1935 PCL SEASON
Since I have the 1935 PCL schedule I will stop use the 1930 schedule and move to it. The result is the number of games will drop from 201 to 177 per team. That is good news for the Sacramento Solons as it will make it much more difficult to set a league record for losses in a season for the third straight year.
The Solons had first pick in the PCL draft and selected outfielder Brooks Holder. Holder spent nearly two decades in the PCL in real life and is a member of the PCL Hall of Fame. The Los Angeles Angels selected 17 year old catcher Ed Fernandes with the second pick. An Oakland native, Fernandes saw some action in real life with Pittsburgh and the White Sox. Hollywood took 20 year old outfielder Wally Judnich third.
DIMAGGIO
The main focus of this little sim was to be on Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams once he debuts but it is looking like a bust for DiMaggio at least. DiMaggio had been bothered by injuries each of his previous 3 seasons and 1935 was no different. He was limited to just 57 games, batting .302 with 4 homers, because of knee troubles, a hamsting injury and finally a fractured hand.
Joe D is listed as fragile now and has yet to play anything resembling a full season. It is looking like he will never pan out. I could, of course, edit his injury settings but that is a slippery slope I never go down with any of historical replays. I prefer to let things play out.
Maybe it is Hollywood that is the issue as the injury bug has not been restricted to DiMaggio. The Stars signed infielder Tony Lazzeri away from Mission in the off-season and the 32 year old, who had never missed significant time with injury suffered two different injuries with the Stars that cost him 6 weeks each time and limited Lazzeri to a career low 78 games played.
REGULAR SEASON
The Mission Reds made the playoffs for the 8th consecutive year despite the defection of Lazzeri. Stan Hack (.381,7,110) was nosed out by San Francisco's Steve Coscarart (.383,4,90) in his quest for a 4th straight batting title but the Reds once again had the best team offense. Chick Hafey (.381,7,110), Ernie Lombardi (.305,12,124) and Vince DiMaggio (.272,19,72) played key roles. Mission's pitching was outstanding led by former Oakland Oak Gordon Rhodes (26-11), Ken Penner (22-6) and Ossie Orwoll (24-11).
The San Francisco Seals rebounded to finish second and return to the playoffs. Pitching was again the Seals strength led by a rotation of Mel Harder (20-13), Manny Salvo (17-11), Lefty Gomez (15-9) and Art McDougall (16-12).
Another big year for Dolph Camilli (.295,46,138) as the slugger helped carry Los Angeles to third place. Camilli, the PCL's all-time homerun leader, surpassed the 400 mark and ended the season with 409. Mission's Chick Hafey is #2 on the list with 346 career round-trippers.
The remaining teams all finished below .500 including Oakland as the Oaks took a dramatic fall from first place a year ago to finishing 31 games back this season. Free agent losses of pitchers Lum Davenport and Marty Dumovich to Los Angeles (the pair combined for 40 wins a year ago) proved too costly to overcome although catcher Gene Lillard stepped up as a 2-way player and was 21-14 while still batting .274 with 14 homers in 99 games.
OTHER NOTES
Steve Coscarart not only won the batting title but the 24 year old San Francisco Seals second year outfielder set a league record by getting a hit in 36 consecutive games. The previous mark was 34 established by Ernie Orsatti of Mission.
PCL SERIES
Just like last season this one went the full seven games and Mission once again emerged on top. The Reds won the first two contests at home before the Seals took the next two in San Francisco. Game five went to Mission with the Seals staying alive with a 5-3 win in Game Six. Game seven featured Gordon Rhodes, who was the game seven winner a year ago, against Lefty Gomez of the Seals. Both pitchers went the distance with each allowing just 5 hits. San Francisco took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to Gomez delivering a rbi single.
Gomez was perfect through four but Chick Hafey led off the Mission 5th with a single and moved to second on an Ernie Lombardi bouncer that just got thru the infield. After a sac bunt moved them to second and third, Vince DiMaggio tied the game with a sacrifice fly scoring Hafey. Gomez intentionally walked the number 8 hitter to face Mission pitcher Rhodes but the move backfired as Rhodes ripped a single that scored Lombardi from second with what would prove to be the series winning run. It ended 2-1 Mission as the Reds claimed their second straight PCL Series title and 5th in the past 8 years.
Stan Hack, the Reds 26 year old first baseman, was named the Series MVP. Hack provided a number of key hits in the series and batting .423.