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ayaghmour2 · 04-05-2022, 12:09 PM

October 6th, 1941: Boston Minutemen (2) vs Chicago Cougars (2): After an absolute pitiful pair of games in Chicago, were the two best offenses in baseball scored just two total runs, this was a must win game for us. If it wasn't for Papenfus' injury, he'd be pitching this game, which would allow him to pitch out of the pen if needed in a crucial game seven. Instead, game two starter Harry Parker (19-10, 3.19, 117) would face Walt Wells (17-10, 3.24, 75), who we hit hard in Boston. Like most of the series, pitching had the upper hand, and through five innings the teams combined for just six hits and one runner in scoring position. We finally got things going in the 6th, where Carlos Montes (.253, 6, 41, 22) singled to start the inning and Ray Ford (.310, 7, 54) drew a five pitch walk. John Lawson (.315, 29, 129) got a 2-0 count, but instead of unloading on a pitch down the middle, he rolled one over to second. The sure handed Buddy Schneider (.336, 62, 11) couldn't field it cleanly, and after ineptness offensively on both sides, we had the bases loaded and needed to make the Minutemen pay. Manager Clyde Meyer, who has made many questionable decisions (pinch hitting for Skipper Schneider in the 2nd in game 4 stands out like a sore thumb), decided to go for another, and took out the power of Cliff Moss (.285, 10, 59) in favor of the speed of Johnny McDowell (.379, 3). He went down on strikes, and you could tell Cougar fans in attendance thought their scoring drought would continue. Luckily captain Freddie Jones (.269, 4, 36) had other ideas, attacking the first pitch and ripping it past short. Montes scored easily and then Ford beat Bill Burkett's (.265, 15, 91, 30) throw home, giving us a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately we'd get no more, as Wells bounced back and got Leo Mitchell (.346, 11, 83, 6) to ground into an inning ending double play. In the 7th Harry Mead (.260, 6, 56) grounded out to start the inning before a Skipper Schneider (.298, 4, 70) double. This brought up the pitcher Parker, who failed to bunt him over, but eventually got Skipper to third with a ground out. This turned the lineup over, and just like our first two runs, a first pitch ambush gave us two more. Carlos Montes sent one 358 feet to left, giving us a 4-0 lead that should be more then safe with Parker on the mound. It was, as Parker allowed just one more hit (to his opposition Wells) in the final two innings, finishing off a 4-hit shutout. He walked 4 and struck out 5, and needed just 114 pitches in the shutout as we at least left Chicago with the series lead reclaimed.

Just one more win...

Boston 0, Chicago 4

October 8th, 1941: Chicago Cougars (3) vs Boston Minutemen (2): With two games left, we needed just one win, and who better to get that win then fireballer and likely Allen Award Winner Pete Papenfus (20-7, 2.84, 225)? He'd get to take on Ray Dalpman (19-6, 3.43, 121), who we hit hard in game two. This game saw a lot more scoring, and the Minutemen got off to a quick 1-0 lead thanks to a trio of singles from Art Spencer (.342, 6, 52), Lew McClendon (.281, 10, 80), and Jack Flint (.245, 1, 53). They kept that lead until the 5th, where we had a nice two out rally. Dick Walker (.263, 13, 53, 14) singled Skipper over to third before Dalpman walked Montes to load the bases. Again, we pounced on a first pitch, with John Lawson promptly unloading the bases with a double to give the Cougars a nice 3-1 lead. Dalpman walked Moss on four pitches, but he got Freddie to ground out and end the inning. Papenfus seemed to lose his control in the bottom half, walking both Pete Day (.296, 2, 70, 17) and Bill Burkett before a Bill Moore (.303, 11, 83) single and Les Rich (.338, 1, 23) pinch hit double tied the game at three. The first out was Art Spencer flying out, but the bases were loaded with the third walk of the inning. Jack Flint then drove home two with a single, and after a risky double steal, Meyer called for the intentional walk of Buddy Schneider to load the bases. That proved costly, as the bases were quickly unloaded with a Day double, as the Minutemen batted around and Boston now had a huge 8-3 lead. That ended Papenfus' night quickly, with Ben Curtin (5-2, 2.13, 18) called on to get the final out. Bill Burkett singled, but Mitchell through Day out at home, thankfully keeping the game where it was.

