NOTE: THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES WERE CHANGED TO THE ST. LOUIS BROWNS ON MAY 4TH...because someone (I think the credit goes to knuckler) designed one of the best Browns' logos I have seen and two fine versions.
My Alltime Allstar League has begun. Teams are made up of arguably the franchise's 21 best players...9 pitchers and 12 position players. I will give daily reports on each day's play to see if there is any interest in me continuing it...so far only lukewarm response.
Let me know if I am overdoing the details...I am aware many forum members do not read long posts... or if you could care less about this league...the latter would really save me some time...and the former could, too.
Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.
I intend to give daily writeups and weekly standings and stats update. And if there is enough interest, let dbacks create me a league website.
Well here goes......
Thursday, April 10, 1901
It happens every spring....the Boys of Summer are now back in business. The Alltime Allstar League opened its inaugural 1901 season yesterday with a full slate of 8 games. Cy Young outdueled Lefty Grove, Ed Walsh bested Herb Score, Bob Gibson outpitched Mordecai Brown and Sandy Koufax outlasted Pete Alexander.
In the Junior Circuit at Fenway Park, the Red Sox scored three times in the first inning on the way to a 4-1 win over the Athletics. Young stopped the powerful A's on only 5 hits. Doubles by DiMaggio, Garciaparra and Vaughn led Boston to an opening day win, defeating Grove, who surrendered only 7 hits. Nomar led the Sox with 2 hits and 2 rbis.
The Chicago White Sox opened the season at home in Comiskey Park in grand style, rapping out 13 hits in a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Frank Thomas hammered the game's only homer, scored three times, drove in two runs and leadoff man, Eddie Collins, had 4 hits to lead the hit parade. Big Ed Walsh went all the way, scattering 8 hits. Lefty Herb Score was roughed up early and surrendered all 7 runs and 9 hits in only 5 innings. Shoeless Joe Jackson, Carlton Fisk and Thomas garnered two hits each.
Baltimore's Hoyt Wilhelm in 2 scoreless innings of relief of Mike Mussina got the 5-4 win over the Tigers in Detroit, scoring the winning run in the ninth. Hank Severeid's sac fly scored Vern Stephens with game winner. Prince Hal Newhouser pitched a complete game and took the loss, giving up 8 hits and Brooks Robinson's four bagger. Hank Greenberg was the only bright star for the Tigers with a 3 run homer in the fourth giving Detroit an early 4-0 lead.
At Griffith Stadium the Washington Nationals took advantage of poor fielding by the Yanks' Jeter, Nettles and Gordon and came away with a 7-5 victory. The Big Train, Walter Johnson, stopped Ruth, Gehrig and Company when it counted and got his first win of the season by allowing 8 hits. The Yankees failed time after time in the clutch and it cost them. Herb Pennock took the loss as he was touched for 5 runs, 3 earned and 8 hits in 5 innings. Rod Carew topped the Nats with 3 hits, Cecil Travis had 2 triples and scored twice, with Gary Gaetti the top rbi man with two. Sam Rice also had 2 hits. Ruth had two doubles and Combs two singles to lead the New Yorkers.
Over in the National League, Bob Gibson led the Cardinals to a 6-3 triumph over the Chicago Cubs, who were held to only 5 hits by the Cards ace righthander. Meanwhile Stan Musial and the Cardinals battered Three Fingers Brown and three relievers for 12 hits. Musial was 4 for 5, scored two and drove in two and Ken Boyer had a pair of hits. The Big Cat, Johnny Mize had the game's only home run. The Chicubs Big 3, Hack Wilson, Ernie Banks and Sammy Sosa, totalled only 1 hit in 12 at bats against Gibson.
At Veterans Stadium Sandy Koufax got great offensive support from the Dodgers with 14 hits and an 11-6 win. Jackie Robinson had a great day at bat and led the Bums with 4-5, including 3 doubles and a home run, scoring 4 times and driving in 5. Zach Wheat added a double, triple and 4 hits, too. Duke Snider also added 3 rbis. Koufax needed that today as he was not at his sharpest as the Phils got to him for 11 hits, scoring 4 runs in the ninth. Still he got the complete game victory. Dick Allen homered for Philadelphia. Pete Alexander suffered the loss, giving up 6 runs in 6+ innings. Tug McGraw was hammered for 5 runs in the 8th and 9th innings.
In a seesaw, nip and tuck clash at County Stadium with the Giants, the Braves scored last with 3 in the 8th inning to take home the game 6-4. Warren Spahn and reliever Don McMahon teamed up to beat the Polo Grounders. Spahn gave up 4 runs and 7 hits in 7 innings with McMahon tossing a scoreless 8th and 9th. All of the Braves starters had at least one hit and tallied 11 for the day. Batting stars were Rafael Furcal, 2 hits including a triple and Eddie Mathews and Javy Lopez, each with 2 hits and a double. The game's only roundtripper was slugged by the Giants Jeff Kent. Christy Mathewson hung on with a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the 8th, but a critical error by third baseman Freddie Lindstrom gave up two unearned runs and the ballgame.
The Cincinnati Reds sent their fans home happy with a come-from-behind triumph at Crosley Field. They scored twice in both the 8th and 9th to overcome the Pirates 5-3. Frank Robinson pounded a 2 run homer to tie the score at 3-3 and Tony Perez came through with a 2 run walkoff blast in the ninth. Pirates' Deacon Phillippe was the loser in a complete game effort. Paul Derringer toiled the first 7 innings and gave up only 2 runs with the win going to Clay Carroll for a superb relief job. He came in for Rob Dibble in the 8th and got the Reds out of trouble and finished the Buccos off with a hitless ninth. Among the Reds 12 hits, Robinson was the big bat with 3 hits and 2 rbis, Perez had 2 hits and 3 rbis, with Joe Morgan, Ed Roush and Pete Rose tossing in a pair of hits each.