Trapped in the Basement: The Philadelphia Phillies (1942 - )

[Overbay17]

Wow! An amazing beginning, can't wait to see what happens next, good luck!

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Overbay17: Thanks for reading, and thanks for the kind words. Hope to have you keep coming back!

APRIL 30
OWNER’S MEETING
PART I

A veritable who’s who of upper level baseball management was sitting in the conference room adjacent to Commissioner Landis’ office. Branch Rickey, Larry MacPhail, Tom Yawkey, Ed Barrow, Connie Mack, and Judge Landis, at the head of the table, all confined to sitting around a little table. The table was a prototypical conference table, with 8 men to a side, the Commissioner at the head, and his personal assistant at the other end. The meeting promptly started at noon, with the Commissioner starting the conversation.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. I’m sure you all know why you are here: the subject of race in baseball. As you are probably aware, there is at least 1 player in each league that is a person of color. Now, I have enacted a temporary rule stating that these players cannot start until the league and the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball has given it’s approval. Alright, let’s begin with you, Mr. Bradley.”
Alva Bradley was the president and owner of the Cleveland Indians, Larry Doby’s team. “Gentlemen”, Bradley said, “it’s no secret that I may not see eye to eye with you on certain matters, but this should be a no-brainer. If you vote against these men and the countless others that share their skin color, you’re alienating a large portion of your fan bases.”
I perked up immediately. Fan bases? That was all this was about? A publicity stunt? “Mr. Bradley, if you don’t mind me interjecting, but I feel that something needs to be said. I am on the same side of the fence as you, Mr. Bradley, but for some different reasons. I may not be as experienced or knowledgeable as some of you, but every man is entitled to an opinion. This isn’t just about gate receipts or fan support. We are playing with men’s livelihood here! Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby have spent their whole lives working for this moment. Countless others have toiled to obscurity in the Negro Leagues and in other countries. Robinson and Doby have had a chance to do something that no other black man has ever done before: play in the Major Leagues. Who are we to deny them of that right? Do they have the talent to play with our boys? Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind that these two men have the potential to be among the greatest players of this era. However, if we turn our backs now, never again will the black man play this game. And if we turn our backs now, what will happen when the Mexican wants to play? How about the Russian, the Frenchman, the Brit? Will we turn our backs on them too? Gentlemen, you’ve had an incredible run, but baseball is America’s Pastime. How can we continue to call ourselves that if we exclude 1/3 of America’s people?”
Immediately, Branch Rickey of the Cardinals motioned for a vote, and it was quickly seconded by Larry MacPhail of the Dodgers. Judge Landis looked like someone had just punched him in the stomach, but he still forced the words out: “alright, we are voting on the permanent inclusion of African-Americans in Major League Baseball. A ‘yes’ vote means you are in favor in including African-Americans with no restrictions. A ‘no’ vote means you are in favor of barring African-Americans from the game. There can be no more than 7 ‘no’ votes, otherwise the motion fails. We’ll start to my right in the American League and Mr. Yawkey.”

[PotatoOfCouch13]

OWNER’S MEETING
PART II

“No.” Tom Yawkey emphatically announced his vote.
“Mr. Griffith.”
“No.” Clark Griffith of Washington said. This was starting to look bad.
“Mr. Mack.”
“Yes.” Finally, a man with common sense. I owe Connie for this.
“Mr. Barrow.”
“No.” Ed Barrow of the Yankees continued the bad news. We could only afford 4 more ‘no’ votes or else it would be history.
“Mr. Bradley.”
“Yes.” No surprise from Cleveland.
“Mr. Briggs [Detroit].”
“No.”
“Mr. Grabiner [White Sox].”
“No.”
Uh oh.
“Mr. Barnes [Browns].”
“Yes.”
The Judge turned to the National League and said: “thus concludes the American League vote. The tally stands at 3 yes, and 5 no. The National League will vote now starting with...Mr. Walsh.
I stood and delivered a defiant “yes!”
“Mr. Benswanger [Pittsburgh].”
“No.”
“Mr. MacPhail.”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Rickey.”
“Yes.”
Just like that, the vote was knotted at 6 apiece. The final four teams to vote would be the Cubs, the Reds, the Giants, and the Braves. We needed three ‘yes’ votes for the motion to carry.
“Mr. Wrigley.”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Crosley.”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Stoneham.”
“No.”
“Mr. Quinn.”
All of the men in the room started at Robert Quinn. This poor man was the president of the Boston Braves, and on his shoulders rested a decision that could change the game as we know it. He nervously played with his tie and wiped sweat off his brow, as he stuttered trying to find the right words. “Well...um...I...er...uh...”
“TODAY!” screamed Judge Landis.
Quinn took a swig of whiskey, put his glass down, cleared his throat, and in a deep confident voice, he said...

