1950 Detroit Tigers (Historical Career)

[Westheim]

Greetings. You might know me from that other dynasty over there that appears to be a total nutjob’s brainchild – and let’s be honest, it is – and I haven’t really dabbled in anything else than the Portland Raccoons for years. Didn’t even try. Well, the Coons are still in OOTP 16, because I don’t trust new stuff to handle them responsibly. But since they eventually got to move onwards to newer versions and I have OOTP 18 lying around unplayed anyway, here’s another dynasty to get warm with the new game.

Now, don’t expect in-depth analysis of the situation at second base (like what’s going on in Portland right now…)* or the GM’s inner soul state, because this will be more of a quick-play dynasty. I will try to be like the great Orcin was in his dynasties of old, which should be revered until the end times claim us all: short, sharp, shockingly successful. Maybe I’ll win more than a flower pot with this one?

We’ll not do a fictional world here, because I have only room for one in my head; instead, this dynasty shall be a historical replay (there aren’t enough of those anyway) with the 1950 Tigers – at least until they can me. 1950 because I wanted to dive into that “golden era”, and the Tigers because, well… tigers are cats, and cats are good. Second to raccoons, I'd claim.

In terms of short and sharp, expect weekly** updates with the results of the week broken down, along with top performers, and those that didn't perform much at all. After that, we will go to key plays and injuries, and whatever else happened around the world, with the beloved “Complaints and Stuff” section at the very end. No play-by-play, sorry, there’s not enough hours in the day to do that for two dynasties and get anywhere while doing so.

Before we will start with the season and the short and sharp stuff, though, there’ll be some mild roster analysis, which will be my first chance to make a total door knob out of myself with my lack of knowledge. (yells at first player in sight at spring training) HEY, YOU!! Come over here! … What’s your name? – Vic Wertz?? – Never heard of you. Throw some batting practice here, will ya!

*I first whipped up the league in April, but never actually played a game. The good news is the second base situation for the Raccoons has been sorted out! Eh, yeah.

**The historical schedules do not always sort out to end series on Sunday. I will cover series in their entirety, so there will be the odd Sunday game moved to the following week and Monday games in the previous week where necessary. This will first happen between week 3 and 4.

+++

Let’s take a(n insultingly brief) look at this team that I, five minutes ago, knew nothing about. Looks like there ae some pieces in there for a semi-decent lineup. Pretty good and pretty young starting outfield there, can’t complain. The infield is a bit less impressive, but I am confident we can find something between four shortstops. Not very fond of Johnny Lipon – I want homers! Kid better start swinging if he wants to stick ‘round. The first base situation is perhaps one to tackle, but at least we can rely on veteran Aaron Robinson behind the dish. This rookie Joe Ginsberg has a lot to learn!

The pitching is … well … it appears to have been serviceable last year. (The generally low stuff will take me some getting used to…) I don’t know whether it’s worth the effort to go after another pitcher to bolster the staff. (Although I tried out the team needs feature and promptly got Whitey Ford thrown at me by the Yankees; wasn't sure whether to do this, until they traded him to the Braves instead. Oh well.)

The ’49 Tigers finished third in both runs scored and runs allowed in the American League, but finished in fourth place, ten games out. I am tasked with assaulting those Yankees, who are certainly not going to keep winning forever, heh? 12 titles is enough – move over for Detroit!

I only made one trade before the season, sending surplus outfielder George McQuillen to the Senators for 19-year-old left-hander Dean Stone, whom I stashed away at one of the multiple AA teams we have. Very confusing minor league situation. Instead, I called up a third catcher in proven veteran Bob Swift.

Besides the Ford stunner, another trade that struck me as significant was Enos Slaughter landing with the Indians, but to be honest I know next to nobody here... Jeff DaMuggia who?

[Westheim]

Week 1 / 1950 - April 17-23, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon April 17 - off day
Tue April 18 - @ CLE - W 4-3 - Priddy 2-4, 3B, 2B; Lipon 1-3, 2B, 3 RBI;
Wed April 19 - @ CLE - L 6-3 - Mullin 2-3, HR, RBI;
Thu April 20 - off day
Fri April 21 - v CWS - W 10-3 - Kell 4-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Groth 2-3, 2 BB; Evers 2-5, 2 RBI;
Sat April 22 - v CWS - W 7-1 - Lipon 1-3, BB, 3B, 3 RBI; Kryhoski 2-3, 3B, 2 RBI; Gray 9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, W (1-0);
Sun April 23 - v CWS - W 8-7 - Lipon 3-5, BB, RBI; Priddy 2-4, 2 BB, 2B, RBI; Groth 3-4, 2 BB, 2B, 4 RBI;

Ranking at week's end: 1st place, 4-1
Power rankings: 1st

Key plays

Victory on Opening Day was achieved mainly be Johnny Lipon, despite not hitting a home run. He brought in a run in the fourth inning with a sac fly, then cracked a 2-out, 2-run double in the gap off Bob Lemon in the sixth inning. Hal Newhouser, shaken early by a first-inning 2-run bomb hit by Al Rosen, held on for another four innings for a complete-game victory.

Friday's home opener saw the Tigers dismantle the Sox' Bob Cain right in the first inning, throwing a 7-spot onto the board in support of Art Houtteman. The biggest hit was Don Kolloway's, a bases-clearing double into the rightfield corner with two outs.

Ted Gray carried a shutout into the ninth inning against the Sox on Saturday before tiring after a sparkling performance. He surrendered a run with one out on Cass Michaels' sac fly after allowing a a walk to Gus Zernial and a base hit to Phil Masi, but pulled through to complete the game.

Sunday saw Prince Hal get roughed up for six runs in 5.1 innings. All runs scored in the fourth, which never seemed to end, including a grand slam hit by Dave Philley. Newhouser wasn't going anywhere with his pitching, and the rest of the Tigers looked like kittens against left-hander Bill Wight, who led 7-1 in the bottom 7th when he lost control altogether. A hit and five walks in the inning brought the tying runs on base for the Tigers with one out, when Wight suddenly got his stuff together again and notched strikeouts against George Lerchen and Bob Swift. The tying run was up again in the eighth against reliever Luis Aloma, who put Lipon aboard with a single, then walked Priddy and Groth, only for this time the team bowing out on consecutive pops over the infield, Evers and Kolloway to blame. Bottom 9th, Halbert Simpson walked, Bob Swift singled, tying run up again against Aloma with one out! Bero singled, Lipon hit an RBI single, 7-5 now, but Priddy cracked a ball at Hank Majeski, who threw out Swift at home. This brought up young Johnny Groth as we were down to our last out. Groth faced new reliever Randy Gumpert, who gave up a long fly to center right away, and CF Pat Seerey wasn't getting to it! The ball was in, Bero and Lipon scored easily, and Priddy was waved around eagerly, arriving well ahead of any sort of throw for a bases-clearing walkoff double!

Around the leagues

April 20 - NYG SP Sal Maglie (1-0, 0.00 ERA) twirls a no-hitter against the unsuspecting Braves, who amount to nothing more than a walk drawn by Tommy Holmes (.182, 0 HR, 0 RBI).
April 20 - PHI RF/LF Del Ennis (.308, 1 HR, 4 RBI) wins the Phillies their first game with a walkoff grand slam off BRO SP Willie Ramsdell (0-1, 4.32 ERA).
April 23 - PIT LF/1B Ralph Kiner (.417, 2 HR, 9 RBI) leads the charge as the Pirates overrun the Reds, 15-1. Kiner collects five hits, including a home run and three doubles, and drives in four runs.
April 23 - PHA SS Eddie Joost (.233, 2 HR, 8 RBI) claims the second game of a double-header against the Red Sox with a walkoff grand slam off BOS MR Willard Nixon (0-1, 10.29 ERA).
April 23 - In game 2 of a double header, the Browns rally from deep down with a 10-run eighth inning to win 15-11 over the Indians.

Players of the Week

AL: BOS Ted Williams (.378, 3 HR, 12 RBI)
NL: PIT Ralph Kiner (.417, 2 HR, 9 RBI)

Complaints and stuff

By the second game we had two injuries; Mullin, who homered in that loss to Bob Feller, came off the bench in replacement of Vic Wertz, who was hurt on a defensive play. Meanwhile Aaron Robinson was injured running out a grounder in the ninth inning. Well, he ran it out, and the Tigers had all the tying runs aboard against Feller, but then choked between Dick Kryhoski and Don Kolloway.

Those are our two first basemen, and none of them is exciting. In fact, we are decried as having the worst starting first baseman in either league. Maybe getting an upgrade would make sense.

In terms of injuries, we lost Robinson to a hip strain for about six weeks, and on Saturday also had to take out George Kell early on with a knee sprain. He was listed as day-to-day for two weeks, and seeing him run wasn't very pretty. Or just trying to walk. He was pencilled in for light use for the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, by Sunday I still had not received a report on Vic Wertz, who was supposed to be the cleanup hitter in the lineup and wondered whether we had somehow forgotten him in Cleveland or whether our trainer, a decorated field medic in World War II with only mild signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, had somehow botched a simple bloodletting procedure and had bled him to death.

Maybe I should investigate?

[Westheim]

Week 2 / 1950 - April 24-30, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon April 24 - @ SLA - W 6-4 - Kell 3-5, 2 2B; Groth 3-3, RBI; Priddy 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI;
Tue April 25 - @ SLA - W 9-6 - Kell 2-5, 3B, 3 RBI; Bero 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Evers 2-3, 2 BB; Kolloway 3-5, 2B; Swift 3-4, BB, RBI;
Wed April 26 - @ SLA - L 4-1 - Evers 2-3, BB, 2B;
Thu April 27 - v CLE - W 4-3 (10) - Bero (PH) 1-1, (GW)RBI;
Fri April 28 - v CLE - L 7-3 (10) - Priddy 4-4, BB, 2B; Groth 2-5, 2 RBI;
Sat April 29 - off day
Sun April 30 - @ CWS (1) - L 2-1 - Kolloway 2-4, 2 2B; Mullin 2-3, BB, 2B; Houtteman 8.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, L (1-1);
Sun April 30 - @ CWS (2) - W 5-4 - Priddy 3-5, HR, RBI;

Ranking at week's end: 2nd, 8-4, 1/2 GB
Power rankings: 3rd (-2)

Key plays

Fred Hutchinson was holding a 5-1 lead in the seventh inning on Monday when he loaded the bases with the 7-8-9 batters and nobody out. The Browns expertly ran themselves out of the inning on Solly Hemus' fly out to Fred Mullin in right, with Mullin throwing out Billy Johnson at home plate, then Don Lenhardt's base hit to center. On that play, both Eddie Pellagrini and Hank Arft scored, but Lenhardt got himself thrown out at third base, their misfortunes combinedly bailing out Hutchinson.

The Tigers trailed 6-3 in the eighth inning on Tuesday before George Kell, playing on a limp leg already, laced a bases-clearing triple to tie the score, just ahead of an hourlong rain delay that might otherwise have handed them a defeat if the game had been called. Kell didn't reemerge on the other end of the rain delay, having pulled a quad in addition to the knee woes. Somehow, the Tigers won anyway.

Sunday's double header ended in a split, with the Tigers barely featuring in the early afternoon game. The later game saw Hal Newhouser be given a 3-spot in the opening inning and holding the Sox to one hit and no runs through five before gradually crumbling away. The score narrowed to 5-4 in the final inning when Newhouser walked Cass Michaels and Phil Masi and we had two relievers warm up angrily by the foul line when pinch-hitter Joe Marty skipped the first pitch he got from Prince Hal back to the mound and Newhouser started a textbook 1-6-3 double play to elope with the victory.