We didn't go down quietly, and the Cougars tried to get something going in the seventh. Orlin Yates (.224, 1, 6), who came into play center when we brought in Curtin, started the inning with a walk, and then Dalpman walked Walker too. No walk for Ford, who singled home Yates, cutting the lead to four. Walker and Ford both advanced on a wild pitch with John Lawson up, but Dalpman got the reigning Whitney Winner to ground out, and prevent a run from scoring. Cliff Moss then attacked a first pitch, but hit a slow roller between first and second, and while he beat it out, Walker didn't make an attempt to score. Still, the bases were loaded for captain Freddie Jones with just one out, and he hit one deep to right. Day was under it, Walker was ready to tag, and with a wild throw from Day, he scored easily as Ford and Moss both moved up 90 feet. If Walker scored on the previous play, Ford would have scored here, but we were now down three. Mitchell struck out to end the inning, but we did manage to chip away at the lead. Joe Brown (9-2, 8, 2.94, 27) replaced Curtin for the 7th, and despite a walk and hit by pitch, he kept the Minutemen off the board. For the top of the 8th, John Edwards (9-13, 2, 5.12, 81) replaced the rookie Dalpman, and got a quick ground out to start the inning. He then walked Skipper and Yates, and they moved up 90 feet on a Walker ground out to bring up the pitcher's spot. Fred Vargas (.412, 3, 13) was called on to pinch hit, and he singled both home to bring us within one! John Lawson had a chance to tie it, but he grounded out to second to end the inning. Dick Lyons (10-12, 3.91, 28) came in for the 8th, and got Day, Burkett, and Moore to fly out, keeping us within one for the 9th. Edwards was still out for Boston, and after Moss flew out, Freddie Jones beat out a grounder to the pitcher. Mitchell struck out, again, and we were down to our final out. Mead swung at the first pitch, grounding it to second, but another Buddy Schneider error kept the game going. His brother Skipper then attacked Edwards' first pitch, lining it to right. Jones scored from third, and then Dom Pappas gave the waive to our catcher, who beat Day's throw with a slide, giving us the 9-8 lead! Bobby Montefusco (3-4, 3, 4.22, 8) then relived Edwards, striking out Yates on three pitches to end the inning.

Now up in the bottom of the 9th, Lyons needed just three outs to win the Cougars their first title since 1933. He got Joe Watson (.320, 6, 54) to ground out, but former Cougar draftee Charlie Reed (.290, 3, 1) got things going with a double. Lyons battled back to strike out Mack Sutton, so Jack Flint was the last chance for Boston. He lined one to left center, Yates played it and saw Reed rounding third, and made a throw to the plate. Reed evaded the tag, Flint moved to second, and the game was back to even. Buddy then reached on a Jones error, giving runners on the corners for pinch hitter Bill Van Ness (.302, 3, 21). Lyons threw three straight balls, but battled back to make it full, before a pop up ended the inning, but not the game. The 10th saw Dick Higgins (2-2, 2, 5.33, 41), who got two quick flyouts before John Lawson singled to extend the inning. Moss attacked his first pitch, looking to break the tie with one big swing, but he just missed it and flew out to right to end the inning. Pug Bryan (1-2, 5.40, 9) pitched the 10th, although I would have much rather thing Milt Fritz (8-8, 4.01, 25) or Eddie Quinn (6-3, 4.91, 17). Instead, Pug ran into issues right away, with another Pete Day double to start the inning. He got to third on Burkett's infield hit, and things were not looking good. Deadline pickup Bill Moore was up with runners on the corners and no outs, and instead of ending the game with a triple play, he singled home Day as the Minutemen walked off winners.

So close...

But yet, so far...

Oh well, we'll get a game seven! Jim Lonardo, I have faith...