[PotatoOfCouch13]

OWNER’S MEETING
PART III

“Yes.”
YES!!! HE SAID YES!!! It was nearly impossible to keep the grin off my face. The next few seconds would take care of that however.
“And the Commissioner votes no. Final tally: 9 yes, 8 no. This motion FAILS.”
I was frozen, with my mouth hanging open like it was nailed to the floor. In fact the only person who didn’t seem shocked was Landis, who had wiped the grin off my face and crudely pasted it onto his.
“Oh, I forgot to mention that I had a vote too. My mistake. Any how, moving on...”
“That’s it? That’s the end of it?” asked a bewildered Branch Rickey.
“I’m afraid so, Mr. Rickey. Any how, moving on...”
Right about this point I started shaking with rage. “Hold on, Mr. Commissioner. I would like to make a formal announcement before we continue. The Philadelphia Phillies organization understands that rules are rules, however, I feel that the last ballot was unfairly carried out and fixed in order to obtain a predetermined outcome. Therefore, The Philadelphia Phillies organization wishes to disassociate itself from the National League.”
This was the biggest bluff I had ever made. It was the equivalent of going all-in before the flop with 7-2 off suit, the worst starting hand in poker. I had no intention of leaving the NL, but I was willing to do anything in order to keep the game pure, and out of the hands of madmen like this Commissioner. The other owners looked at me like I had suddenly grown 2 heads and started speaking in tongues.
The Judge was taken aback. “Wh-what!? Y-you wish to leave the National League?” This was the first time I’d ever heard him stutter. I had him between my crosshairs, right where I wanted him. Now, if only I had some backup. I looked over the faces of my peers, and my eyes met Branch Rickey’s. I don’t know exactly what he saw, but he seemed transfixed on my face, almost looking past it, as if it were offering him guidance...
Finally he spoke: “The St. Louis Cardinals also wish to disassociate themselves from the National League.”
Now Landis was about to implode. His mind must be racing at 1000 miles a second, but he was too dumbfounded to say anything. Branch and I were almost in the clear, we just needed one more push...
“The Brooklyn Dodgers wish to disassociate as well.” Larry MacPhail announced. Immediately, Cleveland, Cincinnati and the Cubs made similar announcements.
Sensing that the Major Leagues would fall apart unless he gave into the demands, Judge Landis had no choice. “Fine, by the results of a majority 9 to 8 vote, African-Americans are allowed to play in the Major Leagues. Will you please stay and cut out this withdrawal nonsense?”
All six teams reneged on their threats, and the only serious damage done was to Judge Landis’ pride.

As for Wrigley’s big announcement, he said it was running behind schedule, but he would inform all the owners of it when the time was right.

[CatKnight]

Powerful bluff.....but you've also made a mortal enemy, and Judge Landis is not someone to be taken lightly.

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Yeah, but I needed to somehow justify the fact that Robinson and Doby were major league ready five years ahead of reality. IRL, Landis never would've allowed this to happen, as he had way too much power and was firmly anti-integration. But by 1942, all the owners were sick of him, so the vote idea seemed more feasible. And it certainly doesn't hurt to have a villain about...

[PotatoOfCouch13]

MAY 1942
PART I

With the first meeting out of the way, it was time to give out some hardware: the Phillies end of the month awards!

Phillies Batter of the Month: LF Danny Litwhiler (.292, 7 HR, 26 RBI)
Phillies Pitcher of the Month: P Ike Pearson (1-0, 3.86 ERA, 4 SV, 7 IP)
Danny has really carried the offense, continuing to get big hits when the team needs them. As for pitching, Ike simply had the best raw numbers of the bunch.

Minor League Batter of the Month: OF Johnny Blatnik – AA Trenton (.396, 5 HR, 23 RBI)
Minor League Pitcher of the Month: P Dick Mauney – AA Trenton (3-1, 1.51 ERA, 35 IP)
My AA team is loaded with all sorts of talent, all of which may see time here in Philly before the year ends.

George Hennessey has been moved from his active role in the bullpen to the spot starter position, and Johnny Podgajny moves into the middle relief role.

