OCTOBER 2, 1939
GET READY FOR A PAIR OF WILD FINISHES
It's hard for a baseball fan to ask for much better than this. With one week remaining in the season we have a pair of terrific pennant races to close out the 1939 campaign. In the Federal Association the Pittsburgh Miners have pulled ahead of Detroit and cling to the slimmest of leads, a half game up on the second place Dynamos. The Continental Association race got very interesting in the middle of last week when the surprising New York Stars (yes they have been great all year but we still will call what they have done this season 'surprising') went into Cleveland and beat the front-running Foresters three straight games. Cleveland rebounded over the weekend, ending the Philadelphia Sailors dreams by taking three of the four games in their series while the Stars did the same in their 4 game set with Brooklyn. The result is the Foresters have a game and a half lead on New York with 6 games remaining (7 for the Stars).
FEDERAL ASSOCIATION RACE
Last week started nicely for Detroit as the Dynamos salvaged a split of their short two-game series in Pittsburgh by rallying with 7 runs in the final 2 innings to double the Miners 8-4. Frank Vance was the hero as the mid-season pickup from Brooklyn who had previously spent the bulk of his career in Detroit, delivered a 5-hit game that was capped by a 2-run homer in the ninth inning to ensure the Miners would not come back on this day. That win gave Detroit a 1.5 game cushion but two days later it was gone as the Dynamos stubbed their toe in Washington by dropping two of three while the Miners were waltzing past the New York Gothams three times. Both clubs won on Friday and Detroit regained the 1/2 game lead Saturday by outslugging the Gothams 10-8 while Boston played spoiler with a walk-off 5-4 win...literally as Miners reliever Speed Brown issued a bases loaded free pass to the Minutemen's Charlie Reed to plate the deciding run. Yesterday it tipped back in Pittsburgh's favour as the Miners, behind Karl Johnson's career best 23rd win of the season, beat Boston 7-4 while in Detroit Charlie Sutton of the visitors pitched the best game of his young career, silencing the Dynamos bats in a 2-1 victory for the Gothams.
Which brings us to today and the Miners have 6 games left with a half game lead on Detroit. The pennant, which would be the first for the Dynamos in a decade, comes down to a road test for George Theobald's boys. Detroit finishes with 5 games on the road, 2 in Chicago and 3 in New York. Pittsburgh has 4 on the road where they are mortal (37-36) and the final 2 at home against Washington where they are now over .700 with a 53-22 record.
Neither team will be at full strength as the Miners run of injury free baseball came to an end on Friday when Jack Cleaves (.326,7,57) broke his kneecap ending the third baseman's season the same way it started - on the injured list as Cleaves missed much of May and June with another unrelated knee issue. Pittsburgh has survived injuries in the past as the 1937 season was one trip to the trainers room after another for the club but they still managed to win their first Federal Association pennant since 1924.
Detroit has decided more rest is hopefully the solution for Sal Pestilli's ailing shoulder. The young superstar has been bothered by it since the end of August and it showed on the field with a .189 batting average for September. After going 0-for-4 against New York yesterday the Dynamos have announced Sal will sit out the 2 games in Chicago which, combined with off days Monday and Thursday, will give the reigning Whitney Award winner 4 days rest. The hope is his ailing shoulder will finally heal for a big finish in the Big Apple.
The real debate in Detroit will be how to set up the pitching staff for the 5 games this week. With the potential of a playoff game next Monday a decision has to be made on who would start that game. When asked the question, manager George Theobald stated “You have to win the games this week before you worry about a potential 155th game on Monday. If we don't win 4 or all 5 remaining games, it likely won't matter on Monday. So we will put our best out there to win every scheduled game this week, that is our priority.”
No word out of Pittsburgh on how their rotation will shape up but the expectation is Lefty Allen (23-7, 3.25) will go Tuesday in Washington after the day off tomorrow. Then expect a steady diet of Charlie Stedman (12-19, 3.24) and Karl Johnson (23-10, 3.35) with perhaps one start from Roger Perry (9-8, 4.76) thrown in.
STARS SWEEP FORESTERS TO MAKE FOR INTERESTING WEEK AHEAD
Forgive Cleveland fans if they felt the Continental Association pennant race was over last Monday after their hometown heroes topped Baltimore 8-6 while the second place New York Stars were blasted 10-0 by Philadelphia. That gave the Foresters what looked like a commanding 4.5 game lead entering a 3-game series with the Stars at Forester Stadium. Win two at home from the Stars and the pennant was Cleveland's. Even taking one of the three would still leave the Foresters in pretty good shape but the New York Stars continue to defy the odds this season.
You have to think the Stars would have been devastated after getting blown out by the Sailors but they have proved to be a resilient bunch all season. That resilience came in to play in the series opener as the Foresters built a quick 3-1 lead and then, after the Stars took a 4-3 lead on a 3-run shot from ageless wonder Dave Trowbridge in the top of the 7th inning, that resolve would need testing again as the Foresters quickly responded with a pair of their own to regain the lead in the bottom of the inning. All that meant was we would need more New York dramatics and pinch-hitter Jim Honeywood, who had hit just one homerun all season entering the game, delivered with another 3-run shot and this lead would survive giving the Stars a 7-5 victory and moving to within 3.5 games of Cleveland. The loss was even tougher to take for the Foresters as shortstop George Dawson (.308,6,59) broke a bone in his foot, ending his season and dealing a huge blow to the club.
