August 1950
The White Sox pulled into the AL lead with a 18-12 record in August. The A's faltered with a 12-18 record, sliding 3 games back. The Yankees went 17-11 and continue to improve. They are now just 4 games out, while Detroit is 7 back. The Yanks are on the way to their first winning season since the end of their great dynasty in 1941. Who could've imagined back then that they would go nearly a decade without a winning season. And let's not overlook Cleveland who is above .500 and could have their first winning season since 1943, the year after they won their last World Series. It should be an exciting finish as the White Sox play each of A's, Yankees and Tigers in September as well as the improving Indians and slugging Red Sox.
The Cardinals went 19-10 and have pulled out to a strong 9.5-game lead, which could be almost insurmountable with just 4 weeks left in the season. Unfortunately, Cards pitcher
Rock Charnley (14-8, 3.04) tore a muscle in his back on August 27th, and doctors have already determined that his pitching career is over at age 30. Miraculously, he was named NL POTM four days after the injury.
On August 13th, Cubs catcher
Chuck Rauch became just the 2nd player in baseball history to hit 4 homeruns in a single game. He did it in a 8-6 win at St. Louis. The only other player to have ever hit 4 homeruns was Giants 3B Dale Lamberty back in 1934.
Meanwhile, Giants 1B
Ervin Thompson, who recently set a new NL rookie homerun record, now owns the NL's rookie RBI record. He set a new record with a 4 RBI game in a 5-1 win over the Cubs on August 27th. He now has 98 RBI, and the previous rookie record was 95 RBI by Brooklyn 1B Jeff Bundy in 1930.
Detroit's
Ray Kress was named AL BOTM, and with 3 homeruns in a 8-2 win over the White Sox on August 27th, he broke his own AL homerun record. He added another the next day, and the new AL record stands at 42. He is currently on pace to hit 48, but the way he is hitting lately, becoming the 3rd player to ever hit 50 is not out of the question.
At the same time, the AL strikeout record of 220 set by HOF'er Jethro Lee in 1938 will almost certainly be broken this season with the Browns
Cotton Simson leading the league with 209 and Yankees young ace
Carpenter Erickson with 201. Plus Cleveland's
George Kauffman has 195.
Before a trade to the Browns,
Jonny Perly looked like he would be unseated as the 10-time reigning NL stolen base leader. Now in the AL, he certainly won't lead the NL, but he will keep alive his streak of leading a league. However, he set a new Browns record for steals on August 22nd, and on the same day, the player who will take over as NL steals leader,
Ben Cook, set a new team record for a team from the same city - the Cardinals.
In The News
Aug 12: The Giants
Al Mugford was banished by umpire Lon Warneke for refusing to stop waving his arms in an attempt to distract Braves batter
Ken Chaucer. In the fourth, Mugford moved over behind 2B and went into a windup the same time as the pitcher. Giants manager George Ward had agreed to await a league ruling on the tactic, but after Chaucer knocked
Nick Pursell unconscious in a collision at 3B, Ward turned
Walt "Whiz" Fabbricatore, Mugford's replacement, loose. In the fourth, Whiz reached base on an error, then on a force at 2B he put a linebacker block on
Bonnard Shadle and both dugouts emptied for a brawl. The Braves went on to win 9-5. The Giants protested Mugford’s ouster to no avail.
Aug 14: NL President Ford Frick reproached Giant Al Mugford and banned his tactics, disallowing the Giants’ protest. He also fined Ken Chaucer and Walt Fabbricatore for the incident.
Aug 19: The Gillette Safety Razor Co. payed $800,000 for TV rights to the World Series. Radio rights will add another $175,000 more.
American League-Pitcher of the Month:
Eric Williams (NYA)!
He had a record of 6-1 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 1.98 and 1 shutouts.
American League-Batter of the Month:
Ray Kress (DET)!
He batted .388 in 85 AB, with 11 homers and 27 RBI.
National League-Pitcher of the Month:
Rock Charnley (STL)!
He had a record of 5-1 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 1.18 and 1 shutouts.
National League-Batter of the Month:
Ken Chaucer (BSN)!
He batted .286 in 98 AB, with 9 homers and 31 RBI.
Code:
American League Standings
Chicago (A) 77 55 .583 -
Philadelphia (A) 74 58 .561 3.0
New York (A) 73 59 .553 4.0
Detroit 70 62 .530 7.0
Cleveland 67 65 .508 10.0
St. Louis (A) 61 71 .462 16.0
Boston (A) 60 72 .455 17.0
Washington 46 86 .348 31.0
National League Standings
St. Louis (N) 81 51 .614 -
Boston (N) 71 60 .542 9.5
Philadelphia (N) 71 61 .538 10.0
Cincinnati 67 65 .508 14.0
New York (N) 66 67 .496 15.5
Chicago (N) 60 71 .458 20.5
Pittsburgh 58 74 .439 23.0
Brooklyn 54 79 .406 27.5
AL AVG
.365 Peaches Badeau, PHA
.361 Ray Kress, DET
.360 Jimmy Ditty, NYA
NL AVG
.367 Tom Howard, NYG
.344 Ted McMurray, CIN
.341 Ogden Wing, STL
AL HOMERUNS
42 Ray Kress, DET
30 Lonny Arrendale, CHA
26 Luther Ormiston, DET
26 Hershel Lee, PHA
NL HOMERUNS
34 Ken Chaucer, BSN
34 Chuck Rauch, CHN
31 Joe Rodabaugh, NYG
AL RBI
127 Ray Kress, DET
106 Bobby Johnson, BOS
105 Cy Helbig, BOS
NL RBI
103 Ken Chaucer, BSN
100 Chuck Rauch, CHN
98 Ervin Thompson, NYG
98 Ben Giordano, PIT
AL STEALS
55 Jonny Perly, PHI
47 Hans Habermehl, PHA
31 Hershel Cooley, PHA
NL STEALS
59 Ben Cook, STL
32 Ogden Wing, STL
26 Gerald Roberson, CIN
AL ERA
3.08 Cotton Simson, SLA
3.16 George Kauffman, CLE
3.18 Carpenter Erickson, NYA
NL ERA
2.81 Scottie Allen, BSN
2.96 Hall Lepre, CIN
3.04 Rock Charnley, STL
AL WINS
20 Sam Cole, CLE
19 Cotton Simson, SLA
19 Hal Andrew, DET
NL WINS
17 Bob Bussmann, PHI
17 Scottie Allen, BSN
17 Grady Ingram, STL
AL STRIKEOUTS
209 Cotton Simson, SLA
201 Carpenter Erickson, NYA
195 George Kauffman, CLE
NL STRIKEOUTS
174 Ron Fleischmann, PIT
173 John Nolting, PHI
156 Scottie Allen, BSN
AL SAVES
21 Billy Hyberg, BOS
15 Gene Masarech, CHA
14 Lloyd Wyman, DET
14 Oscar Villalpando, NYA
NL SAVES
18 Sam Fontana, BKN
17 Jacob Walensky, NYG
16 George Curd, CHN