Game 22: April 17,19082 7 (1-2) (2-1) BOXSCORE: 1908 Philadelphia Athletics At 1908 New York Highlanders 4/17/1908 Athletics AB R H RBI AVG Highlanders AB R H RBI AVG T.Hartsel LF 3 0 0 0 .111 H.Niles 2B 5 0 0 0 .133 S.Nicholls SS 4 1 2 0 .600 W.Keeler RF 4 1 1 0 .154 J.Collins 3B 3 0 2 0 .333 J.Stahl LF 5 0 0 0 .231 H.Davis 1B 4 0 1 0 .357 H.Chase 1B 5 1 2 1 .385 D.Murphy 2B 4 0 1 1 .286 C.Hemphill CF 4 3 3 0 .583 J.Coombs RF 3 0 0 0 .308 W.Conroy 3B 4 2 4 3 .545 R.Oldring CF 4 1 1 0 .357 N.Ball SS 4 0 2 1 .231 O.Schreckengost C 4 0 1 0 .250 R.Kleinow C 2 0 0 0 .400 B.Schlitzer P 4 0 2 1 .500 A.Orth P 4 0 1 1 .250 -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 33 2 10 2 Totals 37 7 13 6 Athletics....... 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 - 2 10 2 Highlanders..... 0 1 1 1 2 0 2 0 - 7 13 0 Athletics (1-2) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET B.Schlitzer LOSS(0-1) 8 13 7 6 3 3 0 150 6.75 A1 Totals 8 13 7 6 3 3 0 Highlanders (2-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET A.Orth WIN(1-0) 9 10 2 2 2 2 0 145 2.00 A1 Totals 9 10 2 2 2 2 0 ATTENDANCE- 7,000 DATE- Thursday, April 17th 1908 TIME- Day WEATHER- Good T- 2:02 LEFT ON BASE- Athletics: 7 Highlanders: 9 DOUBLE PLAYS- Athletics: 1 Highlanders: 1 ERRORS- S.Nicholls, D.Murphy DOUBLES- S.Nicholls(2nd), J.Collins(1st), O.Schreckengost(1st), H.Chase(1st), C.Hemphill(1st) RBIs- D.Murphy(4th), B.Schlitzer, H.Chase(3rd), W.Conroy-3(4th), N.Ball(3rd), A.Orth STOLEN BASES- S.Nicholls(2nd), W.Keeler(1st), C.Hemphill(1st) SACRIFICE HITS- J.Collins WALKS- T.Hartsel, J.Coombs, W.Keeler, R.Kleinow-2 STRIKE OUTS- H.Davis, O.Schreckengost, J.Stahl, C.Hemphill, A.Orth GIDP- R.Kleinow 2-out RBI- H.Chase, D.Murphy, A.Orth, W.Conroy-2 RLISP 2-out- A.Orth-3, C.Hemphill, D.Murphy-2, B.Schlitzer-2 Al Orth tossed a complete game and Wid Conroy had 4 hits and 3 RBI as the New York Highlanders defeated the Philadelphia Athletics by the score of 7 to 2 at Hilltop Park. Philadelphia was unable to claim the lead after New York went ahead in the 2nd inning plating one baserunner utilizing 2 base hits. After an out was recorded, Charlie Hemphill doubled. Conroy followed next and he delivered a single. One out later, Red Kleinow then drew a walk. Orth followed, but he was set down on strikes. New York had a total of 13 hits for the game. Orth(1-0) picked up the complete game victory, allowing 2 runs. Biff Schlitzer(0-1) was the losing pitcher. He got hammered, allowing 13 hits and 3 walks in 8 innings.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Game 22: April 17, 1908 PHIA @ NYH
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Game 21: April 17, 1908 CLE @ DET
Game 21: April 17th, 1908
0 1
(0-3) (1-2)
BOXSCORE: 1908 Cleveland Naps At 1908 Detroit Tigers 4/17/1908
Naps AB R H RBI AVG Tigers AB R H RBI AVG
J.Clarke LF 3 0 0 0 .000 M.McIntyre LF 3 0 0 0 .182
B.Bradley 3B 4 0 0 0 .000 G.Schaefer 2B 4 0 0 0 .200
G.Stovall 1B 4 0 1 0 .200 S.Crawford CF 3 0 0 0 .083
N.Lajoie 2B 3 0 0 0 .111 T.Cobb RF 2 1 1 0 .400
T.Turner SS 3 0 0 0 .100 C.Rossman 1B 2 0 0 0 .000
N.Clarke C 3 0 0 0 .000 B.Coughlin 3B 3 0 1 0 .200
J.Birmingham CF 3 0 1 0 .250 B.Schmidt C 3 0 1 1 .143
B.Hinchman RF 2 0 0 0 .125 C.O'Leary SS 3 0 1 0 .200
B.Rhoads P 3 0 1 0 .333 G.Mullin P 3 0 0 0 .000
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 28 0 3 0 Totals 26 1 4 1
Naps............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 3 0
Tigers.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 1 4 0
Naps (0-3) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
B.Rhoads A(Z) LOSS(0-1) 8 4 1 1 2 0 0 95 1.13
Totals 8 4 1 1 2 0 0
Tigers (1-2) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
G.Mullin B(Z) WIN(1-0) 9 3 0 0 1 1 0 105 0.00
Totals 9 3 0 0 1 1 0
ATTENDANCE- 14,051 DATE- Thursday, April 17th 1908 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average
T- 1:52
LEFT ON BASE- Naps: 3 Tigers: 4
DOUBLE PLAYS- Naps: 1 Tigers: 1
DOUBLES- B.Schmidt(1st)
RBIs- B.Schmidt(1st)
SACRIFICE HITS- B.Hinchman, C.Rossman
WALKS- J.Clarke, M.McIntyre, T.Cobb
STRIKE OUTS- B.Bradley
GIDP- C.Rossman
WILD PITCHES- G.Mullin
2-out RBI- B.Schmidt
RLISP 2-out- T.Turner, G.Stovall, C.O'Leary
George Mullin whitewashed Cleveland on 3 hits as the Detroit Tigers topped the
Cleveland Naps by a score of 1 to 0 at Bennett Park.
Mullin(1-0) was on top of his game. He allowed just 3 hits and 1 walk in 9
innings. Detroit had just 4 hits for the afternoon.
Bob Rhoads(0-1) was charged with the loss. He allowed just 1 run and 4 hits
in 8 innings. 'Mullin was the man today,' Detroit's manager said. 'He had
just about every pitch working.'