Trowbridge was the star of the show the next day with a 4 hit game while youngster Bill Barrett and veteran Moxie Pidgeon each drove in 3 runs to lead New York to a convincing 13-6 victory and the Foresters appeared to be the team on the ropes. That feeling only intensified for Cleveland fans on Thursday when Jim Honeywood struck again. The 27 year old, who was waived by Montreal in April, has found his calling as a pinch-hitter in New York. Honeywood is batting .333 with 2 pinch-hit homers and 17 rbi's. Three of those RBI's came Tuesday to beat Cleveland and two more of them came in the ninth inning of Thursday's contest when Honeywood snapped a 1-1 tie with a 2-run double in a game the Stars would win 5-1 and cut the deficit to just a game and a half. It remained that way as the week came to a close with Cleveland bouncing back to take 3 of 4 from Philadelphia while the Stars did the same over Brooklyn.
We enter the final week with Cleveland playing 3 at home against Toronto starting Tuesday before finishing up with 3 games in Philadelphia against the Stars, who while still not officially eliminated are presently 6 games back. The Stars open and close the week with Brooklyn, playing at home Monday before finishing the season at Kings County Ballpark on Saturday and Sunday. In between they have 4 home games, two each vs Baltimore and Montreal. It will be interesting if the season ending series in Brooklyn has an impact on the pennant race. The Kings had seen their pennant hopes crushed by New York a few seasons back and would long to return the favour. Interesting if they do it would be Cleveland that would be the beneficiary of the New York-Brooklyn rivalry once again.
HONEYWOOD - PINCH-HITTER EXTRAORDINAIRE
In a season in which few expected the New York Stars to be a pennant contender it seems only fitting that the hero of last week's New York sweep in Cleveland would be a player very few fans have ever noticed. They certainly know the name Jim Honeywood in Cleveland now. He is hitting .333 with 2 homers and 17 rbi's as a pinch-hitter this season (.311,2,17 overall) but it is against the Foresters where Honeywood really shines. In 14 pinch-hit attempts this season vs Cleveland the 27 year old is 8-for-12 with 2 walks, a home run and 7 rbi's. He came to the plate twice against Cleveland in the big series between the Stars and Foresters last week and delivered big both times. In Tuesday's opener he socked a 3-run homer in the 8th inning to lift the Stars to a 7-5 victory and on Thursday his 2-run double in the 9th snapped a 1-1 tie and keyed a 5-1 New York victory.
Jim Honeywood was actually a pretty decent prospect back in the day, being selected out of high school in the third round of the 1929 draft by the St Louis Pioneers. He even made the top 100 prospect list for a few years but was dealt from St Louis to Montreal in 1934 while still in the minor leagues. So he had some promise and was included in a deal that sent a young Tom Bird and Jake DeYoung to Montreal for catcher Heinie Zimmer and OF Al Tucker. He made his big league debut with the Saints in 1934, but hit just .200 in 25 at bats and would split the next three seasons between AA and AAA. Out of minor league options, he spent all of last season on the Saints roster, and hit .281 primarily as a pinch-hitter. The Saints decided to waive him in April and the Stars picked him up.
From his first game in a New York uniform it was clear that the unusual could and would happen for the Stars this season. That contest was on May 1st and came against his former team. Honeywood entered as a pinch-hitter in the 7th inning of what was looking like a rout for the Stars. He grounded out in his first at bat with New York but it did plate Moxie Pidgeon with a run to make the score 10-0 at the time. The Stars left him in the game to play second base and while he did not make a play in the field it would turn out his bat was needed as the Saints rallied for 10 runs to tie the game heading into the bottom of the ninth. Perhaps showing what was to come, Honeywood singled and then scampered home with the game-winning run on a Ralph Connor double. Since then he is 21-for-63 as a pinch hitter and the Stars hope he has just a little more magic left in his bat next week.
BANNER'S BALTIMORE DECISION MAY DETERMINE KINGS FATE
As the Brooklyn Kings worst season since 1924 winds down there remain plenty of rumours swirling around town that manager Powell Slocum and Scouting Director John Spears appear poised to bolt the club for Baltimore if the Cannons do not relocate. Now there is talk that Slocum, the greatest player in Cannons history, and Spears, a Baltimore native, may be joined in the exodus by General Manager Tiger Fan. Nothing is set in stone and it really all hinges on Oscar Banner, the current Baltimore owner. It is unlikely any of the three will leave, and certainly not Slocum who had a falling out with the organization prompting his trade to Brooklyn a decade and a half ago, if Banner decides not to sell the club. If Banner sells them to a party outside of the city with plans to move the club Slocum and Spears will stay in Brooklyn. However, while he has not spoke publicly on the matter, those close to the Brooklyn GM have hinted he would be willing to consider a move from Brooklyn but is leaning towards remaining with the Kings. It appears only if the consortium of Baltimore businessmen, who Slocum helped put together, are successful in their bid to purchase the squad that there will be a dramatic change in the Brooklyn hierarchy with all three leaving.