Around the leagues

April 25 - PHA C Mike Guerra (.333, 2 HR, 6 RBI) takes care of the A's coming from behind for a 5-4 win over the Yankees with a pinch-hit walkoff grand slam against NYY RP Joe Page (0-1, 9.00 ERA).
April 27 - WAS SS Buddy Kerr (.344, 1 HR, 6 RBI) contributes four base hits, including a 3-run home run off Bob Hooper, and 4 RBI in the Senators
16-8 throbbing of the A's.
April 29 - PHA SP Bobby Shantz (1-0, 6.35 ERA) will miss the next four months of the season after bone chips are discovered in his elbow, while doctors will try to come up with a way to remove them without also removing the rest of the arm.
April 30 - The Yankees ride an 8-run seventh inning to run away from the Senators in a 15-7 thrashing, with NYC C Yogi Berra (.391, 3 HR, 10 RBI) chipping in four hits, two doubles, and three runs batted in.

Players of the Week

AL: CLE SS Ray Boone (.393, 3 HR, 13 RBI), batted .438 (14-32), 1 HR, 7 RBI
NL: PHI RF/LF Del Ennis (.368, 5 HR, 21 RBI), batted .423 (11-26), 3 HR, 13 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Vic Wertz missed the entire week with a herniated disc but should be back at some point next week. This could have gone better, but at least it's nothing very, very serious.

Speaking of serious, I am looking at Prince Hal with some concern, but I am sure it is just a little dead arm period. Most of our starting pitchers were on the squeamish side this week, and few of them managed to complete their games. Ted Gray for example was all over the place on Thursday against the Indians, piling up long counts, walks, and strikeouts before being pinch-hit for with a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Poor old man Dizzy Trout would give that one away, but the Tigers pulled through in extra innings, loading the bases on Jesse Flores before Johnny Bero hit for severely undercooked Joe Ginsberg and hit a 2-out single up the middle to walk off the Cats.

Fred Hutchinson was close to a complete-game win - no less than I was expecting from my pitchers! - on Friday, but served up a game-tying home run to Harry Simpson in the ninth inning. Early Wynn ended up outdueling the Tigers at that point, pitching 10 innings for the win after Tigers reliever Virgil Trucks got run over by trucks for four runs in the top of the 10th.

Oh well, so far we can't steal a base, at all, and power is also so far not exactly our strong suit, although I thought we would have the players for it.

We will watch this keenly as we board the train to the East Coast. We will play all of the Eastern teams on the upcoming 10-game road trip before coming home again against the Browns two weekends from now, after which all the East Coast teams will cycle through our cozy place. We will only have eight games against the other Western teams the entire month of May, and six of those against the Browns.

[Westheim]

Week 3 / 1950 - May 1-8, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon May 1 - off day
Tue May 2 - @ PHA - L 4-1
Wed May 3 - @ PHA - L 7-3 - Kolloway 2-2, BB, RBI;
Thu May 4 - @ PHA - W 6-4 - Groth 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Evers 2-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI;
Fri May 5 - @ WAS - W 4-2 - Kell 2-3, 2 BB, 2B; Evers 2-3, 2 BB, RBI;
Sat May 6 - @ WAS - L 6-2
Sun May 7 - @ NYY - W 10-8 - Kolloway 4-6, 2B; Bero 1-2, 2 BB, RBI; Lerchen (PH) 1-2, RBI;
Mon May 8 - @ NYY - L 4-1 - Kell 3-4; Wertz 2-4, RBI;

Ranking at week's end: t-3rd, 11-8, 3 GB
Power rankings: 3rd (-)

Key plays

Joe Ginsberg and spot starter Dizzy Trout found the bases loaded with nobody out in the fourth inning on Friday in Washington and instead of doing their usual thing (outs), our battery went to work against Washington relief pitcher Bobo Newsom (replacing an injured Sonny Dixon). Ginsberg flicked an RBI single to break a 1-1 tie, and Trout doubled down the rightfield line to drive home two more before we managed to run us out of a big inning in another way.

Sunday finally saw Vic Wertz get his first RBI of the season as he plated Don Kolloway with a single off Vic Raschi in New York. If we get Wertz to drive in runs, finally, everything will improve! The game was a mess overall, Raschi walking nine and getting drubbed for six, but Ted Gray didn't fare a whole lot better, conceding five runs himself, of which three were earned and two were on his own throwing error.

Also on Sunday we held Joe DiMaggio to 0-for-5 with two pops over the infield with men on base, two long F8's, and were probably luckier than we felt.

Monday afternoon in a 1-1 contest the Tigers had Kell and Evers in scoring position and nobody out and failed to score. Wertz grounded out, Eddie Lopat was told to issue an intentional walk to Johnny Groth, Don Kolloway grounded to short with Phil Rizzuto firing home for the crucial force out, and Bob Swift flew out gingerly. Johnny Mize led off the bottom of the inning with a double and came home on DiMaggio's sac fly.

Around the leagues

May 1 - CWS RF/CF Dave Philley (.179, 1 HR, 5 RBI) could be out for most of the season after rupturing finger tendons.
May 2 - BOB RF/CF/1B/C Daniel Holden (.257, 1 HR, 4 RBI) connects for five hits, including two triples and a double, and 3 RBI in the Braves' 9-5 win over the Pirates.
May 2 - Five home runs pace the Red Sox in their 15-4 mauling of the Indians. BOS 2B Bobby Doerr (.354, 2 HR, 11 RBI) has three base hits including a 3-run homer off Max Lanier, and drives in four.
May 4 - The Dodgers decide to end their 12-inning contest against the Cubs right there and then, exploding for ten runs and an eventual 12-4 victory in that top of the 12th. BRO CF Duke Snider (.375, 3 HR, 8 RBI) has two hits, two walks, and drives in five in the game.
May 5 - BOS SP Louis Shapiro (3-2, 3.98 ERA) racks up 16 strikeouts in a 5-4 win over the White Sox.
May 6 - The Giants storm out to a 10-0 lead by the second inning and figure that would be enough to hold off the Pirates, but Pittsburgh comes screaming back with a 14-run fourth inning and eventually win 15-11. PIT 1B Johnny Hopp (.377, 1 HR, 12 RBI) has two hits and 5 RBI in the game.
May 6 - BOB 3B/LF/RF Sid Gordon (.297, 1 HR, 8 RBI) is expected to miss two weeks with an intercostal strain.
May 7 - After the Reds fall behind the Phillies in the top of the 12th inning, 1B Ted Kluszewski (.341, 3 HR, 16 RBI) digs them out again with a walkoff grand slam for an 8-6 win against RP Jim Konstanty (0-1, 10.38 ERA).
May 8 - BRO SP Don Newcombe (2-3, 1.69 ERA) spins a 2-hit shutout, whiffing four, against the Pirates. The Dodgers claim a 7-0 victory.

Players of the Week

AL: BOS 2B Bobby Doerr (.391, 4 HR, 19 RBI) went .519 (14-27) with 3 HR, 12 RBI
NL: CIN OF/1B/3B Neb Wilson (.358, 6 HR, 15 RBI) went .519 (14-27) with 4 HR, 10 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Shibe Park was not very friendly to us. Ted Gray and Art Houtteman were both rocked for a 4-spot in the first innings of their respective games. Whether you die a slow and painful death (Gray) or give up a grand slam to Bob Dillinger (Houtteman), a 4-spot is a problem if your team does not homer, does not steal, and lacks a few key players. We won the last game of that set, but only because the A's made four errors like a second-rate travelling circus... which they probably are.

Hal Newhouser only made one start this week, Saturday in Washington. The Senators tore him apart for six runs (five earned) in 6.2 innings. The same game Connie Marrero carried a 2-hitter into the ninth before losing drive and giving up three hits and two runs.

In that ninth inning, George Kell managed to hurt himself again. Just as the knee was better, he suffered a mild intercostal strain. I don't even know what that is, but I will ask my friends Bob and George at Bob's Tavern when we're back in Detroit. Bob knows it all! In any case, Kell was back in the lineup on Monday, our last game in New York, but still sore all over.

Elsewhere, Johnny Lipon managed to ride a hitless streak to 0-for-23 before being detailed for bat polishing and shoe shining duties in the dugout.

Next week, three with the blazing Red Sox in Boston before we come home again for a long homestand against the Browns and then all the East Coast teams.

[Westheim]

Week 4 / 1950 - May 9-14, 1950

Results and Performances

Tue May 9 - @ BOS - L 6-3 ... Bero 2-3, BB, 2B;
Wed May 10 - @ BOS - L 6-4 ... Groth 1-2, 2 BB, HR, 2 RBI; Kolloway 2-3, BB, 2B; Trout 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K;
Thu May 11 - @ BOS - L 13-8 ... Evers 3-3, 2 BB, 3B; Groth 2-4, BB, 2 RBI;
Fri May 12 - off day
Sat May 13 - v SLA - L 7-6 ... Wertz 2-4, HR, 3 RBI;
Sun May 14 - v SLA - W 5-4 ... Evers 3-4, 3B, 2 2B; Mullin (PH) 1-1, HR, 4 RBI; Newhouser 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Ranking at week's end: 12-12, t-4th, 7 GB
Power rankings: 9th (-6)

Key plays

Bobby Doerr hit a grand slam after Paul Calvert had walked the bases full in the fifth inning on Thursday. Granted, the Red Sox had already been up by four, but that one sucked all purr out of the Tigers. Yes, they scored runs after that, but they were either unearned or off the league's punching bag, Bob Alexander with a 20+ ERA.

The Browns' Ted Beard appeared in only his fourth game of the season, but he broke Art Houtteman with a 3-run home run in the fourth inning after heretofore batting .100 with no RBI. The Browns built a 6-0 lead, then lost it all in the seventh inning. Joe Ginsberg, usually a sure out, was drilled by Sandy Ullrich to load the bases with nobody out, and the Tigers scampered themselves from run to run until Vic Wertz tied the score with a 3-run home run, his first longball of the season.

St. Louis' Cliff Fannin entered the Sunday game with a 6+ ERA and 3.5 walks for every strikeout. Through eight innings and with a 4-1 lead, he held himself to two walks and two strikeouts. After Hoot Evers opened the bottom 9th with a double, though, Fannin lost it and walked both Wertz and Kolloway. The winning run was at the plate with nobody out and the Browns scrambled for a doorstop here, sending right-hander Tom Ferrick, who had a 7.36 ERA and only twice as many free passes as ring-ups. Johnny Groth grounded at 3B Billy Johnson, who threw home for a force on Evers. Dick Kryhoski then appeared to pop out in foul ground, but George Byam dropped that ball for an error, giving Kryhoski another shot at a 2-2 pitch. Kryhoswki then grounded to Byam at first base, who threw home to end another runner at home plate. Pat Mullin hit for Bob Swift in the #8 hole, and the game ended on one more pitch, which Mullin dumped over the fence for a walkoff grand slam.

Around the leagues

May 10 - BRO OF Earl Rapp (.348, 3 HR, 5 RBI) hits his first three home runs of the season, all in the same game, amongst four total base hits in the Dodgers' 7-4 win over the Reds.
May 11 - Cleveland's SP Early Wynn (2-1, 4.36 ERA) enters the history books with a no-hitter againt the A's. Wynn walks four and strikes out three in a 6-0 victory.
May 11 - BRO SP Morrie Martin (3-0, 1.80 ERA) 1-hits the Reds in a 7-0 victory while issuing six walks. CIN OF/1B/3B Neb Wilson (.360, 6 HR, 16 RBI) only breaks up the no-hitter in the ninth inning with a leadoff single.
May 11 - The Senators come out on top in an endless see-saw battle with the White Sox, walking off after 12 innings of 17-16 baseball. CWS LF Gus Zernial (.299, 2 HR, 14 RBI) has five base hits and drives in three runs in the loss.
May 11 - SLA SP Al Widmar (0-2, 5.06 ERA) is done for the year with torn rotator cuff.
May 11 - The Braves will be without 1B Earl Torgeson (.218, 2 HR, 12 RBI) for a month. The 26-year-old is out with a hamstring strain.
May 13 - NYY SP Eddie Lopat (4-2, 2.34 ERA) gives the A's nothing but fits in a 10-0 shutout, holding them to two base hits.
May 14 - The Red Sox take apart the Senators in a double header, with a particularly gruesome 14-1 thrashing in the first game, in which Boston's Ted Williams (.347, 11 HR, 35 RBI) hits two home runs and drives in six.
May 14 - The Reds have a huge comeback against the Cardinals thanks to a 9-run eighth inning, claiming a 13-8 win. CIN 2B/SS Frank Drews (.227, 1 HR, 12 RBI) drives in five runs in the game.