National League Standings as of April 17, 1908
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1908 National League
WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC#
1908 New York NYN 3 0 1.000 ---- 152
1908 Boston BON 3 0 1.000 ----
1908 St. Louis SLN 2 1 .667 1.0
1908 Chicago CHN 2 1 .667 1.0
1908 Pittsburgh PIN 1 2 .333 2.0
1908 Cincinnati CIN 1 2 .333 2.0
1908 Philadelphia PHN 0 3 .000 3.0
1908 Brooklyn BRN 0 3 .000 3.0
After one series of play The New York and Boston were dominateagainst their opponents. The Red Birds with surprising outcomesagainst the Pirates. A Wagnerless Pirates ball club will surely behappy that he will back in action.Next Series
Boston @ Philadelphia
Chicago @ St. Louis
New York @ Brooklyn
Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
RECAP FOR 1908 National League Date: 4/17/1908
TEAM WON LOST BATTING AVERAGE HOME RUNS RUNS BATTED IN
1908 NYN 3 0 G.Beaumon BON .500 E.Konetch SLN 1 C.Seymour NYN 5
1908 BON 3 0 C.Seymour NYN .500 E.Abbatic PIN 4
1908 SLN 2 1 R.Thomas PHN .462 C.Starr PIN 4
1908 CHN 2 1 E.Abbatic PIN .462 OTHERS TIED W 3
1908 PIN 1 2 C.Charles SLN .444
1908 CIN 1 2
1908 PHN 0 3 WINS SAVES ERA
1908 BRN 0 3 MANY TIED WIT 1 MANY TIED WIT 0.00
CUR HIT STREAK STOLEN BASES STRIKEOUTS
MANY TIED WIT 3 E.Abbatic PIN 3 N.Rucker BRN 7
C.Charles SLN 2 C.Mathews NYN 7
OTHERS TIED W 1 O.Overall CHN 4
J.Weimer CIN 4
OTHERS TIED W 3
YESTERDAY'S GAMES TODAY'S SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE STARTERS
BON 5 at BRN 0
CHN 3 at CIN 0
NYN 2 at PHN 0
PIN 2 at SLN 3
YESTERDAY'S BEST PERFORMANCES
BATTER TM OPP AB R H RB BB Ks HR SB
E.Konetchy SLN PIN 3 1 2 1 0 0 1 0
C.Charles SLN PIN 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 1
C.Seymour NYN PHN 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 1
A.HoelskoetterSLN PIN 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
C.Starr PIN SLN 2 0 1 2 1 0 0 0
PITCHER TM OPP INN H R ER BB Ks HR WLS
E.Reulbach CHN CIN 9.0 1 0 0 5 1 0 W
H.Wiltse NYN PHN 9.0 5 0 0 0 2 0 W
P.Flaherty BON BRN 9.2 5 0 0 2 1 0 W
F.Beebe SLN PIN 9.0 5 2 2 1 2 0 W
WHO'S HOT - BEST IN LAST 10 DAYS
BATTER TM AVG AB H RB BB HR PITCHER TM IP H ER BB Ks HR WLS
E.Konetchy SLN .333 9 3 2 2 1 H.Coveleski PHN 6 1 0 0 1 0 000
C.Seymour NYN .500 14 7 5 0 0 I.Young BON 9 2 0 2 3 0 100
E.Abbaticchio PIN .462 13 6 4 1 0 J.Weimer CIN 9 4 0 1 4 0 100
C.Charles SLN .444 9 4 2 1 0 G.Ferguson BON 9 3 0 2 3 0 100
A.HoelskoetterSLN .571 7 4 1 0 0 H.Wiltse NYN 9 5 0 0 2 0 100
WHO'S NOT - WORST IN LAST 10 DAYS
BATTER TM AVG AB H RB BB HR PITCHER TM IP H ER BB Ks HR WLS
H.Pattee BRN .000 12 0 0 0 0 H.Hoch PHN 3 9 9 6 1 0 010
H.Lumley BRN .000 8 0 0 0 0 S.Sallee SLN 5 13 7 2 3 0 000
H.Lobert CIN .000 13 0 0 0 0 C.Lundgren CHN 8 11 5 6 2 0 010
R.Dooin PHN .000 12 0 0 0 0 H.Camnitz PIN 8 7 6 3 2 0 010
F.Bowerman BON .083 12 1 0 0 0 H.McIntire BRN 9 16 6 0 2 0 010
INJURY REPORT
No injuries to report
Game 20: April 16, 1908 PIT @ STLN
Game 20: April 16, 19082 3 (1-2) (2-1) BOXSCORE: 1908 Pittsburgh Pirates At 1908 St. Louis Red Birds 4/16/1908 Pirates AB R H RBI AVG Red Birds AB R H RBI AVG D.Moeller RF 4 0 0 0 .231 C.Charles 3B 1 0 1 2 .444 T.Leach 3B 4 0 1 0 .214 S.Barry RF 2 0 0 0 .000 F.Clarke LF 4 1 1 0 .357 J.Delahanty LF 4 0 0 0 .250 C.Wilson CF 4 0 0 0 .143 R.Murray CF 4 0 0 0 .083 E.Abbaticchio 2B 4 0 2 0 .462 E.Konetchy 1B 3 1 2 1 .333 H.Swacina 1B 4 1 0 0 .308 P.O'Rourke SS 3 0 1 0 .333 C.Starr SS 2 0 1 2 .222 B.Gilbert 2B 3 0 0 0 .100 G.Gibson C 2 0 0 0 .273 A.Hoelskoetter C 3 2 2 0 .571 S.Leever P 3 0 0 0 .000 F.Beebe P 3 0 0 0 .000 -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 31 2 5 2 Totals 26 3 6 3 Pirates......... 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 5 0 Red Birds....... 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 - 3 6 0 Pirates (1-2) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA S.Leever A(Z) LOSS(0-1) 8 6 3 3 1 2 1 112 3.38 Totals 8 6 3 3 1 2 1 Red Birds (2-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA F.Beebe C(W) WIN(1-0) 9 5 2 2 1 2 0 122 2.00 Totals 9 5 2 2 1 2 0 ATTENDANCE- 3,200 DATE- Thursday, April 16th 1908 TIME- Day WEATHER- Bad T- 2:02 LEFT ON BASE- Pirates: 4 Red Birds: 4 DOUBLE PLAYS- Pirates: 0 Red Birds: 0 DOUBLES- C.Starr(1st), A.Hoelskoetter-2(3rd) HOME RUNS- E.Konetchy(1st) RBIs- C.Starr-2(4th), C.Charles-2(2nd), E.Konetchy(2nd) STOLEN BASES- E.Abbaticchio(3rd), C.Charles(2nd) SACRIFICE HITS- G.Gibson, S.Barry-2 SACRIFICE FLIES- C.Charles-2 WALKS- C.Starr, C.Charles STRIKE OUTS- F.Clarke, S.Leever, R.Murray, P.O'Rourke 2-out RBI- C.Starr-2, E.Konetchy RLISP 2-out- R.Murray-2, G.Gibson-2, S.Leever Fred Beebe had a strong outing at Robison Field where the St. Louis Red Birds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3 to 2. St. Louis scored 1 run in the 5th inning. Pittsburgh was set down quietly in the 9th. The winning pitcher was Beebe(1-0) who allowed 2 runs for the game. Sam Leever(0-1) was the loser.