I also met with Chuck Klein before my meeting. His contract is up at the end of the year, and I wanted to get a deal done before he left us. My predecessor, Gerald Nugent made this mistake, and it cost the team dearly. The fans never forgave Nugent, not even after reacquiring Chuck a few seasons later. Anyhow, Chuck was demanding over $16K until 1944. I told him that he was insane, and that the most I was willing to pay him was $12,500. He countered with “I just need a little more money”, and he was happy to take $13K a year. Chuck Klein will remain a Phillie.

Anyways, it’s back to baseball for the Phillies, as the first place Cardinals come to town.

May 1-3: St. Louis (1st, 20-8, 2 GA) at Philadelphia (6th, 12-16, 8 GB)
1 – Tommy Hughes avoided NL Batting leader Stan Musial (0-1, 3 BB) en route to the team’s first shutout of the season.
Phillies 5, Cardinals 0
W: Tommy Hughes (4-2) L: Johnny Beazley (1-1)
HR: Nick Etten (3)

A trade was announced today, the first of the season.
Pittsburgh receives:
C Frankie Hayes (81)
Philadelphia (AL) receives:
RF Jimmy Wasdell (73)
1B Elbie Fletcher (60/63)
CF Tom Saffell (65/67)
Pittsburgh makes off like kings, while the A’s are left dazed and confused.

Also, Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Oscar Judd retired today. He had suffered a back injury that was continuing to nag him, and at the age of 34, didn’t want to deal with it. He pitched 2 partial seasons with the Red Sox, recording a win and a save this season.
CAREER NUMBERS: 1-0, 6.75 ERA, 20 IP, 2 SV

Finally, I finally caved and promoted Ron Northey (70/86) to an independent AAA team. Ron was terrorizing AA pitching, hitting a league-leading .412 with 21 RBI.

2 – Scary moment late it this one. A fly ball towards left center spells disaster as Ed Freed and Danny Litwhiler collide. The runner is stranded, but both players will miss a few days. However, Nick Etten’s two doubles help power the Phillies to a come-from-behind victory.
Phillies 4, Cardinals 3
W: Sam Nahem (3-1) L: Howie Krist (1-3) SV: Ike Pearson (5)

3 – Enos Slaughter and Stan Musial (back-to-back HR) victimize Cy Blanton, as the Cards score 4 in the ninth to avoid the sweep.
Cardinals 8, Phillies 4
W: Bill Lohrman (3-1) L: Cy Blanton (1-4) SV: Max Lanier (3)

May 4-7: Brooklyn (4th, 18-13, 3 GB) at Philadelphia (5th, 14-17, 7 GB)
4 – Freddie Fitzsimmons just dominated the Phillies, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits over 7 innings of magnificent pitching.
Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
W: Freddie Fitzsimmons (7-1) L: Si Johnson (1-4) SV: Johnny Allen (3)

5 – Tommy Hughes and Curt Davis duel to a 1-1 after 8 innings, then the bullpens decide the game as Sam Nahem allows 1 run and Johnny Allen doesn’t.
Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
W: Johnny Allen (1-1) L: Sam Nahem (3-2)

6 – Larry French tosses a 4-hit shutout, extending the Phillies losing streak to 4 games, and moving the Dodgers to within one game of the NL lead.
Dodgers 5, Phillies 0
W: Larry French (3-3) L: Rube Melton (3-2)

7 - Cy Blanton made one mistake: allowing a Dolph Camilli home run. Aside from that, he was masterful, shutting down the Dodgers for 8 other innings, preventing the sweep and snapping the losing streak.
Phillies 3, Dodgers 1
W: Cy Blanton (2-4) L: Whit Wyatt (4-3)

May 8-11: Philadelphia (5th, 15-20, 8 GB) at Chicago (5th, 15-20, 8 GB)
8 – A late run off of an error breaks a 3-3 tie, putting the Phillies in the wrong column.
Cubs 4, Phillies 3
W: Claude Passeau (4-1) L: Lefty Hoerst (1-3)
HR: Chuck Klein (5)

9 – Tommy Hughes allows only one run over 7, but the Phillies hit into 6 double plays, and can only muster 3 hits against Bill Lee, giving the hard luck loss to Hughes.
Cubs 1, Phillies 0
W: Bill Lee (7-3) L: Tommy Hughes (4-3)

10 – The last ditch comeback effort falls 90 feet short as the tying run is stranded on third base. The Phils have lost 3 straight and 7 of 8.
Cubs 5, Phillies 4
W: Shaun Hale (2-4) L: Rube Melton (3-3)

