Baseball – 1928

Baseball in 1928

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January

January 4The Yankees buy SS Lyn Lary and IF Jimmy Reese from Oakland (Pacific Coast League) for a reported $150‚000.
January 9The Giants sign Chinese-Hawaiian infielder William “Buck” Lai‚ to a major league contract. Lai had been signed by the Pirates in 1918 but never appeared in a game‚ and since then has played in the minors and for the semipro Brooklyn Bushwicks. Alas‚ he’ll be on the Giants for a month but never appear in a game (as noted by Bob Timmerman).
January 10After unsuccessful attempts to engineer a trade with the Chicago Cubs‚ the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers‚ Giants owner Charles Stoneham announces “that in the best interests of the team” he has traded Rogers Hornsby to the Boston Braves for Shanty Hogan, a promising young catcher, and journeyman OF Jimmy Welsh. Stoneham was not a fan of Hornsby abrasive style as fill-in manager for McGraw this past season‚ and thought that Hornsby welched on gambling debts. Hornsby was sued by a gambler‚ but in a civil case decided the previous December 21st in Missouri‚ where gambling is illegal‚ was found not liable.
January 14Alfred J. Reach‚ founder of the A. J. Reach sporting goods firm‚ dies at 87. Before 1860‚ he became the first ballplayer to receive a regular salary when he signed as a catcher with the Philadelphia Athletics for $25 a week.
January 25Tris Speaker‚ released by Washington‚ will sign up with the A’s.

February

February 3The NL appoints 2 former players as umpires: OF Sherry Magee and 2B Albert “Dolly” Stark. It is a type of vindication for Magee‚ who was suspended for hitting an umpire in 1911.

SS Jimmy Cooney gets to spend his last ML season with his brother Johnny when the Cards sell him to the Boston Braves.
February 11The Giants and Pirates swap pitchers: Burleigh Grimes for Vic Aldridge. Grimes‚ 19-8 with the Giants‚ will lead the NL in wins in 1928 with 25 after his return to Pittsburgh. Aldridge holds out till May 3‚ and then will win just 4 games for New York.
February 14The ML Advisory Council allots $50‚000 to develop a national championship program run by the American Legion.

April

April 6Playing in the Philadelphia city series between the A’s and the Phillies‚ Ty Cobb makes an unassisted DP.
April 10The Senators open a day ahead of the other teams as President Calvin Coolidge throws out the first ball. On the mound for the Senators is Milt Gaston‚ replacing Walter Johnson who misses the start because of a bout of influenza; he missed the last Opener because of a broken ankle. The Red Sox win 7-5 behind Danny MacFayden. First baseman Joe Judge has 4 hits for the losers.

The Brooklyn Robins beat the Yankees‚ 7-2‚ to earn a split in their 4 game series. The World Champions end their exhibition season with a 6-14 record‚ going 3-10 against major-league competition.

At Paducah‚ KY‚ the NL champion Pirates end an unsuccessful spring by beating Ft. Wayne (Central L) 11-1.
April 11At Opening Day at the Polo Grounds‚ a heavily Jewish crowd of 30‚000 is on hand to cheer for New Yorker Andy Cohen‚ Hornsby’s replacement at 2B. After 7 seasons in a business suit‚ manager McGraw abandons it for a Giants uniform. After Mayor Jimmy Walker tosses out the first ball‚ Cohen has 3 hits and 2 RBIs to leads the Giants to a 5-2 over the Rajah’s Braves. Hornsby is 1-for-4 as Larry Benton is the winner over Bob Smith. Braves CF Eddie Brown plays in his 576 consecutive game to extend his NL record. After the game‚ some one thousand fans rush the field and carry Cohen off on their shoulders.

In Cincinnati‚ the Reds top the Cubs‚ 5-1. Dolf Luque scatters 7 hits‚ including Freddie Maguire‘s first and only ML homer‚ to beat Charlie Root. Bubble Hargrave and Chuck Dressen score the winning runs in the 5th inning when Cubs C Gabby Hartnett overthrows 3B on a double steal attempt. Hack Wilson tears a ligament and will be lost to the Cubs for two-three weeks. Maguire’s homer causes the Reds prexy McDiarmid to have some of the OF seats removed and tomorrow several drives into the area will be outs.

25‚000 fans are on hand for the coldest Opener in Philadelphia as the A’s drop an 8-3 decision to the Yankees. Starter Herb Pennock knocks in the first two New York runs against Lefty Grove in the 2nd‚ and the Yanks score three more in the 3rd to knock Grove out of the game. Ruth has a triple and scores three runs‚ while Bing Miller is 3-for-3 for the A’s.
April 12The Cards Grover Alexander opens his 18th season by shutting out the Pirates‚ 5-0‚ on 7 hits and beating Burleigh Grimes. It is Pete’s 90th and last career shutout‚ an NL record. The Cards beat the Pirates yesterday behind Jess Haines‚ to open the season. Frankie Frisch homers for the 2nd straight game.
April 13At Philadelphia‚ the Yankees edge the Athletics‚ 8-7‚ on a double by Babe Ruth. Lou Gehrig hits a long drive off Eddie Rommel that goes through an open window on 20th Street. Cy Moore allows just 2 hits through 5 innings for New York before weakening‚ but picks up the win. Joe Hauser‚ returning to the A’s after a year in the minors‚ collects two homers and a triple.
April 15At St. Louis‚ the Cards edge the Cubs‚ 4-3‚ as Frankie Frisch continues his hot hitting with a homer‚ triple and a single. Bill Sherdel gives up a 3-run homer to Gabby Hartnett in the 2nd‚ but answers by homering in the 5th to help win. Pat Malone loses his 2nd game.

In Baltimore‚ the Yankees beat the Orioles (IL)‚ 5-2. Ruth plays 1B‚ while Gehrig‚ in right field‚ bangs a homer. Dickey also homers off former Brownie Bob Bolen.
April 16For the first time‚ a pitcher is deprived of his mitt when the Brooklyn captain Max Carey complains and the ump removes Boston’s Charlie Robertson‘s glove. The New York Times reports‚ “The Robins detected Robertson doing odd stunts with the ball with the aid of his glove. They reported it to umpire Moran who made Robertson change his glove.” Robertson still wins‚ 3-2‚ as Hornsby has 3 of Boston’s 12 hits.

Phils veteran Cy Williams greets reliever Fred Fitzsimmons with a three-run homer to send the Phils home a 7-5 winner at the Polo Grounds. Cy’s blow negates a single‚ double‚ and triple by Bill Terry for the Giants‚ now 3-1.

In Cleveland‚ Indians owner Alva Bradley announces plans to build an 85‚000 seat stadium on the waterfront. The field can be expanded to 100‚000 for football‚ and 125‚000 for a boxing match. Cost is estimated at a whopping $3‚000‚000.
April 17The visiting Cubs beat Pete Alexander‚ 3-2‚ in 10 innings to take the series‚ 3 games to 1. Lefty Percy Jones allows 5 Cardinal hits‚ 3 in the 3rd‚ to pick up the victory.
April 18The Cubs set an NL Opening Day attendance record as a reported 46‚000 jam Wrigley Field to see Cincinnati rally and top the Cubs‚ 9-6. The Cubs open the 8th inning with a homer by Kiki Cuyler and Earl Webb closes the inning with a 3-run homer as the two teams combine for 28 hits. Red Lucas tops Pat Malone for the win.
April 19The Yankees are out of first place for the first time since May 1926 when they lose‚ 7-6‚ the morning Patriots Day game in Boston. Boston has just one hit in 5 innings off Al Sheeley but the Sox overcome a 6-0 deficit to win. Pat Collins homers for the Sox‚ with Slim Harriss picking up the relief win over Cy Moore. Behind Herb Pennock‚ New York takes the nitecap‚ 7-2‚ in a game rained out after 6 innings. Hooks Wiltse is the losing pitcher. Ken Williams and Babe Ruth exchange homers.

