The L.A. Browns Domino Effect

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1942 National League - Pitching Leaders

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A huge part of the United States' success in World War II was due to the aggressive goals of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt used the States' industrial might through factory floors, producing the goods needed to wage and win a war. The mobilization for war was key, and it was used effectively and strategically to the country's advantage. This was key after such battles as the Battle of Midway, in which the United States kept moving forward, or rebounding much easier than their foes. Japan didn't have the industrial might behind their country, and after Midway their weaknesses were exposed across the board.

This enormous output of U.S. industries between the years of 1941 and 1945 were best known as a "miracle of production." The military equipment produced including:

86,620 warships
102,351 tanks and self-propelled guns
296,429 airplanes
372,431 artillery pieces
2.4 million military trucks
44 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition

[Source: Smithsonian American History: A Visual Encyclopedia]

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The 1942 All-Star Game
at the Polo Grounds (New York)

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A Pair of No-Hitters Inside One Week

The 1st & 2nd no-hit performances of the season, both happened just 5 days apart.

The first no-hitter was pitched by the Chicago Cubs' Lon Warneke. Warneke returns to the Cubs, his lifelong team, after he was purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals. In his 2nd game back in a Cubs uniform, Warneke pitched a no-hitter against the New York Giants in front of his home crowd.



With the Cubs, Lon is 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA & 0.830 WHIP in all four starts during the month of July.




The Boston Red Sox' Dick Newsome delivered the 2nd no-hitter of the 1942 MLB Season against the Chicago White Sox, and just like Warneke, also in front of a home crowd. Newsome's no-hitter is a weird case, in which the game was called due to rain & winds, finishing 5 2/3 through the game.



Newsome won 19 games last season with a 4.13 ERA, while this season he is on his way to an even better season, as he currently has a 12-6 record with a 2.61 ERA & 1.150 WHIP.

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WOMEN PLAY MAJOR ROLE IN THE WAR



During the first 6 months after Pearl Harbor, 750,000 women applied for jobs in defense plants, but only 80,000 were hired. Factory managers said that women couldn't operate machines, but the shortage of male workers forced them to rethink their limited views. Over the next two years, 6 million women were added to the work force. Women also volunteered for the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD), American Red Cross, and the United Service Organizations (USO).

As part of the United States mobilizing for war, was women playing a key part in the factories, and also serving in the Armed Forces. Women worked as machinists to replace the 16 million men that joined the world fight. Some of the key components that these women made in the factories are bombs, airplanes, ships, and tanks -- all playing a crucial role.

Approximately 300,000 women served in the military during World War II. There were many organizations in which women could work such noncombat jobs as radio operators, clerks, and truck drivers.



These organizations were involved with the following United States military branches:

Army: WAAC (Women's Auxiliary Army Corps)
Navy: WAVES (Women Appointed fro Voluntary Emergency Service)
Air Corps: WAFS (Women's Auxilery Ferrying Squandron)
Coast Guard: Women's Reserves
Marine Corps: Women Marines

Nancy Harkness Love was founder of the WAFS (pictured above)


[Source: Smithsonian American History: A Visual Encyclopedia]

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Reds, Yankees Make a Couple Deals

In two separate deals, the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds conducted deals to help their teams moving forward.

Reds fans scratched their heads as one of their only dependable hitters LF Harry Craft was sent to the Yankees in exchange for LF Eric Tipton. Craft was batting .306 with 10 HR & 49 RBI (.802 OPS) for the Reds, while Tipton was batting .270 with 2 HR & 24 RBI.

The other deal, the New York Yankees acquired both RP Jim Turner (1-2, 2 SV & 4.30 ERA in 14.1 IP) and CF Joe Abreu, who made his Major League debut for the Reds this season at age 29. Abreu was batting .196 with 2 HR & 10 RBI in 46 at-bats this season. The Reds acquired much-needed third base help in Frankie Kelleher. Since joining Reds, Kelleher is batting .267 with 2 HR, 9 RBI & 7 BB through 12 games (45 at-bats).

