Excursions manager, Clinton Bayman, returned to his former employer, the Manchester Elephants, for the first time today, with his side in red hot form, recording 10 straight wins.
Joshua Evans halted the Excursions winning run, pitching a complete game, allowing only 2 runs over 9 innings, earning him the Player of the Game title. He scattered 8 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5, improving his season record to 9-4.
Backpool’s Quincy Duffy hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to tie the game, the Excursions then took the lead in the sixth but couldn’t hold out. McCaffrey drove in the winning run with a ground out in the bottom of the eighth to break a 2-2 tie, marking his 52nd RBI of the season.
Bayman, who made his name organising amateur clubs before taking a job with the Manchester Elephants was not downbeat in the face of the defeat, telling The Baseball Review “We are in a good place now, I am happy with our roster, injuries to our big hitters in that first month of the season set us back, but the Blackpool you’ve seen in recent weeks, that is a true reflection of the winning ball club we are.”
Blackpool’s last eleven games:
• July 16: WIN, 4-2 @ BIR
• July 17: WIN, 4-2 vs BIR
• July 18: WIN, 6-5 (10) vs BIR
• July 19: WIN, 6-4 vs BIR
• July 21: WIN, 1-0 (10) vs LDS
• July 22: WIN, 2-1 vs LDS
• July 23: WIN, 1-0 vs LDS
• July 24: WIN, 2-1 @ LDS
• July 26: WIN, 11-8 and WIN, 5-1 @ LDS (doubleheader)
• July 28: LOSS, 2-3 @ MAN
Bayman’s move to Blackpool had apparently long been planned, in advance of the expansion that saw the Excursion club set up and join the professional leagues. He left Manchester with a 110-110 record and winning the 1950 Manager of the Year in the old North League.