The Browns and Tigers pitchers combine to issue 16 walks‚ all in 4 1/2 innings‚ as Detroit strolls to a 9-8 win. Detroit rookie Paul Easterling hits his 2nd homer in two days. Ken Holloway is the winner over Sad Sam Gray‚ who contributes 7 walks in the loss.

The visiting Braves make 16 hits‚ 4 by 3B Les Bell‚ to beat the Giants‚ 9-8‚ in 10 innings. The Giants answer with 9 hits including a 3-run homer by Andy Reese. Rajah drives home the game winner with his 3rd hit and manages the team in the absence of Jack Slattery‚ who is attending a funeral. Ed Brandt is the winner over Lefty Faulkner in a game in which no strikeouts occur.

The Cubs rattle Wrigley Field with 21 hits to back Sheriff Blake‘s 2-hit shutout over the Reds‚ 13-0. Dolf Luque is the loser. Blake collects 4 hits himself‚ as does Joe Kelly‚ who includes a 3-run homer. Hack Wilson adds two homers‚ one a grand slam‚ a double and a single: in his 5th at-bat he’s hit by a pitch.
April 20Detroit rookie Paul Easterling hits his 3rd HR in 3 days‚ all against the Browns‚ as the Tigers take their 3rd in a row‚ 3-0. The Browns collect just 4 singles off Earl Whitehill. For Easterling‚ this is the last HR he hits for the year.
April 26Behind Jack Quinn‘s 10-0 shutout over the Senators‚ the A’s hit two bases loaded triples to tie a record. Tris Speaker does it in the 3rd and Ty Cobb matches him in the 6th.

In an Iowa prep game‚ Atlantic High School beats Griswold High School like a rented mule‚ winning‚ 109-0 in a no hitter. Atlantic has 92 hits‚ including 26 doubles‚ 7 triples and 16 home runs in a prep school record for embarrassment. (as noted by Kevin Saldana).
April 27The Robins move into first place over the idle Giants with a 9-0 win over the Braves. Big Jim Elliot allows just 3 hits.

Cleveland moves into first place with a 10-6 win over the Tigers. George Uhle allows 5 runs in the first inning but not another till the 9th. Cleveland garners 16 hits and is helped by 6 Tiger errors‚ 4 errors by shortstop Taverner.

May

May 1Indians’ outfielders tie the ML record with 5 assists in a game against the Browns and rookie Sam Langford has 4 of them‚ also equaling the ML record (Cliff Blau points out that the Plain Dealer play-by-play account of this game gives Langford only 3 assists) It’s the 10th time (once in extra innings) it has happened in the major leagues‚ and the last time this century. The Tribe is outhit 12-10 by St. Louis but they win‚ 4-3‚ as Johnny Hodapp scores all 4 runs.
May 2John McGraw pays the supreme compliment to Dodger rookie Del Bissonette (20-for-60 with 11 extra base hits) by ordering him walked in the 9th inning with the bases loaded and 2 out. (as noted by Bill Deane). Giants pitcher Larry Benton had allowed 2 hits before the 9th inning and is nursing a 2-0 lead. Bissonette walks forcing home a run‚ and Harry Riconda then strikes out.
May 3Ty Cobb hits the 700th double of his career while his Athletics lose to the Red Sox‚ 3-1.
May 4At Pittsburgh‚ the Boston Braves beat Ray Kremer and the Pirates‚ 5-4‚ in 11 innings. Kremer is matched by Ed Brandt who also goes 11 frames. For Kremer‚ it is his first loss at home after 22 wins‚ a ML record for consecutive wins at home that won’t be matched in the 20th century.
May 6In the PCL‚ Oakland scores 2 runs in the 22nd inning to beat Sacramento‚ 7-6.
May 7Trailing the Browns 15-1‚ the Senators let reliever Clay Van Alstyne bat in the 9th inning‚ Clay had earlier scored the only Nats run and responds with his first ML home run‚ a solo shot. It is also his last home run and his last at bat.
May 10The Giants send OF George Harper to the Cards for C Bob O’Farrell. O’Farrell‚ who managed the Birds in 1927‚ never regained his effectiveness behind the plate after an arm injury. The trade makes room for 18-year-old Mel Ott to take over the RF position‚ a spot he will hold for 18 years.
May 11The Cards and Phils swap catchers‚ with Spud Davis going to Philley and Jimmy Wilson to St. Louis. Wilson‚ the better defensive backstop‚ will improve the Cards.
May 12At Boston‚ the Red Sox score 11 runs in the 3rd inning against the Browns and roll to a 15-2 win.
May 13The Reds move into briefly first place in the NL with a 11-4 win over the Phils. Carl Mays is the winner‚ allowing 11 hits.
May 14In Chicago‚ Charlie Root beats the Giants‚ 8-2. Fred Fitzsimmons takes the loss. Outside the park after the game‚ John McGraw is knocked down by a taxicab and suffers a broken leg that will keep him out of the dugout 6 weeks. Roger Bresnahan takes over.
May 15The Giants make 6 double plays against the Cubs at Wrigley‚ but lose 10-7.
May 19The Cubs win their 13th straight‚ edging the Braves‚ 3-2. Pitcher Charlie Root breaks a 2-2 tie with a sacrifice fly. Hack Wilson clubs a homer for Chicago. The Cubs are in first place‚ but will lose tomorrow‚ and in 3 days‚ the Reds will regain the lead with a win over Pittsburgh.
May 22Sam Langford has a HR and 2 doubles for Cleveland but the White Sox prevail‚ 4-3. Sox CF Johnny Mostil handles 12 chances‚ equaling Happy Felsch‘s AL record‚ also made against Cleveland as the Sox win‚ 4-3. Mostil also legs it home from 2B with the winning run on a wild pitch by George Uhle‚ a rarity this year as the ML reaches a historic low in wild pitches (as noted by Cliff Blau).
May 23Jack Slattery quits as manager of the last place Braves. Owner Fuch announces that “after much persuasion” Rogers Hornsby has consented to takes over as manager.

Cleveland left fielder Charlie Jamieson starts a triple play against the White Sox in a 4-3 loss. Today’s TP occurs when Bud Clancy is out on a short fly to Jamieson‚ who then throws out Johnny Mann‚ the runner on third who tries to score. The relay from C Ray Sewell to his brother Joe at 2B catches Ray Schalk off base‚ and he is tagged at 3B. Jamieson will start another triple play against the Yankees on June 9.
May 24In the first game of a doubleheader in Philadelphia‚ a ML record 13 future Hall of Famers take the field as the first-place Yankees take on the 2nd-place A’s. This number does not include non-playing Hall of Famers Herb Pennock and Stan Coveleski‚ managers Miller Huggins and Connie Mack‚ nor umpires Tom Connally and Bill McGowan. [HOFs: Combs‚ Durocher‚ Ruth‚ Gehrig‚ Lazzeri‚ and Hoyt for New York; Cobb‚ Speaker‚ Cochrane‚ Simmons‚ Collins‚ Grove‚ and Foxx for the A’s] Led by Tony Lazzeri‘s three hits and six RBIs‚ the Yanks edge the A’s‚ 9-7‚ handing the defeat to Lefty Grove. The A’s win the nitecap‚ 5-2‚ behind rookie Ossie Orwell.
May 26The A’s make it easy for New York by making 7 errors as the Yankees win‚ 7-4.
May 27In St. Louis‚ Reds ace Red Lucas suffers a broken wrist when he is hit by a ball during pre-game batting practice. Lucas (8-2) beat the Cards 2 days ago‚ 2-0‚ the same score that Mays will wiun by today. Lucas will return in a few weeks and go 5-7 the rest of the year.