Players of the Week

AL: BOS 2B Bobby Doerr (.416, 8 HR, 33 RBI) with .500 (13-26), 4 HR, 14 RBI
NL: BRO OF Earl Rapp (.414, 4 HR, 8 RBI) with .818 (9-11), 4 HR, 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The good news? Hoot Evers has a 14-game hitting streak and generally keeps trying. You should always keep trying.

And what else? Oh boy!

The offense is awful. The pitching is dreadful. The team scored two in the opening inning in Boston, then pretty much fell apart while Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr, and Ted Williams ran circles around them. The middle game was lost right in the opening inning with Hal Newhouser, who has been nothing but abominable the entire season, getting scorched for five runs, including 2-run shots by Walt Dropo and Vern Stephens, of all people. He was charged with six runs in just 1.1 innings in that game. The last game of that set saw Ted Gray concede three runs on a Dom DiMaggio triple, Johnny Pesky single, and Bobby Doerr dinger before he logged an out... The Sox finished him off in three innings, plating seven runs (six earned).

The Boston series was bad enough and we were flogged sufficiently harshly to fall even behind the Senators. The Senators!

Something had to be done about the rightly atrocious pitching. Norman Scott (7.45 ERA) was demoted to AAA Toledo outright, while Paul Calvert (6.75 ERA) was placed on waivers. The Tigers purchased Lacy James from the Central League's Flint Arrows (AA) and Edward Marchefsky from Toledo. James would make a few starts. At the time of his promotion, the best ERA among our regular starters was Fred Hutchinson's 4.46 mark. The rotation overall was at a 5.07 ERA, which was obviously uncompatible with competition.

However, nothing has gotten better since. Houtteman was banged up for six runs in six innings on Saturday. Lacy James put 14 men on base in 3.2 innings on Sunday.

Oh boy. The schedule also will not get any easier on the pitching. All the East Coast teams will shuffle through Detroit in the next two weeks, with the Red Sox and Senators in for three, and the A's and Yankees for two. We will actually be in St. Louis for a 4-game set in three days by the end of that second week from now before ending the month with two days off on the 29th and 31st around a Memorial Day double header at home against the Indians.

[Westheim]

Week 5 / 1950 - May 15-23, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon May 15 - off day
Tue May 16 - v BOS - rainout rescheduled for May 17
Wed May 17 - v BOS (1) - W 11-4 ... Wertz 2-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Bero (PH) 1-1, RBI; Hutchinson 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (3-2);
Wed May 17 - v BOS (2) - L 7-4 ... Wertz 2-3, 2 BB, 2B, RBI; Lipon 1-2, BB, RBI;
Thu May 18 - v BOS - L 8-2 ... Swift 1-2, BB, RBI;
Fri May 19 - v PHA - W 7-3 ... Kell 3-6; Evers 1-2, 3 BB; Wertz 3-4, BB, 3B, 2 RBI; Lerchen 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Swift 2-4, BB, 2 RBI;
Sat May 20 - v PHA - W 2-1 ... Priddy 2-5, RBI; Kryhoski 2-4, HR, RBI; Mullin (PH) 1-1; Trout 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K;
Sun May 21 - v WAS - W 5-0 ... Evers 2-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Groth 3-3, BB, 2B; Swift 2-4, 2B, RBI; Hutchinson 9.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (4-2) and 1-4, 2B;
Mon May 22 - v WAS - W 7-5 ... Evers 3-5, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI; Groth 1-2, 3 BB, HR, 2 RBI; Newhouser 9.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 0 K, W (3-4) and 1-2, BB, RBI;
Tue May 23 - v WAS - W 3-2 ... Gray 9.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (3-3);

Ranking at week's end: 4th, 18-14, 5 GB
Power rankings: 6th (+3)

Key plays

Boston's Joe Dobson no-hit the Tigers through 4.1 innings and two rain delays in the first game on a long Wednesday, but walked four batters after play resumed in the bottom of the 5th, followed by Hoot Evers' 2-run single through the left side that flipped the score in Detroit's favor, 3-2. Detroit scored four in the fifth and five in the seventh on the soft Red Sox pen to turn this one into a rousing comeback victory.

Friday against left-hander Mason Bowes the Tigers held perfectly still in the fourth inning, in which Bowes issued a hit and six walks, four of which came with two outs and the bases loaded. The inning only ended because at some point, Art Houtteman had to come to the plate and struck out. The four free runs turned a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead that would hold up for Houtteman.

The Tigers completed a 2-game sweep of the A's on Saturday with a ninth-frame rally from a 1-0 deficit they had been stuck in forever. Dick Kryhoski led off the inning with a home run off Kelly Swift, after which Bob Swift singled. Lipon popped out on a bunt, bringing up Pat Mullin batting for Lacy James. Mullin flew to right, where Wally Moses struggled to come in, never got there, and Mullin reached on the single. James Cronin ran for Swift at that point while the A's brought on Bob Hooper to salvage the game and send it to extra innings, but he immediately surrendered a walkoff single to Jerry Priddy.

The Tigers came back from mostly unearned early deficits - the defense made three errors to seemingly unhorse Hal early themselves - against the Senators on Monday by drawing five walks in the seventh inning against Jim Pearce and Sandy Consuegra, with automatic out Joe Ginsberg drawing a walk to tie the score, and Newhouser drawing another one for the go-ahead and ultimately winning run.

Around the leagues

May 16 - 20-year-old Braves rookie SP Ralph Albers (2-4, 3.38 ERA) 2-hits the Pirates in a 2-0 shutout, striking out six and walking four.
May 17 - PHA 3B Bob Dillinger (.282, 1 HR, 16 RBI) collects five hits, including two triples, in a 12-8 A's win at Cleveland. Dillinger drives in four runs with his 5-for-6 performance.
May 18 - PHI 1B/LF Dick Sisler (.312, 2 HR, 10 RBI) is expected to miss the rest of the season with a broken elbow.
May 19 - NYG SP Sheldon Jones (3-2, 3.44 ERA) 3-hits the Reds in a 6-0 shutout, tallying four strikeouts and no walks.
May 20 - The Cardinals expect LF/RF/1B Stan Musial (.340, 0 HR, 20 RBI) to miss the next two weeks with a concussion.

Players of the Week

AL: PHA 3B Bob Dillinger (.321, 1 HR, 17 RBI) went .515 (17-33), 0 HR, 5 RBI
NL: BRO 1B Gil Hodges (.298, 8 HR, 25 RBI) went .440 (11-25), 4 HR, 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

I must admit, the Red Sox' offense is admirable, even though I find it hard to applaud them stomping around on my pitchers' backs. On the other hand, they were shut out on five hits by White Sox sophomore Billy Pierce on Sunday. Maybe it's us, really... And as a neat fact, the Pierce shutout is one of three wins the Sox have on the month, compared to 18 defeats.

Yeah, well, those Red Sox. They do have a handful more games played than us, but when they entered town they had almost twice as many runs scored as the Tigers had, and they really didn't have twice as many games played... oh, those Red Sox.

The Senators, on the other hand, are welcome any time!

They will even be back next month; most of June will be another 4-city trip around the East Coast, playing three with every team there, then another homestand where every East Coast team plus the White Sox will cycle through.

George Kell did not play a whole lot in this sequence due to continuing quad and intercostal woes.

[Westheim]

Week 6 / 1950 - May 24-28, 1950

Results and Performances

Wed May 24 - v NYY ... W 9-0 ... Kell 2-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Evers 2-4, BB, HR, 5 RBI; Groth 4-4, 2B, RBI; Trout 6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 K, W (3-0);
Thu May 25 - v NYY ... W 7-6 (10) ... Kolloway 3-5, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Groth 2-5, 2 RBI; Kell (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; Barnacle 1-2, 2B, RBI; Houtteman 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K;
Fri May 26 - @ SLA ... L 8-2 ...
Sat May 27 - @ SLA ... W 5-3 ... Wertz 3-5, HR, 2 RBI; Gray 8.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (4-3);
Sun May 28 - @ SLA (1) ... L 3-0 ... Groth 0-0, 4 BB; Houtteman 8.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, L (2-4);
Sun May 28 - @ SLA (2) ... W 2-1 (11) ... Kell (PH) 0-0, BB, RBI; Evers 4-6, 2B, RBI; Ginsberg 3-5, 2B; Trout 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K; Marchefsky 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, W (1-0);

Ranking at week's end: 4th, 22-16, 5 1/2 GB
Power rankings: 5th (+1)

Key plays

Down by two and with the tying runs on the corners in Groth and Kell, the Tigers were to sent poorly-hitting Joe Ginsberg to the plate in the bottom 8th on Thursday. George Kell pinch-hit instead rather than continuing to rest his body that was sore all over, hit a convincing RBI double off Tom Morgan to leftfield, and then Bill Barnacle hit a sac fly to tie the score at six before the team would walk off on a Don Kolloway single in the 10th inning.

Ted Gray was crumbling in the ninth inning after a thoroughly fine outing against the Browns. By his 130th pitch, everything was either hung or missed badly. With the tying runs in scoring position, Hal White replaced him to secure a pop over home plate from Frank Saucier for the final out.

Les Moss hit a 2-run home run, collecting Eddie Pellegrini and his leadoff walk, in the bottom 3rd in the opening half of Sunday's twin bill. Moss would have half the Browns' hits in the game (2), while the Tigers knocked ten hits off Stubby Overmire and Tom Ferrick, but never managed to maneuvre a run across home plate. We stranded 11 runners on base; St. Louis stranded *one*. This didn't get better in the second game - in a 1-1 game in the ninth inning, the Tigers had three on, nobody out, and Johnny Bero and Dick Kryhoski hit into force outs at home before George Lerchen struck out. The Tigers out-hit the Browns 11-5 in an extra-inning win, but left 12 on base this time.

Around the leagues

May 24 - BOS SP Louis Shapiro (5-3, 3.19 ERA) 1-hits the Browns and strikes out 15 batters in a 4-0 shutout. Only a single by OF/1B Grant Dunlap (.286, 0 HR, 2 RBI) stands in the way of a no-hitter.
May 28 - STL SP Harry Brecheen (7-1, 2.65 ERA) kept the Reds away consistently, allowing only three base hits while pitching a 3-0 shutout.

Players of the Week

AL: DET LF/CF Hoot Evers (.362, 5 HR, 31 RBI) with .441 (15-34), 2 HR, 9 RBI
NL: BRO 1B Gil Hodges (.325, 12 HR, 36 RBI) with .444 (12-27), 4 HR, 11 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Hoot's a hoot! We sure could use more runners on base in front of him, and more power behind him...

I remain completely confused by our utter lack of home runs. Hoot Evers has five. Johnny Bero somehow has three. Vic Wertz has three. Vic is excused for not having 12 by virtue of having missed two weeks on the DL, but he is not excused for having *three*. He hit 20 last year in his age 24 season, and he was a sure power breakout this year, or so I thought.

The extended East Coast teams homestand was much more successful than our roundtrip earlier in the month. Back then, we won not a single series; this time we swept the A's, Senators, and Yanks in order. The only two games given away to Eastern teams on the homestand were to the Red Sox.