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The New York Yankees (66-36) are now on top of the American League, winning 19 of their last 27 games (.704 winning percentage during July). CF 'Joltin' Joe' DiMaggio (.335 AVG, 15 HR & 66 RBI) has heated up as the season has moved forward, while the Yanks keep getting contributions from LF Charlie Keller (.283, 15 HR & 60 RBI), RF Tommy Henrich (.301, 11 HR & 69 RBI), 2B Joe Gordon (.265, 12 HR & 57 RBI) & leadoff man, SS Phil Rizzuto (.313, 4 HR, 53 RBI, 79 R & 25 SB).

The Yankees rotation is still rolling, while it should be noted that their closer Johnny Murphy has logged 11 Saves with a 2.15 ERA this season. The defending champs look dangerous all around.

That said, there is still a pennant race, with the Cleveland Indians (66-41) sitting in 2nd place, 2.5 games back, with the 3rd place Boston Red Sox, 3 games back.

For the Indians, starting pitchers Al J. Smith and Jim Bagby Jr. are still bringing it, but the rest of the rotation has sagged. The Tribe's strength is the middle of their order -- LF Jeff Heath (.319, 10 HR & 64 RBI), CF Roy Weatherly (.284, 10 HR & 55 RBI), and Ken Keltner (.261, 11 HR & 71 RBI) to go along with Les Fleming's career year.

The Red Sox are excellent all-around and seemed to have the best chances to challenge the Yankees for the A.L. Pennant. Ted Williams' RBI totals have risen so much, that he is now under the Triple Crown watch. Williams leads the A.L. in Batting Average (.365) & Home Runs (26), while his 74 RBI ranks 2nd, just behind the Los Angeles Browns' Chet Laabs (75).

The Washington Senators (55-51) cooled off in July, finding themselves 13 games back in a distant 4th place. The Chicago White Sox (46-57) are stuck in the bottom-half of the league that feels like a piece of land breaking away from the main coast. The White Sox' bright spot at the moment is LF Taffy Wright, who built off his career year in 1941, by following it with strong performance -- batting .299 with 8 HR & 59 RBI. Wright has 8 of the White Sox' league-worst 20 home runs this season.

A move to Los Angeles did nothing for the Browns this season. The Los Angeles Browns' (46-62, 23 GB) only fun have come through CF Wally Judnich (.302, 14 HR & 57 RBI), LF Chet Laabs (.285, 18 HR & 75 RBI) and emerging star SS Vern Stephens (.275, 9 HR & 61 RBI).

Nothing but disappointment for the Detroit Tigers (41-66) in 6th place, while the Philadelphia Athletics are doing the expected, sitting in 8th place with 70 losses.






Solid pitching and excellent fielding by the Cincinnati Reds (55-46) can only do so much as they sit behind the 1st place St. Louis Cardinals, falling to 4th place and losing 7 of their last 10 games. The Cards, just like the New York Yankees in the A.L, are very well-balanced, and seem to have the best chances to finish on top.

That said, don't count out the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, and maybe even the New York Giants. The Giants have been on a surge, winning 9 of their last 10 games. The Giants have the pitching, and the 1-2 punch in Johnny Mize and Mel Ott in their lineup, but need someone else other than Dick Bartell to step up.

The Cubbies have been this year's surprise, sitting 2 games back in 2nd place, led by N.L. MVP favorite Bill Nicholson (winning his 2nd N.L. Player of the Month Award this season). Nicholson is currently batting .313 with 17 HR & 90 RBI for Chicago.

The Dodgers are the only team among the top four to have a winning record (7-3) during their last 10 games, but are a little concerned that SS Arky Vaughan and LF Joe Medwick have cooled off.

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The Guadalcanal Campaign



The Guadalcanal Campaign or otherwise known as the Battle of Guadalcanal started on August 7th, while being the first major land offensive by Allied Forces against Japan. The campaign follows the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942) and the Battle of Midway (June 1942).

The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) had occupied Tulagi back in May, while constructing a seaplane base nearby. In early July, the IJN began constructing a large airfield at Lunga Point on nearby Guadalcanal. The concern by Allied Forces is that Japan with such a base would allow Japanese long-range bombers would threaten the sea lines of communication from the West Coast of Americans to the populous East Coast of Australia.