Aging star George Sisler clears AL waivers and joins another former St. Louis hero Rogers Hornsby on the Braves. Sisler will hit .340 for the remainder of the season.
May 28The A’s buy P George Earnshaw from Baltimore for $50‚000 and 2 players.
May 29At Ebbets Field‚ Bill Terry hits for the cycle to lead the Giants to a 12-5 win over Brooklyn.

At Yankee Stadium‚ the Yankees sweep a pair from Washington‚ 3-2 and 12-3. Leo Durocher‘s bases-loaded triple in the opener gives George Pipgras (8-1) the win. Gehrig and Ruth both slug a pair of homers in the nitecap: Lou hits his 9th in the 3rd‚ off Washington starter Milt Gaston‚ then Ruth and Gehrig hit back-to-back dingers in the 4th off Lloyd Brown. Ruth adds his 18th off Brown in the 7th. Combs also homers.

The Reds lose another star when CF Ethan Allen is beaned and breaks his cheek in an exhibition game in Buffalo.
May 31At Philadelphia‚ the Braves beat the Phils 9-4 behind Bob Smith. Boston is led by Hornsby’s 3 hits and George Sisler‘s three‚ including his first NL homer.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Herb Pennock tosses his 2nd shutout‚ beating Washington‚ 4-0‚ for his 8th win. Irv Hadley is the loser‚ giving up a HR to Cedric Durst and another to Ruth‚ his 19th. Babe almost adds his 20th when he blasts a long high fly with two on‚ but Leo Durocher‚ the runner on first‚ holds up to see if the ball will be caught. Durocher scores but the Babe is cut down at the plate.

June

June 1Hornsby makes his first appearance in Boston as the Braves manager‚ but the Reds spoil the homecoming‚ winning 7-6. The Reds tie it in the 9th with solo homers by the finishing battery-Val Picinich and Ray Kolp. Hughie Critz then homers in the 10th off Joe Genewich for the win. Fans cheer George Sisler who tallies 3 hits for his new team.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants beat the Robins‚ 4-3‚ as winner Larry Benton finishes his 10th game in 10 starts. Mel Ott’s single drives home the winner to beat Jumbo Jim Elliot.
June 2St. Mary’s College football star Larry Bettencourt breaks in at 3B with the Browns in a 5-2 win over the Senators. A future member of the College Football Hall of Fame‚ Bettencourt was an All-American center who will later play for the Green Bay Packers. The $6‚000 bonus he receives is a record for a rookie just out of school.

The Phillies defeat the Cardinals 12-11‚ as the two teams use 37 players and combine for 6 homers. Jim Bottomley blasts two and Wattie Holm hits a pinch grand slam in the 8th for the losers. The Phils counter with two pinch homers to give Bill Sherdel the win over Sugar Sweetland.

In Boston‚ Braves 3B Les Bell takes advantage of the fences shortened last year by smashing 3 HRs. A 4th hit bounces off the top of the RF wall for a triple. Les drives home 6 runs‚ but Boston still loses to the Reds‚ 20-12. The Reds pound 6 pitchers for 23 hits‚ including 4 each by Chuck Dressen and Wally Pipp‚ who scores 4 times. Sisler and Hornsby each have 3 hits‚ including Rajah’s homer into the short first base bleachers. Pete Donohue is the winner over Art Delaney in a 2 hour‚ 30 minute contest.
June 6Cy Williams hits his 2nd pinch HR in 2 games but the Phils lose to the Cubs 5-3. Williams’ previous pinch HR came on June 2 against St. Louis.

Brooklyn tops the visiting Reds‚ 8-5‚ behind Del Bissonette‘s 5 ribbies. Bissonette belts his 10th homer to take the NL lead. Rube Bressler adds 4 hits to back Doug McWeeny‘s pitching. Ray Kolp takes the loss.
June 7At Cleveland‚ Joe Shaute pitches credible ball‚ allowing an early homer to Tony Lazzeri‚ but in the 8th he gives up 4 unearned runs. Then in the 9th he serves up back-to-back homers to Ruth (#20) and Gehrig (#12). The Babe’s is a 3-run shot. Cleveland loses‚ 8-2‚ with George Pipgras winning his 10th.

The Robins beat the Reds‚ 1-0‚ in 11 innings as both starters go all the way allowing 11 hits. Bill Doak is the winner over Pete Donohue.

The Phils end their 9-game losing streak stopping the Cubs‚ 4-2. Ray Benge goes all the way for the win‚ giving up a homer to Hack Wilson in the 9th. Wilson now has 10 homers to tie Bissonette for the NL lead.

The Giants nose out the Cardinals‚ 4-3‚ to regain 2nd place‚ but lose CF Edd Roush for the season when he tears an abdominal muscle diving for a ball. The injury will plague him the rest of his career. The win goes to Larry Benton (9-2).
June 8Braves OF Eddie Brown is benched‚ ending his record (NL) 618-game playing streak. The Braves pound out 17 hits with Brown’s replacement Jack Smith going 3-for-3. Pete Scott has a pair of homers into the new LF bleachers‚ and Hornsby also homers to back Brandt.

At St. Louis‚ the Macks get a grand slam homer in the 1st from Sammy Hale and homers in the 9th from Cochrane and Hauser. But the Browns answer with a record tying three homers in the bottom of the 9th as Bettencourt‚ Brannon and Blue connect. The five homers is a ML record that will be tied in the 20th C but never topped. The A’s win‚ 10-8.

The Pirates trade OF Joe Harris and C Johnny Gooch to Brooklyn for C Charlie Hargreaves.

The A’s waive pitcher Ike Powers to Blomington (3I league) and send along 2B Bill Simmons‚ younger brother of Al Simmons‚ for a trial.
June 9Outfielder Charlie Jamieson starts his 2nd triple play in 3 weeks‚ this time against the Yanks in the 2nd inning. Ben Paschal is on 3B‚ and Lazzeri on 1st‚ when Jamieson snags a line drive hit by Joe Dugan. Charlie’s quick throw to 1B Lew Fonseca nabs Lazzeri‚ and Paschal is out at home when he tries to score. Again‚ Cleveland is on the losing end‚ as New York wins 7-3.
June 11At Boston‚ the Cards wallop the Braves‚ 8-1‚ collecting three homers‚ including one by winning pitcher Pete Alexander. Alex parks one in the new LF bleachers. The Braves only score is a 9th inning homer by Les Bell‚ who also hits his in the new LF stands.

At Detroit‚ Al Simmons and Jimmie Foxx belt successive solo shots in the 8th inning off Sam Gibson to break up a pitching duel with Ossie Orwell. Orwell wins‚ 4-2.
June 12Brooklyn beats the Cubs 13-1‚ as 3B Harvey Hendrick steals 2B‚ 3B‚ and home against Chicago in the 8th.

