SO49 Scrapbook

The Professor · 01-18-2005, 01:03 AM

Summer of '49 is an online league currently entering its 14th season of play, having started in the spring of 2002. This is a collection of stories, tid-bits, and other ephemera from a unique twist on Major League history.

THE CURIOUS RESURRECTION OF ALBERT KALINE OR THE 14-MILLION DOLLAR MAN (ALSO KNOWN AS THE SUDDEN DEATH OF THE RESERVE CLAUSE)

The ink had hardly dried on the contract before the Cleveland Plain Dealer hit the streets, a bold headline jumping off the front page:

TRIBE TABS KALINE AT COST OF 14 MILLION

The shockwaves that had been reverberating throughout the baseball world suddenly seemed multiplied tenfold. It was hard to say, however, what was most unusual about that particular headline. For starters it was the final, most pointed, nail in the coffin of the suddenly obsolete 'Reserve Clause'. A host of Major League players, led by Philadelphia's Al Kaline and Houston's Wally Moon, along with a battalion of lawyers, had challenged the collective ownership of the league for their bargaining freedom and they had won. The offseason of 1963 promised to be the first of many yearly bidding wars. Kaline, of course, was the player whose services were most sought after.

That, of course, may be what is most unusual about the headline. One, it was an astoundingly large sum of money - more than any other player in baseball was making - and more importantly it was being given to Al Kaline.

Al Kaline? Someone in the back wonders, "wasn't he a bust?" For a while it almost seemed that way.

Cannon armed and with a smooth batting stroke that seemed tailor-made for the majors, the youthful Kaline was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1953. Taken with the second overall pick, Kaline was instantly hailed as the savior of the franchise, the centerpiece, the blue-chip piece de resistance of the Steel City's baseball world. And he was rushed into the show without setting foot in the Minor Leagues. His inexperience was put on display for all the league too see. While he did show flashes of his immense talent, 135 games later he was the subject of ridicule throughout Pittsburgh and already labeled a bust (in a time in which it seemed that all of Pittsburgh's young "talent" were busts).

What followed was a dismal experience for the young Kaline. He played in fewer than 40 games in 1954 and 1955, struggling most of the time. He ended his 1955 campaign on a tear, hitting well over .300 and expecting a shot at a starting job for the next season. It was not to be as Kaline appeared in only 3 games all that season. By that point he was completely written off as a failure, this despite his considerable youth.

Written off as a part-timer, Kaline started periodically over the next two seasons. His struggles reflected the continual struggles of the Pirates franchise, a team on the cusp of contention but that seemed to be cursed with unlucky draft picks, injuries or just unexpected collapses.

In 1959 Kaline hit every time he was inserted into the lineup, racking up a batting average of well over .360 for the season. While he still only played sporadically, at least one owner was taking notice. In 1960 everything changed for Kaline.

New ownership took the reins in Pittsburgh intent on claiming the pennant that the Pirates were so close to. Across the state the Philadelphia Phillies, longtime powerhouse of the National League were looking to rebuild. Kaline figured largely in their plans. In order to secure rights to the young, resurgent, hitter, the Phillies sent their Hall of Fame outfielder Del Ennis to Pittsburgh in exchange for Kaline. Ennis responded by leading the Pirates to the verge of a pennant. He would finish the job in 1961 as the Bucs rolled to a 4-game-sweep of the Red Sox and their first World Championship since 1925. Meanwhile, Al Kaline responded to his new home in Philadelphia by playing full-time, hitting at a .300 clip, winning a Gold Glove in 1961 and earning an All-Star bid in 1962.

Hailed as a comeback kid, Kaline's newfound celebrity must have been a welcome change. Once given up for dead he was suddenly one of the NL's brightest stars. Inevitably he concluded that he deserved to be paid as one - and he was willing to take the Phillies to court in order to secure a chance to get that kind of contract.

Now, Al Kaline, only 28-years old but a seasoned veteran of many seasons, becomes the savior for a third franchise. Cleveland hasn't had a real contender since the mid-1950s and hasn't seen a pennant raised since their 1953 squad claimed the World Championship behind skipper Bull Uhle. Ravaged by age and poor drafts the Indians welcome Kaline as the new face of their franchise. Kaline, for his part, is eager to pen a third chapter to his special baseball saga. The "Can't Miss Kid" who missed, faltered and was pronounced dead in Pittsburgh only to be resurrected in Philadelphia now hopes to lead Cleveland to the promised land.

Kaline's Career Batting Stats (1953-)

G: 950
AB: 2666
H: 764
R: 383
2B: 142
3B: 26
HR: 55 (career high 26 in 1962)
RBI: 354 (96 in 1962)
AVG: .287
SLG: .421
OPS: .760
OBP: .339

Gold Glove 1961,1962
All Star, 1962

pat · 01-18-2005, 10:09 AM

Nice read. Who wrote it? It's really great.

sporr · 01-18-2005, 08:12 PM

A pleasure to read as always Professor.

RBLwebguy · 01-18-2005, 08:30 PM

I wish I had ponied up more cash, but hats off to Cleveland. The Yanks will unlike the real life Yanks try to remain fiscally responsible. The upside is that we drafted talanted lefty Mickey Lolich!

dougaiton · 01-20-2005, 06:37 AM

Nice job, Nate!