It's reported that Japan had about 900 troops on Tulagi, and 2,800 personnel at Guadalcanal. These Japanese bases would protect Japan's major base at Rabaul, which threatens Allied supply and communication lines, while establishing a coordinated, planned offensive against Fiji, New Caladonia, and Samoa (the name of the planned Japanese attack was Operation FS).

The operation aspect was known as Operation Watchtower. The Watchtower force numbering 75 warships and transports (of vessels from the United States and Australia), were reported to have assembled near Fiji on July 26th, while forces left for Guadalcanal on July 31st.



Bad weather allowed the Allied expeditionary force to arrive unseen by Japanese forces on the night of August 6th, while taking enemy forces by surprise the next morning. The landing force split into two groups, one attacking Tulagi and the other attacking Guadalcanal. Allied forces destroyed 15 Japanese seaplanes near Tulagi.

3,000 Marines assaulted the three islands of Tulagi, Gavutu & Tanambogo. With some heavy resistance, the Marines were able to secure all three islands.

The U.S. and Allied Forces accomplished a lot this past month, and know the battle is far from over.

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PESKY'S 31-GAME HITTING STREAK SNAPPED BY INDIANS



The 1942 MLB Season's previous highs for longest hitting streaks were by the Los Angeles Browns' Chet Laabs & the St. Louis Cardinals' Stan Musial at 21 games straight with a hit.

Pesky is batting .421 during the last 2 months with 14 doubles & 26 RBI, while he appears to be the frontrunner for the A.L. Rookie of the Year Award.

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The New York Yankees (87-43) have put some real distance between them and the rest of the American League. The closest team in the A.L. Standings are the Cleveland Indians (80-52, 8 GB). The Yankees are 41-15 (.732 PCT) over the past two months, while they own a 46-21 record at home. The Yankees are only going to make it tougher from here on out, as they just purchased 1B Roy Cullenbine (.296 AVG, 16 HR & 64 RBI) off waivers from the Washington Senators.

There is still hope that Cleveland's lineup can keep the team in the race, but one thing is for sure the future is bright. The Indians' have 3 of the top 10 prospects in baseball in C Ray Boone (#1 OSA), 2B/3B Al Rosen (#3 OSA) and SP Mike Garcia (#7 OSA).

The Red Sox are the 3rd team that is still mathematically alive, while the Red Sox' lineup is getting some help with the emergence of Joe Cronin, who is coming off an August in which he hit .308 with 7 HR & 21 RBI, while logging a .403 OBP during the month as well. Ted Williams is currently first in all three Triple Crown categories -- .367 AVG, 32 HR & 98 RBI.

The Washington Senators (64-69) sit in 4th place, while they are currently on an 8-game losing-streak. The Chicago White Sox lost their season's best hitter in Taffy Wright (obtained by the military), while their 1B Joe Kuhel has 5 HR on the team (2nd best behind Wright), as the White Sox' home run totals sit at 24.

he Los Angeles Browns' rookie SS Vern Stephens is now batting .275 with 13 HR & 80 RBI (.728 OPS), but will likely finish in 2nd place for the A.L. Rookie of the Year Award to the Red Sox' Johnny Pesky. Pesky has been named A.L. Rookie of the Month in April, May, June, July and now August.







There is still a National League Pennant Race over in the Senior Circuit with the St. Louis Cardinals sitting on top with a 80-50 record. The Cardinals have been their most consistent the past two months, putting together a 34-19 record (.642 PCT), but they'll need to hold off the Chicago Cubs (78-53) who are currently on a 7-game winning-streak.

The Cards' pitching has been great as usual, while their Stan Musial (.333, 13 HR & 86 RBI) & Enos Slaughter (.335, 15 HR & 72 RBI) combo is difficult for opposing pitchers to get around.

The Cubs' 1B Jimmie Fox has been much better in a Cubs uniform, batting .281 with 8 HR, 14 doubles & 46 RBI (.810 OPS) through 80 games. 3B Stan Hack and CF Phil Cavarretta have also contributed to their success.

