The attempt to nurse George Grantham through his niggle doesn’t work. His injury worsens and in the end he has to do a minimum stint on the IL. We also lose Nip Winters, who has been a handy addition to the BP, for 6 weeks to a back strain. Joe Heving gets his first call-up to the bigs. We get Grantham back right at month-end.
While still playing nowhere near what I think is our best baseball, we continue to improve and consolidate our position with an excellent 18-9 month to sit at 44-27.
A really impressive month with bat in hand from the lads, with our team BA jumping 8 points to a sturdy 294, although somewhat surprisingly this is only good enough for 4th in the division. Foxx has a huge month, as do Paul Waner (who hits 411), Combs, Traynor and catcher Chuck Berry. But perhaps the most pleasing aspect of all is how much contribution we are getting from our backups, especially Spurgeon - who really stands tall when elevated to everyday 2B duties in Grantham's absence - and Lloyd Waner is also having a much better year as our fourth outfielder. This is key over the course of a long season and can often prove the difference between success and failure without being paid due attention to.
Early in the month, I decide it’s time to look toward the future and flip Ray Hayworth for Bob O’Farrell in the backup catcher role. We have a team option at $12k for Bob in 1932 and unless something drastic happens will not be exercising it.
This has been especially important given that our pitching is still really off the boil. Trent has been the pick of them, going 10-1 / 3.71, and we are in possession of the division's lowest ERA at 4.00. But if the bats cool off and the arms stay where they are, we are doomed to another season of finishing among the also-rans. Foster continues to be the main concern.
So we enter July tied with the Phillies, while the BoSox have a mini-break on the pack over in the AL. After a sluggish start to their title defence, a 10-game win streak puts the Yankees right back in the frame, just 5 1/2 back now.
Heinie Manush, Babe Herman and Frankie Frisch each reach the 100 career HR mark, while Master Melvin Ott and Chuck Klein get to 150. Jesse Hubbard notches his 200th win.
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