The visiting Pirates maul the Phillies with 25 hits to win‚ 15-4. Every starter has at least 2 hits‚ except C Earl Smith with a lone single. Seven players tally at least three hits‚ with winning pitcher Ray Kremer collecting 4 hits.

At Comiskey Park‚ the Yanks follow two losses to the Sox with a 15-6 butchering of Grady Adkins. Gehrig leads the way with two homers and two triples and scores 5 runs‚ while Ruth adds #23. Pat Collins and Earl Combs also homer for New York as George Pipgras runs his record to 11-1.

Umpire Frank Wilson dies following an appendicitis operation. Wilson umped in the AL from 1921-1923 before switching to the NL.
June 13Behind Dazzy Vance’s 10 strikeouts‚ the Robins beat the Cubs‚ 7-2. Kiki Cuyler‘ solo homer in the 1st inning put the Cubs in the lead‚ but Babe Herman tops that with two homers‚ one inside and one outside the park. Pat Malone takes the loss.
June 14The Braves change the rules and stop the homer orgy that has racked up 48 homers in 15 home games. The ground rules are changed today so that any balls hit into the LF grand stands are ground rule doubles. The cardboard stands will soon be demolished‚ but today four balls are hit there in the Cards‚ 3-2 win. St. Louis wins in the 9th when Jim Bottomley triples and Chick Hafey follows with a homer‚ both off reliever Joe Genewich. Cy Pfirman is pelted with bottles in the 4th inning after thumbing manager Rogers Hornsby for protesting a 3rd strike call.
June 15The Giant send four players to the Braves for pitcher Joe Genewich (3-7)‚ Boston’s best pitcher last year. He’ll go 11-4 for New York‚ but win just 5 games in 2 seasons after that. Receiving Boston tickets are rookie pitcher Ben Cantwell‚ rookie catcher Al Spohrer‚ and pitchers Bill Clarkson and Virgil Barnes. The two rookies will blossom in Boston‚ while the vets will be gone in a year.

The Cards top Brooklyn‚ 5-2‚ in 14 innings‚ winning on Jim Bottomley‘s 3-run blast off Bill Clark. St. Louis spitballer Clarence Mitchell‚ “rescued from the junk heap a few days ago” (NY Times) pitches the first 11 innings before giving way to Syl Johnson. With the win‚ the Cards wrest first place from the Reds‚ 8-7 losers to the Phillies.

At Boston‚ the Cubs take a 5-4 win over the sliding Braves. Farrell for the Braves‚ and Beck and Cuyler for the Cubs are deprived of homers by the new ground rule rregarding balls hit into the LF bleachers. The bleachers were erected to give Rogers Hornsby more homers‚ but the Rajah doesn’t play today as he is saddled with a five-game suspension for yesterday’s outburst. The Cubs do get 2nd inning homers from Hack Wilson and Charley Grimm‚ with both shots going into the CF bleachers.

At St. Louis‚ Otis Brannan has a homerun and 3-run double to pace the Browns to a 5-4 victory over the Yankees. Red Kress also homers for St. Louis while Babe Ruth hits his 24th for the Bombers.

In Cleveland‚ Ty Cobb of the A’s doubles in Lefty Grove in the 8th inning and reaches 3B on a ground out. Then Cobb steals home just evading the tag of C Luke Sewell. It is Cobb’s last steal of home as he leads the A’s to a 12-5 win over the Indians. Grove is the winner.
June 16Red Sox 2B Bill Regan bangs 2 HRs in the 4th inning in Boston’s 105 win over the White Sox. Regan matches his last year’s total in the inning. His 1st homer is off loser Les Blankenship; the 2nd-an inside-the-park-off George Connally. The next Sox player to hit a pair of HRs in an inning will be Ellis Burks in 1990. Rookie Ed Morris is the winner today.

Led by rookie Eddie Morgan‚ the Indians scalp the A’s‚ 9-2. Morgan makes it easy for George Uhle by collecting 3 doubles‚ a triple‚ and a walk.
June 17Dazzy Vance is dazzling as he strikes out 15 in Brooklyn’s 4-0 win over the Cubs. Batterymate DeBarry makes 17 putouts‚ a NL record‚ since topped.
June 21In Chicago‚ the Cubs split with the Cards‚ winning 2-1 before losing 4-1. In the nitecap‚ Hack Wilson grounds out in the 9th‚ then climbs into the stands to swing at a heckling fan Edward Young. Teammates pull Wilson off before he does much damage.
June 22Journeyman hurler Hank Johnson of the Yankees blanks the star-studded Athletics 4-0. In the game for Connie Mack‘s team are Ty Cobb‚ Mickey Cochrane‚ Al Simmons‚ Jimmie Foxx‚ Eddie Collins‚ Tris Speaker‚ and Lefty Grove.
June 24The Cardinals 41-year-old Grover Cleveland Alexander beats the Reds for the third time in 8 days to keep the Birds in first place.
June 25The Giants’ Fred Lindstrom strokes 9 hits in a doubleheader against Philadelphia to tie the ML mark. The Giants sweep‚ 12-4 and 8-2.

Bob Sanguinett of Midland (West Texas L) hits a homer to start a streak of homering in 10 straight games‚ a minor league record that will not be matched in the century. Mike Calise of Louisville (AA) will come the closest‚ hitting homers in 8 straight games in 1982. Sanguinett will break the record of 7 straight games‚ held jointly by Richmond (Blue Grass League) teammates Norman Nunn and Louis Munn‚ who did it in 1912.
June 28Babe Ruth slugs two HRs to lead the Yankees to a 10-4 victory over the Athletics. Ty Cobb appears in his 3‚000th career game.
June 30At Boston‚ the Yankees win 2 from the Red Sox‚ 11-4 and 7-6‚ and close out the month 111?2 games in front of the A’s. Attendance lags‚ as the race appears over.

July

July 1Before 65‚000 fans‚ the Yanks sweep a pair from the visiting A’s‚ 12-6 and 8-4. Tony Lazzeri wallops a pair of homers in the nitecap‚ and is 7-for-8 with 15 total bases on the day. Gehrig connects for a pair of homers in the opener to back Hoyt’s 10th win..
July 3At Boston‚ Phils P Alex Ferguson shuts out the Braves to win 15-0. It is the first shutout for the Phillies pitching staff this season. Boston veteran George Sisler tosses a last scoreless inning against the Phils.
July 4Ray Schalk resigns as White Sox manager effective after today’s doubleheader. Schalk then inserts himself into the first game’s lineup as catcher‚ his only appearance of the year. Starting for the Sox is 23-year-old Ed Walsh Jr.‚ making his major league debut. Walsh’s father pitched for years with Schalk as his catcher‚ making Schalk the only backstop to catch a father and a son in the majors. Young Ed’s debut is forgettable as he gives up 5 runs to the Browns in 4 innings. Schalk leaves the game with Walsh and St. Louis wins 11-8. Schalk’s managerial replacement is Lena Blackburne who will last one year and in 1930 will start selling his Rubbing Mud from the Delaware River to the AL for use in taking the shine off of baseballs. The NL will adopt it in the 1950s.

The Yanks split with the Senators‚ losing 5-2 before winning‚ 5-4. The split still leaves the Yankees with a 53-17 mark and a 12 game edge over the rest of the AL pack.