GAME 19: April 16, 1908 NYG @ PHIN
Game 19: April 16, 19082 0 (3-0) (0-3) BOXSCORE: 1908 New York Giants At 1908 Philadelphia Phillies 4/16/1908 Giants AB R H RBI AVG Phillies AB R H RBI AVG S.Shannon LF 5 0 1 1 .188 R.Thomas CF 4 0 2 0 .462 F.Tenney 1B 4 0 0 0 .167 O.Knabe 2B 4 0 0 0 .214 M.Donlin RF 4 0 0 0 .182 F.Osborn RF 4 0 1 0 .357 C.Seymour CF 4 1 3 0 .500 S.Magee LF 4 0 1 0 .333 R.Bresnahan C 3 0 0 0 .091 E.Courtney 1B 4 0 0 0 .000 A.Devlin 3B 3 0 1 1 .182 E.Grant 3B 3 0 0 0 .250 L.Doyle 2B 4 0 1 0 .154 M.Doolan SS 3 0 1 0 .182 A.Bridwell SS 3 1 0 0 .167 R.Dooin C 3 0 0 0 .000 H.Wiltse P 2 0 0 0 .000 L.Moren P 3 0 0 0 .000 -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 32 2 6 2 Totals 32 0 5 0 Giants.......... 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 - 2 6 0 Phillies........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 5 1 Giants (3-0) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET H.Wiltse A(Z) - WIN (1-0) 9 5 0 0 0 2 0 107 0.00 A1 Totals 9 5 0 0 0 2 0 Phillies (0-3) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET L.Moren C (Z) - LOSS(0-1) 9 6 2 2 3 0 0 139 2.00 A1 Totals 9 6 2 2 3 0 0 ATTENDANCE- 10,111 DATE- Thursday, April 16th 1908 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average T- 1:37 LEFT ON BASE- Giants: 8 Phillies: 5 DOUBLE PLAYS- Giants: 0 Phillies: 0 ERRORS- M.Doolan DOUBLES- C.Seymour(3rd) TRIPLES- M.Doolan(1st) RBIs- S.Shannon(1st), A.Devlin(2nd) STOLEN BASES- C.Seymour(1st), R.Thomas(1st) SACRIFICE HITS- H.Wiltse-2 WALKS- R.Bresnahan, A.Devlin, A.Bridwell STRIKE OUTS- R.Thomas, F.Osborn 2-out RBI- A.Devlin RLISP 2-out- S.Shannon, L.Doyle, E.Courtney, L.Moren, A.Bridwell, S.Magee, A.Devlin Hooks Wiltse had a strong outing as the New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Phillies by the score of 2 to 0 at Baker Bowl. In the 4th inning New York went on top for good scoring one runner utilizing 2 base hits. After two were out Cy Seymour slapped a single. Roger Bresnahan stepped into the batter's box and he drew a walk. Art Devlin then lined a base-hit. New York managed only 6 hits on the afternoon. Wiltse(1-0) was credited with the shutout. Lew Moren(0-1) absorbed the loss. He gave up 6 hits and 3 walks in 9 innings.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Game 17: April 16, 1908 BSN @ BRO
Game 17: April 16, 1908
5 0
(3-0) (0-3)
Doves........... 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 - 5 11 0
Superbas........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 5 2
BOXSCORE: 1908 Boston Doves At 1908 Brooklyn Superbas 4/16/1908
Doves AB R H RBI AVG Superbas AB R H RBI AVG
J.Bates LF 5 0 0 0 .143 H.Pattee 2B 4 0 0 0 .000
G.Browne CF 5 2 2 1 .400 B.Maloney CF 3 0 1 0 .100
G.Beaumont RF 5 1 3 0 .500 A.Burch RF 4 0 1 0 .250
D.McGann 1B 4 1 1 1 .308 T.Jordan 1B 4 0 0 0 .200
C.Ritchey 2B 5 0 1 2 .286 W.Alperman 3B 4 0 1 0 .100
B.Dahlen SS 5 0 0 0 .286 J.Hummel LF 3 0 0 0 .000
B.Sweeney 3B 4 0 2 0 .333 P.Lewis SS 4 0 1 0 .222
F.Bowerman C 4 0 1 0 .083 B.Bergen C 3 0 0 0 .000
P.Flaherty P 2 1 1 0 .500 K.Wilhelm P 3 0 1 0 .333
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 39 5 11 4 Totals 32 0 5 0
Doves (3-0) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
P.Flaherty B (Z) - WIN(1-0) 9 5 0 0 2 1 0 124 0.00
Totals 9 5 0 0 2 1 0
Superbas (0-3) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
K.Wilhelm A (Z) - LOSS(0-1) 9 11 5 4 3 0 0 154 4.00
Totals 9 11 5 4 3 0 0
ATTENDANCE- 3,500 T- 1:48
LEFT ON BASE- Doves:11 Superbas: 5
DOUBLE PLAYS- Doves: 0 Superbas: 0
TRIPLE PLAYS- Doves: 1 Superbas: 0
ERRORS- J.Hummel, P.Lewis
DOUBLES- C.Ritchey(1st), B.Sweeney(1st)
TRIPLES- P.Flaherty
RBIs- G.Browne(1st), D.McGann(3rd), C.Ritchey-2(3rd)
STOLEN BASES- A.Burch(1st)
SACRIFICE HITS- P.Flaherty
WALKS- D.McGann, B.Sweeney, P.Flaherty, B.Maloney, J.Hummel
STRIKE OUTS- J.Hummel
BALKS- P.Flaherty
RLISP 2-out- W.Alperman-2, K.Wilhelm, J.Bates-2, F.Bowerman, B.Dahlen-2,
G.Browne-2, B.Sweeney
GAME REPORT:
Patsy Flaherty shutouts Brooklyn. George Browne had 2 base hits at Washington
Park where the Boston Doves beat the Brooklyn Superbas by the score of 5 to 0.
Flaherty (1-0) looked very much in control throughout the day. He didn't give
up much, just 5 hits and 2 walks in 9 innings. Boston banged out 11
hits on the afternoon. One of those hits was a two out triple by Flaherty.
Kaiser Wilhelm(0-1) took the loss. He gave up 11 hits and 3 walks in 9
innings.
Notes on Patsy Flaherty from SABR Bio Project
Flaherty was the most famous of the early practitioners of the no-wind-up, “quick pitch” delivery in which he returned the ball to the catcher as soon as he received it in an attempt deceive the hitter and disrupt his timing. He also had excellent control for a lefty and was very good at holding runners on base “probably the best there ever was in this respect.” It was said Flaherty would walk batters on purpose just for the fun of picking them off.