The Brooklyn Dodgers sit in 3rd place, 3.5 games out of 1st place. The Dodgers just acquired SP Bobo Newsom (12-11, 4.22 ERA) off waivers from the Washington Senators.

The lack of punch in their lineup has the Cincinnati Reds fading off into the background, now trailing by 10.5 games in 4th place.

Although mathematically alive, the New York Giants are pretty much done, sitting under .500 (64-67) while losing 7 of their last 10 games. On the plus side, 39 year-old veteran, future Hall of Fame SP Carl Hubbell had a 4-1 August with a 1.54 ERA to improve to 12-13 with a 2.91 ERA.

The Boston Braves' Max E. West was their most consistent hitter in 1942, batting .283 with 15 HR & 54 RBI. Rookie Nanny Fernandez leads the team with 80 RBI, but is only batting .222 for the season.

The Philadelphia Phillies' 1B Nick Etten has 24 HR & 152 RBI over the past two seasons, with one more month to go. Not much positives for Philly after that.

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BROOKLYN WINS N.L. PENNANT WITH 25-3 FINISH

The Brooklyn Dodgers' 15-game winning streak came to an end with their 4-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. Since September 30th, the Dodgers have won 25 of their last 28 games, while winning the N.L. Pennant by 2 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardnals, themselves, finished the season on a 7-game winning streak.

The Dodgers finished with three 20-game winning pitchers in Whit Wyatt (23-11, 2.56 ERA & 126 K), Kirby Higbe (20-10, 2.93 ERA & 140 K), and Curt Davis (21-9, 2.86 ERA). Wyatt's 23 wins led the National League.

The Dodgers' lineup heated up as well. 23 year-old CF Pete Reiser was probably the team's overall MVP among the hitters, batting .307 with 19 HR & 104 RBI, to go along with 110 runs & 31 stolen bases. Reiser also finished the season with a 7.8 WAR. Dolph Camilli led the Dodgers with 24 home runs, while knocking in 101 runs. Joe Medwick bounced back nicely from a horrible July in which he batted only .204 during the month, but heated up in August (.352, 6 HR, 16 RBI) and September (.415, 3 HR, 22 RBI) -- finishing the season with a .307 batting average, 11 HR & 101 RBI.

A couple of highlights as the season ended, on September 26th, Reiser collected 5 hits against the Phillies, while Medwick collected his 2,000th career hit.

It will be a rematch for this year's 1942 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Yankees won the series, 4-1 last year, while the Dodgers still seek their first World Championship.

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1942 MLB FINAL STANDINGS






After starting the season 46-28 (.626) which is not too shabby, the New York Yankees finished 56-24 (.700 winning pct) during their last 80 games. The Yankees (102 wins) would end up winning the A.L. Pennant over the Cleveland Indians (97-57) by 5 games. Cleveland's Ken Keltner won the A.L. RBI Title (123), while teammate Les Fleming finished in 2nd with 118 RBI.

The Boston Red Sox (95-59) finished in 3rd place, as rookie Johnny Pesky edged teammate Ted Williams for the A.L. Batting Title. Williams would finish the season, leading the Major Leagues with 34 HR, while driving in 109 RBI (3rd in A.L.). 'The Splendid Splinter' finished with a 1.123 OPS (.203 higher than the next guy, who was the Yankees' Joe DiMaggio).

The Washington Senators finished in 4th place, while their two corner infielders, 1B Mickey Vernon (.293 AVG, 13 HR & 91 RBI) & 3B Bobby Estalella (.274 AVG, 14 HR & 76 RBI) were amongst their best hitters. The Senators' backstop Jake Early was an All-Star for the first time, hitting .291 with 12 HR & 66 ribbies.

The Los Angeles Browns' ace Denny Galehouse won a career-high 18 games, while leading the A.L. in games starts (37) & Innings Pitched (298.2). Galehouse also had a 2.92 ERA. Hitters Chet Laabs & Vern Stephens each had over 100 RBI, while 1B George McQuinn (.285 AVG, 12 HR & 76) put together another respectable year as always.