11 - The Phillies’ bats come alive (finally) and put this game out of reach after 3 innings. Chuck Klein’s HR was the 306th of his career, tying him for 5th on the all-time home run list with Al Simmons.
Phillies 9, Cubs 3
W: Cy Blanton (3-4) L: Joey Lothian (0-8)
HR: Chuck Klein (6), Mickey Livingston (1)

May 12-15: Pittsburgh (4th, 22-17, 5 GB) at Philadelphia (6th, 16-23, 11 GB)
12 – Si Johnson allows a first inning run, then shuts down the Pirate offense for 7 more innings, and the Phillies provide some insurance runs late in the game to win their second straight.
Phillies 4, Pirates 1
W: Si Johnson (2-4) L: Lefty Wilkie (2-1) SV: Ike Pearson (6)

13 – Tommy Hughes lives up to his reputation as one of the best young pitchers in the game, and his reputation continues to grow. He twirls 8 innings of 4-hit ball as the Phillies extend their win streak to 3 games.
Phillies 6, Pirates 1
W: Tommy Hughes (5-3) L: Luke Hamlin (3-3)

14 – Nick Strincevich and his Eephus pitch baffled the Phillies for 8 innings, and a 5-run ninth puts the game away for good.
Pirates 10, Phillies 3
W: Nick Strincevich (1-1) L: Rube Melton (3-4)

15 – An eighth inning Ed Murphy double breaks a tie, and gives the Phillies the win, and leads them into an off day on a high note.
Phillies 4, Pirates 3
W: Cy Blanton (4-4) L: Rip Sewell (5-1) SV: Ike Pearson (7)


STANDINGS AS OF MAY 16

NATIONAL LEAGUE
New York	27-16	-
St. Louis	27-16	-
Brooklyn	25-18	2
Pittsburgh	23-20	4
Chicago		21-22	6
Cincinnati	19-24	8
Philadelphia	19-24	8
Boston		11-32	16

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston		31-12	-
Cleveland	28-15	3
New York	25-18	6
Washington	21-22	10
St. Louis	20-23	11
Chicago		19-24	12
Philadelphia	18-25	13
Detroit		10-33	21

[PotatoOfCouch13]

MID MAY 1942
Remember back in April, when I spoke about Phillip Wrigley’s new idea? Well, he finalized all the details and sent each owner a proposal. He’s seen the potential success of the NFL’s draft, and wants the Major Leagues to adopt a similar event. The National League passed the measure easily, and the American League passed it with only the Yankees against it. As an added bonus, Wrigley had an independent firm scout all the eligible players and rank them according to their potential. Our scouting staff is looking into these reports to see if they correlate with our own. With us having the first pick this season (the order determined by last season’s records), this could determine the success of our franchise for years to come. We’ve narrowed the search down to 5 players.

Cal Howe, RP: an electric fastball, but why spend a #1 pick on a bit part?
Herb Gorman, 1B: great batsman, but a bit of a liability in the field.
Bobby Avila, 2B: outstanding potential, but struggles against righties.
Gil Hodges, 1B: incredibly strong, but defense is an issue.
Lou Brissie, SP: 2 great pitches, but walks will be a big red flag.

The Draft will be held on June 5, so there are still 2 weeks remaining for us to make a decision.

[PotatoOfCouch13]

MAY 1942
PART II

Aside from a few promotions and demotions in the minor leagues, there were no major roster changes. We continue to be around 8 games back. Perhaps we could make a run at the pennant? We’ll need to make some deals to get some pitching, because there’s no chance that the current team could win the pennant.

May 17-20: Philadelphia (6th, 19-24, 8 GB) at Brooklyn (3rd, 25-18, 2 GB)
17 – Si Johnson finally threw a great game, allowing only 2 runs over 6 innings, but left with the score tied at 2. Both team added a run, and in the ninth inning, Ed Murphy took a Johnny Allen fastball deep to right-field for the go-ahead home run, and Lefty Hoerst straned the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom half. Chuck Klein also hit a home run, becoming the sole holder of 5th place all time. The only players with more homers than Klein’s 307 are Met Ott (422), Lou Gehrig (493), Jimmie Foxx (538), and the great Babe Ruth (714).
Phillies 4, Dodgers 3
W: Lefty Hoerst (2-3) L: Johnny Allen (2-3)
HR: Chuck Klein (7), Ed Murphy (2)