It is interesting to note that Flaherty had a balk in today's game.In the 1950s, Casey Stengel was managing two Yankee pitchers, Bob Turley and Don Larsen, who also pitched with a no-windup delivery. This caused Casey to recall facing Flaherty more than 50 years earlier. He described his pitching this way, “He took no windup and you never knew when he was going to throw the ball. A master of quick pitches. There was no rule forcing pitchers to come to a full stop. Patsy picks up the ball and you hear the umpire holler strike. The quick, no-windup pitch is called a Patsy Flaherty. As I was digging in, I had no idea the man was ready to pitch.”
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Wagner Signs
From Sporing Life April 25 1908
Wagner Signs Yields to the entreaties of President Pulliam, of the National League, and President Dreyfuss, and Reports for 1908 Season.
Pittsburgh April 17. Hans Wagner, the world's greatest ball player, this evening attached his name to a Pittsburgh contract, and at 9:30 tonight left for Cincinnati in personal charge of President Dreyfuss, who announced that the big fellow would be in the opening game of the Pittsburgh team there tomorrow. It is understood that for some days past Wagner has been wavering, and this afternoon he sent word that he would be in the office of the Pittsburgh Baseball Club between 5 and 6 o'clock, -at a time when there was little chance of newspaper men being on hand. President Dreyfuss, in company with President Pulliam, of the National League, met THE BIG SHORT STOP at the appointed time, and in a few minutes it was all over. Harry Smith, the Massilon John Wagner (Ohio) catcher, who went to "his home some days ago without signing his contract, also sent word that he would accept terms and would meet the team at Cincinnati. President Harry Pulliam was in attendance at the conference and induced Wagner to sign. It is understood that one of the conditions imposed by the big fellow tonight was that nothing would be said about his signing, that he would be allowed to rush to Cincinnati quietly and surprise all the gang there on their arrival tomorrow morning to open the game. , For this reason Wagner was not seen before he left, he being hurried to the train by Mr. Dreyfuss.
TERMS SECRET.
There is no telling what terms were reached between Dreyfuss and the big shortstop. Wagner weakened the first day of the season is known. He was at Cambridge Springs, 100 miles above Pittsburgh, when the game opened, and he had difficulty in finding the scores that night. Next, morning Hans was waiting for the daylight train to carry him. out of Cambridge Springs to Pittsburgh or some point where he could at least hear scores the same night games were played. He grew brave as he neared Pittsburgh, and on arriving told Dreyfuss he would not sign no, not in a million years. But he did tonight.
Wagner Signs Yields to the entreaties of President Pulliam, of the National League, and President Dreyfuss, and Reports for 1908 Season.
Pittsburgh April 17. Hans Wagner, the world's greatest ball player, this evening attached his name to a Pittsburgh contract, and at 9:30 tonight left for Cincinnati in personal charge of President Dreyfuss, who announced that the big fellow would be in the opening game of the Pittsburgh team there tomorrow. It is understood that for some days past Wagner has been wavering, and this afternoon he sent word that he would be in the office of the Pittsburgh Baseball Club between 5 and 6 o'clock, -at a time when there was little chance of newspaper men being on hand. President Dreyfuss, in company with President Pulliam, of the National League, met THE BIG SHORT STOP at the appointed time, and in a few minutes it was all over. Harry Smith, the Massilon John Wagner (Ohio) catcher, who went to "his home some days ago without signing his contract, also sent word that he would accept terms and would meet the team at Cincinnati. President Harry Pulliam was in attendance at the conference and induced Wagner to sign. It is understood that one of the conditions imposed by the big fellow tonight was that nothing would be said about his signing, that he would be allowed to rush to Cincinnati quietly and surprise all the gang there on their arrival tomorrow morning to open the game. , For this reason Wagner was not seen before he left, he being hurried to the train by Mr. Dreyfuss.
TERMS SECRET.
There is no telling what terms were reached between Dreyfuss and the big shortstop. Wagner weakened the first day of the season is known. He was at Cambridge Springs, 100 miles above Pittsburgh, when the game opened, and he had difficulty in finding the scores that night. Next, morning Hans was waiting for the daylight train to carry him. out of Cambridge Springs to Pittsburgh or some point where he could at least hear scores the same night games were played. He grew brave as he neared Pittsburgh, and on arriving told Dreyfuss he would not sign no, not in a million years. But he did tonight.
Game 18: April 16, 1908 CHC @ CIN
3 0
(2-1) (1-2)
BOXSCORE: 1908 Chicago Cubs At 1908 Cincinnati Reds 4/16/1908
Cubs AB R H RBI AVG Reds AB R H RBI AVG
J.Slagle CF 4 1 1 0 .083 M.Huggins 2B 3 0 0 0 .200
J.Sheckard LF 2 0 0 0 .000 H.Lobert LF 4 0 0 0 .000
W.Schulte RF 3 1 0 1 .100 M.Mitchell RF 3 0 0 0 .125
F.Chance 1B 3 0 1 0 .273 J.Ganzel 1B 2 0 0 0 .000
H.Steinfeldt 3B 4 0 1 1 .200 A.Schlei C 4 0 0 0 .250
J.Evers 2B 2 1 0 0 .000 M.Mowrey 3B 4 0 0 0 .200
J.Tinker SS 3 0 0 0 .111 D.Paskert CF 3 0 0 0 .222
J.Kling C 3 0 1 1 .250 R.Hulswitt SS 3 0 1 0 .333
E.Reulbach P 2 0 0 0 .000 A.Coakley P 2 0 0 0 .000
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 26 3 4 3 Totals 28 0 1 0
Cubs............ 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 - 3 4 0
Reds............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 0
Cubs (2-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET
E.Reulbach WIN(1-0) 9 1 0 0 5 1 0 121 0.00 A1
Totals 9 1 0 0 5 1 0
Reds (1-2) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET
A.Coakley LOSS(0-1) 9 4 3 3 6 0 0 151 3.00 A1
Totals 9 4 3 3 6 0 0
ATTENDANCE- 30,205 DATE- Thursday, April 16th 1908 TIME- Day WEATHER- Good
T- 1:20
LEFT ON BASE- Cubs: 4 Reds: 6
DOUBLE PLAYS- Cubs: 0 Reds: 2
RBIs- W.Schulte(1st), H.Steinfeldt(1st), J.Kling(1st)
STOLEN BASES- J.Slagle(1st), F.Chance(1st)
CAUGHT STEALING- J.Sheckard
SACRIFICE HITS- J.Tinker, E.Reulbach
WALKS- J.Sheckard-2, W.Schulte, F.Chance, J.Evers-2, M.Huggins, M.Mitchell,
J.Ganzel-2, A.Coakley
STRIKE OUTS- M.Mitchell
GIDP- W.Schulte, J.Tinker
RLISP 2-out- J.Ganzel, M.Mowrey, H.Steinfeldt, J.Slagle, J.Tinker
Ed Reulbach took a no-hitter into the 7th inning at Palace of the Fans as the
Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds by the count of 3 to 0.