Hal Newhouser's resurgence was but brief, getting shackled for five runs (three earned) in seven innings in St. Louis on Friday. The Browns had the leadoff man aboard five times against him; he didn't retire Sherm Lollar once. It was wholly unpretty.

Worse was only the relief attempt by Lacy Jones, who got branded for the three remaining runs before he got anybody out. With an 8.31 ERA, he was then sent back to where he came from, replaced by Saul Rogovin, who had appeared in five games for the '49 Tigers, to great success (14.29 ERA).

Next up, Memorial Day double header against the Indians, then it's off the East again. The trip will start with visiting Uncle Connie again.

[Westheim]

Week 7 / 1950 - May 29-June 6, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon May 29 - off day
Tue May 30 - v CLE (1) ... L 4-1 ...
Tue May 30 - v CLE (2) ... W 6-4 ... Groth 3-5, 2B; Evers 3-5, HR, 4 RBI; Barnacle 2-4, BB, HR, RBI; Ginsberg 2-3, BB;
Wed May 31 - off day
Thu Jun 1 - @ PHA ... L 7-3 ... Evers 3-4, 2 2B, RBI; Wertz 1-2, 2 BB, HR, 2 RBI;
Fri Jun 2 - @ PHA ... W 17-1 ... Kell 3-5, 2 RBI; Wertz 4-5, HR, 2B, 5 RBI; Robinson 4-5, BB, 2B, RBI; Lipon 4-6, 2B, 4 RBI; Trout 9.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (4-0) and 1-5;
Sat Jun 3 - @ PHA ... W 13-7 ... Kell 4-5, BB, RBI; Evers 2-5, BB, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Wertz 4-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Robinson 2-4, BB, RBI;
Sun Jun 4 - @ WAS ... L 6-3 ... Groth 3-4, HR, RBI; Robinson 2-3, BB, HR, RBI;
Mon Jun 5 - @ WAS ... L 5-2 ... Kell 2-3, 2 BB; Robinson 2-3, 2B, RBI; Gray 7.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, L (4-5) and 1-3;
Tue Jun 6 - @ WAS ... W 5-3 ... Ginsberg 3-3, BB, RBI; Trout 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, W (5-0) and 1-2, RBI; White 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K;

Ranking at week's end: 4th, 26-20, 9 GB
Power rankings: 6th (-1)

Key plays

Friday's middle game in Philly saw the Tigers make hay early on. Johnny Lipon hit a bases-clearing double in a 4-run second inning, and the Tigers had another 4-run frame in the fourth after having nobody on base with two outs. Lipon singled, Dizzy Trout hit an infield single, the A's made a pair of errors, Alex Kellner walked Hoot Evers with the sacks full, and Wertz singled up the middle to drive in two more. This was not even their last 4-spot, as they put up another one in the seventh, that one containing a 3-run homer by Wertz off Johnny Kucab.

Monday in the capital, Ted Gray struck out ten, including five in a row at some point, maintaining a 2-0 lead and 2-hit shutout through seven. In the bottom 8th, Buddy Kerr and Al Evans hit singles, and Gil Coan plated the Senators' first run with a groundout. Johnny Bero could have ended the inning by handling Clyde Vollmer's grounder for any sort of out, but dropped the ball. Gray walked Eddie Robinson to stuff the bases full, then threw a hanger to Eddie Yost to empty them on an unearned grand slam.

Around the leagues

May 29 - The Cardinals will be without SP Howie Pollet (4-3, 3.31 ERA) for the next month; the 28-year-old is fighting with shoulder tendinitis.
May 30 - CLE SP Bob Feller (6-1, 3.41 ERA) is expected to be out for three months after suffering injuries, including a strained hamstring, after falling off his tractor.
May 30 - The Red Sox' SP Ellis Kinder (6-2, 3.83 ERA) spins a 3-hitter against the Yankees in a 9-0 rout for the Bostonians.
May 30 - STL SP Gerry Staley (6-2, 3.68 ERA) tosses a 3-hit shutout against the Pirates, with the Cardinals prevailing 1-0.
May 31 - PIT SP Joe Muir (4-1, 3.96 ERA) will spend the rest of the season rehabbing a torn labrum.
June 1 - CIN C Walker Cooper (.338, 3 HR, 24 RBI) not only drives in seven runs in the Reds' 10-6 win over the Giants, but also ends the game in style in the 11th inning with a 2-out grand slam off NYG MR Jack Kramer (0-2, 8.31 ERA).
June 5 - BRO SP Willie Ramsdell (7-3, 3.24 ERA) 3-hits the Cubs in a 5-0 shutout.
June 6 - BRO RF Carl Furillo (.275, 6 HR, 35 RBI) doles out four base hits, including a home run, and 5 RBI in the Dodgers' 17-2 thrashing of the Cubs.

Players of the Week

AL: BOS Johnny Pesky (.330, 0 HR, 22 RBI) went .519 (14-27), 0 HR, 7 RBI
NL: BOB Sid Gordon (.305, 5 HR, 20 RBI) went .393 (11-28), 4 HR, 10 RBI

Players of the Month

AL POTM: CLE Mike Garcia (6-1, 1.85 ERA) went 5-0, 1.51 ERA
AL HOTM: BOS Bobby Doerr (.354, 11 HR, 43 RBI) went .365, 10 HR, 36 RBI
AL ROTM: WAS Irv Noren (.280, 6 HR, 31 RBI) went .296, 5 HR, 22 RBI
NL POTM: STL Harry Brecheen (7-1, 2.65 ERA) went 6-0, 1.36 ERA
NL HOTM: BRO Gil Hodges (.316, 12 HR, 36 RBI) went .327, 10 HR, 30 RBI
NL ROTM: BRO Morrie Martin (6-0, 2.34 ERA) went 6-0, 2.34 ERA

Complaints and stuff

Memorial Day was a mixed bag; Fred Hutchinson pitched a complete-game 14-hitter for the win after once more Hal Newhouser had been whipped by the opposition, lasting only six innings in the opener.

Vic Wertz homered in each game in the A's series, including a pair of moonshots off John Davis on Saturday, so maybe I just need to nag my players more to get them to perform? The Tigers flogged Davis for eight runs (six earned) in the first two innings in that game, which was a Newhouser start, and guess what - Hal still didn't win! He left the game in the second inning with a shoulder strain and we will see whether two weeks' rest will heal him up or whether I have to contact the butcher that always takes care of Uncle Jim's horses when they are no longer any good.

Art Houtteman got the W in relief on Saturday, picking up the majority of the outs to collect. Nevermind that he shed five runs in four innings...

Not only Wertz went deep this week; the team as a whole seemed to have found the power stroke, going deep 13 times in the last eight games after hitting only 20 home runs in their first 38 games. Too bad the pitching still can not keep up, and unfortunately we will now also blunder into the slaughterhouses of New York and Boston. Could be hard week coming up!

We'll actually play the Sox on both of the next two weekends, because the East Coast teams will come out west immediately once we're going back home. The A's will come to Detroit first starting on the 13th. We won't play a game with a team on our side of the Pennsylvania-Ohio state line until the 26th when we will play the White Sox for the first time since April 30.

[Westheim]

Week 8 / 1950 - June 7-11, 1950

Results and Performances

Wed Jun 7 - @ NYY ... L 6-5 ... Kell 3-4, BB, 2 RBI; Evers 2-4, 2B, RBI; Swift (PH) 1-1, RBI;
Thu Jun 8 - @ NYY ... L 2-0 ... Hutchinson 8.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, L (5-4);
Fri Jun 9 - @ NYY ... L 13-0 ...
Sat Jun 10 - @ BOS ... L 14-2 (6) ...
Sun Jun 11 - @ BOS (1) ... W 7-6 ... Groth 2-4, BB, RBI; Lipon 2-4, 3B, RBI; Ginsberg 2-4, 2B, 4 RBI;
Sun Jun 11 - @ BOS (2) ... L 4-3 ... Hutchinson 8.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 0 K, L (5-5);

Ranking at week's end: 4th, 27-25, 12 GB
Power rankings: 8th (-2)

Key plays

Art Houtteman had tripled and scored the only run in a 1-0 game in the Bronx on Wednesday and was nursing a 1-hitter until the Yanks exploded in his face in the fifth inning, rolling out seven base hits, including Jerry Coleman and Phil Rizzuto coming up with triples and a Johnny Mize homer, to completely destroy him in a 5-run frame. The Tigers would be stuck in a 6-1 hole into the ninth inning when Yankees starter Tommy Byrne got irretrievably stuck. The Tigers piled up five hits and a walk, scoring four on him and Joe Page and had Vic Wertz at the plate with the tying and go-ahead runners on the corners and two outs when Coleman got hold of Wertz' quick grounder and ended the game with a timely throw to first base.

Thursday in the Bronx Tempel of Evil, George Kell hit a leadoff single in the sixth, which remained the only base hit off Steve Kraly until Hoot Evers hit a double to open the ninth inning. Hoot would not stop at second base though, was thrown out by Joe DiMaggio at third, and Kraly would conclude his 2-hit shutout without further interruption.

That series concluded on Friday with Ted Gray lasting two innings and seven runs (six earned), including a Phil Rizzuto homer on the first pitch thrown by Gray in that miserable game. Rizzuto would have a 4-hit day, and not any sort of 4-hit day; he collected a single and a double against Virgil Trucks, who failed himself through four innings, then caught Ed Marchefsky throwing batting practice just long enough to get taken well deep by Rizzuto in the seventh inning. That completed the CYCLE for the Yankees shortstop.

In the same game, Joe DiMaggio reached 2,000 career hits.

The final game of the week saw Fred Hutchinson crawl into the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead that was constantly on the verge of being turned into another box score best crumpled up and thrown into the fireplace. His middle infielders were so kind to undo him, with Taffy Wright reaching base on a throwing error by Jerry Priddy, and ultimately scoring on a 2-out throwing error by Johnny Lipon. A crushed Hutchinson was removed for Hal White, who surrendered a leadoff single to Ted Williams.

Around the leagues

June 11 - Not only do the Pirates get routed, 12-0, by the Phillies, they also amount to only three base hits in PHI SP Robin Roberts' (8-5, 2.04 ERA) shutout.

Players of the Week

AL: NYY 3B Bob Elliott (.340, 13 HR, 39 RBI) with .517 (15-29), 1 HR, 6 RBI
NL: NYG CF/3B Bobby Thomson (.270, 9 HR, 25 RBI) with .484 (15-31), 5 HR, 7 RBI

Complaints and stuff

I figured this would be a rough week. However... uhm, I think I need a smoke and a beer before I can say anything much.

And nope, that was not the mercy rule on Saturday. That was mercy rain.

I have tried to work a trade for some mild pitching help to prevent things from going completely unhinge, but let's put it mildly and just say that other teams are not very convinced by my players and refuse to me ensnarled by my offers.

[Westheim]

Week 9 / 1950 - June 12-18, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Jun 12 - off day
Tue Jun 13 - v PHA ... rained out, rescheduled for June 14
Wed Jun 14 - v PHA (1) ... W 6-5 ... White 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, SV (5);
Wed Jun 14 - v PHA (2) ... W 7-1 ... Kell 3-5, 2B, RBI; Groth 3-5, HR, RBI; Ginsberg 1-2, 2 BB, HR, 3 RBI; Trout 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W (6-1); Rogovin 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K;
Thu Jun 15 - v PHA ... W 5-0 ... Trucks 9.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, W (2-2);
Fri Jun 16 - v BOS ... L 10-4 ... Ginsberg 2-4, HR, 2 RBI;
Sat Jun 17 - v BOS ... W 6-2 ... Robinson 1-2, 2 BB, RBI; Hutchinson 8.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, W (6-5) and 1-2, 2 RBI;
Sun Jun 18 - v BOS ... W 5-1 ... Groth 3-4, RBI; Swift 0-1, 2 BB; Lipon 2-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Mullin (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; Gray 8.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, W (6-6);

Ranking at week's end: 4th place, 32-26, 9 GB
Power rankings: 6th (+2)

Key plays

Kelly Swift shut out the Tigers through six innings in the first half of Wednesday's double header, holding a 5-0 lead on Ted Gray. Rain set in by the seventh inning, and with that Swift lost all command. He walked four and allowed as many hits while gradually being soaked by both water and runs. The Tigers pushed six across, culminating in Johnny Groth's score-flipping 2-out, 2-run single, to eek out a win.

