[jksander]

SEPTEMBER 22, 1954 . . . Cleveland’s Guardians won their 90th game last night, clinching the AL Pennant and setting up a World Series where we’re expected to be heavy favorites based on our offensive performance throughout the season. Hy Cohen (23-6, 3.00 ERA, 261.1 IP, 143 K’s, 1.08 WHIP) pitched tonight against St. Louis’ Bob Grim (9-16, 3.05 ERA, 256.2 IP, 134 K’s, 1.20 WHIP) in our return to Wrigley. The Cardinals scored first in the top of the first inning, an unearned run by Ray Jablonski, who reached first on a fielding error by Cavarretta and made it around to score thanks to a base hit by Stan Musial to put St. Louis up 1-0. Maris got a great hit in the bottom of the second inning, but he spoiled it by trying to turn a double into a triple, getting tagged out instead. And that run in the first inning haunted us through what turned into quite the poor night for hitters, as we went into the bottom of the sixth still trailing 1-0 with just six hits between the two teams. Cohen got one through the gap to start the bottom of the frame, but we couldn’t get anything else to fall, going into the seventh still trailing by the one run. Cohen threw a great game, getting us into the bottom of the eighth without any scoring beyond that first inning run, and we pinch hit Roy Sievers for him in the bottom of the eighth, Sievers eking out a double to bring up the top of the order! Kaline got absolutely robbed of a hit, when their right fielder made a spectacular sliding catch to give us two outs. And Phil Cavarretta got a great hit that the wind pushed back in, making for an easy left field catch in the corner. Vern Fear got three quick outs with just one player reaching base via a walk, bringing up Willie Mays with a chance to get something going in the bottom of the ninth. He batted out to center, however, and Roger Maris struck out swinging. Ernie Banks reached first on a walk, but Al Rosen batted out to center, ending the game as a 1-0 shutout loss.

Hy Cohen took the loss, falling to 23-7 on the year with a 2.91 ERA, giving up four hits and just the one unearned run, striking out four and walking one batter through 115 pitches. Vern Fear pitched a no-hit inning with a walk, but we weren’t able to get any runners across home plate. We outhit them 6-4, and Al Rosen had a pair of key hits, but they shut us down completely with numerous assists by the chilly September wind off the lake.
 
SEPTEMBER 25, 1954 . . . We have two games left against the Redlegs here at Wrigley to finish the season, and we’re trying to get that 110th win of the season, though at 109 wins we’ve already got the second best record in team history, behind only the 1906 Cubs, who won 116 games that year but lost to the White Sox in a Crosstown World Series. This afternoon Robert Diehl (15-5, 2.55 ERA, 212.0 IP, 102 K’s, 1.08 WHIP) took the mound against Tom Poholsky (15-12, 2.86 ERA, 277.1 IP, 103 K’s, 1.09 WHIP) in front of nearly 25,000 Cubs fans on a sunny, windy, 62 degree afternoon here on the North Side. But on a day that should have favored batters, neither team could get anything going early, and the hits were rare indeed. Cincinnati drew first blood in the top of the sixth, first with a grounder by Ted Kluszewski, who reached first on an error by Cavarretta, and then with an RBI triple by Gus Bell to put them up 1-0 on just Diehl’s third hit of the night. A second run scored on a flyout to left, but Diehl did get out of the inning without melting down. But our bats were completely silent, just one hit through the first six innings, and it’s hard not to worry that we’re slumping at the wrong time.

Willie Mays finally hit his first homer in I can’t remember how long, his 35th of the season, to get us on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning, trailing 2-1. Ernie Banks then hit a triple, and Elston Howard got a bouncing double into left field, driving Banks around to score the tying run! Gene Baker got a hit through the gap to drive in two more runs, giving us a 4-2 lead out of nowhere! That’s the offense we’ve been missing. Vern Fear came in to pitch in the top of the eighth, quickly getting us out of the inning with a flyout and a double play after letting his first batter reach base on a single. He stayed in with the two run lead in the top of the ninth to close things out, completing the win with three quick outs as we broke this one open in the seventh, winning 4-2!

Diehl improved to 16-5 with a 2.47 ERA, giving up just four hits with three strikeouts, three walks and two unearned runs through seven innings, while Fear threw two innings of one hit one strikeout ball to earn his fourth save and bring his ERA down to 1.80. We outhit the Redlegs 6-5, with Baker leading the team with a hit and two RBIs, while Mays added his homer.

Tomorrow we close out the regular season, and then can focus on planning for the Cleveland World Series.

SEPTEMBER 26, 1954 . . . Bob Turley (5-2, 3.75 ERA, 62.1 IP, 1.62 WHIP) got to start our final home game, against Cincy’s Bobby Shantz (21-10, 2.93 ERA, 288.1 IP, 125 K’s, 1.31 WHIP). Willie Mays batted in a run from Al Kaline to put us up 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Maris loaded the bases, and Ernie Banks then hit a sac fly to right, scoring a second run. Cincy got a run back in the top of the third via an RBI single by Gus Bell, and Ted Lepcio doubled to drive in the tying run. Turley gave up a third un in the top of the fourth, thanks in part by Willie Mays bobbling a catch in the outfield. Bob Shaw came in with two on and one out in the top of the fifth, giving up one of Turley’s runs via a flyout to right, but getting us into the bottom of the fifth without any further runs scoring, the Redlegs leading 4-2. Roy Sievers pinch hit for Shaw with Porterfield warming up in the bottom of the fifth, batting out via a foul ball. But Kaline and Cavarretta hit back to back, a run scoring on a flyout by Mays to right field to make it 4-3 with Maris up and two outs. The wind was not to his advantage, blowing what could have been a homer right into the glove of the left fielder, ending the inning and sending us into the top of the sixth with Porterfield coming in to throw.

The Redlegs increased their margin to two runs with a groundout to first by Charlie White in the top of the seventh. Harry Dorish came in to pitch in the top of the eighth, trailing 5-3, getting three quick outs to send us back up to the plate. But we couldn’t buy a hit! The best hitters in our lineup kept flying out in the outfield, the wind stealing everything from us constantly. Dorish kept us in the game, getting three more fast outs in the top of the ninth, but we went down one, two, three in the bottom of the inning, losing this one 5-3 and finishing our season with a 110-44 record.

Turley fell to 5-3 with the loss, giving up six hits in 4.1 innings, with two strikeouts against five walks ... KILLER. His ERA as a Cub slipped to 3.91. Our three relievers gave up just three hits in 4.2 innings, but our bats just weren’t there. The Redlegs outhit us 9-7, with Cavarretta’s four hits and a run keeping us in the game, alongside Kaline, who added two hits for two runs while Mays batted in two runs without getting a hit.

The World Series will begin on September 29th, with two games here at Wrigley, before we head to Cleveland for games three, four and (if needed) game five. If it gets that far, we’ll have games six and seven back here at Wrigley on October 6th and 7th. Playoff rosters are set, and we’re ready to take on the challenge! Hy Cohen, Robert Diehl and Joe Dobson will be our three go-to starters, with Rob Turley and Bob Porterfield as long relief options out of the bullpen. Dorish, Fear, Ferrick and Konstanty will be available as short or middle relif, while Consuegra will be available to close out tight affairs. Their closer, Bob Alexander, started out as a Cub earlier this year, and since joining Cleveland he’s gone 5-2 with a 1.51 ERA, 16 saves and an 0.95 WHIP, so that’s certainly going to be an interesting matchup. We got Al Rosen in the deal that sent him to the Guardians, though, and I think that’s been a win for us, easily.