Reulbach(1-0) was tremendous on the mound for Chicago. He allowed just 1 hit
and 5 walks in 9 innings. The right-handReulbach had his no-hit bid broken
up by Rudy Hulswitt who singled with two outs in the 7th inning. Chicago
managed only 4 hits on the afternoon.
Andy Coakley(0-1) suffered the loss. 'We didn't have a whole lot of chances
today,' Cincinnati's manager said. 'Reulbach just was too much for our
guys.'
Slagle had the first bit of offense in the cubs fourth with a base hit. He would later score on a ground ball off the bat of Schulte. Ruelbach didn't give the Reds much he did allow six walks but only allowed one Red to reach second base. The only hit was off the bat of hulswitt in the bottom of the seventh. One strikeout was all he needed to complete his first win of 1908. He looked very sharp. He will have surely make a start very soon as Mordecai Brown is still on family leave. The Cubs finish the series taking two from the Reds to open the season. Cubs board a train to St. Louis for three against the Red Birds before coming home for three against the Reds of Cincinnati.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
CY Young's Opening Day No Hitter
Cy Young(1-0) thrilled the fans at Huntington Ave Grnds as he crafted a no-hit
masterpiece against the Washington Senators. The Boston Red Sox won by a
final score of 1 to 0.
Young gave the home town fans an afternoon that they'll never forget. He
walked 2 Washington batters. What a day for the fans. They were on the edge
of their seats from the 7th inning on. With every out, the electricity in
the air mounted. Boston managed 7 hits in their victory.
Charlie Smith(0-1) was hit with the loss. He pitched 8 innings giving up 7
hits and 3 walks. 'I gave it everything I had. It's probably the greatest day
of my life,' Young said. 'I was out there focusing on my catcher's glove,
that's all. I just concentrated on pitching my game.'
BOXSCORE: 1908 Washington Senators At 1908 Boston Red Sox 4/14/1908
Senators AB R H RBI AVG Red Sox AB R H RBI AVG
O.Pickering CF 4 0 0 0 .000 J.Thoney LF 4 0 0 0 .000
B.Ganley LF 3 0 0 0 .000 H.Lord 3B 4 0 0 0 .000
J.Delahanty 2B 3 0 0 0 .000 J.McHale CF 4 0 1 1 .250
O.Clymer RF 3 0 0 0 .000 D.Gessler RF 3 0 1 0 .333
J.Freeman 1B 3 0 0 0 .000 F.Laporte 2B 4 0 2 0 .500
G.Street C 2 0 0 0 .000 B.Unglaub 1B 3 0 0 0 .000
G.McBride SS 3 0 0 0 .000 H.Wagner SS 4 0 1 0 .250
B.Shipke 3B 2 0 0 0 .000 L.Criger C 2 1 1 0 .500
C.Smith P 3 0 0 0 .000 C.Young P 3 0 1 0 .333
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 26 0 0 0 Totals 31 1 7 1
Senators........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 0 0
Red Sox......... 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 7 0
Senators (0-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET
C.Smith LOSS(0-1) 8 7 1 1 3 2 0 128 1.13 A1
Totals 8 7 1 1 3 2 0
Red Sox (1-0) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEET
C.Young WIN(1-0) 9 0 0 0 2 4 0 112 0.00 A1
Totals 9 0 0 0 2 4 0
ATTENDANCE- 32,324 DATE- Monday, April 14th 1908 TIME- Day WEATHER- Bad
T- 1:39
LEFT ON BASE- Senators: 1 Red Sox: 9
DOUBLE PLAYS- Senators: 0 Red Sox: 1
DOUBLES- H.Wagner(1st)
RBIs- J.McHale(1st)
WALKS- G.Street, B.Shipke, D.Gessler, B.Unglaub, L.Criger
STRIKE OUTS- O.Pickering, O.Clymer, J.Freeman, B.Shipke, J.Thoney, C.Young
GIDP- G.McBride
2-out RBI- J.McHale
RLISP 2-out- O.Pickering, D.Gessler, C.Young-2, H.Lord, H.Wagner
AL Standings April 14, 1908
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1908 National League
ACTUAL-TODATE ACTUAL-TOTAL
WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# WON LOS PCT WON LOS PCT
1908 St. Louis SLN 1 0 1.000 ---- 154 0 1 .000 49 105 .318
1908 New York NYN 1 0 1.000 ---- 1 01.000 98 56 .636
1908 Chicago CHN 1 0 1.000 ---- 1 01.000 99 55 .643
1908 Boston BON 1 0 1.000 ---- 1 01.000 63 91 .409
1908 Pittsburgh PIN 0 1 .000 1.0 1 01.000 98 56 .636
1908 Philadelphia PHN 0 1 .000 1.0 0 1 .000 83 71 .539
1908 Cincinnati CIN 0 1 .000 1.0 0 1 .000 73 81 .474
1908 Brooklyn BRN 0 1 .000 1.0 0 1 .000 53 101 .344
Friday, November 28, 2014
Where is Honus??
From New York American November 19, 1907
Big, awkward, conscientious, good natured Honus Wagner, steady and strong in his years of baseball lore, this year established a new record for long batting success on the diamond, this being the fifth year that he has held the National League batting title. He won the batting championship with a mark of .350 and the base-running honors with 61 stolen bases.
There is no question that Wagner is the greatest all-round ball player of this or probably any other season.
From New York American December 10, 1907
Hans Wagner, the Pirates' veteran shortstop, will not be in the game next year if he takes his doctor's advice.
'Big Honus' went to see his doctor yesterday. They had a powwow over the big fellows rheumatic shoulder, the man of medicine gave his verdict--quit baseball.
'I'm comfortably fixed financially' he said, 'and I'm ready to quit . . . I am out of professional baseball for good.'
From New York American December 25, 1907
Since the public came to know that Wagner has rheumatism, every mail and every express wagon brought him hundreds of remedies, and this evening all the medicines were sent to West Penn Hospital, whose superintendent was told to do what pleased with them.
From New York Evening Mail April 1, 1908
Many contradictory stories have been published on why Honus Wagner has been holding out, but Frank Chance says the correct story has never been given the light of day.
According to the 'peerless leader' of Chicago, Wagner's refusal to play was due to trouble with Fred Clarke, the Pirates' manager.
'All this talk about Wagner quitting on account of rheumatism, chicken farm and other things is incorrect.'