After a 6-0 win in game 1‚ the Reds sweep in game 2 as 3B Chuck Dressen scores 5 runs to lead the Reds to an 11-3 win over Pittsburgh.
July 6Urban Shocker‚ in poor health‚ is released by the Yankees after one appearance on the mound.
July 7Bob Sanguinett of Midland (West Texas League) hits a homer in his 10th straight game‚ a minor league record that will not be matched in the century. The streak started on June 25. Mike Calise of Louisville (AA) will come the closest‚ hitting homers in 8 straight games in 1982. Sanguinett breaks the record of 7 straight games‚ held jointly by Richmond (Blue Grass League) teammates Norman Nunn and Louis Munn‚ who did it in 1912.
July 10Washington P Milt Gaston surrenders 14 hits‚ including two doubles and a triple‚ in a 9-0 shutout over Cleveland‚ setting an AL record for a 9-inning game and tying the ML standard. Jake Miller takes the loss for the Tribe.

The Pirates sell C Earl Smith to the Cards.
July 12Baseball’s biggest battery is recorded‚ appropriately‚ with the New York Giants‚ as Garland “Gob” Buckeye‚ a 260 pound pro football lineman in the off-season‚ makes his NL pitching debut with 250 pound Shanty Hogan behind the plate. The Giants lose to the Cardinals. In a significant move‚ the Giants purchase 25-year-old lefty Carl Hubbell from Beaumont for an amount rumored to be the most ever paid for a Texas League player.
July 14At Boston‚ White Sox P Ed Walsh‚ Jr. picks up his first ML win‚ topping the Red Sox 11-4. Junior will only win 11 games to his father’s 195: all 206 Walsh victories are for the White Sox.
July 15With Ruth (34th) and Gehrig (19th) banging homers‚ the Yankees defeat the Indians 6-4 in the nitecap. Herb Pennock shuts out the Tribe‚ 3-0‚ in the opener.

The Hollywood Stars (PCL) become the first professional team to travel by air when they fly from Seattle to Portland‚ where they catch a train for L.A.
July 18Ruth delivers his 36th homer‚ off Ted Lyons with 2 on and 2 out in the 9th inning to give New York a 9-8 win over the visiting White Sox. Bibb Falk had tied the match with a 3-run homer‚ off Waite Hoyt‚ in the 8th.
July 19Ruth leads the way again‚ with a pair of 2-run homers‚ to give the Yankees a 6-4 win over the White Sox. Al Thomas takes the loss‚ his 13th consecutive to New York in as many games over the past 2 seasons.
July 20George Earnshaw strikes out 10 and allows just 3 Brownie hits in defeating General Crowder‚ 4-0. The Athletics are led by Jimmy Foxx‚ who goes 3-for-3 with 2 doubles.

Cards’ veteran Grover Alexander is invincible for 8 innings‚ allowing just one hit‚ but the Phillies score 4 runs against Old Pete in the 9th‚ paced by a Cy Williams homer. Alex holds on to win‚ 5-4‚ with Alex Ferguson taking the loss.
July 21Jimmie Foxx hits the longest drive ever seen out of Shibe Park as the A’s take two from St. Louis‚ 8-2 and 7-3. The sweep increases their lead over the 3rd-place Browns to 10 games. Foxx’s drive‚ off Johnny Ogden‚ clears the LF stands. Al Simmons adds a homer in the 9th to give Lefty Grove the win. In the nitecap‚ 43-year-old Jack Quinn spits his way to his 13th win against just 4 losses. Joe Hauser and Jimmy Dykes hit roundtrippers off Lefty Stewart. In an unusual display of consistency‚ every A’s batter collects a hit in each game.

In St. Louis‚ the Phillies finally win‚ 8-3‚ stopping their loss streak at 12 games. Sugar Sweetland wins over Clarence Mitchell. Rookie Pinkie Whitney and Freddie Leach homer for the Phils‚ while Chick Hafey connects for the Birds.
July 22P Red Faber of the White Sox comes up to bat in the 8th with 2 runners on base and the game with the Yankees tied 4-4. He swings twice righthanded against righty Wilcy Moore and misses. He then switches to the left side and knocks in the winning runs with a single to center as the Sox win‚ 6-4. Cy Moore is the loser in relief.
July 23In Boston‚ the Yanks lose to the Red Sox‚ 8-3‚ despite Babe Ruth‘s 40th homer. Ruth’s homer clears the left-centerfield wall‚ some 450 feet from home‚ and is the first ball to clear that part of Fenway. Ruth‚ who adds a double against Danny MacFayden‚ is now 28 games ahead of last year’s home run pace. Al Shealy takes the loss for New York.
July 24The first-place Cards edge the Robins‚ 2-1‚ with both runs come on solo homers by Hafey and Bottomley. Wee Willie Sherdel wins against Jess Petty.

The Indians tally 35 hits and 25 runs in a double win over the Red Sox‚ 102 and 15-5. Johnny Hoddap has 4 hits in the nitecap and backup C Chick Autry chips in with 5 safeties. Sox manager Carrigan finally pulls RF Doug Taitt in to pitch the 9th inning.
July 25Last-place Detroit sweeps a pair from the Yankees‚ winning 3-2 and 10-7. George Pipgras blows the lead in the opener to lose to Elam Vangilder. The Tigers then run wild in the nitecap win by starter George Smith‚ who picks up his only victory of the year. For the 2nd time in his career‚ Detroit’s Jackie Tavener steals 2B‚ 3B‚ and home in the same game‚ swiping the 3 in the 4th inning. His steal of home is on the front end of a successful double steal‚ with Larry Woodall taking 2B. Tavener and Cobb are the only AL players to accomplish this feat more than once. Hank Johnson takes the loss for New York.

The A’s sweep two from the White Sox‚ 16-0 and 8-7. Howard Ehmke wins the opener on 6 hits‚ adding two doubles to the offense‚ as the A’s set a franchise record for runs in a whitewash. Ted Lyons takes the loss. The A’s come from behind to take the 2nd game when Tris Speaker singles to tie the game‚ and Eddie Collins drives home the game-winner.

Reds first sacker George Kelly drives in 7 runs to lead Cincy to a 16-7 win at Philadelphia.
July 26Detroit rookie righthander Vic Sorrell and the Yankees’ Waite Hoyt are 1-1 after 11. Twelve hits and 2 walks in the 12th‚ all off Sorrell‚ score eleven New York runs to set a ML record for the biggest extra-inning storm ever for the inning (the same two combined for 11 runs in the 12th inning on May 14‚ 1923: NY-8‚ Det-3‚ which is a record for 2 teams). For the 3rd time‚ Yankee Bob Meusel hits for the cycle‚ a major league record that only Babe Herman in the NL will tie. Detroit takes the nitecap‚ outslugging New York‚ 13-10. Harry Heilmann hits a grand slam‚ in the 2nd‚ and adds a triple and single to drive in 8 runs. Earl Whitehill is the winner‚ though reliever Elam Vangilder belts a homer.

Carl Hubbell makes his ML debut‚ against the Pirates. He pitches a scoreless 1st inning‚ but the Pirates score 5 in the 2nd to knock him out. Pittsburgh wins‚ 7-5‚ behind Burleigh Grimes.

The Phils buy left-hand hitting OF Chuck Klein from Fort Wayne.