The Detroit Tigers finished tied in 6th place with the Chicago White Sox with 64 wins. The Tigers' Tommy Bridges was among the A.L. Strikeouts leaders with 166 K's, while their best hitter was probably was 2B Jimmy Bloodworth (.273 AVG, 11 HR & 94 RBI). The White Sox' Thornton Lee went 16-16 on the mound with a 2.55 ERA & 113 strikeouts, as pitching and fielding were two of Chicago's better strengths... Their hitters only combined for 28 HR while batting only .248 for the season.

LF 'Indian Bob' Johnson was literally the only highlight on the lousy Philadelphia Athletics. Johnson batted .261 with 18 HR, 37 doubles & 63 RBI.






As mentioned in the previous post, the Brooklyn Dodgers flew past the St. Louis Cardinals and held them off the last 10 games of the season. Although disappointed, the Cardinals have nothing to sneeze at, their rotation was stellar, particularly Max Lanier (20-8, 2.35 ERA & 209 K* in 302.1 IP*), Mort Cooper (19-11, 2.28 ERA & 165 K), and Ernie White (18-9, 2.31 ERA & 166 K). Mort's brother C Walker Cooper won the N.L. Batting Title (.359), while outfield teammates Stan Musial (.344 AVG) & Enos Slaughter (.336 AVG) each had strong years at the plate as well.

Finishing in 3rd place was the Chicago Cubs (92-62), who were among 6 Major League teams this season to record 90+ wins. The Cubs finished 6 games out of first, thanks to the strength of their starting pitching. Claude Passeau (16-17, 2.05 ERA & league-leading 1.050 WHIP) & Vern Olsen (23*-7, 2.08) were simply amazing in the top two slots of the rotation, while Bill C. Lee (16-12, 3.24 ERA) and the reacquisition of Lon Warneke (13-10, 2.98 ERA) held strong in the 3-4 slots.

Another team with an excellent rotation was the Cincinnati Reds, who finished in 4th place. Bucky Walters (17-12, 2.50 ERA) showed why he is still one of the best pitchers in the National League, while ace Johnny Vander Meer (13-15, 2.64 ERA & 205 K) & starters Paul Derringer (13-16, 3.25 ERA) and Elmer Riddle (13-11, 3.46 ERA) helped solidify the rest of the rotation.

The New York Giants finished in 5th place, while having one of the most lethal combos to sit in the middle of their batting order in 1B Johnny Mize (.288 AVG, 22 HR & 73 RBI) & RF Mel Ott (.271 AVG, 21 HR & 76 RBI).

The Boston Braves (70-84) finished the season winning 8 of their last 10 games, and felt their no-name rotation of Al Javery (24), Jim Tobin (29), Tom Earley (25) & Manny Salvo (30) can only improve moving forward, while the team will be in much desperation for some bats in the off-season.

The Philadelphia Phillies' RF Ron Northey has a chance at landing N.L. Rookie of the Year after hitting .271 with 13 HR & 79 RBI, plus 32 doubles & 6 triples. The Phillies got an unexpected big year out of veteran starting pitcher Si Johnson (17-11, 2.67 ERA) in 37 starts at age 36.

The Pittsburgh Pirates finished at the bottom of the N.L. cellar with 53 wins, while 3B Bob Elliott (.323 AVG, 5 HR & 79 RBI) was the team's most consistent player.

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YANKEES FEND OFF DODGER COMEBACK, WINS SERIES IN 7

The New York Yankees repeated as World Champions, winning the series in 7 games. The Dodgers came into the series red-hot, coming off a 15-game winning-streak that ended just before the end of the season to the Phillies.

In the World Series itself, the Dodgers cooled off at the wrong time, finding themselves down 3 games-to-1, at the brink of elimination. The Dodgers had a home-field edge, but couldn't take advantage of it.

The Yankees won Game 1 on the strength of a 5-run 4th inning, and a big game from late-season acquisition Roy Cullenbine, who batted 3-for-4 with 1 RBI, while drawing a walk. The Dodgers bounced back at home in Game 2 with a 7-5 victory of the Yankees, thanks to a big 3-run home run by Dolph Camilli during the bottom of the 5th.

