalo was lost for the year recently and it was a recipe for disaster. That recipe was exactly what the Pioneers Federal Association foes cooked up for the Pioneers in what ended up being just an awful week.
It started Sunday with a loss to the New York Gothams, continued Monday when Rabbit Day beat St Louis rookie Buddy Long for the second time in two weeks and then Lonardo, with some help from Red Hampton, cooled St Louis bats in the hot Chicago sunshine of the mid-day doubleheader. Three days rest for the all-star game did little to help St Louis get untracked as they followed up the break with success losses in Detroit, stretching their streak of futility to 5 games. Fortunately for St Louis fans, the club did rally with 5 runs in the top of the ninth yesterday to salvage one game from the week and get back to within 7.5 games of the Dynamos.
COUGARS DEAL RANKIN, CLEARING WAY FOR PETER THE HEATER
The Chicago Cougars have traded veteran pitcher Dave Rankin to the Cleveland Foresters in exchange for a minor league pitcher and a 4th round draft pick. The big news is that means it clears the way for young phenom Pete Papenfus to make his big league debut in the Windy City. Many expected the 20 year old to debut in April after a terrific spring but the Cougars elected to give 'Peter the Heater" a little time at AAA. Well, the 1936 6th overall selection when 8-2 with a 3.46 era while averaging nearly 9 strikeouts per 9 innings in Milwaukee.
The 32 year old Rankin (5-11, 4.12) had been on the block for a few weeks and the Cougars finally found a suitor in the Foresters. Rankin began his career in Brooklyn as a 5th round pick of the Kings in 1927 out of Northern California University before making his big league debut at the age of 24. Since then he has pitched entirely for Chicago teams, first the Chiefs to whom he was dealt in part of a trade for Milt Fritz, who would later become a teammate of Rankin's with the Cougars. The Chiefs sent him to the Cougars in 1934 and he has gone 83-125 over his big league career, leading his association in losses 3 times but often has been victimized by poor run support.
In return the Cougars add a highly coveted 4th round draft pick, a round that will have increased value in the new modified split draft system that will see rounds 1-3 take place in January and the remainder after the college and high school seasons are completed in June. The Cougars also add pitcher George Sacchetti, who was recently selected in the fourth round by Cleveland out of Redwood University. Sacchetti is 1-0 with a 6.55 era after two starts at Class C and recently debuted at #215 on the OSA prospect pipeline.
QUICK HITS
- Don Attaway now has a win, a loss and a save in All-Star game play. The Philadelphia Keystones reliever lost this year, was the winner with 5 innings of 2 hit ball in the 19 inning marathon last season and got a save in the 1935 game.
- Fire sale time in Washington as the manager change has had little effect on the Eagles. Washington has dropped 9 of 11 contests since Jack Everhart replaced Mel Hancock as the bench boss, and the Eagles are in the midst of a 7 game skid while winning just 4 of their last 28 games. The one game they get decent pitching is the day their offense decides to mail it in, falling 1-0 to Pittsburgh Saturday. Word is pretty much anyone in the nation's capital can be had for the right price in a deal. The price being draft picks or young arms as the Eagles desperately look to find anyone capable of pitching in a big league ballpark.
- Sal Pestilli is slugging .646, which prompted our Chicago bureau to open the career leaderboards. Max Morris, of course, at the top (top 5 actually) with a slugging pct of .810 in 1925. Morris, Joe Masters, and Rankin Kellogg are the only players to have finished a season with a slugging pct above .700. Morris did it 5 times, Kellogg and Masters once.
- The future is now in Toronto as highly touted prospect George Garrison gets the call after going 5-0 with a sub 2 ERA in Buffalo. The 20 year old was selected 3rd overall out of an Illinois high school in 1935. Toronto's other highly touted rookie pitcher, Jim Morrison (3-7, 5.40), has been improving after a rocky start with the big club but he will move to 'pen for the time being to work on a few things.
- Stan Ware’s first big league hit was a big one. The 26 year old outfielder feels like he has been in the Brooklyn Kings system forever - he was a 4th round pick in 1930- but finally got his callup when both Lightbody’s went down. He delivered some fireworks with a pinch-hit 9th inning homer to give the Kings a 6-5 win over Montreal in the opener of the July 4th twin bill. He would add another pinch hitter in the nightcap but just a single this time in a 6-2 loss. Unfortunately with Doug Lightbody now healthy it likely means a return to Rochester for Ware. He is 2-for-4 during his stay in Brooklyn and with all of the Kings OF depth that might end up being his career FABL line.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 07/10/1938
- Mixed reaction on the possibility of President Roosevelt seeking an unprecedented third term. Republicans meeting in New York this week voiced objection to the idea but several Union Organizers said while they were unsure if FDR would seek re-election, he would certainly have their votes if he did.
- Secret Servicemen were called to action in Oklahoma City yesterday and overpowered a man weilding a blackjack who rushed the President's automobile as it moved through crowded downtown streets. Bystanders joined the secret service and national guardsman in pummelling the would-be assailant, who was taken to jail. Roosevelt was unharmed.
- Although unknown at the time it was six years ago this week, on July 8, 1932 that the most spectacular depression in American economic history reached it's extreme low as measured by the New York Stock Exchange value, which sagged to 41.22 points, which would prove to be it's lowest level of the 20th century.
- A trial in Long Island begins charig 6 officers of the German-American Settlement League with violating civil rights law by requiring camp guests to peldge allegiance to Hitler.
- Three Latin American nations have opened their doors to German and Austrian regugees. Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Peru have pledged "asylum to foreigners who are afraid for their lives."
- Two British warships have been sent to Palestine amidst rioting and bomb terror.
- Mussolini stated that Italy is ready to combat bolshevism "on a European or world-wide scale" if such combat should become necessary "to decide the fate of the continent."
- Hundreds, including about 40 Europeans, drowned in a flash flood near Kobe, Japan.