Darth Vander Meer slays Bucs

In a rare display of ball-bashing by the ’41 Reds they were able to best the Bucs 9 – 4.  The Reds took a two run lead in the third on a single by the pitcher, Johnny Vander Meer, a double by Frey and a two run knock by Mike McCormick.  The Bucs scored in the top of the fourth, but the Reds retaliated in the bottom of the inning and put the game away with a four run 5th.  Again Vander Meer, who picked up the win led off the inning with a single, Frey then singled and after a sac Frank McCormick knocked in both runners. Harry  Craft and Goodman followed with doubles to extend the lead to 7 – 2.  Wilber Cooper took the loss for Pittsburgh, but Babe Adams who relieved in the fourth was the real victim of the Reds onslaught, surrendering 7 hits and four runs in just two and a third innings.  Ray Starr picked up a save as he pitched two innings of shutout ball, giving up only one hit to finish out the game.

Jim Clouser

24-Bombers sneak by 24-Nats

October 1 @ Yankee Stadium in New York

1924 Washington Senators (20-18)

Starting Pitcher : George Mogridge

Real Life : 16-11, 213 IP, 3.76 ERA

KOD22: 2-3, 61.2 IP, 3.94 ERA

vs

1926 New York Yankees (22-16)

Starting Pitcher : Urban Shocker

Real Life : 19-11, 258.1 IP, 3.38 ERA

KOD22: 4-1, 68.1 IP, 3.42 ERA

NEW YORK wins 4-3

WP: Walter Beall
LP: Firpo Marberry
SV; Bob Shawkey
HR: none
MVP: Urban Shocker (7 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 K)


In an incredibly tight play in game, the '26 Yankees were able to pull out a tight 4-3 win to advance in the KOD 22 playoffs.  The game saw numerous opportunities on each side to put together big innings and put the game away but neither team could come up with a key hit at the right time. 

The Sens jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with 2 sibled paired together with 2 Yankee errors but really it could have been a lot worse for the Yanks early as Washington had runners thrown out at home in each of the first 2 innings.  Earle Combs and Babe Ruth were the 2 NY outfielders to save runs by nailing Senators base runners at the plate. 

New York came back in the 5th to tie the game behind 4 singles, including an Urban Shocker single to drive in the tying run.  The game would stay tied until the 7th despite a threat by the Yankees in the 6th.  With the bases loaded and 1 out, Mark Koenig popped out to shallow RF ansd it took a perfect throw from Sam Rice to nail Babe Ruth tagging from 3rd in order to keep the game tied at 2.  In the 7th, Goose Goslin broke the tie by driving in Ealr McNelly with the go aahead run.  But despite having 2 on and only 1 out, the Sens were unable to get to Shocker for more and put some breathing room between them and the pesky Yanks. 

After pulling Mogridge (7 IP, 9H, 2R, 1 K) for a pinch hitter, the Sens turned to closer Firpo Marberry to preserve the win and end the Yankees season.  Unfortunately, Marberry was unable to stay out of trouble.  Tony Lazzeri walked to lead off the 8th, Joe Dugan followed with a double which forced Marberry to walk Bob Meusel to load the bases with nobody out.  With the infield in, Marberry got Koenig to ground to SS Roger Peckinpaugh who forced Lazzeri at home for out #1.  Then with the middle infield playing for the inning ending double play, Hank Severeid grounded to 2B Bucky Harris who decided to throw home and cur down the run instead of ending the inning with what looked like a routine double play.  Washington Manager Pete Daly had visited the mound a laid out his expectations for his infielders, but apparently Harris had his own ideas.  Harris was able to catch Dugan at the plate but the inning continued and Pat Collins came to the plate with the bases still loaded and 2 outs.  Collins was up to the task and hit a slow roller between 1st and 2nd that scored Meusel and Koenig and put the Yankees ahead 4-3.