Fred Hatfield, himself an injury replacement for Bobby Doerr, mishandled a critical grounder by Johnny Bero in the bottom of the fifth inning on Saturday to deny the Red Sox an inning-ending double play. Instead a run scores on the error, and Joe Dobson's unraveling continues at accelerated pace, with the Tigers eventually scoring five runs in the inning, three of them after the error.

Around the leagues

June 13 - Six Yankees have multi-hit days as they eviscerate the White Sox in a 19-0 shelling with a 7-run third and 6-run fourth inning only marking the start of the rout. 3B Bob Elliott (.343, 14 HR, 43 RBI) has two hits, three walks, and drives in four runs.
June 15 - A torn anterior cruciate ligament will put WAS 2B/RF Sherry Robertson (.230, 3 HR, 20 RBI) out for the rest of the season.
June 15 - PHI C Andy Seminick (.337, 10 HR, 32 RBI) is expected to miss six weeks with a knee sprain.
June 16 - PHI SP Robin Roberts (9-5, 1.89 ERA) 3-hits the Phillies in a 5-0 shutout.
June 16 - CWS SP Bob Kuzava (4-7, 3.20 ERA) also holds the Senators to three hits in his shutout, a 4-0 win for the beleaguered White Sox.
June 18 - A broken shoulder blade will put CHC LF Hank Sauer (.216, 7 HR, 26 RBI) out of action for at least a month.

Players of the Week

AL: NYY 3B Bob Elliott (.365, 16 HR, 48 RBI) with .515 (17-33), 3 HR, 9 RBI
NL: PIT LF/1B Ralph Kiner (.298, 15 HR, 61 RBI) with .481 (13-27), 3 HR, 11 RBI

Complaints and stuff

We actually got decent to good pitching four times in six games this week. Houtteman got licked (as usual), and Ted Gray was also whooped by the A's to begin the week, but Gray vied for a second shutout to that of Virgil Trucks (of all people!) on Sunday and almost got it, until his middle infielders kicked him in the bum from behind. Priddy and Bero both made an error in the ninth inning, leading Gray to run out of juice and concede an unearned run with two outs. Trucks replaced him after a 4-pitch walk to Bobby Doerr, getting Ted Williams to line out to Hoot in left.

Hal Newhouser will rejoin the rotation and pitch next week's opener, a Tuesday game against the Senators. The Yankees will come in on the weekend, and the White Sox for four after that to conclude this long 16-game homestand. In fact, once the Yanks are outta here, we will play 15 straight games against our geographical half of the league.

[Westheim]

Week 10 / 1950 - June 19-25, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Jun 19 - off day
Tue Jun 20 - v WAS ... W 5-4 ... Wertz 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Rogovin 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K, SV (1);
Wed Jun 21 - v WAS ... W 10-9 (11) ... Kell 4-5, 2 BB, 2 2B; Evers 3-6, BB, 3B, 3 RBI; Lipon 2-4, BB, 2 RBI; Priddy 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI;
Thu Jun 22 - v WAS ... W 7-3 ... Wertz 2-3, 2 BB, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Robinson 1-2, 2 BB, RBI; Hutchinson 9.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W (7-5) and 1-4;
Fri Jun 23 - v NYY ... L 8-5 ... Kell 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Groth 2-3, 2 BB, 2B, RBI; Lerchen 2-5, 2B, RBI;
Sat Jun 24 - v NYY ... W 8-1 ... Kell 3-5, 2B, RBI; Evers 3-5, 2B; Wertz 4-5; Gray 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (7-6) and 2-4, 2 RBI;
Sun Jun 25 - v NYY ... L 1-0 ... Newhouser 8.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, L (4-7);

Ranking at week's end: 4th place, 36-28, 8 1/2 GB
Power rankings: 6th (0)

Key plays

Sam Mele misjudged line drives by both Jerry Priddy in the ninth and Hoot Evers in the tenth inning on Wednesday. Both fell for triples that tied and ultimately extended the game, Priddy's for one RBI and Evers' for two. Hoot wound up in a crucial spot again in the 11th inning, facing Dick Weik with the bases loaded and two outs in a 9-9 game and squeezed out ball four in a full count to give victory to the Tigers. In that game we also used the mind-boggling number of six pitchers and 20 players overall, including three starters, including multiple double switches to manufacture any sort of length from the staff, and it never really worked. Trout, Scott, White, Gray, Trucks, and Houtteman (who got the W) were all involved in this one. Bero and Barnacle were the only position players not getting into the game at some point or other.

Sunday was mainly Allie Reynolds getting up at the perfect time, having a wonderful cereal, and finding his uniform to fit perfectly. He had a 1-hitter through seven, and while the Tigers loaded the bases in the eighth, Joe Ginsberg's 2-out drive to deep right was caught by Hank Bauer, who got back there really quick. Reynolds finished the game with a 4-hit shutout.

Around the leagues

June 20 - The Cubs are wrapped up in a 3-hit shutout by BOB SP Vern Bickford (8-5, 3.28 ERA), who claims victory for the Braves, 5-0.
June 20 - The White Sox prevail in a 19-inning marathon against the Red Sox, winning 5-2 on a walkoff home run by LF/RF Pat Seerey (.228, 10 HR, 22 RBI). BOS SP Mel Parnell (6-0, 2.54 ERA) lasted 11.2 innings, allowing one run.
June 21 - WAS SP Sid Hudson (3-7, 4.69 ERA) is done for the season with a partial tear in his labrum.
June 21 - One day after he was the toast of the town, CWS LF/RF Pat Seerey (.223, 10 HR, 23 RBI) goes onto the sidelines until August with a knee injury.
June 23 - Cleveland's SP Max Lanier (7-4, 3.99 ERA) unfurls a 2-hit shutout against the Senators in a 3-0 Indians win.
June 23 - PHI SP Curt Simmons (7-2, 2.80 ERA) spins a marvelous 3-hit shutout as the Phillies squeeze through the Cubs, 1-0.
June 24 - PIT 1B Johnny Hopp (.300, 6 HR, 44 RBI) shows off his bat in the Pirates' 12-1 rout of the Dodgers. The 33-year-old Hopp collects five hits, including three home runs, and a total of 7 RBI.
June 24 - The Giants celebrate a 6-5 walkoff win when CIN RP Eddie Erautt (3-4, 2.79 ERA) hits 2B Eddie Stanky (.266, 2 HR, 25 RBI) with an 0-2 pitch and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

Players of the Week

AL: CLE 1B/3B Al Rosen (.316, 12 HR, 57 RBI) went .571 (12-21), 4 HR, 11 RBI
NL: NYG 2B Eddie Stanky (.267, 3 HR, 26 RBI) went .429 (12-28), 2 HR, 6 RBI

Complaints and stuff

As Hal continues to get whipped like a behooved employee of the Pony Express, I continue to fail to add pitching. It seems like the only way to trade our way out of horrendous starting pitching is to trade ourselves into horrendous batting. I could probably get any starter I want, but only for either Vic or Hoot. Or both.

Meanwhile Hal even won his first game back from shoulder woes on Tuesday. Granted, he went only five innings for ten hits and four runs, struck out nobody, and was generally ripe for another 7- or 8-run beating, somehow the Tigers scored the go-ahead run in the bottom 5th on Johnny Bero's groundout while Newhouser already got the news that his manager couldn't bear watching him for another inning. Saul Rogovin took over and completed the game with four innings of 1-hit ball - none too bad!

10 hits and four runs was not even the worst our consistently beleaguered pitching staff would surrender even to the lowly Senators. Dizzy Trout was clobbered for 11 hits and five runs in five innings on Wednesday and generally couldn't fool anybody. The meanest thing he did to the Senators was hitting Eddie Robinson in the thumb, and then he couldn't even catch a break there...!

Parallel events on Thursday and Friday; in both games, Hutchinson and Houtteman were relatively untouched through the first three innings and held a 3-0 lead going into the fourth. Both surrendered a 3-piece to tie the score in the top 4th. There is one thing however to surrender a 3-run home run to an established elite player like Eddie Yost (as Hutch did), and entirely another to surrender a hard-fought lead like that to a total rookie scrub that will probably never amount to much of anything. What was that Yank's name again? Mickey Mantle? No idea who that is supposed to be. I barely know Mickey Mouse.

This week, Don Kolloway ended up on the DL with an oblique strain, but he should be back after the All Star Game for sure, maybe even just before that. We called up 1B/LF Sam Vico from Toledo to fill the gap.

And next week we'll play eight games; four at home with the White Sox, then four in Cleveland including a Sunday double header.

[Westheim]

Week 11 / 1950 - June 26-July 2, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Jun 26 - v CWS ... W 8-4 ... Wertz 2-4, BB, 2 RBI; Ginsberg (PH) 1-1, 2 RBI; Mullin (PH) 1-1, RBI; Lerchen 1-1, BB, RBI; Trout 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K;
Tue Jun 27 - v CWS ... W 2-1 (12) ... Vico 4-5, RBI; Hutchinson 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K;
Wed Jun 28 - v CWS ... W 5-3 ... Evers 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; Mavis 2-3, 2B; Houtteman 8.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (6-7);
Thu Jun 29 - v CWS ... L 4-1 ...
Fri Jun 30 - @ CLE ... W 4-2 ... Robinson 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Newhouser 9.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, W (5-7);
Sat Jul 1 - @ CLE ... L 9-7 ... Kell 2-4, BB, 3B; Groth 3-4, BB, 2 RBI; Wertz 2-4, BB, 2 HR, 3 RBI;
Sun Jul 2 - @ CLE (1) ... L 7-6 ... Wertz 2-4, BB, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Mullin 2-5, 2B, RBI; Kryhoski 2-3, BB, 2B; Lerchen 1-2, 2 BB, RBI;
Sun Jul 2 - @ CLE (2) ... L 5-1 ... Wertz 3-4; Lipon 3-3, BB, 2B; Houtteman 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, L (6-8);

Ranking at week's end: t-3rd, 40-32, 11 GB
Power rankings: 6th (0)

Key plays

Dizzy Trout threw a 2-hitter through seven, but clearly ran out of steam in the seventh, where he hit two batters, but still held on to a 1-0 lead. The Tigers brought on Saul Rogovin for the eighth, who mostly didn't retire anybody and got battered around for four hits, a walk, and a drilled batter, conceding four runs. Fate swung back the other way in the bottom 8th, where the bottom of the order loaded the bases with nobody out before Luis Aloma walked Priddy, Evers, and Wertz in order to re-tie the score at four. A pinch-hit single by Joe Ginsberg gave Detroit the lead back, and Ken Holcombe provided little relief over Aloma after coming on mid-inning. The Tigers scored seven in the bottom 8th and even managed to hold on in the ninth...

Virgil Trucks picked up the win in relief on Tuesday after initially walking the bases loaded in the 11th inning. With one out, Ed White flew out to Hoot Evers, who threw out Bill Wilson at home plate to end the inning. Vico, batting eighth, would provide the walkoff single with the bases loaded an inning and a half later.