Both Games 3 & 4 were not even close back in Yankees Stadium, as the Dodgers lost by the scores of 9-0 & 8-1.

In Game 3, team captain Joe DiMaggio batted 2-for-5 with a double, triple, RBI & run, while starting pitcher Tiny Bonham allowed only 6 hits during a complete game shutout.

During Game 4, eventual World Series MVP Tommy Henrich batted 3-for-5 with a double, RBI & 2 runs; Charlie Keller during the same game also batted 3-for-5 with a RBI.

With their backs to the wall in Game 5 (down 4-2), the Dodgers' Dixie Walker hit a clutch two-out, 3-run double during the 8th inning off Spud Chandler to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead, which was followed by a big two-out, 2-run double by Arky Vaughan in the 9th -- giving the Dodgers enough breathing room to walk away with a 7-4 win at Yankees Stadium, and to keep the series alive, going back to Brooklyn.

In Game 6, the Brooklyn bats wore down Yankees starting pitcher Red Ruffing, making him throw 85 pitches during the first 3 innings. The Dodgers were up early, 6-1 with Dolph Camilli hitting a solo home run, giving him 8 RBI. Camilli finished the series, batting .320 with 2 HR, 9 RBI & a .960 OPS. The Dodgers' Curt Davis, the team's hottest pitcher down the stretch recorded his 2nd win in the series.

The Yankees' Joe DiMaggio smacked a huge 444-ft home run to deep center in Game 7, to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead in the 3rd inning, and the Yankees didn't look back, as the Yankees fended off a Dodgers series comeback attempt.

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Williams, Nicholson Win MVP Honors






A.L. Gold Glove Award Winners
P - Spud Chandler (NYY)
C - Bill Dickey (NYY)
1B - Les Fleming (CLE)
2B - Joe Gordon (NYY)
3B - Ken Keltner (CLE)
SS - Phil Rizzuto (NYY)
LF - Charlie Keller (NYY)
CF - Thurman Tucker (CWS)
RF - Wally Moses (CWS)

N.L. Gold Glove Award Winners
P - Harry Gumbert (STL)
C - Mickey Owens (BRK)
1B - Frank McCormick (CIN)
2B - Lonny Frey (CIN)
3B - Pinky May (PHI-N)
SS - Eddie R. Miller (BSN)
LF - Babe Barna (NYG)
CF - Tommy Holmes (BSN)
RF - Ralph Kiner (PIT)

A.L. Platinum Slugger Awards
P - Virgil Trucks (DET)
C - Jake Early (CLE)
1B - Les Fleming (CLE)
2B - Bobby Doerr (BOS)
3B - Ken Keltner (CLE)
LF - Ted Williams (BOS)
CF - Joe DiMaggio (NYY)
RF - Tommy Henrich (NYY)

N.L. Platinum Slugger Awards
P - Bucky Walters (CIN)
C - Walker Cooper (STL)
1B - Johnny Mize (NYG)
2B - Lonny Frey (CIN)
3B - Bob Elliott (PIT)
SS - Eddie Joost (CIN)
LF - Stan Musial (STL)
CF - Pete Reiser (BRK)
RF - Bill Nicholson (CHC)

[RMc]

I like your thread so far, and I like how you're integrating WW2 into it, but...if the war was on, there would be no way the Browns would be allowed to play in LA in 1942...absolutely no way. (Heck, the Rose Bowl was moved from Pasadena to North Carolina that year!) And travel restrictions during the war were so stringent that teams couldn't even travel to Florida or California for spring training (the Dodgers, for example, trained at a resort in Bear Mountain NY).

But maybe FDR would grant some kind of exception, similar to his famous "green light" letter (see here)? Maybe baseball would take the opportunity to sign Black players to fill the void?

Anyway, keep it up. I'll be reading!

[Summers76]

Thanks, I very much appreciate it.

Yeah, I hear you definitely on the likelihood of the existence of the Los Angeles Browns. I am always intrigued in Baseball history and alternate timelines. I have done plenty of OOTP projects, but never really posted them on here.

