We begin the month in stop-start fashion with alternating wins and losses over our first eight games as the bats go quiet and the pitching remains, at best, inconsistent. Meanwhile the Braves have pinched a bit of a break, moving 3 games clear.
Duke Derringer finally comes off the IL. But, as handy as he’d be right now, I stick to the program and rehab him at AAA. My resolve is tested when word comes back from the medical staff that Bill Foster’s return has been delayed by a month, effectively ending his year.
We lose four straight but thankfully our rivals are having their own problems, and when the Braves come to town for four we still only trail them by 2½ games, with the Phils a similar margin behind us. We get Combs back from the IL and, after dropping the opening game 6-2, we pinch the next one by scoring 4 in the 9th to walk it off 7-6, with a 3-run double by Wells the decisive hit. And when we split the final two games, we are no closer to a resolution.
A five-game homestand against the Phils follows that, commencing with a DH in which we take the early game with a 7-6 walkoff win via a run-scoring double by Big Poison and the later game 5-2 behind a fine effort from Bill Swift. We win another walkoff the next day, this time 4-3 in 13, but it costs us as Dihigo picks up a niggle that will keep him quiet for a week. A handsome 11-3 win the next day as Vaughan has 5 hits puts the Phillies out of the race and an 8-1 win caps off a stunning series by the group.
Sadly for us, the Braves have also been winning and we’ve made up just a half-game on them to still sit two back with their MN at 5 and six to play.
A rainout gives us a much-needed lay day, but means we have to play another DH to open our four-game series at the Cards. We nip them 7-6 in the opener, but lose Newsom for a week, and I finally relent and call Derringer back into the fold. We lose the second game 4-2, our first dropped game in 8, but the Braves lose as well. Then we drop a 3-2 heartbreaker. Again, the Braves lose. We win the closer 4-2. The Braves drop another one.
And suddenly, with two games to play, we find ourselves in a tie for the lead.
Three agonisingly long rest days later, we are at Crosley for our final two – scheduled – games against the Reds, while the Braves are hosting the Phils.
For game 153 I roll the dice and start Duke. It doesn’t turn out well to put it mildly. He is poor, but it is Beck who blows it by giving up 3 in the home 9th for us to lose 9-8. Worse, the Braves win 8-5. Worse again, we lose Wells and it looks serious.
Worse again, we lose the next day and are out. To have got this close only to drop four winnable games at the end is a bitter pill indeed to have to swallow. Even more so when the Braves lose, meaning we’ve missed them by the single game. That said, I can’t begrudge them their success. They have been fantastic all year and Braves fans have waited a long time – 20 years, to be precise, their sole appearance to date – for them to get where they now are.
Irony of ironies, Wells’ injury turns out just to be a strain – he would have been fine for the playoffs…
Nothing to add here I haven't already said. A valiant try in a difficult season but we just weren't good enough. I do, however, firmly believe we'll be better for the experience. A bit of fine-tuning in the offseason is required - particularly in our pitching ranks - but certainly no wholesale change will be forthcoming.
The Yanks do it easy in the end. Tough times in the Gateway City - 183 losses combined and cellar finishes for the two St. Louis sides make it a season to forget.
As it turns out, neither Stearnes no Greenburg gets the AL Triple Crown, but both still have monster seasons all the same. Agustin Bejeran's 390 BA leads both leagues (he also swipes the most bases with 63), with Ducky Medwick winning his first batting title in the NL. Hank Greenburg's 40 big flies tops the HR tally, while Turkey leads the way with an MLB-record 161 ribbies, even with his early season end. Boston's Ed Brandt has a magnificent season with 31 wins and should be right in the mix for the NL CYA, while Satchel Paige's 273 K earn him the King of K title yet again. He has now moved into 12th all-time with 2124 at just age-27. Another performance of note comes courtesy of age-41 John Donaldson, who wins 20+ for just the third time in his career and the first since 1920. He currently sits at 192 career wins and I hope he goes around one more time and gets the 8 he needs for 200 - it would be well-deserved.
Here are the final Top 20s and leaders.
And, finally, the September awards and latest news.
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