Ted Gray lasted only 1.1 innings on Thursday before being forced to the bench by a hamstring issue. He took the loss after allowing a single run in the first, with the remainder of the White Sox' loot on Rogovin, who did get the Tigers through 5.2 innings, though, sparing us from having to use a different starting pitcher.

Newhouser had held the Indians at bay all game long, but they got the tying runs into scoring position in the bottom 9th on Friday on a soft single by Luke Easter and a ringing double by Bob Kennedy, with nobody out in the inning. Joe Gordon, who had homered off Newhouser earlier in the game, hit a sharp bouncer to third base, but George Kell was on top of it, scared back Easter, and threw out Gordon at first base for a crucial first out before Newhouser escaped with a K to Dick Greco and Harry Simpson's soft fly to Hoot Evers.

Sunday's opener saw the power of Vic Wertz (two homers for the second straight games, and off Bob Lemon!) give the Tigers a 4-1 lead through the top of the eighth, upon which both Fred Hutchinson and the entire defense collapsed in the bottom 8th. Several base hits, a throwing error by Lipon, a balk, a passed ball, and the Indians pushed four across. The Tigers took the lead back, 6-5, in the top of the ninth against Sam Zoldak, only to have Hal White fall apart with a walk and back-to-back 2-out doubles hit by Al Rosen and Luke Easter to walk off the Indians after all. The second game saw the Indians' Max Lanier face one batter, walking Groth, then leaving with an injury. Although they had to piece the game together with their relievers, the Indians remained almost water-tight and weren't touched by anybody except a red-hot Wertz and not-hot-at-all Lipon.

Around the leagues

June 28 - The Red Sox' Dom DiMaggio (.333, 0 HR, 21 RBI) chips five hits, including a triple and two doubles, and drives in two, but the Sox have to bow to the A's in a back-and-forth 12-11 loss.
June 28 - A throwing error by PHI C Sam Lopata (.210, 0 HR, 8 RBI) on BOB 2B Connie Ryan's (.266, 6 HR, 24 RBI) attempt to take second base in the bottom 11th ends the game in a 2-1 Braves walkoff, as the ball getting away into centerfield allows Boston's Sam Jethroe to score from third base with the winning run.
June 29 - BOS SP Louis Shapiro (12-4, 2.90 ERA) hits two home runs for 5 RBI and strikes out eight in a 13-2 rout of the Athletics. Boston also puts up a 7-run seventh in demolishing the A's.
July 2 - The Cubs' SP Bob Rush (9-5, 3.83 ERA) shines with a 3-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over the Reds.

Players of the Week

AL: CLE 1B Luke Easter (.303, 17 HR, 69 RBI) with .567 (17-30), 4 HR, 14 RBI
NL: BOB 1B Earl Torgeson (.266, 3 HR, 17 RBI) with .520 (13-25), 1 HR, 5 RBI

Players of the Month

AL POTM: BOS SP Louis Shapiro (12-4, 2.90 ERA) went 6-1, 2.95 ERA
AL HOTM: NYY 3B Bob Elliott (.353, 16 HR, 51 RBI) went .420, 5 HR, 23 RBI
AL ROTM: WAS CF Irv Noren (.290, 7 HR, 44 RBI) went .305, 1 HR, 13 RBI
NL POTM: BRO SP Don Newcombe (9-4, 2.49 ERA) went 5-1, 2.33 ERA
NL HOTM: BRO CF Duke Snider (.361, 13 HR, 42 RBI) went .395, 5 HR, 19 RBI
NL ROTM: PIT INF Danny O'Connell (.301, 5 HR, 32 RBI) went .361, 2 HR, 19 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Just as the Tigers stumbled into Cleveland, the Indians had strung together a 10-game winning streak that had also seen them take over the top spot in the American League. In comes Hal Newhouser and throws sort of a gem to beat them 4-2 in the opener!

Ted Gray's hamstring that removed him from his start early against the White Sox is not all that bad; he will in fact start the game on Monday in Chicago!

Still no trade opportunity that isn't akin to robbery. I am not supporting robbery.

[edtheguy]

Originally Posted by Westheim

HEY, YOU!! Come over here! … What’s your name? – Vic Wertz?? – Never heard of you. Throw some batting practice here, will ya!

So.... how'd he look? Can he start?

This is a great read and a nice compliment to the odyssey that is... you know... about that 'other' team... as always keep up the great work and we'll keep reading!

[Westheim]

Week 12 / 1950 - July 3-9, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Jul 3 - @ CWS ... W 2-1 ... Evers 2-4, 3B; Gray 8.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, W (8-7);
Tue Jul 4 - @ CWS (1) ... W 5-4 ... Kell 3-5; Ginsberg 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Newhouser 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K; Rogovin 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, W (1-0);
Tue Jul 4 - @ CWS (2) ... L 3-0 ... Trout 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, L (6-2);
Wed Jul 5 - v SLA ... W 12-11 (11) ... Groth 3-6, RBI; Evers 3-6; Wertz 4-4, 2 BB, 2 HR, 2 RBI; Priddy 1-2, HR, 4 RBI; Lipon 3-6, 2B, 2 RBI;
Thu Jul 6 - off day
Fri Jul 7 - v CLE ... L 12-6 ... Kell 3-5, 2B; Groth 2-3, 2 BB; Lipon 2-5, 3B, 2B, RBI;
Sat Jul 8 - v CLE ... W 6-4 ... Swift 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Lipon 4-4, RBI;
Sun Jul 9 - v CLE ... L 6-3 ... Kell 3-4, BB, HR, 3B, RBI; Wertz 2-5, 2B, RBI;

Ranking at week's end: 3rd place, 44-35, 11 1/2 GB
Power rankings: 6th (0)

Key plays

The Tigers trailed 4-1 in the ninth inning of the first game of the Independence Day double header when Luis Aloma shuffled the bases full, plated George Kell with a 2-out wild pitch, then walked PH Aaron Robinson to re-fill the bags. Joe Ginsberg zinged a liner down the line into the leftfield corner to collect all three runners with a double, blowing up the White Sox' lead and putting Detroit 5-4 ahead.

Wednesday saw the Tigers ahead 4-0 early with Trucks on the mound, who then gradually surrendered the lead. 4-2, then 5-3, then 6-5 with Saul Rogovin getting him out of the eighth. Problems only started there, though, with Rogovin and White exploding for six runs in the top of the ninth, putting the Browns up 11-7. Jerry Priddy hadn't started the game, but had come on in a double switch into the #5 slot. When Tom Ferrick allowed a single to Groth in the bottom 9th, then walked Evers and Wertz, Jerry Priddy cranked a fastball over the fence for a game-tying grand slam. That game eventually ended when Dick Kryhoski drew a walk from Fritz Dorish with the bags already full in the 11th.

Around the leagues

July 4 - An abdominal strain will rip BOS 2B Bobby Doerr (.331, 21 HR, 81 RBI) out of the Red Sox' sterling lineup for the next six weeks.
July 4 - STL SP Harvey Haddix (7-6, 3.06 ERA) shines with a 3-hit shutout against the Cubs. The Cardinals win 7-0.
July 4 - The Phillies sweep their double header from the Braves, utilizing a wild pitch by BOB RP Edward Krage (0-1, 27.00 ERA) to walk off in the 13th inning of the second game, 6-5.
July 5 - The Yankees aquire SP Dave Koslo (5-7, 3.28 ERA) from the Giants for 3B Bobby Brown (.300, 0 HR, 0 RBI).
July 6 - CWS SP Bob Cain (4-10, 7.19 ERA) comes through against the league-leading Indians, throwing a 2-hit shutout in a 6-0 Sox victory.
July 7 - Batting eighth, PIT 3B/SS Pete Castiglione (.266, 2 HR, 11 RBI) is the biggest force in the Pirates' 15-0 rout of the Cardinals, knocking out four base hits and driving in as many runners.
July 8 - Ongoing 21-year-old sensation PHI SP Curt Simmons (11-2, 2.32 ERA) 2-hits the Dodgers in a 7-0 Phillies win, whiffing four.

Players of the Week

AL: CWS 3B Hank Majeski (.309, 8 HR, 46 RBI) went .417 (15-36), 2 HR, 6 RBI
NL: CHC CF/LF Andy Pafko (.307, 18 HR, 50 RBI) went .464 (13-28), 4 HR, 7 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The All Star rosters have been announced, and there are two surprises. First, our entire starting outfield made the showcase. I thought Hoot and Wertz were pretty sure to get there, but wasn't certain on Groth. They all made it. The stunner is that George Kell was snubbed for Bob Elliott (batting .357) on the Yanks and Al Rosen (batting a measly .321!) on the Indians. However, Dizzy Trout made the All Star Game for reasons beyond me. Somebody must have taken an arrow to the head there...

We made a trade on Saturday, as we exchanged marginal pitchers with the Dodgers. Brooklyn received Saul Rogovin, while we picked up right-hander Nick Andromidas (1-1, 2.87 ERA, 1 SV). His arsenal is more varied than Rogovin's and he also has pretty good command and control. He also went 12-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 16 starts in AAA this season.

Bob Lemon improved to 12-1 on Friday. The only team to beat him this year? Why, Detroit! That was Opening Day. He hasn't been scratched since, but sure was off his game on Friday, walking six and trailing 4-1 through six. That, though, was before Hutch became completely unhinged in the seventh, was shredded for six runs, and then Hal White coughed up five more in the eighth, including an Al Rosen grand slam. The slam was wholly unearned after Jerry Priddy dropped a supposed to be inning-ending feed from Lipon at second base on the prior play.

The Hal Newhouser drama continues. He was assigned the first leg of the July 4 double header, lasted four (good!) innings, then left in discomfort. Norman Scott blew up a 1-0 lead, surrendering four runs in two innings before the Tigers ultimately made their late comeback. Our pitching situation was sort of tight with five games in three days; Hutch ultimately went out to pitch a scoreless ninth and put away the W.

In turn, we were 2-hit by Billy Pierce, who improved himself to 4-6, in the second game on July 4. Why did we ever let that guy go? Through and through a terrible holiday that was...

By Thursday we were told that Hal Newhouser wasn't in any serious condition and had "only" an oblique strain.

Doc, if he only had an oblique strain, he wouldn't have been pitching like this for three months! Well, at least the All Star Game was upon us. He would have started in the Indians series, but that was washed down the river. He will probably be available to start in the Senators series after the All Star Game (which opens another 4-city East Coast trip).

Still. Boy's gotta eat more meat! Today, everybody has salad to their steak. When I grew up on the farm, we only had steak!

(clutches chest) Oh, it's nothing, just some heartburn.

[Westheim]

Week 13 / 1950 - July 10-17, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Jul 10 - off day
Tue Jul 11 - off day - All Star Game
Wed Jul 12 - off day
Thu Jul 13 - @ WAS ... L 5-2 ... Kell 2-4, BB, 2B;
Fri Jul 14 - @ WAS ... L 3-2 ... Kolloway 2-4, HR, RBI; Ginsberg 3-3, BB; Newhouser 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, L (5-8);
Sat Jul 15 - @ WAS ... L 4-1 ... Kolloway 2-4, HR, RBI;
Sun Jul 16 - @ PHA (1) ... W 3-2 ... Wertz 1-5, HR, 2 RBI; Houtteman 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Andromidas 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, W (2-1);
Sun Jul 16 - @ PHA (2) ... W 4-1 ... Kell 2-5, 2B; Groth 3-5; Lipon 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Trout 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (7-2) and 2-3;
Mon Jul 17 - @ PHA ... W 8-1 ... Kell 2-5, 2B, RBI; Wertz 2-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Groth 2-4, 3B, RBI; Hutchinson 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (8-7);

Ranking at week's end: 3rd place, 47-38, 12 1/2 GB
Power rankings: 5th (+1)

Key plays

Vic Wertz homered off Bob Hooper with two outs in the ninth inning and Kolloway on second base to snatch victory from the jaws of four straight defeats to bottom-division teams on Sunday.

