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Week 3 of a very long season
Welcome to a place where a 3-4 week is a success!
Unfortunately for the Forester's major changes are about to take place. No, there are no moving vans showing up at the stadium in the middle of the night to move the team (although that is not a bad idea), but there will be some repercussions felt for the team's lack of success on the field after 3 weeks (5-12 dead last in the CA). Thankfully April is over so we can start out fresh in May. Anyway here is a review of last weeks "success" on the field.
We will finish up the Philadelphia series with 2 on the road on Monday and Tuesday, and then head off Toronto for an early season showdown of "who's on the clock" for next year's draft. Then we will come home after a long 9 game road trip to the not so friendly confines of Forester Stadium (if it holds together that long) to play the Brooklyn Kings.
Monday April 24th
Cleveland Foresters 8
Philadelphia Sailors 2
Max Morris is obviously a fan of Sailors Memorial Stadium as he smacked his 3rd homer in the last 2 days here. Today's victim was someone named Bert Small who was making his 1st career start in the big leagues. Cleveland's Ben Turner was once again very good which begged the question why he didn't make the opening day roster. Two wins in a row for the Tree Farmers.
WP - Ben Turner 1-1 2.16 LP - Bert Small 0-1 4.26
HR - Cleveland - Morris 3rd, Philadelphia - Irv Brady 2nd
Tuesday April 25th
Cleveland Foresters 2
Philadelphia Sailors 11
The Sailors were obviously furious over dropping the first two games of this series (and 11 runs) to the lowly C-Town 9. So they made up for it in a big way and punished SP Karl Johnson for 9 runs over 6.1 innings. George Baldwin not seeming to understand that his job is on the line gave up 2 more runs in his 1.1 innings. The Sailors didn't hit any out of the park but did account for 6 extra base hits.
WP - Russ Real 3-0 2.33 LP - Karl Johnson 1-2 4.84
HR - None
As we run for our lives out of Phily taking 2 out of 3, we head north of the border for a 3 game brawl with the Wolves of Toronto. Both teams are 3-9 heading into this epic series to gain advantage in the #1 draft pick chase.
Wednesday April 26th
Cleveland Foresters 3
Toronto Wolves 7
Veteran SP Birdie Smith (32) look as giddy as a 25-year-old as he regained his form against the Foresters. The game gives Cleveland a leg up in the chase to the draft. Cleveland SP Jim Thompson reminded everyone why he wasn't on the 1931 or 1932 Foresters with this performance, which might be his last with the team.
WP - Birdie Smith 1-2 4.15 LP - Jim Thompson 0-2 7.45
HR - Toronto - Chuck Allison 1st, Freddie Malloy 1st
Thursday April 27th
Cleveland Foresters 1
Toronto Wolves 8
Toronto SP Dick Salten picked up his first win of the season (1-2) going the distance and lower his ERA by 2.2 runs in the process. Other than walking 5 batters, Salten completely befuddled the Foresters lineup giving up just 4 hits. SP Ed Wood looks like he had trouble making it across the border as whoever this was pitching (8 runs in 4.1 innings) did not look like the youngster at all. George Baldwin who must be manager Hank Leitzke's favorite out of the pen finally got the message that he is out of options and his job is on the line as he pitched 3.2 of shutout ball in the blowout loss. Max Morris didn't homer (which he hasn't done outside of Phily) but did get his 1st SB of the season!
WP - Dick Salten 1-2 4.56 LP - Ed Wood 0-3 6.53
HR - none
Friday April 28th
Cleveland Foresters 8
Toronto Wolves 3
The Foresters decided they had gained enough ground in the loss column and put up a fight and won today. SP Roger Perry (7 inn 3 runs) pitched well enough to get the win, and the Cleveland offense took advantage of 10 hits and 5 walks to at least escape Canada with 1 win. 2B Brooks Meeks hopefully is shaking off an early season slump to garner 3 hits, including a double and drove in 4 runs (his first 4 RBI's of the season). The Foresters will head back home after the 3-6 road trip to welcome the Brooklyn Kings to town.
WP - Roger Perry 2-2 2.83 LP - Buddy Adams 1-3 4.25
HR - None
Weekend Series (Saturday-Monday) against the Brooklyn Kings 6-9 vs the Cleveland Foresters 4-11
Saturday April 29th
Brooklyn Kings 6
Cleveland Foresters 0
SP Johnny Jacob (3-1) completed tamed the Foresters on 4 hits in pitching the shutout. Not much to say about the game but rumors were running rampant in Cleveland that things were about to change.
WP - Johnny Jacob 3-1 2.73 LP - Ben Turner 1-2 3.86
HR - none
Sunday April 30th
Brooklyn Kings 4
Cleveland Foresters 9
What a way to end the month. Who started the Fire in the Forest? The Foresters smack 11 hits and clubbed 2 home runs in a show of offense that the hometown fans hadn't seen all year. The 9 runs in this were almost as many as the team had scored (13) in their first 7 home games. Whatever was in the pre-game meal (or drink?), make sure it is served tomorrow as well.
WP - Karl Johnson 2-2 4.60 LP - Lyman Weigel 1-1 4.97
HR - Cleveland - Bobby Allen 1st, Jim Kyle 1st
Week record 3-4
Home record 2-6
Season record 5-12
Summary - SP Karl Johnson was so shocked at the support he received that he made 2 errors in Sunday's game. The usually sure-handed Johnson had only made 4 errors in his previous 71 starts.
Max Morris struggles (for him at least) are more than just a power thing in the month of April. The career 350 hitter was hitting just 15-65 231 and his OBP was 100 pts lower than last year's 395. A slow start, hopefully just that. At home so far this season Morris is hitting just 172 5-29 with 3 doubles and 1 RBI.
Power seems to be down across the CA to start the year. Morris who only has 3 home runs is tied for the league lead. The pace, is only 25 which would be Morris lowest total since he left Cleveland in 1919 when he was still pitching as well as playing the OF. It will be interesting to see if the power bats pick up in May in the CA. The 25 homers to lead the CA would be the lowest total in the league since 1927 when Baltimore's Joe Welch hit 25. Maybe it was just April's really cold extended winter that lead to the lack of pop.
On the Farm
The team we are watching the most is the Class A Reading Coal Barrons. Why Reading, well 4 of our top 10 minor league guys are there and they were all draft in our last draft. Leading the CB's is the OF group of Levi Redding, Pete Day, Al Heard along with 3B Art Spencer. These 4 along with 2B Juan Sarmiento are 5 of the best position players we had in the minors. So far the Coal Barrens have only played 3 games but as the minor league season progress we expect to hear a lot about this group.
SS George Dawson in 3 games is trying to show that he belongs on the big league team. Hitting 4-9 with 3 walks for AAA Cincinnati (3-0), he is staking his case to be recognized as not the SS of the Future, but the SS of Today. We will see when he gets the call up.
Most of the minor leagues just started this last weekend, but Class C Ottumwa is off to an 18-6 start.
News
Just as the game finished on Sunday, my best friend and son of owner Elmer Marshall said Dad wanted to have a meeting. He said to meet them downstairs when the ballpark cleared out. Was this it, after 7 years and 1 month on the job was it the pink slip for me?............To Be Continued
Next - After Hours Meeting in the basement
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