18 – The teams combine to hit into 11 double plays, but the Dodger couple theirs with 10 runs, while the Phillies can only manage one.
Dodgers 10, Phillies
W: Curt Davis (6-1) L: Tommy Hughes (5-4)

19 – Two different relievers combine to blow two different leads, the second in extra innings, as the Phillies lose another one-run game.
Dodgers 6, Phillies 5 (10)
W: Johnny Allen (3-3) L: Paul Masterson (0-1)
HR: Ed Freed (1)

20 – Whit Wyatt shuts down the Phillies offense, allowing two runs on 6 hits in a complete game victory.
Dodgers 5, Phillies 2
W: Whit Wyatt (5-3) L: Cy Blanton (4-5)
HR: Chuck Klein (8)

May 21-23: Philadelphia (6th, 20-27, 10 GB) at Boston (8th, 14-33, 16 GB)
21 – The top 4 batters in the lineup go 6-16. The remaining 5 spots go 0 for 15. Si Johnson pitches another great game, but for the second straight start leaves without a win.
Braves 3, Phillies 2
W: Jim Tobin (4-7) L: Si Johnson (2-5)

A trade was announced.
Cleveland receives:
C Ernie Lombardi (86)
RF Frank Demaree (79)
Boston (NL) receives:
P Bob Kuzava (65/84)
P Ralph McCabe (56/76)
P Ray Flanigan (57/71)
Edge to Cleveland. If the prospects develop well, that’s a different story, but the Indians win this trade for now.

22 – Two of the games’ best young pitchers faced off today. Tommy Hughes allowed 2 runs in a complete game effort, but Warren Spahn only surrendered 1 run in his own complete game. The Phillies have now lost 5 straight.
Braves 2, Phillies 1
W: Warren Spahn (2-8) L: Tommy Hughes (5-5)

23 – The bullpen collapses, ruining another great outing by the Phillies starters. The Phillies’ recent 6-game losing streak has effectively eliminated them from pennant contention, at least for now.
Braves 5, Phillies 4
W: Johnny Hutchings (3-3) L: Lefty Hoerst (2-4)

May 24-27: Philadelphia (7th, 20-30, 12 GB) at Pittsburgh (4th, 27-23, 5 GB)
24 – With Cy Blanton complaining of a sore foot, Johnny Podgajny gets the spot start, and allows 2 runs over 7 innings. However, the Phillies only manage 4 hits against Rip Sewell, and another fantastic start is lost, as the losing streak hits 7 games.
Pirates 2, Phillies 1
W: Rip Sewell (7-1) L: Johnny Podgajny (0-2)

The news on Cy Blanton is much worse than anticipated: a stress fracture in his foot. He’ll be out for 2 ½ weeks. Johnny Podgajny has pitched well this season, and despite the hard luck, he’ll get the chance to start, with Boom-Boom Beck as the backup plan. Al Gerheauser (4-2, 3.72 ERA at AAA) is brought up to fill the roster spot.

25 – Si Johnson twirls a gem, four-hit shutout, snapping the long losing skid and boosting the team’s confidence.
Phillies 2, Pirates 0
W: Si Johnson (3-5) L: Bob Klinger (3-5)

26 – 2 consecutive errors by Bobby Bragan certainly don’t help as the Pirates do all their scoring in 1 inning and win handily.
Pirates 6, Phillies 4
W: Max Butcher (3-5) L: Tommy Hughes (5-6) SV: Jack Hallett (2)

27 – Rube Melton can’t seem to find the strike zone (7 BB) as the Phillies have now lost 9 of their last 10 games.
Pirates 7, Phillies 3
W: Luke Hamlin (5-4) LP: Rube Melton (3-5)

28 – DAY OFF
I sat down with Pinky May, who’s due for arbitration at the end of the season. He says he’d stick around until 1943 for $7000, but I said I wouldn’t budge more than $5200. We decided to meet in the middle, and Pinky May is signed through 1943 for $6100. This leaves Cy Blanton, Si Johnson, and Lloyd Waner as the only Phillies not signed for next season.

Also of note, Boom-Boom Beck retired from baseball at the age of 37. My long reliever for this season, he played in 1 game, pitching 5 scoreless innings. He also played for the Browns (1924, 1927-28) and the Dodgers (1933-34) before joining the Phillies (1939-1942).
CAREER STATS: 29-61, 4.41 ERA

Izzy Leon (53/59), a 31-year-old yet to make his big league debut, is called up from AAA to replace Beck.