The second leg of the double header was tied at one in the eighth inning when the Tigers loaded the bases on Groth's infield single, him stealing second base, then Wertz being intentionally walked, Pat Mullin grounding out, and Hoot Evers being walked with intent when he pinch-hit for Sam Vico. Johnny Lipon cracked a 2-2 pitch through Bob Dillinger for a 2-run double, with Aaron Robinson bringing in another run with a single afterwards.

Around the leagues

July 11 - The Indians acquire C Les Moss (.260, 4 HR, 19 RBI) from the Browns in exchange for 2B Bobby Avila (.261, 0 HR, 7 RBI).
July 13 - The Browns' SP Ned Garver (8-8, 3.01 ERA) sparkles with a 1-hit shutout against the A's. The no-hit bid is not broken up until leadoff man 3B Bob Dillinger (.294, 2 HR, 30 RBI) singles in the ninth inning.
July 13 - BOS SP Joe Dobson (10-6, 3.18 ERA) is expected to miss three weeks with a strained back muscle.
July 16 - Shoulder inflammation puts CIN C Walker Cooper (.338, 5 HR, 30 RBI) on the disabled list. The Reds hope to have him back by the second half of August.

Players of the Week

AL: BOS 1B Walt Dropo (.335, 20 HR, 69 RBI) went .560 (14-25), 4 HR, 10 RBI
NL: PHI RF/LF Del Ennis (.350, 17 HR, 72 RBI) went .500 (12-24), 1 HR, 3 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The White Sox' Bob Kuzava picked up the win in the All Star Game, which the AL won 3-1 over the NL. All the American League's runs scored in the sixth inning in which STL Jim Hearn and CHC Dutch Leonard had a combined meltdown and walked in all three runs, including one bases-loaded walk issued to Hoot Evers. Evers was the only starter we had in the game and otherwise went 0-for-3. Vic Wertz had a hit coming on late in place of Hank Bauer. Jerry Groth went 0-for-1. Dizzy Trout pitched a scoreless inning.

Don Kolloway came off the DL in time after the All Star Game, at which point Dick Kryhoski was demoted to AAA while Sam Vico, who had been called up when Kolloway went down injured, stuck around. Vico batted .243 with no home runs, which was still better than what Kryhoski was delivering...

Kolloway's nice success this week aside, I swear this team went 0-for-X with runners in scoring position in Washington and extended this streak straight through to two outs in the ninth of the first game on Sunday when Vic Wertz bombed Bob Hooper with Kolloway on second base to flip a 2-1 deficit.

I am very much tiring on Jerry Priddy's act. He was a .290 batter with the Browns in the last years, but here in Detroit he is batting .221 and has so far butchered his way around the field for 18 errors. If only we had any sort of replacement for his job...

I have a waiver claim in for a pitcher, nothing special, but sure beats Norman Scott, and then we might be able to shore up that bullpen. Our starters have sort of caught themselves, in fact they were quite amazing this week, going 44 innings for 12 earned runs, which tallies up to a 2.45 ERA. Can't complain too much about that!

The middle infield, though... in every aspect, and even the backups, the middle infield is not helping us in any way at all.

[Westheim]

Week 14 / 1950 - July 18-23, 1950

Results and Performances

Tue Jul 18 - @ BOS ... W 7-3 ... Groth 3-5, 2B; Wertz 1-5, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Priddy 2-4, BB, 2 RBI; Newhouser 9.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (6-8) and 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI;
Wed Jul 19 - @ BOS ... W 5-4 ... Kell 2-5, RBI; Kolloway 2-5, RBI; Evers 2-5, RBI;
Thu Jul 20 - @ BOS ... L 6-2 ...
Fri Jul 21 - @ NYY ... W 7-4 ... Robinson 2-5, HR, 2 RBI; Priddy 2-4, RBI;
Sat Jul 22 - @ NYY ... L 5-4 ... Evers 3-4, BB, 2 2B; Ginsberg 2-4, 2B, RBI;
Sun Jul 23 - @ NYY ... L 4-3 (13) ... Groth 0-2, 4 BB; White 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K;

Ranking at week's end: 3rd place, 50-41, 13 1/2 GB
Power rankings: 6th (-1)

Key plays

Our first inning in New York gave us a 6-spot on Allie Reynolds, who walked the first four Tigers up, with errors by Phil Rizzuto and Snuffy Stirnweiss and singles by Robinson, Lipon, and Kell (the second time 'round) piling up half a dozen runs eventually.

Around the leagues

July 19 - The A's left-hander Alex Kellner (3-8, 5.49 ERA) will miss the rest of the season with ulnar nerve entrapment.
July 19 - CHC SP John Graney (7-5, 3.82 ERA) is also likely to be out for the year. The 22-year-old has come down with inflammation in the shoulder.
July 21 - NYG SP Monty Kennedy (4-8, 4.82 ERA) unfurls a 2-hit shutout against the Cardinals, taking the 6-0 victory.

Players of the Week

AL: BOS LF Ted Williams (.338, 23 HR, 88 RBI) went .462 (12-26), 2 HR, 9 RBI
NL: BOB LF/RF/3B Sid Gordon (.329, 16 HR, 48 RBI) went .483 (14-29), 3 HR, 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The Tigers claimed right-hander Bob Muncrief (1-0, 4.97 ERA) off waivers by the Cubs this week. He's 34, nothing special, but maybe still better than Norman Scott, whom he replaced on the roster. His first time in action came on Saturday after Hal Newhouser had blown a 4-0 lead against the Yankees. He retired four batters in order without getting blown over, which is already an upgrade over Norman Scott and his 7.77 ERA.

George Kell keeps being miserable, suffering a mild knee sprain on Saturday. He was held out of the Sunday game, but will probably be run out there pretty soon again.

Going 3-3 against the Red Sox and Yankees is not the end of the world; we had the end of the world already in May and June. We're just administering the damage already incurred right now. The team remains merrily mediocre in most aspects. Despite being nine games over .500, our run differential is only +14, hinting at even more mediocrity than is superficially visible.

After this East Coast round, roles will reverse for the next two weeks and we will host all the East Coast teams, three games against all of them. The Red Sox and A's will be in first.

[Westheim]

Week 15 / 1950 - July 24-30, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Jul 24 - off day
Tue Jul 25 - v BOS ... L 8-0 ...
Wed Jul 26 - v BOS ... W 11-8 (11) ... Groth 3-6, 2B, RBI; Wertz 3-6; Bero 3-5, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Barnacle 3-5, RBI; Kell (PH) 1-1, HR, 4 RBI;
Thu Jul 27 - v BOS ... W 7-6 ... Groth 2-5, 2B; Vico 1-4, HR, 4 RBI; Kolloway (PH) 1-1, RBI;
Fri Jul 28 - v PHA ... L 9-0 ...
Sat Jul 29 - v PHA ... W 5-2 ... Groth 1-3, 2 BB; Vico (PH) 1-1, RBI; Trucks 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, W (5-4);
Sun Jul 30 - v PHA ... W 6-0 ... Groth 3-4, BB, HR, 2B, RBI; Kolloway 2-5, 2B; Evers 2-4, BB, RBI; Wertz 1-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Hutchinson 9.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W (10-7);

Ranking at week's end: 3rd place, 54-43, 12 GB
Power rankings: 5th (+1)

Key plays

Mel Parnell went to 10-1 in a rout on Tuesday, and also carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning until Hoot Evers broke it up with a ball that bounced on the rightfield line and went for a triple into the corner. Not that it helped the Tigers score any runs. Parnell finished a 2-hitter eventually after Lipon reached on an infield single later on.

Wednesday saw the Tigers erase deficits of 5-0 and 7-2 that Fred Hutchinson had incurred on the strength of three home runs to send the game to extra innings, where the Red Sox loaded the bases on straight singles by Ted Williams, Walt Dropo, and Al Zarilla off Hal White with nobody out in the 10th. Vern Stephens flew out to Hoot in shallow left, Ted Williams went - and was thrown out on a perfect throw to home plate! The game went to the 11th with the Red Sox scoring a run off Nick Andromidas there before Al Papai shuffled Wertz, Robinson, and Bero aboard in the bottom of the inning. George Kell pinch-hit for a 3-for-5 Bill Barnacle for that extra bit of threat, and launched a walkoff grand slam to even the series.

Around the leagues

July 24 - STL SP Red Munger (5-9, 4.65 ERA) is out for the year with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow.
July 30 - The White Sox' Billy Pierce (6-8, 4.00 ERA) holds the Yankees to two base hits in a 4-0 win. Pierce, 23, strikes out nine in the game.
July 30 - WAS CF Irv Noren (.307, 15 HR, 75 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak following a 4-hit day in the Senators' 10-6 win over the Browns.

Players of the Week

AL: CLE CF/RF Larry Doby (.363, 21 HR, 87 RBI) went .586 (17-29), 3 HR, 13 RBI
NL: PHI 3B Willie Jones (.299, 12 HR, 52 RBI) went .444 (12-27), 2 HR, 7 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Twice this week the team didn't show up at all; both games were shutout routs. Both times we faced a left-hander, Mel Parnell on Tuesday and Mason Bowes on Friday.

You would not suspect it, but Johnny Lipon has a 14-game hitting streak. Maybe I don't have to scour local soup kitchens for a new shortstop during the offseason after all.

14 is also our win total for July, with a 14-14 overall; we have Monday off, which is why I can say that with confidence. It's also our first month this year without a winning record.

Doesn't look like a trade will happen on Monday before the non-waiver trade deadline, so I am putting all my chips into the draft come winter! That will surely build the '51 team...

[Westheim]

Week 16 / 1950 - July 31-August 6, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Jul 31 - off day
Tue Aug 1 - v NYY ... L 2-1 ... Newhouser 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, L (6-10) and 1-2;
Wed Aug 2 - v NYY ... L 9-5 (10) ... Wertz 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Kolloway 2-5, 2B; Ginsberg 5-5;
Thu Aug 3 - v NYY ... L 10-4 ... Lipon 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI;
Fri Aug 4 - v WAS ... W 6-4 ... Groth 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Wertz 2-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI;
Sat Aug 5 - v WAS ... W 6-5 (10) ... Kell 4-5, 3B, RBI; Groth 4-4, 2 BB, 3B, 2 RBI; Ginsberg 2-4, BB, 2B; Lipon 2-4, 2 RBI;
Sun Aug 6 - v WAS ... W 6-5 ... Groth 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Andromidas 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, SV (4);

Ranking at week's end: 3rd place, 57-46, 13 1/2 GB
Power rankings: 5th (0)

Key plays

Gil McDougald entered Wednesday's game as pinch-hitter for Snuffy Stirnweiss with no RBIs to his name in 1950, but blooped a 2-out, 2-run single off Hal White to break the Tigers' eighth-inning, 3-2 lead, then homered off Nick Andromidas for the winning runs in the 10th inning, the first of two 2-run homers in the inning. The other was hit by that rookie flash in the pan, Mickey Mantle.

Saturday's disaster (which also saw Irv Noren extend his hitting streak to 25 games) was Don Kolloway having Hutchinson's feed glance off his glove with two outs and two on in the fourth inning. It put Joseph Belcastro on, the bases were loaded, and the opposing pitcher Julio Moreno shrugged and buried a liner in the left-center gap for a 3-run double, extending a Senators lead to 5-1.

Later in the same game, with the score tied at five in the bottom 8th, Hoot Evers got himself picked off first base with Groth at third base and one out. The Senators immediately gave four wide ones to Wertz, then got Kolloway on a grounder.

