[jksander]

APRIL 20, 1954 . . . Prior to today’s game I made a reliever swap with the New York Yankees, sending Frank Smith to New York in exchange for right-handed reliever Bob Alexander. We’ll be a little short in the bullpen as a result until Alexander can get here by train, but I think it’s a solid move to bring a veteran into our relief corps -- Alexander has been a career minor-leaguer, but I like his stuff. His stamina isn’t much, but he’s got high ratings in his ability to hold runners, his movement and control are above average, and he’s got a multi-pitch arsenal. As soon as he gets here he’ll take our 25th roster spot in the majors and we’ll get to see what he can do.

I’ve also made a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates to send us a solid 19-year-old prospect, rookie left fielder Roger Maris, in exchange for backup 3B Ken Boyer. My assistant GM thinks I am absolutely insane, but there’s just something I like about the kid. He may not be ready to come up to the Cubs right away, but he hit .333/.396/.500 last year for Pittsburgh’s AA team, and if we don’t rush him I think he could be a real hidden gem.

In this afternoon’s game, Russ Snyder got a hit to start the bottom of the first, taking a steal and then reaching home on an Ernie Banks single which gave us a 1-0 lead with two men on and just a single out. Hank Sauer walked the bases loaded, and Mays scored a run on a sac-fly to center by Elston Howard to make it 2-0! Herb Score was lights-out through the first four innings, blanking the Braves, and Russ Snyder got an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to make our lead 3-0, getting his second steal of the game before Cavarretta flew out to left for the last out. That kid is QUICK ... he’s already got three steals so far this year! Herb Score successfully bunted and reached base safely in the bottom of the sixth, and Russ Snyder hit a sac-fly to center that advanced Woody Smith to third, giving us runners on the corners with just a single out. Cavarretta hit a sac-fly to right, driving Smith home for our fourth run, and we went into the seventh inning leading convincingly 4-0. Elston Howard added a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, his first of his major league career, that put us up six and which ended Warren Spahn’s night. Herb Score gave up a solo homer in the eighth, but we had no trouble holding on to win this one 6-1!

Herb Score pitched our first complete game of the season, giving up just two hits for one run, with eight strikeouts and only one walk! The win brings his record to 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA on the still very young season. Russ Snyder led the way as our leadoff man, hitting three times and stealing twice, scoring a run and batting in another. Elston Howard hit his two run homer and scored on a sac-fly, giving him a solid three RBI night. Phil Cavarretta walked once and was able to bat in a run without getting a hit all night thanks to his sacrifice late in the game.

APRIL 21, 1954 . . . I’ve added Alexander and Maris to our major league rosters effective today, as both arrived in time to make the trip to Milwaukee. Marris will be a pinch hitting option for now, not a starter. Alexander will be our long relief option out of the bullpen, joining Karl Drews, Steve Nagy and Sandy Consuegra in what I am hoping will be our set relief corp for the forseeable future.

Robert Diehl (1-0, 5.06) got his second start of the year tonight on the road on an ice cold Milwaukee evening in front of 16,700 rabid Braves fans -- cloudy, 37 degrees, wind blowing out, so definitely not the best recipe for strong pitching. Sauer gave us an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, scoring off a Gene Baker sac-fly to center. But the game, which we’d all expected would be a hitter’s game due to the wind, turned into a pitchers’ duel because of the bitter cold. By the time we came up to bat in the top of the sixth there had been just five hits in the game combined and we still held our 1-0 lead. We started warming up Alexander in the sixth, but not in time to prevent Diehl from giving up a massive three-run homer to give the Braves the lead in a huge way. Alexander came in with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and empty bases for his first relief appearance in the majors at age 31, and he got us out of it quickly ... but could our bats rally to retake the lead on such an inhospitable night on the road?

McCullough pinch-hit for Howard in the top of the seventh, taking a walk and giving us two runners and only one out, and Kenneth Chapman pinch hit for Gene Baker, though he flew out and was unable to advance the runners, and a Woody Smith flyout to right ended the inning with us still two in the hole. Alexander got us through the seventh safely, with Nagy warming up to take over in the eighth. With Russ Snyder on base and with just one out on the board, Cavarretta hit to deep left, the ball rolling into the corner, winding up with a double which put Snyder on third. And Willie Mays got us two runs to knot it up, thanks to a slow-hit ball right up the middle, barely a single but good enough to confound the defense. Mays got caught stealing, giving us our second out, but Banks doubled to deep center and Sauer took a walk, sending McCullough back up to bat with two on and two outs. Though he wasn’t able to score, we did head to the bottom of the eighth all tied up, so we had a chance!

Alexander came in and got a strikeout to start the bottom of the eighth, but a runner reached second on a hit and a steal, bringing in Nagy with the one out to hopefully get us out of the inning unscathed. But a grounder got past our defender out into right, allowing the go-ahead run to score for Milwaukee, and Nagy gave up an additional run before getting his outs, sending us into the top of the ninth needing two or more runs or it was over. Kenneth Chapman took a walk, and I brought Frank Baumholtz in to pinch hit, getting a fly ball double over the head of the center fielder, giving us two in scoring position with Roger Maris coming in for his first pinch-hit opportunity with Consuegra warming up for the bottom of the ninth. With a good eye, Maris took a walk to load the bases, bringing up Russ Snyder, no outs, who hit the ball just over the head of the second baseman and into the outfield! Two runs score to knot it all at 5-5! Cavarretta took an out, but Willie Mays again walked the bases loaded, bringing up Ernie Banks with only one out! Banks hit a fly-out to center, but not deep enough for anyone to go ... leaving it up to Sauer with two outs and the loaded bases. But he flew out to center, leaving Consuegra to come in and get us a chance at extras. Unfortunately he gave up two hits, the second of which grounded right by our third-baseman, scoring the walk-off game winner as Milwaukee put us away 6-5.

Consuegra took the loss, falling to 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA, as he was only able to get one out before the walk-off double. Robert Diehl made it through 5.2 innings but gave up five hits and three runs (two earned) with two strikeouts and a walk, thanks to the three-run homer he gave up in the fifth. Alexander finished with 1.2 innings but gave up a run on his only hit through 27 pitches, giving him a 5.40 ERA. Nagy continues to struggle for control, only lasting two outs but giving up two hits and a run with a strikeout and a walk, giving him a 13.50 ERA through two innings. Small sample sizes, however, and we have to be careful not to be too strong on early judgments -- the weather tonight was already not pitcher friendly, and yet we stayed in this game to the end.

Snyder, Cavarretta and Banks each had two hits tonight, with Snyder and Cavarretta getting runs out of it for their trouble. Willie Mays hit once and walked once, driving in two runs while Snyder picked up two RBIs and Gene Baker added one on a sacrifice play. We fell to 3-4 on the young season, but we’ve been in most of the games and we’ve had a +5 run differential Once everyone settles in and the real slog of the season gets going I think we’re going to adjust well.

We have an off day tomorrow, making the drive down to Cincinnati for four games in three days. We’ll then have the 26th off as we return to Wrigley for two against the Phillies, the start of a nine game, ten day homestand. We’ll then have a two week 13-game road stand, so I hope our players are ready to start really putting in work.