01-18-2005, 01:03 AM	#1
The Professor Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: East of East Posts: 3,020	SO49 Scrapbook Summer of '49 is an online league currently entering its 14th season of play, having started in the spring of 2002. This is a collection of stories, tid-bits, and other ephemera from a unique twist on Major League history. THE CURIOUS RESURRECTION OF ALBERT KALINE OR THE 14-MILLION DOLLAR MAN (ALSO KNOWN AS THE SUDDEN DEATH OF THE RESERVE CLAUSE) The ink had hardly dried on the contract before the Cleveland Plain Dealer hit the streets, a bold headline jumping off the front page: TRIBE TABS KALINE AT COST OF 14 MILLION The shockwaves that had been reverberating throughout the baseball world suddenly seemed multiplied tenfold. It was hard to say, however, what was most unusual about that particular headline. For starters it was the final, most pointed, nail in the coffin of the suddenly obsolete 'Reserve Clause'. A host of Major League players, led by Philadelphia's Al Kaline and Houston's Wally Moon, along with a battalion of lawyers, had challenged the collective ownership of the league for their bargaining freedom and they had won. The offseason of 1963 promised to be the first of many yearly bidding wars. Kaline, of course, was the player whose services were most sought after. That, of course, may be what is most unusual about the headline. One, it was an astoundingly large sum of money - more than any other player in baseball was making - and more importantly it was being given to Al Kaline. Al Kaline? Someone in the back wonders, "wasn't he a bust?" For a while it almost seemed that way. Cannon armed and with a smooth batting stroke that seemed tailor-made for the majors, the youthful Kaline was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1953. Taken with the second overall pick, Kaline was instantly hailed as the savior of the franchise, the centerpiece, the blue-chip piece de resistance of the Steel City's baseball world. And he was rushed into the show without setting foot in the Minor Leagues. His inexperience was put on display for all the league too see. While he did show flashes of his immense talent, 135 games later he was the subject of ridicule throughout Pittsburgh and already labeled a bust (in a time in which it seemed that all of Pittsburgh's young "talent" were busts). What followed was a dismal experience for the young Kaline. He played in fewer than 40 games in 1954 and 1955, struggling most of the time. He ended his 1955 campaign on a tear, hitting well over .300 and expecting a shot at a starting job for the next season. It was not to be as Kaline appeared in only 3 games all that season. By that point he was completely written off as a failure, this despite his considerable youth. Written off as a part-timer, Kaline started periodically over the next two seasons. His struggles reflected the continual struggles of the Pirates franchise, a team on the cusp of contention but that seemed to be cursed with unlucky draft picks, injuries or just unexpected collapses. In 1959 Kaline hit every time he was inserted into the lineup, racking up a batting average of well over .360 for the season. While he still only played sporadically, at least one owner was taking notice. In 1960 everything changed for Kaline. New ownership took the reins in Pittsburgh intent on claiming the pennant that the Pirates were so close to. Across the state the Philadelphia Phillies, longtime powerhouse of the National League were looking to rebuild. Kaline figured largely in their plans. In order to secure rights to the young, resurgent, hitter, the Phillies sent their Hall of Fame outfielder Del Ennis to Pittsburgh in exchange for Kaline. Ennis responded by leading the Pirates to the verge of a pennant. He would finish the job in 1961 as the Bucs rolled to a 4-game-sweep of the Red Sox and their first World Championship since 1925. Meanwhile, Al Kaline responded to his new home in Philadelphia by playing full-time, hitting at a .300 clip, winning a Gold Glove in 1961 and earning an All-Star bid in 1962. Hailed as a comeback kid, Kaline's newfound celebrity must have been a welcome change. Once given up for dead he was suddenly one of the NL's brightest stars. Inevitably he concluded that he deserved to be paid as one - and he was willing to take the Phillies to court in order to secure a chance to get that kind of contract. Now, Al Kaline, only 28-years old but a seasoned veteran of many seasons, becomes the savior for a third franchise. Cleveland hasn't had a real contender since the mid-1950s and hasn't seen a pennant raised since their 1953 squad claimed the World Championship behind skipper Bull Uhle. Ravaged by age and poor drafts the Indians welcome Kaline as the new face of their franchise. Kaline, for his part, is eager to pen a third chapter to his special baseball saga. The "Can't Miss Kid" who missed, faltered and was pronounced dead in Pittsburgh only to be resurrected in Philadelphia now hopes to lead Cleveland to the promised land. Kaline's Career Batting Stats (1953-) G: 950 AB: 2666 H: 764 R: 383 2B: 142 3B: 26 HR: 55 (career high 26 in 1962) RBI: 354 (96 in 1962) AVG: .287 SLG: .421 OPS: .760 OBP: .339 Gold Glove 1961,1962 All Star, 1962 __________________ History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are."

01-18-2005, 10:09 AM	#2
pat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Quezon City, Philippines Posts: 2,748	Nice read. Who wrote it? It's really great. __________________ Co-Founder & Technical Director at ExaWeb Corporation, an SEO company in the Philippines. Previous Leagues - Time Warp Baseball / International Federation of Baseball / Professional Baseball Replay League / No Pepper Baseball League / MLB Pro Current OOTP 24 Leagues - Sim Sports Gaming - (2016-Present) Washington Nationals (2016-2022) *2017 Champions Oakland Athletics (2023-Present)

01-20-2005, 06:37 AM	#5
dougaiton Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Location: Posts: 3,414	Nice job, Nate! __________________ tThis shower of clowns My park-adjusted, historically split Born in '69 league file! (also at Joe's wonderful site +BBSC)

01-18-2005, 08:12 PM	#3
sporr Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Muscatine, IA Posts: 8,277	A pleasure to read as always Professor.

01-18-2005, 08:30 PM	#4
RBLwebguy Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Canuckistan Posts: 5,162	I wish I had ponied up more cash, but hats off to Cleveland. The Yanks will unlike the real life Yanks try to remain fiscally responsible. The upside is that we drafted talanted lefty Mickey Lolich!