Chicago 9, Boston 10 (10 innings)

04-05-2022, 12:09 PM	#769
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	1941 World Championship Series: Game 5-6 October 6th, 1941: Boston Minutemen (2) vs Chicago Cougars (2): After an absolute pitiful pair of games in Chicago, were the two best offenses in baseball scored just two total runs, this was a must win game for us. If it wasn't for Papenfus' injury, he'd be pitching this game, which would allow him to pitch out of the pen if needed in a crucial game seven. Instead, game two starter Harry Parker (19-10, 3.19, 117) would face Walt Wells (17-10, 3.24, 75), who we hit hard in Boston. Like most of the series, pitching had the upper hand, and through five innings the teams combined for just six hits and one runner in scoring position. We finally got things going in the 6th, where Carlos Montes (.253, 6, 41, 22) singled to start the inning and Ray Ford (.310, 7, 54) drew a five pitch walk. John Lawson (.315, 29, 129) got a 2-0 count, but instead of unloading on a pitch down the middle, he rolled one over to second. The sure handed Buddy Schneider (.336, 62, 11) couldn't field it cleanly, and after ineptness offensively on both sides, we had the bases loaded and needed to make the Minutemen pay. Manager Clyde Meyer, who has made many questionable decisions (pinch hitting for Skipper Schneider in the 2nd in game 4 stands out like a sore thumb), decided to go for another, and took out the power of Cliff Moss (.285, 10, 59) in favor of the speed of Johnny McDowell (.379, 3). He went down on strikes, and you could tell Cougar fans in attendance thought their scoring drought would continue. Luckily captain Freddie Jones (.269, 4, 36) had other ideas, attacking the first pitch and ripping it past short. Montes scored easily and then Ford beat Bill Burkett's (.265, 15, 91, 30) throw home, giving us a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately we'd get no more, as Wells bounced back and got Leo Mitchell (.346, 11, 83, 6) to ground into an inning ending double play. In the 7th Harry Mead (.260, 6, 56) grounded out to start the inning before a Skipper Schneider (.298, 4, 70) double. This brought up the pitcher Parker, who failed to bunt him over, but eventually got Skipper to third with a ground out. This turned the lineup over, and just like our first two runs, a first pitch ambush gave us two more. Carlos Montes sent one 358 feet to left, giving us a 4-0 lead that should be more then safe with Parker on the mound. It was, as Parker allowed just one more hit (to his opposition Wells) in the final two innings, finishing off a 4-hit shutout. He walked 4 and struck out 5, and needed just 114 pitches in the shutout as we at least left Chicago with the series lead reclaimed. Just one more win... Boston 0, Chicago 4 October 8th, 1941: Chicago Cougars (3) vs Boston Minutemen (2): With two games left, we needed just one win, and who better to get that win then fireballer and likely Allen Award Winner Pete Papenfus (20-7, 2.84, 225)? He'd get to take on Ray Dalpman (19-6, 3.43, 121), who we hit hard in game two. This game saw a lot more scoring, and the Minutemen got off to a quick 1-0 lead thanks to a trio of singles from Art Spencer (.342, 6, 52), Lew McClendon (.281, 10, 80), and Jack Flint (.245, 1, 53). They kept that lead until the 5th, where we had a nice two out rally. Dick Walker (.263, 13, 53, 14) singled Skipper over to third before Dalpman walked Montes to load the bases. Again, we pounced on a first pitch, with John Lawson promptly unloading the bases with a double to give the Cougars a nice 3-1 lead. Dalpman walked Moss on four pitches, but he got Freddie to ground out and end the inning. Papenfus seemed to lose his control in the bottom half, walking both Pete Day (.296, 2, 70, 17) and Bill Burkett before a Bill Moore (.303, 11, 83) single and Les Rich (.338, 1, 23) pinch hit double tied the game at three. The first out was Art Spencer flying out, but the bases were loaded with the third walk of the inning. Jack Flint then drove home two with a single, and after a risky double steal, Meyer called for the intentional walk of Buddy Schneider to load the bases. That proved costly, as the bases were quickly unloaded