The 53 year old Slocum, a Hall of Fame player and baseball's all-time hit king, has managed Brooklyn twice with a stint in Pittsburgh in between. Since taking over the Kings for his most recent run early in the 1935 campaign Slocum has guided the club to 4 straight 90-win seasons and 3 consecutive pennants prior to this seasons debacle. Spears, 49, has been Brooklyn's Scouting Director since 1931.
If he leaves the club after 14 seasons in Brooklyn, Tiger Fan will go out as the most successful executive in Kings history with his legacy being headlined with the fact he ended the so-called "Curse of Ferdinand Hawkins" when the club won it's first World Championship title two years ago. He will also have guided the team to a 1176-974 record, 4 pennants, 3 second place finishes and six 90-win seasons. However, his legacy is also tarnished by missed opportunities as the Kings won just 1 World Championship and their three second place finishes were by a combined total of 4 games back of the pennant winners in those years including coming up 1 game short in back to back seasons behind Cleveland.
For his part, Brooklyn owner Daniel Prescott has remained tight-lipped although he did recently acknowledge that despite the terrible season his club has endured Prescott would welcome all three back next season. However, Prescott did add that he understood completely if any of them felt they desired a new challenge. While Tiger Fan has worked on a series of one year contracts with Prescott and his predecessor the late Malcolm Presley, there is the matter of contracts to deal with should Slocum and/or Spears want out. Slocum is under contract thru the 1941 season and Spears signed a five year extension in the spring designed to keep him in Brooklyn until 1944. While Prescott appears willing to not stand in their way should they wish to move, it is expected he would demand compensation in return.
QUICK HITS
- Quite a moment for John Lawson. The celebration was tempered slightly as it came on the day his Chicago Cougars were officially eliminated from pennant contention despite beating the Toronto Wolves 4-3. The 36 year old Lawson reached the 2,500 hit plateau yesterday with a single off of Toronto's Joe Hancock. He becomes just the 23rd player in FABL history to reach that mark. Lawson spent the first 9 seasons of his career with the New York Stars before moving to the Cougars in 1936.
- We should have thought of this earlier but really the 1939 World Championship Series trophy should go to the Detroit Dynamos if you trust trends. The Dynamos won the series in 1909, 1919 and 1929 so clearly this is their year. But then again the 1899 Fed pennant went to Pittsburgh.
- Fred McCormick has 6 games left - let's say 22 at bats. A tough task but if he goes 12 for 22 his season average will be .40035 - Toronto says he will play every game
- No Mess-ing around in New York. While the Gothams sank to 8th and the pitching continued to be a no show rookie Walt Messer remained determined to prove he is part of the answer. The first sacker actually improved on his already stellar debut in the majors by fashioning a week that defies belief. As his club managed to lose 6 of 7 contests Messer went 13/21 for a .619 average, with 2 homers and 3 RBI.
- Stop me if you have heard this one before. After a poor season spent in the Washington bullpen, former 22 game winner Bill Anderson pitches well down the stretch. Anderson tossed a 6-0 shutout against Detroit of all teams and is 2-2 since rejoining the Washington rotation. Two years ago he had an awful start and was also banished to the pen, only to come up with some nice efforts and give Washington fans hope he had regained his 1936 form when he went 22-14. He had not then as his 1938 season was even worse than his disappointing 1937 campaign.
- Tough way to end a hitting streak, especially for a rookie. Walt Pack (.354,11,50) had a 23 game streak going but that came to an end in an 8-7 win over Brooklyn when Pack, who did not start in the game, entered as a defensive replacement in the 9th inning and struck out in his only at bat as the game went 11. He made up for it the rest of the week by starting another streak that is now 5 games long. Brooklyn also ended Freddie Jones' hitting streak at 20 games earlier in the week.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 10/02/1939
- Warsaw surrenders as Hitler claims victory in Poland.
- As Germany and Russia partition Poland, both make a hands off warning to the rest of the world and tell allies to abandon the war to restore Poland or face "necessary measures".
- French and British planes destroy a major German aircraft motor manufacturing plant as heavy fighting continues along Germany's western front. Meanwhile the Reich launches a massive attack on British ships in the North Sea.
- Saying the Nazis betrayed them the Slovakian government has advised Great Britain that it's "aims" are identical with those of the Allied Powers. However, Turkey informs the Allies their mutual assistance obligation would be annulled if the Allies became involved in war with Russia.
- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the Administration neutrality bill to permit the sale of American armaments to belligerent nations. Senate debate on the proposal begins next week with many not on board. Senator Borah of Idaho claims in Congress lifted the arms embargo to Europe's warring nations, he did not "see how" the United States could refuse to send armies to help the Allies "in their hour of greater need."