May 29 – June 1: Philadelphia (7th, 21-33, 14 GB) at St. Louis (1st, 35-19, 3 GA)
29 – The bullpen collapses (again) and this time, Podgajny is the victim. A run in the bottom of the eighth breaks the tie, and gives the Cardinals the win.
Cardinals 4, Phillies 3
W: Howie Krist (3-3) L: Sam Nahem (3-3)

30 – The Phillies rally to tie the game at 5 in the top of the ninth, but in the bottom half, Nahem blows his second consecutive game, extending the losing streak to 4 games.
Cardinals 6, Phillies 5
W: Clyde Shoun (3-1) L: Sam Nahem (3-4)

31 – It took a superhuman performance from Chuck Klein (2-2, 2 solo HR), but the Phillies end the month with a win.
Phillies 4, Cardinals 3
W: Tommy Hughes (6-6) L: Howie Pollet (0-3) SV: Ike Pearson (8)
HR: Chuck Klein 2 (11)

[PotatoOfCouch13]

END OF MAY RECAP

STANDINGS

NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis	37-20	-
Pittsburgh	33-24	4
New York	33-24	4
Brooklyn	33-24	4
Chicago		27-30	10
Cincinnati	22-35	15
Philadelphia	22-35	15
Boston		21-36	16

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston		39-18	-
New York	35-22	4
Cleveland	34-23	5
St. Louis	26-31	13
Philadelphia	26-31	13
Washington	25-32	14
Chicago		24-33	15
Detroit		19-38	20

BATTING STATISTICS
Red denotes League Leader

1942 Batting             Team    G   AVG    AB    H  2B  3B  HR   BB    K   SB  CS    R  RBI   SLG   OBP
Waner, Lloyd              PHI   49  .338    74   25   2   1   0    5    6    1   0    7   14  .392  .375
Klein, Chuck              PHI   56  .332   187   62  16   2  11   20   19    0   0   38   48  .615  .398
Murphy, Ed                PHI   23  .286    56   16   7   0   2    7    7    1   0    7   10  .518  .365
Etten, Nick               PHI   49  .282   163   46  12   1   3   20   13    1   1   19   31  .423  .353
Murtaugh, Danny           PHI   50  .269   167   45  12   0   0   17   21    3   1   16   21  .341  .337
Bragan, Bobby             PHI   31  .266    64   17   4   0   2    6    8    0   0    8    6  .422  .329
Litwhiler, Danny          PHI   53  .262   195   51  16   3   7   21   19    0   0   28   31  .482  .333
May, Pinky                PHI   57  .261   230   60  15   2   0   21   22    0   0   30   12  .343  .325
Freed, Ed                 PHI   54  .260   219   57  18   3   1   23   32    4   0   38   18  .384  .339
Benjamin, Stan            PHI   30  .255    51   13   2   1   0    2    5    2   1    6    4  .333  .283
Livingston, Mickey        PHI   26  .250    52   13   4   0   1    1    6    0   0    4    6  .385  .264
Marnie, Harry             PHI   51  .236   161   38   6   1   0   10   14    3   1   19   10  .286  .281
Glossop, Al               PHI   10  .200    10    2   1   0   0    3    1    0   0    2    0  .300  .385
Warren, Bennie            PHI   49  .195   169   33   5   1   2   19   10    0   1   15   14  .272  .279
Hughes, Tommy             PHI   15  .179    39    7   0   0   0    3    8    0   0    3    3  .179  .238
Melton, Rube              PHI   13  .161    31    5   1   0   0    1    8    0   1    2    3  .194  .188
Johnson, Si               PHI   14  .111    27    3   0   0   0    1    3    0   0    1    0  .111  .143
Blanton, Cy               PHI   13  .088    34    3   0   0   0    0   11    0   0    1    1  .088  .088
Podgajny, Johnny          PHI   10  .000     7    0   0   0   0    0    2    0   0    0    0  .000  .000
Nahem, Sam                PHI   20  .000     1    0   0   0   0    0    1    0   0    0    0  .000  .000
Masterson, Paul           PHI   12  .000     2    0   0   0   0    0    2    0   0    0    0  .000  .000
Hennessey, George         PHI    6  .000     1    0   0   0   0    0    0    0   0    0    0  .000  .000