with a Day double, as the Minutemen batted around and Boston now had a huge 8-3 lead. That ended Papenfus' night quickly, with Ben Curtin (5-2, 2.13, 18) called on to get the final out. Bill Burkett singled, but Mitchell through Day out at home, thankfully keeping the game where it was. We didn't go down quietly, and the Cougars tried to get something going in the seventh. Orlin Yates (.224, 1, 6), who came into play center when we brought in Curtin, started the inning with a walk, and then Dalpman walked Walker too. No walk for Ford, who singled home Yates, cutting the lead to four. Walker and Ford both advanced on a wild pitch with John Lawson up, but Dalpman got the reigning Whitney Winner to ground out, and prevent a run from scoring. Cliff Moss then attacked a first pitch, but hit a slow roller between first and second, and while he beat it out, Walker didn't make an attempt to score. Still, the bases were loaded for captain Freddie Jones with just one out, and he hit one deep to right. Day was under it, Walker was ready to tag, and with a wild throw from Day, he scored easily as Ford and Moss both moved up 90 feet. If Walker scored on the previous play, Ford would have scored here, but we were now down three. Mitchell struck out to end the inning, but we did manage to chip away at the lead. Joe Brown (9-2, 8, 2.94, 27) replaced Curtin for the 7th, and despite a walk and hit by pitch, he kept the Minutemen off the board. For the top of the 8th, John Edwards (9-13, 2, 5.12, 81) replaced the rookie Dalpman, and got a quick ground out to start the inning. He then walked Skipper and Yates, and they moved up 90 feet on a Walker ground out to bring up the pitcher's spot. Fred Vargas (.412, 3, 13) was called on to pinch hit, and he singled both home to bring us within one! John Lawson had a chance to tie it, but he grounded out to second to end the inning. Dick Lyons (10-12, 3.91, 28) came in for the 8th, and got Day, Burkett, and Moore to fly out, keeping us within one for the 9th. Edwards was still out for Boston, and after Moss flew out, Freddie Jones beat out a grounder to the pitcher. Mitchell struck out, again, and we were down to our final out. Mead swung at the first pitch, grounding it to second, but another Buddy Schneider error kept the game going. His brother Skipper then attacked Edwards' first pitch, lining it to right. Jones scored from third, and then Dom Pappas gave the waive to our catcher, who beat Day's throw with a slide, giving us the 9-8 lead! Bobby Montefusco (3-4, 3, 4.22, 8) then relived Edwards, striking out Yates on three pitches to end the inning. Now up in the bottom of the 9th, Lyons needed just three outs to win the Cougars their first title since 1933. He got Joe Watson (.320, 6, 54) to ground out, but former Cougar draftee Charlie Reed (.290, 3, 1) got things going with a double. Lyons battled back to strike out Mack Sutton, so Jack Flint was the last chance for Boston. He lined one to left center, Yates played it and saw Reed rounding third, and made a throw to the plate. Reed evaded the tag, Flint moved to second, and the game was back to even. Buddy then reached on a Jones error, giving runners on the corners for pinch hitter Bill Van Ness (.302, 3, 21). Lyons threw three straight balls, but battled back to make it full, before a pop up ended the inning, but not the game. The 10th saw Dick Higgins (2-2, 2, 5.33, 41), who got two quick flyouts before John Lawson singled to extend the inning. Moss attacked his first pitch, looking to break the tie with one big swing, but he just missed it and flew out to right to end the inning. Pug Bryan (1-2, 5.40, 9) pitched the 10th, although I would have much rather thing Milt Fritz (8-8, 4.01, 25) or Eddie Quinn (6-3, 4.91, 17). Instead, Pug ran into issues right away, with another Pete Day double to start the inning. He got to third on Burkett's infield hit, and things were not looking good. Deadline pickup Bill Moore was up with runners on the corners and no outs, and instead of ending the game with a triple play, he singled home Day as the Minutemen walked off winners. So close... But yet, so far... Oh well, we'll get a game seven! Jim Lonardo, I have faith... Chicago 9, Boston 10 (10 innings)