Bob Shawkey replaced Shocker on the hill for NY and needed to face the middle of the Senators lineup in the 9th.  Doc Prothro, pinch hitting for Harris, reached to lead off the inning on an eroor by Lou Gehrig at first.  Sam Rice followed with an infield single and the Sens looked to be in business.  A ground out by Goslin with the runners moving put the tying run at 3rd and the go ahead run at 2nd with 1 out.  Joe Judge was then walked to load the bases and create a force at any base.  Muddy Ruel cmae to the plate and fouled off his attempt at a game tying suicide squeeze.  With 2 strikes, Ruel then drove a hard liner back up the middle that ws picked out the air by Shawkey for the 2nd out.  Had Shawkey been a split secong slowere reacting to the liner, it likely was headed to CF and would have scored 2 big runs.  With 2 outs and the bases still loaded it was now up to pinch hitter Nemo Leibold to tyr and extend the game and the season for the Sens.  Leibold got a hold of a Shawkey fastball but unfortunately the ball landed with a thud in first baseman Lou Gehrig's glove.  

As the Senators sat in the dugout watching the Yankees celebrate on the field, manager Pete Daly was seen still kneeling on the front step of the dugout wondering how the game had gotten away from him.  Daly was trying to defend his unlikely KOD 21 Championship that he had won with the 2006 Minnesota Twins.  Apparently a repeat was not in the cards, as Michael Hopcroft was the better man and his Yankees the better team on this day.  Good luck to all teams the rest of the way.

41 Saxh sweep 37 Pale Hose

 

Game 1 - Comiskey Park
D.Newsome vs Dietrich
Red Sox 12, White Sox 5

The slumping Sahx hopped a Pulman and arrived 18 hours later in the Windy City to try and get back on track.  After ceding the Pale hose a 4-1 lead Dick Newsome and the boys were all business.  2 runs in the 7th knotted the game up at 4 all.  Then in the 6 the lumber came back to life in the form of 6 big runs all with 2 out.  An RBI triple by Dommy DiMaggio got it rolling.  RBI doubles by the Splendid Splinter and Lou Finney were key.  A homer by Joe Cronin put it out of reach.  Dick Newsome, who gave up 5 runs on 11 hits went the circuit.  Catcher Pytlak paced the Bosox with 3 hits.  Double X received 3 walks ahead of the Spliter who plated him twice.

GAME 2
Wagner vs V.Kennedy
Red Sox 7, White Sox 0

Charlie Wagner gave up just 4 hits while tossing this nifty shutout, however he did walk 5, which made for some interesting jams that he had to work out of.  Chicago was just not able to land the big hit to punish Charlie who walked the tightrope for 9 innings.  Rookie Bobby Doerr slammed the door shut on the Pale hose with a 3 for 3 day, including a solo homer and 3 RBI's.  Stan Spence and Skeeter Newsome made rare starts and held their own.  Double X was given the day off to help clear his trouble sinuses.  For the second straight day the Sahx were able to avoid using their pen, which desperately needed a rest.

 
GAME 3 - Fenway Park
Lyons vs Grove
Red Sox 15, White Sox 6
Just a few years ago this would have been a pitching matchup of aces that would have sold many tix.  By this point Lefty Grove was on his last legs and holding on to get to his 300th win.  Lyons was going through a rough patch where the gloves and bats behind him were in capable of allowing him just the slightest mistake.  Both guy got off to an inauspicious start yielding 5 runs each in the opening frame.  Both managers, not wanting to go to their respective pens this early, left their starters for for another 6 innings.  Grove, who gave up a solo run in the 2nd was then spotless for the next 5 innings before he hit the shower.  Lyons was not so lucky.  Ole' Ted gave up 13 runs (11 ER) in 7 innings.  Boston's bats were hotter than than the Hindenburg and way more explosive.  The Sahx scored a total of 15 runs in 18 innings.  Double X, returning from his much needed day off, was 4 for 5 with a double, triple and 2 HR's.  In a rarity he was just a single shy of the cycle.  His young running mate T.S. Williams (.388) was 3 for 4 with 4 runs scored and 5 RBI.  For good measure he hit 3 long balls to outpace his friend and mentor, Jimmie Foxx.  With the series sweep Boston slugged themselves back into contention.