The first place Cards beat the Robins again‚ 6-1‚ behind Pete Alexander’s pitching. Alex adds 3 singles‚ while Frankie Frisch‚ Taylor Douthit‚ and George Harper hit homers.
July 27In Chicago‚ Ty Cobb returns to the A’s lineup after being out for 9 days when hit on the wrist by a pitch. Cobb singles and doubles and is then hit in chest by a pitch from Sarge Connally.
July 28The front-running Cardinals take 2 from Philadelphia‚ winning 7-6 and 12-2‚ to move 4 1/2 games in front of Cincinnati. The Birds‚ now 62-35‚ are paced by Chick Hafey‘s 4 doubles and 2 HRs‚ the first major leaguer to hit 6 long hits in a DH.
July 29The Indians score 8 in the first and 9 in the 2nd in a 24-6 romp over the Yankees at Cleveland. George Pipgras takes a quick loss‚ allowing 5 hits and getting no outs in the first. Johnny Hodapp of the Indians becomes the first AL player to get 2 hits in an inning twice in a game when he strokes a pair of singles in both the 2nd and 6th innings. Hodapp and Joe Sewell each have 5 of the Tribes’ 27 hits as Joe Shaute coasts home with the win. The 24 runs is the most ever scored against the Yankees. The Yankees’ lead shrinks from 11 1?2 games to 6 in one week.
July 31The Cards pick up a win over the last-place Phillies‚ 18-5‚ scoring 16 of their runs from the 5th inning on. After Phils shortstop Heine Sand‚ thinking there were 3 outs in the 5th‚ tosses the ball in the middle of the diamond‚ Chick Hafey scores from first on the blunder‚ and 4 more Cards plate runs in the inning. Taylor Douthit has 5 hits for the 1st-place Cards.

At Ebbets Field‚ the Robins come from behind to beat the Reds‚ 3-2. With two RBIs from Jake Flowers‚ Dazzy Vance is victorious over “the toiling citizens of the American Rhine (NY Times).”

August

August 1In the Yankees 12-1 rout of the Browns‚ Babe Ruth hits HR No. 42 in the 1st‚ off Alvin Crowder‚ and is 4 weeks ahead of his 1927 pace. Bob Meusel also cracks a homer. Winning pitcher Hank Johnson scatters 7 hits and goes an unprecedented 5-for-5 at the plate.

The White Sox leap from 6th place to a tie for 4th with a doubleheader win over the Red Sox in Chicago. Red Faber wins the opener‚ 4-2‚ while young Ed Walsh goes the distance for the nitecap victory‚ 7-3.
August 2In St. Louis‚ the Browns go 15 innings with the Yankees before emerging winners‚ 4-3. A tired starter Herb Pennock gives up the winning single to pitcher Walter Stewart‚ who relieved for Curly Ogden. The loss leaves the Yanks 4 1/2 ahead of the A’s: New York had a 12-game lead on July 4th.

The A’s win their 10th straight‚ beating Cleveland‚ 6-0. The Mackmen have now won 17 of 18 games. The winning pitcher is George Earnshaw‚ whom the A’s recently acquired from Baltimore.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants beat the Reds‚ 7-5‚ to move into 2nd place. Joe Genewich is the winner‚ going all the way against 4 Reds pitchers.

The Pirates score 12 runs in the first 3 innings and coast to an 18-4 win over the Phillies. Glenn Wright in the 2nd‚ and Larry Grantham in the 3rd‚ clout 3-run homers.
August 3The Cards top the Braves‚ 5-1‚ behind Bill Sherdel‘s 14th win in 18 starts. With the thermometer in Boston at 95‚ Braves starter Virgil Barnes‚ acquired from New York for Joe Genewich in June‚ leaves after 5 innings in a state of semi-collapse.

The Browns Sammy Gray whitewashes the Yankees‚ 8-0‚ allowing just 6 hits. The Bombers have now gone 21 innings in St. Louis without a run.

The A’s finally lose‚ as the Indians beat them‚ 9-5‚ behind Willis Hudlin. Rube Walberg takes the loss. Connie Mack doesn’t give up without a fight though‚ sending in 18 players‚ including 5 pinch hitters.
August 4In New York‚ the Giants sweep a doubleheader from the Reds‚ outscoring Cincy‚ 13-11 and 10-9. New York collects 18 hits in the opener and 20 in the nitecap‚ one more than the Reds. It is so hot on the field that Reds C Val Picinich plays the 2nd game without a chest protector. Hughie Critz has a bunt single in the opener and a double in game 2 to run his hit streak to 23 games.

The Braves split with the front-running Cards‚ losing 3-2 before beating Pete Alexander‚ 2-1. The Cards only score in the nitecap is Jim Bottomley‘s 24th HR tying him for the NL lead with Hack Wilson.

At St. Louis‚ George Pipgras pitches the Yankees to an 8-6‚ 10 inning win over the Browns. Ruth clouts his 43rd homer; Gehrig is 2nd in the AL with 19‚ and Joe Hauser 3rd with 15.
August 5In a battle of the front runners‚ the Cardinals top the Giants 6-4 in 15 innings. Young Carl Hubbell relieves Lefty Faulkner in the 4th inning with 2 on and gets a double play. He throws another 11 innings‚ allowing just 3 hits‚ before losing to Clarence Mitchell in the 15th.

Lefty Grove throws a masterful 3-hitter against the Tigers to lead the A’s to a win‚ 5-1. Harry Heilmann‘s round tripper is the only score for Detroit. With Ed Walsh Jr. beating the Yankees in Chicago‚ the A’s are 3 1/2 games back.
August 6At Philadelphia‚ Hack Wilson clouts two homers‚ #25 and #26‚ for the Cubs‚ but the Phillies still emerge the winners‚ 8-7. Veteran Bob McGraw is the victor over Sheriff Blake. The Phils‚ with the worst record in baseball‚ also win the nitecap‚ 5-1 as Alex Ferguson beats Charlie Root. The Phils will whip the Cubs tomorrow‚ 4-2‚ dropping Chicago into 4th place‚ and improving the Phillies’ record to 27-70.

In Chicago‚ the Sox drop the stumbling Yankees‚ 5-4‚ in 15 innings. Willie Kamm triples home the run that gives Grady Adkins the win. George Pipgras takes the loss.
August 7The Giants clip the first-place Cards‚ 10-1‚ behind Larry Benton’s 18th victory. Benton scatters 6 hits and holds St. Louis scoreless till the 9th‚ while his teammates are lighting up Flint Rhem for 15 hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Detroit beats the red-hot A’s‚ 4-1. Winning pitcher Owen Carroll triples home the game-winner in the 7th inning.
August 9Before 15‚000 fans in Philley‚ the Athletics top Washington‚ 8-3‚ behind Howard Ehmke‘s 3-hitter. Al Simmons‘ 12th homer of the year‚ a grand slam in the 6th‚ is the big blow for the A’s.

The Yankees whip the Red Sox‚ 7-1‚ as lefty Fred Heimach‚ in his Yankee debut‚ gives up just 4 Boston hits. All the scoring comes in the 6th inning.

The Pirates shoot down the Cardinals‚ 5-4‚ to cut the St. Louis lead to 4 games. Carmel Hill‚ with relief help from Burleigh Grimes‚ is the winner. For 5th place Pittsburgh‚ it is their 8th win in a row‚ and 24th in their last 31 games.
August 11Carl Hubbell’s first ML victory is a 4-0 shutout of the Phils. He’ll be 10-6 down the stretch and will pitch 16 years with the Giants.

The Cubs top the Cardinals‚ 5-1‚ behind Sheriff Blake‘s 7-hitter.