Around the leagues

August 2 - PHI SP Robin Roberts (13-9, 2.57 ERA) 3-hits the Reds in a 5-0 shutout.
August 2 - CWS LF Gus Zernial (.295, 20 HR, 79 RBI) drives in six with two home runs and a sac fly in the White Sox' 17-4 rush of the A's. Chicago's SS Chico Carrasquel (.271, 4 HR, 37 RBI) has four base hits and drives in a pair.
August 3 - Brooklyn's SP Willie Ramsdell (15-5, 2.65 ERA) breaks out a 3-hit shutout against the Pirates in a 7-0 Dodgers win.
August 4 - The Reds hit four home runs against the Dodgers, but Brooklyn rallies with a 7-run eighth inning and claims a 10-7 victory. CIN LF/C Joe Adcock (.243, 1 HR, 7 RBI) remains unretired in the game, knocking out four hits (including his first home run of the year) and walking once, with 2 RBI, all in vain.
August 5 - CLE SP John Farkas (6-5, 3.56 ERA) 1-hits the Yankees in a 2-0 Indians win. NYY C Gus Triandos (.240, 0 HR, 2 RBI) hits a 2-out double in the eighth to break up the no-hitter.
August 5 - Cardinals swingman Jim Hearn (5-1, 1.67 ERA) 3-hits the Phillies in a 1-0 squeezer.

Players of the Week

AL: CWS LF Gus Zernial (.298, 20 HR, 79 RBI) with .375 (9-24), 2 HR, 9 RBI
NL: PIT 2B Danny Murtaugh (.319, 2 HR, 54 RBI) with .407 (11-27), 1 HR, 6 RBI

Players of the Month

AL POTM: PHA SP Mason Bowes (8-8, 3.63 ERA) went 4-1, 2.35 ERA
AL HOTM: CLE CF/RF Larry Doby (.363, 21 HR, 87 RBI) went .397, 6 HR, 28 RBI
AL ROTM: WAS CF Irv Noren (.307, 15 HR, 75 RBI) went .347, 8 HR, 31 RBI

NL POTM: PHI SP Curt Simmons (14-2, 2.62 ERA) went 6-0, 2.34 ERA
NL HOTM: BRO C Roy Campanella (.301, 22 HR, 65 RBI) went .338, 10 HR, 24 RBI
NL ROTM: CIN OF/1B/3B Neb Wilson (.305, 20 HR, 61 RBI) went .297, 8 HR, 25 RBI

Complaints and stuff

This was a messy week, not only because we got overrun by the damn Yankees, but also for some really messy defense. We had two 3-error games against the Senators, which were still wins, but I like it when the guys show up not drunk that far up the gills that they can't see the ball coming anymore.

This could also go some ways to explain the lack of hitting for many players on the roster.

While Irv Noren got his streak to 25 games against us during the weekend, he didn't get to take it back onto the train. He was held 0-for-4 on Sunday by Hal Newhouser and Nick Andromidas, ending the hitting streak.

Newhouser pitched awfully twice this week. He was lined up for a second loss on Sunday when Ginsberg pinch-hit for him as the tying run in the bottom 7th. The Tigers unfurled a 5-spot there, enough to squeeze out a 6-5 victory.

We will spend the next two weeks out west, mostly on the road. In fact we already have clicked off the majority of our home games for August. We'll hit up all three western teams on the road, then face the White Sox and Browns at home. After that it is back to the east coast for the fourth and final time. That road trip will end by the 31st. We will only play six road games in September.

[Westheim]

Week 17 / 1950 - August 7-13, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Aug 7 - off day
Tue Aug 8 - @ CWS ... W 4-1 ... Wertz 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Swift 2-4, RBI; Gray 9.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W (10-10);
Wed Aug 9 - @ CWS ... W 4-0 ... Ginsberg 3-4; Vico (PH) 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Trout 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, W (9-5) and 1-4, HR, RBI;
Thu Aug 10 - @ CWS ... W 5-2 ... Groth 2-3, 2 BB; Kolloway 2-5, RBI; Mullin 2-3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Hutchinson 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (11-7) and 1-3, RBI;
Fri Aug 11 - @ SLA ... L 8-7 ... Kell 2-5, HR, RBI; Groth 2-4, BB, 2B; Mullin (PH) 1-1, 2 RBI; Priddy 2-3, BB, RBI; Andromidas 4.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K;
Sat Aug 12 - @ SLA ... W 3-0 ... Kell 3-5; Wertz 1-2, 3 BB, HR, 2 RBI; Gray 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K, W (11-10);
Sun Aug 13 - @ SLA (1) ... W 10-2 ... Kell 4-5, BB, RBI; Wertz 2-4, BB, 2 RBI; Lipon 3-5, BB, 3 RBI; Trout 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W (10-5); Muncrief 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (1);
Sun Aug 13 - @ SLA (2) ... W 10-2 ... Lipon 2-5, BB, 2B; Evers 2-4, HR, 2B, 5 RBI; Wertz 2-4, HR, 3B, 2 RBI; Ginsberg 3-5, 3B, 2 RBI; Houtteman 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W (9-8);

Ranking at week's end: 3rd place, 63-47, 11 GB
Power rankings: 4th (+1)

Key plays

The first run on Wednesday was a home run by Dizzy Trout that caromed off the left foul pole in the third inning, hit off Billy Pierce. It was the first home run for a Tigers pitcher this season, and Trout would parlay the momentum into a 2-hit shutout over stunningly weak White Sox.

The Tigers trailed 7-4 in the ninth in the Browns opener when starter John O'Donnell finally ran out of steam and loaded the bases. With two outs, Don Kolloway singled off Tom Ferrick, closing in to 7-5, and also brought up the pitcher Trucks in the #6 hole. Pat Mullin pinch-hit, cracked a 2-run single to right, and took Hal Newhouser off a well-deserved hook. Bob Swift grounded out to end the inning, though, and Babe Barna's home run off Hal White won the game for the Browns in the bottom of the inning.

Around the leagues

August 9 - The Red Sox' SP Mel Parnell (11-3, 2.00 ERA) shines with a 3-hit shutout over the Yankees. The Sox win this one 7-0.
August 9 - PHI SP Niles Jordan (7-13, 3.89 ERA) is out for the season with a torn rotator cuff.
August 11 - NYY SP Allie Reynolds (12-8, 3.43 ERA) brings out a 2-hit shutout in a 5-0 shutout of the A's.
August 12 - After Jordan, the Phillies also lose RP Jim Konstanty (2-2, 3.14 ERA, 10 SV) for the year. The 33-year-old right-hander is out with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow.
August 12 - The season is also over for Yankees left-hander Joe Ostrowski (4-2, 4.38 ERA, 5 SV), who has a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
August 12 - The lead changes six times in a wild ride between the Cubs and Pirates, with the latter team walking off in the ninth inning on a sac fly by 1B/RF Frank Kalin (.111, 0 HR, 1 RBI), 15-14, after erasing a 3-run deficit at the start of the inning. CHC 1B/3B/RF Bert Haas (.256, 2 HR, 11 RBI) has two hits including a home run and drives in five runs to lead all participants.

Players of the Week

AL: CLE CF/RF Larry Doby (.377, 24 HR, 96 RBI) with .630 (17-27), 3 HR, 6 RBI
NL: BOB 3B/LF/RF Sid Gordon (.332, 22 HR, 65 RBI) with .550 (11-20), 3 HR, 7 RBI

Complaints and stuff

I am told the ulnar collateral ligament is somewhere in the elbow area. Pitchers in my hey day didn't have that. They just went out and pitched every third day. Kids are too weak these days. They should drink more milk! Milk makes strong bones.

Where did I start off?

All our starters went the distance in the White Sox series, which hadn't happened in a long time. The Sox weren't all that bad in individual offensive stats; their best guy - Gus Zernial - was almost a perfect copy of Vic Wertz in terms of output, but they were a bit short on the batting average side. Hank Majeski was batting just over .300, but apart of him and Zernial, the Sox were hitting around .270 at best, and most were more in the .250 area. They almost never put up any sort of pressure. Their only runs in the series came on home runs; Zernial in the opener, and Pat Seerey with a 2-piece in the last game.

So, three complete games against the Sox, and then Hal Newhouser goes out and gets flicked for five (four earned) in the opening inning against the last-place Browns. Oh, Hal. Never change. Or, eh, please do, actually, yeah.

The day Dizzy Trout threw his shutout, three more pitchers (including Parnell) also threw a shutout. Maybe it was something in the water. With all teams in action on that day, the only losing team that scored more than two runs were the Browns, going down 8-6 against the Indians.

We lost Jerry Priddy to injury in the first game on Sunday, but no news on that situation so far. Second base was definitely our worst position from an offensive standpoint; with a .221 average he has not contributed much at all...

Also, here's a quirk: until Ned Garver started the second game of the Sunday double header, the Tigers had not seen a right-handed starter all week long.

[Westheim]

Week 18 / 1950 - August 14-20, 1950

Results and Performances

Mon Aug 14 - @ CLE ... W 2-0 ... Swift 1-3, HR, 2 RBI; Hutchinson 9.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, W (12-7);
Tue Aug 15 - @ CLE ... W 9-3 ... Kell 2-4, 2 BB; Evers 2-6, HR, 2 RBI; Ginsberg 3-4, BB, RBI; Lipon 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Newhouser 9.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (8-10);
Wed Aug 16 - v CWS ... W 5-1 ... Evers 2-3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Gray 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, W (12-10);
Thu Aug 17 - v CWS ... L 8-4 ... Groth 3-5; Ginsberg 3-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Lipon 3-4, BB, RBI; Houtteman 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K and 1-1, BB;
Fri Aug 18 - v SLA ... L 5-4 (10) ... Evers 2-5, 2 RBI; Ginsberg 2-4, 2 2B, RBI; Priddy 2-3, BB, RBI;
Sat Aug 19 - v SLA ... W 9-5 ... Wertz 3-4, BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Vico 2-4, BB; Priddy 3-3, BB;
Sun Aug 20 - v SLA ... W 4-2 ... Wertz 1-2, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Barnacle 3-4, 2B; Newhouser 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, W (9-10);

Ranking at week's end: 3rd place, 68-49, 11 1/2 GB
Power rankings: 3rd (+1)

Key plays

Ted Gray was denied a potential shutout by an hour-long rain delay on Wednesday, but on the other hand he also had two runners caught stealing by Aaron Robinson, so it was a bit of a mixed bag.

On Friday, Bobby Avila defeated the Tigers mostly by himself. He came up six times, whacked out five hits and walked once, and scored three times, including in the 10th after a leadoff double against Nick Andromidas, who could not keep him on board and lost the game.

Around the leagues

August 15 - STL LF/RF/1B Stan Musial (.365, 9 HR, 55 RBI) will miss two to three weeks with a strained back.
August 16 - BOB SP Vern Bickford (14-10, 3.72 ERA) 3-hits the Phillies in a 7-0 shutout.
August 16 - BOS 1B Walt Dropo (.329, 30 HR, 103 RBI) and 3B/SS Johnny Pesky (.329, 0 HR, 59 RBI) both have three hits and drive in four in the Sox' 16-1 rout of the A's.
August 18 - CIN RF/CF Johnny Wyrostek (.282, 7 HR, 51 RBI) is done for the year with a torn labrum.

Players of the Week

AL: BOS CF Dom DiMaggio (.374, 4 HR, 61 RBI) went .630 (17-27), 1 HR, 6 RBI
NL: NYG INF/RF Hank Thompson (.304, 25 HR, 77 RBI) went .500 (11-22), 1 HR, 10 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Jerry Priddy missed most of the week with a pulled abdominal muscle, but it was not bad enough to shunt him off to the DL.

We happened to eliminate the Browns on Saturday, although of course not on our win total, but more on the Red Sox'. And as we are also stuck in a double-digit deficit and have been for months, it is also safe to say that we will be eliminated in due time.