24 Bucs stop 22 Birds

Meadows mows down birds

The 1924 Pittsburgh Pirates are providing a strong challenge to the 1936 Chicago Cubs in the National League's Uncle Robbie division. Winning two one-run games after Lee Meadows shut out the 1922 Cardinals in the series opener, the Pirates put themselves four games over .500. They will most likely need some help. The 1933 Boston Bees may have something to say about who wins, as they have series against both contenders down the stretch.

Meanwhile the '22 Cardinals were on the brink of contention, but a losing streak that has reached 5 games has knocked them out. Hitting carried the club, but has slacked off during the losing streak and the pitching is not deep enough to keep the team afloat. Even throwing their top three starters at the Pirates in this series could not keep the Redbirds from escaping the losing side of the ledger. A big reason for the offensive fall off is that star second baseman Rogers Hornsby has come back to earth. Pirate pitching held Hornsby to 2 for 11 in the series, both hits singles.

The Pirates outhit the Cardinals 37-25 in the series, and won back-to-back one run affairs after an opening 6-0 win, by scores of 5-4 and 6-5. 

Bike Mike

Tribe vs Tribe...1940 prevails in 2 of 3 contests

So good he dominated for both

Call it the clash of the Cuyahoga or Tribal Warfare. Either way, 1939 Cleveland faced 1940 Cleveland in a battle between two good, pre-war Indians squads that had similar rosters.

Speaking of which, both teams had a Feller in his prime and its showed during this series. My prognosticators predicted an epic fight between 1939 Cleveland, with dominant hitting but a shaky bullpen, and 1940 Cleveland, with deeper pitching but weaker hitting.

Here's how it went down:

Game One: The 1939 Bob Feller model pitched his best game of the year, a three hit shutout of the 1940 squad with 11 Ks. Odell Hale knocked in two and Rollie Hemsley had a key triple in the whitewash. 39 CLE 6, 40 CLE 0.

Game Two: 1940 Cleveland brought in lefty Al Milnar to face the 1939 team, even though Milnar was not having a great year and only had a 1-3 record. But he was stout on this day, pitching a complete game six-hitter and limiting the 1939 Indians to two runs. The 1940 team broke open the game late by tagging 1939 starter Mel Harder for four runs in the eighth and ninth. 1940 Ben Chapman was the hitting star, going four for five with two RBIs, while Hal Trosky banged his fifth homer. 1940 CLE 6, 1939 CLE 2.

Game Three: 1940 Cleveland rolled out its Bob Feller, who proved to be the equal of the 1939 stud. A tight game proceeded with scant hitting, as 1939's Al Milnar was also up to the task. 1940 Cleveland scored one in the first on a Lou Boudreau single and one in the fifth as Feller laid down a perfect suicide squeeze. That was it for the scoring. Feller notched 8 Ks and only allowed five hits through nine to move to 6-1. 1940 CLE 2, 1939 CLE 0.

Regards,

Joe Pryweller

Gnats sweep Brownies

The Goose was loose

Washington got great pitching and timely hitting to take all 3 games from the Browns.  All the games were competitive right down to the last inning. Game 3 was filled with runners being thrown out at the plate by Washington, and in turn, Stl turning a line drive into a 5-4 double play in game 3.  Game three also featured a Goose Goslin inside the park home run.

Very entertaining series, and thanks to Bruce for getting it in early this week.

--Mark Nixon--

24 Bombers take 2 of 3 from 39 Bosox

HOF'er Lefty Grove

The 24 Yankees win a tough series 2-1 over a tenacious 39 Red Sox ball club.

Game 1 NYY 5-3 A 3 run 7th helped Yankees win the series opener at Fenway.

Game 2 BOS 5-4 (13) A tight ball game the whole way. Lefty Grove pitched 11.2                                          innings and holds the Yankees at bay. Ted Williams singles in the winning run to even the series.

Game 3 NYY 8-4  With the score tied at 3 after 6 and half, Yankees score 3 in the 7th                             and add 2 insurance runs in the 8th to squeek by Boston

Fun series, thanks Justin for getting the games in around my work schedule.

--Domenick Guarino--