The Reds snap an 8-game losing streak‚ as Red Lucas beats the Pirates‚ 1-0.

The A’s win their 22nd in the last 26 games‚ edging the Senators‚ 3-2. Mickey Cochrane‘s hit in the 9th gives the win to George Earnshaw. The A’s stay 4 1/2 in back of the Yankees.

In Chicago‚ the Browns beat the White Sox‚ 4-2‚ behind Sammy Gray’s 18th victory. Gray leaves after 7 innings with the score‚ 2-2‚ but the Browns score in the 8th and 9th and Gray is awarded the win.
August 13Lefty Grove holds the Tigers to two 4th inning singles to give the host A’s a 7-1 win. Grove wins his 9th straight and 17 of the year. The A’s (72-39) still trail the Yankees (77-35) who are idle today.

The Braves send INF Eddie Moore to Toledo (American Assoc.) in exchange for lefty OF Heine Mueller. Moore will go back to Boston briefly after the AA season ends.
August 14Pete Alexander returns from an illness to pitch the Cards to a 6-1 win over the Braves. Alex scatters 7 hits‚ including 2 by Hornsby‚ who is leading the NL at .381‚ 21 points ahead of Paul Waner. Goslin and Simmons are tied in the AL at .380‚ with Gehrig 3rd at. 369.

The Reds release submariner Carl Mays (4-1)‚ who has been suffering from neuritis. The Giants will sign the veteran before next season.

In Philadelphia‚ the Tigers trip the 2nd-place A’s‚ 4-1 behind long-time A’s pitching jinx Elam Van Gilder. The Bengals tally 3 runs off starter Howard Ehmke.

The Babe hits his 44th homer in the first inning‚ but the White Sox tie in the 3rd enroute to a 5-2 win over the visiting Yankees. Ruth is now 13 games ahead of last year’s pace.
August 16Braves outfielder Lance Richbourg does all his damage in the first 3 innings of a 9-4 win over the Cardinals. He homers in the 1st‚ doubles in the 2nd with the bases loaded‚ and triples in the 3rd with 2 men on.

At Philadelphia‚ the A’s overwhelm the Tigers‚ 18-6. Philadelphia scores 9 runs in the second inning as Jimmy Foxx contributes 2 doubles. He adds a homer and scores 4 runs in the game. Simmons‚ Hargrave and MacManus also hit for the circuit.
August 20Art Shires of the White Sox strokes 4 hits‚ including a triple‚ in his ML debut‚ to lead Chicago to a 6-4 win over the Red Sox. Red Faber is the winning pitcher.

Eppa Rixey pitches the Reds to a 5-3 win over the Giants but the Giants retain first place by .002 percentage points.

The Cards stay right behind with a 2-1 win over the Robins‚ beating Dazzy Vance with a run in the 9th inning. It is Vance’s first loss after 6 straight wins; his last loss came against Jess Haines‚ who wins today in relief. Jess’s last win was against Dazzy.
August 21The ancient spitballer Jack Quinn picks up his 16th win‚ subduing the Indians‚ 12-4. Bill Bayne gives up six runs to the A’s in the 1st inning to take the loss. The A’s remain firmly in 2nd place behind the Yanks.

New York’s Mark Baldwin surrenders only 3 hits‚ but is out dueled by Ed Stein‚ who pitches his 2nd one-hitter of the season to lead Brooklyn to a 3-0 victory.

The last-place Phillies take their 6th win in a row over the Cubs‚ winning 3-1 behind Claude Willoughby. Jeff Heathcote’s homer is the only score for Chicago. The Phillies record is now 33-77. The Cubs lose Hack Wilson‚ who is suspended for 3 games for an outburst against the umpires in yesterday’s loss. His buddy Pat Malone is fined $50 for using “abusive language from the bench.”
August 22The Pirates top the Braves‚ 10-3‚ as Waner and Traynor each drive in 3 runs. Paul tallies a single‚ double and triple while Pie slices two singles and a triple. Lloyd Waner scores 3 runs to help rookie Erv Brame pick up the win.

Chicago’s Ed Walsh tosses good ball but is outpitched by Washington’s Bump Hadley‚ who wins 2-0. Ossie Bluege drives home both runs with a first inning single.

The A’s outlast the Indians to win a 17-inning marathon‚ 6-5 collecting 20 hits. Mule Haas cracks a no-out homer in the final frame‚ off Johnny Miljus‚ to give Ed Rommel the win. The A’s now trail by 5 games.
August 23The Giants split with Pittsburgh‚ winning the opener 6-3 with a 5-run burst in the 8th inning sparked by Lefty O’Doul’s 2-run homer. Larry Benton notches his 21st win. The Bucs come back in the nightcap to win 13-3 behind Freddy Fussell.

Lefty Grove beats the Indians‚ 3-1‚ for his 19th win. Grove is in the groove‚ fanning 5 straight batters in the 2nd and 3rd innings. In the 2nd he strikes out Morgan‚ Harval and Autry on 9 pitches‚ then K’s Miller and Langford to start the 3rd. All told‚ Lefty throws 15 straight strikes (including a foul)‚ then a ball‚ and another strike to retire the 5 batters. He allows 8 hits and strikes out 8 for his 11th win in a row.

The rained-out Yankees pick up Tom Zachary on waivers from Washington for $7‚500. Zachary will fill the starter’s role of Herb Pennock‚ currently down with an attack of neuritis. To make room for the lefty‚ New York releases veteran spitballer Stanley Coveleski.
August 24In Philadelphia‚ the A’s tip the Indians‚ 1-0 behind Rube Walberg‘s shutout. Rube scores the games only tally on a single by Mickey Cochrane off loser Joe Shaute. The Mackmen sweep the 4-game series with the Tribe and are now three games in back of the Yankees‚ losers of two to the Browns.

The Cubs sweep two games from the Braves‚ winning 4-1 and 4-3‚ to pull within 3 1/2 games of the NL lead. Pat Malone and Charlie Root are the winners‚ though Boston’s porous defense victimizes Bob Smith in the nitecap.

The Cards increase their hold on first place by defeating the Phils‚ 1-0 on homer by the light-hitting Ernie Orsatti. Jess Haines is the winner.

The Pirates drop the Giants‚ 16-5‚ as Burleigh Grimes picks up his 22nd win. New York now trails the Cards by 1 1/2 games.
August 25At Boston‚ Hack Wilson hits 2 homers to help Percy Jones hand Brave’s rookie Ed Brandt one of his league leading 21 losses. Cubs win 7-3. It’s the 6th time this year that Hack’s connected for 2 in a game.

Pete Alexander allows a Phils run in the first and that’s it‚ as the Cards veteran wins‚ 2-1 in 10 innings. It is Alex’s 14th victory.

September

September 1In Washington‚ Republican presidential candidate Herbert Hoover looks on as “Approximately 99 percent of the spectators wore their straw hats‚ hoping the Senators would give them a chance to get excited and hurl them away” (NY Times). Alas‚ the Yankees win‚ 8-3. Waite Hoyt is the winner and beneficiary of Bob Meusel‘s 4-for-4 hitting. Meusel has 3 RBIs. Garland Braxton takes the loss.