For example, I did a project where I ran the Atlanta Braves of the 1990's in a world where no further expansion happened, so I started it, coming off 1992, I believe I am in 1998 during that one, in which the Braves have basically done the same thing -- win a lot, and only have one title (this time in 1996) to show for it. I also am doing a Oakland Dynasty 1970's project in which, I didn't make the Charlie Finley mistake of blowing it all up. In that project, I continued coming off the 3rd straight title, and didn't let Catfish Hunter take off.

I also have a project called Negro League Imports in which, I started in 1920 (I believe) and would have a Negro League Draft of players coming into the Majors. For example, the Philadelphia Athletics in one of those seasons had the worst record, and then draft Oscar Charleston the following year with the top pick.

So your idea of bringing in Negro League players earlier is definitely a good idea, but I think because Jackie Robinson is currently serving the U.S. military, and plus all the World War II stuff, I will try to keep it more simple, plus I still would love for it to be Jackie to break the color barrier.

[Summers76]

Notable Transactions

The Boston Braves acquired SS/3B Eddie Joost from the Cincinnati Reds, in exchange for SS Eddie R. Miller. Miller recently won a Gold Glove Award, while Joost won a Platinum Slugger. The Braves also acquired P Nate Andrews and cash in the deal. Andrews didn't pitch in 1942, while pitching only 30+ innings total in the previous three seasons.

The Chicago Cubs purchased LF Ival Goodman from the Reds. Goodman is coming off a season in which he batted .258 with 12 HR & 63 RBI.

The New York Yankees purchased free agent 2B Bill Knickerbocker, who was recently released by the Philadelphia Athletics.

The Brooklyn Dodgers acquired RP Rube Melton from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for SP Johnny Allen and cash.

The Cleveland Indians acquired RF Roy Cullenbine and C Buddy Rosar from the Yankees in exchange for CF Roy Weatherly and 3B Oscar Grimes. For Cullenbine, its his 4th team in the year; Cullenbine split time between the Los Angeles Browns, Washington Senators and then played a significant part in the 1942 World Series for the Yankees.

The Dodgers signed RF Paul Waner, who was recently released by the Boston Braves. Waner collected his 3,000 hit as a member of the Braves last season.

The Yankees acquired 1B Nick Etten from the Phillies. Etten batted .281 with 12 HR & 81 RBI for Philadelphia last season.

The Cubs trying to build off last season's success, purchased SP Paul Derringer from the Reds. Derringer had a 13-16 season with a 3.25 ERA through 238 innings.

The Yankees acquired P Bill Zuber from the Senators in exchange for 2B Jerry Priddy and SP Milo Candini.

The Boston Red Sox signed OF Al Simmons. Simmons needs 103 hits to join the 3,000 hit club.

The Phillies acquired 1B Babe Dahlgren from the Dodgers in exchange for IF Al Glossop and OF Lloyd Waner. Dahlgren spent 81 games between 3 teams (Cubs, Browns & Dodgers) last season. Younger brother Lloyd will now join older brother Paul with the Dodgers.

The Philadelphia Athletics traded popular LF 'Indian Bob' Johnson to the Senators in exchange for 3B Bobby Estalella, IF Jimmy Pofahl and cash. Johnson did have the worst season of his career, batting .261 with 18 HR & 63 RBI, while finishing under an .800 OPS for the first time in his career, while his streak of 7 straight seasons with 100+ RBI came to an end. Meanwhile, Estalella had the best season of his career, made the A.L. All-Star team, and batted .274 with 14 HR, 75 RBI and drawing 95 walks.

The Phillies purchased SP Schoolboy Rowe from the Dodgers. Rowe, a lifelong Detroit Tigers pitching star, started the 1942 MLB Season badly, allowing a 6.20 ERA in four starts with Detroit. Brooklyn purchased Rowe in which Rowe did much better in his new home, recording a 10-8 record with a 3.80 ERA in 19 starts & 163.1 innings.

[Summers76]

Philadelphia Athletics / Detroit Tigers legendary C Mickey Cochrane missed making the honors, received 66% votes on his 1st year up.