PITCHING STATISTICS

1942 Pitching            Team     IP   ERA    G  GS   W   L  SV    K   BB   R/9
Pearson, Ike              PHI   11.0  2.45   10   0   1   0   8    3    4  8.18
Johnson, Si               PHI   96.0  3.47   14  14   3   5   0   38   17 11.16
Podgajny, Johnny          PHI   28.1  3.49   10   2   0   2   0   11   12 14.61
Hughes, Tommy             PHI  112.2  3.75   15  15   6   6   0   57   53 13.42
Melton, Rube              PHI   88.1  4.69   13  13   3   5   0   43   57 15.28
Hoerst, Lefty             PHI   24.0  5.63   13   0   2   4   0    9   14 14.25
Blanton, Cy               PHI   95.0  6.54   13  13   4   5   0   53   26 14.87
Nahem, Sam                PHI   21.1  6.75   20   0   3   4   1   14   22 17.30
Masterson, Paul           PHI   15.0  7.80   12   0   0   1   0   10    9 21.00
Hennessey, George         PHI    9.0  8.00    6   0   0   3   1    5    6 19.00

LEAGUE LEADERS

NATIONAL LEAGUE LEADERS
AVG - Paul Waner (BSN)		.386
HR - Johnny Mize (NYG)		12
RBI - Johnny Mize (NYG)		56
SB - Dick Bartell (NYG)		8
W - Freddie Fitzsimmons (BRO)	9
ERA - Bucky Walters (CIN)	2.51
K - 3 tied with			57
SV - Diomedes Olivo (PIT)	9

AMERICAN LEAGUE LEADERS
AVG - Ted Williams (BOS)	.403
HR - Jimmie Foxx (BOS)		21
RBI - Jimmie Foxx (BOS)		61
SB - Mike Kreevich (PHA)	8
W - Spud Chandler (NYY)		9
ERA - Joe Dobson (BOS)		2.76
K - Eddie Smith (CHW)		60
SV - Mace Brown (BOS)		8

MILESTONES

5/8: RF Paul Waner (BSN): 3000th Hit

MAJOR INJURIES

5/3: 1B George McQuinn (SLB) out 2 weeks with a stretched ankle ligament.
5/6: RF Wally Moses (CHW) out 5 weeks with a broken wrist.
5/7: P Schoolboy Rowe (DET) out 1 month with a broken wrist.
5/9: 3B Pinky Higgins (DET) out for the season with severed knee ligaments. (Final Stats: .323, 5 HR, 32 RBI)
5/10: P Thornton Lee (CHW) out 3 weeks with a broken foot.
5/14: P Bucky Walters (CIN) out 2 weeks with elbow tendonitis.
5/22: P Tommy Bridges (DET) out 2 weeks with a stretched ankle ligament.
5/22: CF Wally Judnich (SLB) out 3 weeks with a chipped kneecap.
5/23: P Bill Tobin (BSN) out 2 weeks with a separated shoulder.
5/24: P Jim Bagby (CLE) out 2 weeks with a chipped kneecap.
5/26: 1B George McQuinn (SLB) out for the season with a severed knee ligament. (Final Stats: .308, 8 HR, 34 RBI)
5/27: 1B Les Flemin (CLE) out 2 weeks with a strained neck.
5/27: 1B Dolph Camilli (BRO) out 2 weeks with a foot stress fracture.
5/29: CF Sid Gordon (NYG) out 2 weeks with a pulled groin.

NOTABLE RETIREMENTS

5/13: C Luke Sewell
Cleveland Indians 1920-1932, 1939
Washington Senators 1933-1934
Chicago White Sox 1935-1938
1937 AL All-Star

5/17: CF Sam West
Washington Senators 1927-1932, 1938-1941
St. Louis Browns 1933-1938
Chicago White Sox 1942
4-time AL All-Star (1933, 1934, 1935, 1937)

[Overbay17]

Well...at least the starting pitching's been strong. That last stretch was pretty horrid though. Hopefully the offense can start putting up some runs, and the bullpen stop blowing every game.

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Overbay: It's starting to get a little ridiculous. I had almost written off taking a reliever with the first pick, but now I'm starting to have second thoughts.

I should have the first half of June up by midnight, along with draft results and a few other surprises...

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Alright, I feel like an idiot.

I foolishly forgot to save the game after I put up the June recap, and it crashed on me. So now, I have to start over from June 1. Sorry about this. It won't happen again. Unless I have another bad month, in which case...