'according to my information the whole trouble started over a play at the Polo Grounds last summer. Wagner has always been known as a player who worked for his individual record more than for the welfare of his team. In that game Clarke is said to have told Wagner t make a play in a certain way to help in getting him a much needed run. Honus at first refused, but when ordered to do so went to bat, made one effort as directed and then did exactly opposite from what Clarke told him. His effort failed, and Clarke called him good and hard.'
'From that day forward they have been enemies. I understand Wagner at first refused to joined the Pirates unless Clarke was released, and held out until a few day ago. That Clarke wasn't going was a cinch; it was only a question of what could be done to placate the ire of the big German. That something will be done is evident, and I expect that President Pulliam is taking a hand in getting Wagner in line.'
From New York Evening Mail April 10, 1908
Hans Wagner would take first, second and all the rest of the prizes offered in an off again up against contest. According to the very latest, as observed by the great Honus himself while passing through here last night, he will play for Pittsburgh this season. He was cornered, and after being well pumped admitted he will 'probably consent to help the team out.'
From New York Sun April 12, 1908
Fred Clarke; Without Hans Wagner I must admit I am worried. The Dutchman's decisions to leave have a very bad effect on the team, and may bring out other disappointing consequences. Pittsburgh's team, on pure dope, seems good enough to finish in the first division. As for reaching the top, I would have hopes if Wagner was with us.
NL April 14, 1908
LEAGUE STANDINGS FOR 1908 National League
ACTUAL-TODATE ACTUAL-TOTAL
WON LOST PCT GB MAGIC# WON LOS PCT WON LOS PCT
1908 St. Louis SLN 1 0 1.000 ---- 154 0 1 .000 49 105 .318
1908 New York NYN 1 0 1.000 ---- 1 01.000 98 56 .636
1908 Chicago CHN 1 0 1.000 ---- 1 01.000 99 55 .643
1908 Boston BON 1 0 1.000 ---- 1 01.000 63 91 .409
1908 Pittsburgh PIN 0 1 .000 1.0 1 01.000 98 56 .636
1908 Philadelphia PHN 0 1 .000 1.0 0 1 .000 83 71 .539
1908 Cincinnati CIN 0 1 .000 1.0 0 1 .000 73 81 .474
1908 Brooklyn BRN 0 1 .000 1.0 0 1 .000 53 101 .344
Check out Detailed box scores at http://forums.delphiforums.com/apbabtl/messages/?msg=45121.32
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Replay Digest No.2
What can go wrong, will go wrong, right? Sure enough. It has been quite an adventure getting off the ground with this replay. I have had trouble finding a groove. I need to find a consistent play space. But find my myself moving around too much. I recently purchased Strat-O-Matic and the 1908 season for my stat tracking. I was going to re-enter the data for the 20 or so games I have already rolled, but as I was entering I was bored out of my mind, and couldn't jump forward in the schedule to get rolling. So I'm restarting, whose to complain since rolling is what I love, and this is a long project. I was looking forward to the long weekend and the many games to roll, get some games accumulated, some stats, and sit back in revel in the beauty of my project.
On Monday my son was sick, and we found out we had some serious plumbing issues that were causing hazardous gas to enter the house. WithStrat as my stat tracker, I'm restricted to my desktop. Normally this would be nice, but with theplumbing issues which has kept me away from home over the holidays my hands are tied. So I had to take my Apba on the road. Guess what? That means I can't roll games that are related to my season since I can't track stats without the dilmea of re-entry. So I'm at a cross roads. I spent the money on Strat, but hate the restriction. I would roll games related to my season, but would have to endure the entry that I dread. So once the I get the plumbing fixed I can return home, but that comes with a prices of chores left undone. So my Thanksgivng roll-a-thon is practically shot. However, the best thing about being a teacher is the 2 week Christmas break.
This brings me to a major question. Which is better? Paper or electronic entry? I spend a lot of time reading The Sporting Life rebuilding lineups I want to do manual entry but don't have the time nor the patience to tally up stats. Iscore is nice but not for keeping detailed stats. This is certainly a case of "you can't have your cake and eat it too."
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Game 2: April 14, 1908 CHC @ CIN
BOXSCORE: 1908 Chicago Cubs At 1908 Cincinnati Reds 4/14/1908
Cubs AB R H RBI AVG Reds AB R H RBI AVG
J.Slagle CF 4 0 0 0 .000 M.Huggins 2B 3 0 0 0 .000
J.Sheckard LF 4 0 0 0 .000 H.Lobert LF 4 0 0 0 .000
W.Schulte RF 3 0 1 0 .333 M.Mitchell RF 1 0 0 0 .000
F.Chance 1B 4 0 0 0 .000 J.Ganzel 1B 4 0 0 0 .000
H.Steinfeldt 3B 3 1 1 0 .333 A.Schlei C 4 0 0 0 .000
J.Evers 2B 3 0 0 0 .000 M.Mowrey 3B 3 0 0 0 .000
J.Tinker SS 3 0 1 1 .333 D.Paskert CF 3 0 1 0 .333
J.Kling C 2 0 0 0 .000 R.Hulswitt SS 2 0 1 0 .500
O.Overall P 3 0 0 0 .000 B.Ewing P 2 0 0 0 .000
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 29 1 3 1 Totals 26 0 2 0
Cubs............ 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 3 0
Reds............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 0
Cubs (1-0) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
O.Overall WIN(1-0) 9 2 0 0 4 4 0 140 0.00
Totals 9 2 0 0 4 4 0
Reds (0-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
B.Ewing LOSS(0-1) 9 3 1 1 2 1 0 130 1.00
Totals 9 3 1 1 2 1 0
ATTENDANCE- 26,291 DATE- Tuesday, April 14th 1908 TIME- Day WEATHER- Good
T- 1:35
LEFT ON BASE- Cubs: 3 Reds: 5
DOUBLE PLAYS- Cubs: 1 Reds: 0
RBIs- J.Tinker(1st)
STOLEN BASES- J.Tinker(1st), D.Paskert(1st)
SACRIFICE HITS- M.Huggins, B.Ewing
WALKS- W.Schulte, J.Kling, M.Mitchell-3, R.Hulswitt
STRIKE OUTS- J.Slagle, M.Huggins, A.Schlei-2, B.Ewing
GIDP- J.Ganzel
2-out RBI- J.Tinker
RLISP 2-out- O.Overall, H.Lobert-3, M.Mowrey
Orval Overall didn't allow a hit until the 6th inning as the Chicago Cubs
bested the Cincinnati Reds 1 to 0 at Palace of the Fans.
Overall(1-0) was simply too much for the Cincinnati batters. He gave up just
2 hits and 4 walks in 9 innings. The right-handed Overall lost a no-hitter
when Rudy Hulswitt singled with nobody out in the 6th inning. Chicago had
only 3 hits for the afternoon.
Bob Ewing(0-1) was given the loss. He gave up only 3 hits and 2 walks in 9
innings.
