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August 1948
Detroit is now 6 wins away from clinching just their 2nd AL pennant in the team's 48-year history. They are also 2 wins away from just their second 90-win season. Their only other such season was 1928 when they won 93 games and their only pennant before going on to shock the 105-win Braves in the World Series. Detroit is on pace to win 100 games this season, by far a new team record.
The Phillies went 10-4 and expanded their lead over the slipping Cardinals to 4 games. Philadelphia's front office has also been relentless, today processing the latest trade in baseball history, coming on September 1st. They acquired center fielder
Flint Rutty and pitchers
Steven Smith and
Bill Risner from the Reds.
Boston's
Skeeter Schaldemose set a new AL record with his 129th walk. He now holds the single season record in both leagues. A's catcher
Hershel Lee set a new team record with his 26th homerun, passing Hall of Famer Ben Baum's record of 25 set in 1928. Lee also became the first black player to be named Batter of the Month in either league.
And while we're on that subject, Washington pitcher
Raul Velazquez is the first Hispanic player to make one of our top 3 leaderboards below. In his first full season as a starter, the 25-year-old Cuban pitcher is 10-8 with a 2.92 ERA.
In The News
Aug 18: The Cubs completed a four-game sweep of the Giants on this day despite a near-riot that held up play for 20 minutes. The reaction by the fans came when umpire Jocko Conlan ruled that a drive by Cubs catcher
Cal Branscomb in the 6th inning was a ground-rule double, not an inside the park homerun. Conlan made his call after Giants LF
Anson Morgenstern "lost" the ball in the Wrigley vines, though it was really by his feet. The fans showered the field in protest and Conlan bawled out some of Chicago's finest for not taking any action. When play was resumed, Cubs shortstop
Frank Kuhn laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Branscomb was thrown out at 3rd. At the time, the Cubs led 4-3. Chicago would add two more runs in the 7th and win the game 6-4.
Here's the box score.
American League-Pitcher of the Month:
Corky Stell (CHA)!
He had a record of 5-1 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 1.44.
American League-Batter of the Month:
Hershel Lee (PHA)!
He batted .354 in 99 AB, with 9 homers and 25 RBI.
National League-Pitcher of the Month:
John Nolting (PHI)!
He had a record of 6-1 in 8 games started, with an ERA of 3.43 and 1 shutouts.
National League-Batter of the Month:
Mitch Leibowitz (BSN)!
He batted .316 in 95 AB, with 9 homers and 30 RBI.
Code:
American League Standings
Detroit 88 47 .652 -
Boston (A) 74 61 .548 14.0
St. Louis (A) 69 66 .511 19.0
Washington 67 68 .496 21.0
Philadelphia (A) 63 72 .467 25.0
Chicago (A) 61 74 .452 27.0
New York (A) 61 74 .452 27.0
Cleveland 57 78 .422 31.0
National League Standings
Philadelphia (N) 86 49 .637 -
St. Louis (N) 82 53 .607 4.0
Boston (N) 67 68 .496 19.0
Cincinnati 67 68 .496 19.0
Chicago (N) 61 74 .452 25.0
Brooklyn 60 75 .444 26.0
Pittsburgh 59 76 .437 27.0
New York (N) 58 77 .430 28.0
AL AVG
.395 Peaches Badeau, PHA
.346 Em Pelto, BOS
.336 Don Myer, BOS
NL AVG
.351 Andy Martineau, NYG
.346 Rudy Young, PIT
.344 Tom Howard, NYG
AL HOMERUNS
35 Ray Kress, DET
34 Luther Ormiston, DET
27 Hershel Lee, PHA
NL HOMERUNS
32 Maurice Misisca, PHI
31 Mike Fellner, BKN
30 Ken Chaucer, BSN
AL RBI
120 Luther Ormiston, DET
113 Ray Kress, DET
107 Jim Dunkel, WSH
NL RBI
113 Morton Chamblee, STL
109 Herman Dunkel, STL
106 Jonathan Wright, BKN
AL STEALS
69 Ping Hung, NYA
51 Hershel Cooley, PHA
37 Hans Habermehl, PHA
NL STEALS
38 Jonny Perly, BKN
29 Jack Zenisek, BSN
28 Ogden Wing, STL
AL ERA
2.54 Bill Finley, WSH
2.59 Cotton Simson, SLA
2.92 Raul Velazquez, WSH
NL ERA
2.55 Schoolboy Emberling, CIN
3.08 Ace Shipley, CIN
3.13 Glenn Howell, BSN
AL WINS
24 Billy Crowell, DET
21 Bob Bussmann, CHA
20 Cotton Simson, SLA
NL WINS
26 John Nolting, PHI
18 Rock Charnley, STL
18 Mickey Lonergan, PHI
18 Frank Smith, BKN
AL STRIKEOUTS
190 Cotton Simson, SLA
178 Bill Finley, WSH
144 Trent Roberts, BOS
NL STRIKEOUTS
154 Chubby Allen, CHN
150 Scottie Allen, BSN
137 Ron Fleischmann, PIT
137 Wally Saeger, STL
AL SAVES
17 Lloyd Wyman, DET
16 Eric Slater, WSH
14 Frank Depratti, CLE
14 Herman Curoe, SLA
NL SAVES
25 Doyle Weaver, PHI
18 Ben Jaroslawski, STL
14 Bob Rustia, BSN