[PotatoOfCouch13]

JUNE 1942
PART I

MAY MONTHLY AWARDS
Batter of the Month: OF Chuck Klein
Pitcher of the Month: P Si Johnson
Chuck has emerged as a potential Triple Crown candidate again, and while Si’s record might not be impressive, he took massive stride in lowering his ERA.

Minor League Batter of the Month: OF Johnny Blatnik
Minor League Pitcher of the Month: P Charlie Ripple
Johnny wins his second consecutive award, after hitting .420 after being promoted to AAA. Charlie remains undefeated in his professional career, and recorded a 1.61 ERA over the month of May in 2 locations (R Miami Beach, A Rome).

June 1: Philadelphia at St. Louis
1 – Rube Melton complained to manager Hans Lobert that he had a sore arm, so Al Gerheauser gets to make his big league debut as our starter. Predictably, he gets rocked for 8 runs over 7 innings.
Cardinals 9, Phillies 1
W: Lon Warneke (7-4) L: Al Gerheauser (0-1)

June 2-5: Chicago (5th, 27-31, 11 GB) at Philadelphia (7th, 22-36, 16 GB)
2 – Despite scoring the most runs since May 11, the Phillies continue to be unable to stop the opponents’ bats, thanks in large part to 3 foolish errors.
Cubs 9, Phillies 7
W: Shaun Hale (4-5) L: Johnny Podgajny (0-3) SV: Tot Pressnell (1)

3 – Si Johnson throws a complete game, allowing only one run on seven hits, to get the Phillies back on the winning track.
Phillies 7, Cubs 1
W: Si Johnson (4-5) L: Joey Lothian (1-11)
HR: Ed Freed (2)

4 – Tommy Hughes follows Johnson’s lead with another complete game, his of the two run, seven hit variety. Thank goodness that I now have two steady starting pitchers.
Phillies 3, Cubs 2
W: Tommy Hughes (7-6) L: Claude Passeau (7-2)

5 – Big Bill Lee just dominates us again, allowing a run on five hits in his complete game victory. 3 errors on our part don’t help either.
Cubs 3, Phillies 1
W: Bill Lee (8-4) LP: Rube Melton (3-6)

TO BE CONTINUED... (after the draft recap)

[PotatoOfCouch13]

1942 AMATEUR DRAFT
All the clubs were here in Chicago for the first ever draft. The air was rife with electricity, as the scouts from each organization went over strategies and last-minute information. We had the first pick, and we were stumped. The scouts (all three of them) wanted to take a pitcher. Nick Stephens (remember him?) came along, and he wanted 1B Gil Hodges. I was undecided. I had wanted Gil Hodges from the get-go, but a late injury and a pressing need for relief pitchers made me reevaluate my stance, and three months of scouting and preparation came down to this. With 5 minutes to go before the draft started, I looked around the table and said, “Ok, give me one last argument on who I should take. Jerry, Dick, Ross: you first.”
Jerry rose first, followed quickly by Dick and Ross. If there ever were three men who resembled the Three Stooges more, I haven’t seen them. Jerry is the Moe of the group: the leader, the alpha male. Dick is bald, and a little on the heavy side, just like Curly Joe. Ross has a full head of hair that can’t seem to stay close to his head. In fact, we call them the Three Stooges behind their backs, because they always seem to travel together. Getting back on track, however, they all stood up and proceeded to argue their case. They pointed out that: a) we needed pitching badly, especially with the disastrous results the bullpen has been recording, and b) drafting a pitcher will ultimately be cheaper in the long run. I still wasn’t convinced, so I turned to Nick and he gave me his reasons. “Andy, I have seen this Hodges kid play, and let me tell you, I haven’t seen the ball jump off of someone’s bat like that since we went to Yankee Stadium to see Babe Ruth. This kid is the best hitter in his class, and could be producing for the big club. My argument is this: how long is Chuck [Klein] going to be able to keep this up? You need someone to hit home runs, sell tickets, and become the face of the franchise after he retires. Andy, the Phillies haven’t sniffed a pennant in 10 years, and haven’t won one in 27 years. How can you afford not to take the best d*** ballplayer in the draft? You keep talking about how you want to find a cornerstone, a rock that you can build around. I think this is our man. I think this is your rock.”
I thanked everyone, and excused myself. As I paced through the hallways, I kept asking myself the same question: would I rather have Babe Ruth or Pitchy McReliever? The choice became clear, and I walked to the podium at the front of the room and announced:

“With the first pick, the Philadelphia Phillies select 1B Gil Hodges.”