Game 1: April 14, 1908 Opening Day
Game 1: April 14, 1908
 |
| 0 (0-1) |
 |
| 4 (1-0) |
BOXSCORE: 1908 Boston Doves At 1908 Brooklyn Superbas 4/14/1908
Doves AB R H RBI AVG Superbas AB R H RBI AVG
J.Bates LF 4 0 0 1 .000 H.Pattee 2B 4 0 0 0 .000
G.Browne RF 5 0 2 0 .400 B.Maloney CF 3 0 0 0 .000
G.Beaumont CF 4 1 1 0 .250 H.Lumley RF 4 0 0 0 .000
D.McGann 1B 4 1 1 1 .250 T.Jordan 1B 3 0 1 0 .333
C.Ritchey 2B 4 0 1 0 .250 W.Alperman 3B 3 0 0 0 .000
B.Dahlen SS 4 0 1 1 .250 J.Hummel LF 3 0 0 0 .000
B.Sweeney 3B 4 0 0 0 .000 P.Lewis SS 2 0 0 0 .000
F.Bowerman C 4 0 0 0 .000 L.Ritter C 3 0 1 0 .333
I.Young P 4 2 2 0 .500 N.Rucker P 2 0 0 0 .000
A-T.Sheehan PH 1 0 0 0 .000
-- -- -- --- -- -- -- ---
Totals 37 4 8 3 Totals 28 0 2 0
A-Pinch Hit For Rucker In 9th Inning
Doves........... 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 - 4 8 1
Superbas........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 2
Doves (1-0) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
I.Young WIN(1-0) 9 2 0 0 2 3 0 97 0.00
Totals 9 2 0 0 2 3 0
Superbas (0-1) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA
N.Rucker LOSS(0-1) 9 8 4 3 3 7 0 161 3.00
Totals 9 8 4 3 3 7 0
ATTENDANCE- 19,738 DATE- Tuesday, April 14th 1908 TIME- Day WEATHER- Average
T- 1:45
LEFT ON BASE- Doves: 9 Superbas: 3
DOUBLE PLAYS- Doves: 2 Superbas: 0
ERRORS- J.Bates, T.Jordan, J.Hummel
DOUBLES- G.Beaumont(1st)
TRIPLES- I.Young-2
RBIs- J.Bates(1st), D.McGann(1st), B.Dahlen(1st)
WALKS- J.Bates, G.Beaumont, D.McGann, B.Maloney, P.Lewis
STRIKE OUTS- G.Browne, G.Beaumont, D.McGann, C.Ritchey, F.Bowerman-2, I.Young,
B.Maloney, J.Hummel, P.Lewis
GIDP- W.Alperman
RLISP 2-out- G.Beaumont, F.Bowerman-2, D.McGann-3
Irv Young allowed only 2 hits resulting in a big goose egg on the scoreboard
for Brooklyn as the Boston Doves topped the Brooklyn Superbas by a score of 4
to 0 at Washington Park.
Young(1-0) was on top of his game. He was stingy on the mound, allowing just
2 hits and 2 walks in 9 innings. Boston had a total of 8 hits for the game.
Nap Rucker(0-1) ended up with the loss. 'He was moving it around and spotting
it very well.' Brooklyn's manager said. Young pitched a great game. He
deserves all the credit.'
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Replay Digest 1908 APBA No.1
Well, it has been a slow start, but that is fine. I'm in no real hurry. I plan on playing the entire season, every game, every team. That is 1120 games, not including the World Series. The first thing was to align rosters for opening day. When the set came in I had to go to Restrosheet and search out ML transactions. I was amazed at the amount of transactions. The best thing is that teams didn't trade across leagues. Most players were either sold or traded within their own league.
I'm still trying to figure out a way to incorporate my game recaps. I may just pick a game of the day and include the rest of the box scores. It is a bit daunting, but that’s the fun, right? I'm using this replay to practice writing. Ever since I left school last winter I haven’t done much writing. My skills have slacked. I need a reason to write. I've always had a love hate relationship with writing. It has been the hardest thing for me to continue since I left school.
My biggest chore during the early stages are the line-ups. I wanted to stay true to the managers by using their line-ups. I know APBA supplies ideal line-ups but when you are trying to play a detailed replay you have to rely on Retrosheet. Well, guess what Retrosheet does not have the line-ups for the 1908 season. I have a Deadball era book that has ideal line-ups similar to what APBA supplies, but that is not what I'm looking for. SABR has several resources including The New York Evening Telegram for the entire 1908 season. However, that only supplied me with the New York teams and their opponents on that day. G.H. Fleming's book The Unforgettable Season doesn't include line-ups, but it offers something of a tenor of the time. The American league was not a focus to the mainstream fans. You can find information on the Cubs, Giants, Superbas. The Highlanders were starting to catch on, but what about the majority of the American League? Truly a junior circuit in the eyes of most Americans. So I thought I will never find a valid resource for line-ups in the American League.
The other day, I stumbled on golden nugget through the SABR research website through a link for Baseball Magazine. After searching many pages of Baseball Magazine, it was apparent that Baseball Magazine was more interested in Football in 1908. However, I saw a listing for Sporting Life. I found every issue 1883 to 1917, and round about page 8 in each issue is box scores for the week. The Sporting Life includes daily line-ups and game recaps for every game both American and National Leagues. So now we can load up the coal and get the trains rolling. I hope to have an Opening Day recap in the next digest.
Onward!!!
I'm still trying to figure out a way to incorporate my game recaps. I may just pick a game of the day and include the rest of the box scores. It is a bit daunting, but that’s the fun, right? I'm using this replay to practice writing. Ever since I left school last winter I haven’t done much writing. My skills have slacked. I need a reason to write. I've always had a love hate relationship with writing. It has been the hardest thing for me to continue since I left school.
My biggest chore during the early stages are the line-ups. I wanted to stay true to the managers by using their line-ups. I know APBA supplies ideal line-ups but when you are trying to play a detailed replay you have to rely on Retrosheet. Well, guess what Retrosheet does not have the line-ups for the 1908 season. I have a Deadball era book that has ideal line-ups similar to what APBA supplies, but that is not what I'm looking for. SABR has several resources including The New York Evening Telegram for the entire 1908 season. However, that only supplied me with the New York teams and their opponents on that day. G.H. Fleming's book The Unforgettable Season doesn't include line-ups, but it offers something of a tenor of the time. The American league was not a focus to the mainstream fans. You can find information on the Cubs, Giants, Superbas. The Highlanders were starting to catch on, but what about the majority of the American League? Truly a junior circuit in the eyes of most Americans. So I thought I will never find a valid resource for line-ups in the American League.The other day, I stumbled on golden nugget through the SABR research website through a link for Baseball Magazine. After searching many pages of Baseball Magazine, it was apparent that Baseball Magazine was more interested in Football in 1908. However, I saw a listing for Sporting Life. I found every issue 1883 to 1917, and round about page 8 in each issue is box scores for the week. The Sporting Life includes daily line-ups and game recaps for every game both American and National Leagues. So now we can load up the coal and get the trains rolling. I hope to have an Opening Day recap in the next digest.
