[Westheim]

Week 3 / 1950 - May 1-8, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon May 1 - off day
Tue May 2 - @ PHA - L 4-1
Wed May 3 - @ PHA - L 7-3 - Kolloway 2-2, BB, RBI;
Thu May 4 - @ PHA - W 6-4 - Groth 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Evers 2-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI;
Fri May 5 - @ WAS - W 4-2 - Kell 2-3, 2 BB, 2B; Evers 2-3, 2 BB, RBI;
Sat May 6 - @ WAS - L 6-2
Sun May 7 - @ NYY - W 10-8 - Kolloway 4-6, 2B; Bero 1-2, 2 BB, RBI; Lerchen (PH) 1-2, RBI;
Mon May 8 - @ NYY - L 4-1 - Kell 3-4; Wertz 2-4, RBI;

Ranking at week's end: t-3rd, 11-8, 3 GB
Power rankings: 3rd (-)

Key plays

Joe Ginsberg and spot starter Dizzy Trout found the bases loaded with nobody out in the fourth inning on Friday in Washington and instead of doing their usual thing (outs), our battery went to work against Washington relief pitcher Bobo Newsom (replacing an injured Sonny Dixon). Ginsberg flicked an RBI single to break a 1-1 tie, and Trout doubled down the rightfield line to drive home two more before we managed to run us out of a big inning in another way.

Sunday finally saw Vic Wertz get his first RBI of the season as he plated Don Kolloway with a single off Vic Raschi in New York. If we get Wertz to drive in runs, finally, everything will improve! The game was a mess overall, Raschi walking nine and getting drubbed for six, but Ted Gray didn't fare a whole lot better, conceding five runs himself, of which three were earned and two were on his own throwing error.

Also on Sunday we held Joe DiMaggio to 0-for-5 with two pops over the infield with men on base, two long F8's, and were probably luckier than we felt.

Monday afternoon in a 1-1 contest the Tigers had Kell and Evers in scoring position and nobody out and failed to score. Wertz grounded out, Eddie Lopat was told to issue an intentional walk to Johnny Groth, Don Kolloway grounded to short with Phil Rizzuto firing home for the crucial force out, and Bob Swift flew out gingerly. Johnny Mize led off the bottom of the inning with a double and came home on DiMaggio's sac fly.

Around the leagues

May 1 - CWS RF/CF Dave Philley (.179, 1 HR, 5 RBI) could be out for most of the season after rupturing finger tendons.
May 2 - BOB RF/CF/1B/C Daniel Holden (.257, 1 HR, 4 RBI) connects for five hits, including two triples and a double, and 3 RBI in the Braves' 9-5 win over the Pirates.
May 2 - Five home runs pace the Red Sox in their 15-4 mauling of the Indians. BOS 2B Bobby Doerr (.354, 2 HR, 11 RBI) has three base hits including a 3-run homer off Max Lanier, and drives in four.
May 4 - The Dodgers decide to end their 12-inning contest against the Cubs right there and then, exploding for ten runs and an eventual 12-4 victory in that top of the 12th. BRO CF Duke Snider (.375, 3 HR, 8 RBI) has two hits, two walks, and drives in five in the game.
May 5 - BOS SP Louis Shapiro (3-2, 3.98 ERA) racks up 16 strikeouts in a 5-4 win over the White Sox.
May 6 - The Giants storm out to a 10-0 lead by the second inning and figure that would be enough to hold off the Pirates, but Pittsburgh comes screaming back with a 14-run fourth inning and eventually win 15-11. PIT 1B Johnny Hopp (.377, 1 HR, 12 RBI) has two hits and 5 RBI in the game.
May 6 - BOB 3B/LF/RF Sid Gordon (.297, 1 HR, 8 RBI) is expected to miss two weeks with an intercostal strain.
May 7 - After the Reds fall behind the Phillies in the top of the 12th inning, 1B Ted Kluszewski (.341, 3 HR, 16 RBI) digs them out again with a walkoff grand slam for an 8-6 win against RP Jim Konstanty (0-1, 10.38 ERA).
May 8 - BRO SP Don Newcombe (2-3, 1.69 ERA) spins a 2-hit shutout, whiffing four, against the Pirates. The Dodgers claim a 7-0 victory.

Players of the Week

AL: BOS 2B Bobby Doerr (.391, 4 HR, 19 RBI) went .519 (14-27) with 3 HR, 12 RBI
NL: CIN OF/1B/3B Neb Wilson (.358, 6 HR, 15 RBI) went .519 (14-27) with 4 HR, 10 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Shibe Park was not very friendly to us. Ted Gray and Art Houtteman were both rocked for a 4-spot in the first innings of their respective games. Whether you die a slow and painful death (Gray) or give up a grand slam to Bob Dillinger (Houtteman), a 4-spot is a problem if your team does not homer, does not steal, and lacks a few key players. We won the last game of that set, but only because the A's made four errors like a second-rate travelling circus... which they probably are.

Hal Newhouser only made one start this week, Saturday in Washington. The Senators tore him apart for six runs (five earned) in 6.2 innings. The same game Connie Marrero carried a 2-hitter into the ninth before losing drive and giving up three hits and two runs.

In that ninth inning, George Kell managed to hurt himself again. Just as the knee was better, he suffered a mild intercostal strain. I don't even know what that is, but I will ask my friends Bob and George at Bob's Tavern when we're back in Detroit. Bob knows it all! In any case, Kell was back in the lineup on Monday, our last game in New York, but still sore all over.

Elsewhere, Johnny Lipon managed to ride a hitless streak to 0-for-23 before being detailed for bat polishing and shoe shining duties in the dugout.

Next week, three with the blazing Red Sox in Boston before we come home again for a long homestand against the Browns and then all the East Coast teams.