Onward!!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
1908 Opening Day Schedule
April 14, 1908
National League
National League
Boston Doves @ Brooklyn Superbas
Washington Park
New York Giants @ Philadphia Phillies
Chicago Cubs @ Cincinatti Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates @ St. Louis Cardinals
American League
Washington Senators @ Boston Redsox
Philadephia Athletics @ New York Highlanders
St. Louis Browns @ Cleveland Naps
Detroit Tigers @ Chicago Whitesox
Monday, November 10, 2014
Preseason notes
When the Giants open the season New York baseball enthusiasts will watch with much interest the working of the infield. John McGraw has made many changes, and the biggest have been in the infield.
At first base, where Dan McGann reached for wide ones and scooped up low ones for years, Fred Tenney will be in command. The veteran Boston player is a left-hander and one of the best first baseman in the game. Though a fast man in the infield, he is at his best at-bat on the bases. All the fine points of the game are at his command, and he is a past master at advancing a runner.
At present it is undecided who will cover second base. It lies between two youngsters, Larry Doyle and Fred Merkle. In build they are entirely different. Doyle is short and stocky, Merkel tall and lanky. Doyle played second with the Giants in sixty-odd games last year. He was green, but his work was satisfactory. Since he has been in the south he has shown much improvement. Merkle plays best at first base, but that position is well covered. McGraw likes Merkle. He will find something for him to do, and second base is the weakest point on the team. Therefore Merkle is getting his chief practice there. Doyle will probably be the regular and Merkel general utility man.
Al Brideell will play shortstop. In the territory where Bill Dahlen held forth so many years the young Boston player is expected to do some fast work this year. He outclasses Dahlen in every department of the game. Bridewell is coming, but Dahlen has almost reached his limit of usefulness.
The only veteran Giant in the infield will be Arthur Delvin, at third base. For steady, reliable playong he has few superiors. This is the sixth year in the New York uniform, and he is faster than ever. Devlyn is a hard worker, and his playing is filled with ginger.
—New York Tribune
Note on Mordecai Brown's arm as we approach opening Day
From I.E. Sanborn's dispatch in the April 12, 1908 Chicago Tribune:The indications are the Cubs must start their battle at Cincinnati the day after tomorrow with a patched lineup and without the services of Steinfeldt and Sheckard, although the injury of neither player is expected to keep him out of the game long enough to prove a serious handicap. More serious is the worry caused by Mordecai Brown’s arm, which has refused to allow a kink to be worked out during the training trip. The sickness of Pfiester’s wife, which has kept the sou’paw from getting much practice this spring, will cut the pitching staff down to Overall, Reulbach, Lundgren, Fraser, and Durbin for the opening weeks of the season, but this quintet out to be able to bear the brunt of the work successfully until Brown and Pfiester are ready to share it.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Player Preview: Frank Leroy Chance - Chicago Cubs Manager & First Baseman
Born in Fresno, California, on September 9, 1876, Frank Leroy Chance did not play any true form of organized baseball until his college years at the University of California, where he was pursuing an education in dentistry. It was while playing in an independent league in summer 1897, after transferring to Washington College in Irvington, California, that the right-hander caught the attention of Cubs outfielder Bill Lange. Lange convinced the Cubs management to sign Chance, sight unseen, as a backup catcher and outfielder, and he joined the team in the early spring of 1898. He made an immediate impact his rookie season, batting .279 with 32 runs scored and 14 runs batted in while playing in just 53 games in the majors (he also hit his first of only 20 career home runs, off Washington Senators pitcher Cy Swaim).
Chance continued his stint as a reserve catcher through the 1902 season, always batting slightly below .300 and never playing in over 76 games. This was due primarily to his numerous broken fingers and frequent hand injuries suffered while attempting to corral foul tipped balls. In 1903, when Johnny Kling, one of the best catchers of the era, took over the full responsibilities behind the plate, and regular first baseman Bill Hanlon unexpectedly abandoned the team, manager Frank Selee moved Chance to first base as a temporary replacement until a more suitable fielder could be found. Chance, incensed by being assigned yet another position, threatened retirement but a pay raise helped to mollify any hard feelings. Regardless, the change suited Chance as he played in over 100 games (125) and batted over .300 (.327) for the first time in his career. In addition, it was in 1903 that Chance first made his presence known on the base paths while stealing a National League leading 67 bases. When Selee fell seriously ill in midseason 1905, Frank "Husk" Chance, so named because of his husky physical stature (6'0", 190 lbs.), was named manager and led a strong, yet unmotivated Cubs team from National League mediocrity to a third-place finish much to the surprise of the Cubs' faithful. Meanwhile, Chance hit .316 with 92 runs and 70 runs batted in.
The Cubs, now owned by Charles Webb Murphy, retained Chance as both manager and player for the 1906 season. It turned out to be an easy yet brilliant decision on Murphy's part, as Chance led the Cubs to 116 wins en route to an appearance in the World Series, setting a single season win record that was unmatched until the American League's Seattle Mariners tied it in 2001 (while playing ten additional games). Individually, Chance had a career season, batting .319 and leading the National League in both runs (103) and stolen bases (57). It is said that Frank Chance stole "baseball's most expensive base" that season when he stole home from second base--which he had also stolen on the previous pitch--against the Cincinnati Reds to break a late-inning tie, and owner Murphy granted him ten-percent ownership in the club to show his gratitude. Chance later sold his share of the franchise for approximately $150,000.
Using hardnosed tactics and downright stubbornness, Chance bowled over his opponents, and displayed an infamous lack of good sportsmanship that would make the notorious Ty Cobb blush. Chance once incited a riot at the Polo Grounds after physically assaulting opposing pitcher Joe McGinnity, and on more than one occasion tossed beer bottles at fans in Brooklyn when he felt they were being too unruly, or perhaps not unruly enough. For his fighting prowess (he spent several off-seasons working as a prizefighter), old-school boxing legends Jim Corbett and John L. Sullivan both called Chance "the greatest amateur brawler of all time." He made outfielder Solly Hofman postpone his own wedding until the off-season lest marital bliss affect Hofman's playing ability. It was reported that Chance would fine his own players for shaking hands with opposing players, win or lose, and had no qualms about releasing players for failing to meet his demands to the letter. Chance once remarked, "You do things my way or you meet me after the game." Generally, his players complied, and it is no small wonder that he earned yet another nickname, "The Peerless Leader," as he was simultaneously respected and disliked by those who played for him, with him, and against him.
Source:
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/21604876
More notes:
“The campaign in the National League will be just as easy as it was last year” —Chance on the 1908 season.
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