Sheriff Blake is red hot for the Cubs‚ allowing just one hit‚ in besting the Reds Ray Kolp‚ 1-0. The lone Reds hit is a 5th inning double by Long George Kelly.
September 2The Senators top the Yankees‚ 2-0‚ as Fred Marberry does it all‚ shutting down the Yanks and driving in both Nat runs. Bob Meusel‘s hit streak is stopped at 6 straight‚ The New York lead is now 1 1/2 games over the A’s‚ winners of an exhibition game in Lycoming‚ PA.
September 3The A’s are set back as the Senators stop them twice‚ 6-1 and 5-4. Bump Hadley wins the opener‚ scattering 6 hits and striking out 8. Ty Cobb makes the last of his 4‚191 hits‚ the 724th double of his career‚ as an A’s pinch hitter in the 9th inning against Hadley. In the nitecap‚ Garland Braxton is the winner over George Earnshaw.

Pirates RF Adam Comorosky handles 9 putouts‚ tying the NL record for that position.
September 4With yesterday’s Labor Day DH rained out‚ the Braves will play a record 9 consecutive doubleheaders between now and the 15th: Brooklyn today and the 5th; Philadelphia on the 7th and 8th; New York on the 10th‚ 11th‚ 13th‚ and 14th; and the Cubs on the 15th. Starting with the Phils on the 8th‚ they will lose 5 of them in a row-a record‚ including all four to the Giants. They start the streak by dropping both games today to Brooklyn: the Robins win the opener‚ 3-2‚ behind Jake Flowers 10th-inning homer for Dazzy Vance’s 19th win; Brooklyn takes the nitecap‚ 9-2‚ as Babe Herman and Del Bissonette wallop 4th-inning homers.
September 5Boston sweeps today’s twinbill with Brooklyn‚ winning the opener‚ 9-2. The Robins collect 13 hits in the loss‚ but make 8 errors. The Braves are paced by Sisler’s four hits. Bob Smith pitches a 2-hitter to win the nitecap.
September 7The A’s take 2 from Boston‚ winning 1-0 and 7-3‚ and move into a first-place tie with the Yankees. Lefty Grove is magnificent in the opener‚ allowing 4 hits and striking out 11 to win his 14th straight. Red Ruffing takes the tough loss‚ allowing an unearned run. Ed Rommel outguns Danny MacFayden in the nitecap.

The stumbling Yanks drop a pair to the Senators‚ losing 11-0 and 6-1. Bump Hadley tosses the shutout and adds three singles. Fred Marberry wins the nitecap over Waite Hoyt‚ for his 2nd win over New York in 5 days. New York‚ which led by 13 1/2 games on July 1st‚ is now tied with the A’s.

In Philley‚ the Braves tally 11 hits and 3 walks but still get shut out by the Phils’ Ray Benge‚ 4-0. In the nitecap‚ the Braves are hitless until 2 are out in the 7th‚ then take the lead‚ but the Phils tie it in the 9th on Cy Williams homer. Boston wins in 11‚ 4-3.
September 8The Phils take two from the Braves‚ winning 10-6 and 4-0. Earl Caldwell‚ who reported to the Phils yesterday‚ tosses the shutout in his first major league start.

Behind Ruth’s 3-run homer‚ the Yankees take the Senators‚ 6-3‚ but it is not enough as the Yanks drop to 2nd place.

In Boston‚ the A’s get cheered by the Sox fans as they sweep a pair from the Crimson Hose and take over first place in the AL by a half game. Orwell is the winner in game 1‚ 7-6‚ in 10 innings. Earnshaw wins the nitecap‚ 7-4.
September 9A total of 85‚265 jam Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees sweep 2 from the A’s‚ 3-0 and 7-3‚ to move back into first place to stay. George Pipgras is the winner in the first game while the Yankee star of the nitecap is Bob Meusel‚ who takes an Ed Rommel knuckler out of the park for a grand slam in the 8th. Waite Hoyt is the winner.

At Ebbets Field‚ the Robins come from behind to edge the Giants‚ 3-2‚ behind Dazzy Vance. Harvey Hendrick dinks a 2-run homer in the 8th‚ off Larry Benton‚ to tie‚ and Jake Flowers singles with 2 out in the 9th to drive home the winner. The ecstatic fans respond by covering the field with straw hats.

The Cards blow a 7-3 lead and lose to Pittsburgh‚ 8-7. Their lead is cut to 2 1/2 games. Pete Alexander blows the lead‚ but the loss goes to reliever Art Reinhart. Hafey and Bottomley homer for the Cards‚ but the Bucs answer with the 7 hits from the Waners. Paul‚ leading the NL with .381‚ has 4 of them.

Chicago’s Alex Metzler breaks up a pitching duel between Ted Lyons and Willis Hudlin by cracking an 8th inning pinch homer to tie Cleveland‚ 1-1. The Sox get one more‚ then explode for 8 runs in the 9th inning to coast‚ 10-1. This is Metzler’s 3rd and last roundtripper of the year and he will tie Bill Barrett for the team lead. His 55 RBIs will be 2nd on the Sox.

At age 38‚ Yankee P Urban Shocker dies of pneumonia in Denver‚ where he had gone for his health. Only now does it become known that he had suffered from an enlarged heart and was unable to sleep lying down for 2 years. Shocker‚ who never had a losing season‚ was 18-6 in 1927 but appeared in only one game in 1928.
September 10The Giants gain 1 1?2 games on the Cards and Cubs by winning two from Boston while the leaders lose. New York moves into 2nd tomorrow with another sweep of the Braves. Fred Fitzsimmons wins the opener for the Giants‚ 4-1‚ and Joe Genewich wins the nitecap‚ 11-0.
September 11In the Yankees 5-3 win at the Stadium‚ Ty Cobb makes his last appearance as a batter‚ popping out against Yankee Hank Johnson to SS Mark Koenig as a pinch hitter in the 9th. Babe Ruth‘s two run clout‚ off Lefty Grove in the 8th‚ seals the win for New York. The Bronx Bombers seal the fate of the A’s with their 4th straight win over the Quakers‚ leaving the Mackmen in 2nd place‚ 2 1/2 games back.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants take 2 games from the Braves‚ 11-6 and 7-6. Freddie Lindstrom goes 8-for-10 to pull New York into 2nd place‚ 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis. The Giants will continue to feast on Braves pitching‚ winning doubleheaders from Boston on the 13th and the 14th to tie the NL record for twinbills won on consecutive days.
September 15In a doubleheader with the Phils‚ the Cardinals leave 29 runners on base but still manage to win both games‚ 3-2 and 8-6. Stranding 29 is a record for 2 regulation-length games.

At Boston the Cubs manage to split with the Braves‚ winning the nitecap‚ 6-1‚ after dropping the opener. 5-2. Ben Cantwell bests Charlie Root in game one‚ and Guy Bush does the same to Ed Brandt.
September 17Wilcy Moore‚ the Yankee pitching hero of 1927‚ goes home with an ailing arm after working just 60 innings.

In the 9th against Chicago‚ Braves reliever Ray Boggs plunks 3 Cubbies‚ walks 2 and tosses one wild pitch. Chicago manages to score just one run off Boggs‚ but they win the away game‚ 15-5. Pat Malone picks up the win.
September 18The Braves and Cubs combine to ground into a NL-record 8 double plays between them‚ but the Cubs win the game‚ 8-2 on 17 hits. Sheriff Blake is the winner over Johnny Cooney. Cubs 2B Freddie Maguire is in the middle of 5 DPs and is 4-for-4 at bat.
September 20The White Sox beat New York 4-3‚ and the Yankee lead is cut to one game.

A crowd of 50‚000 at the Polo Grounds sees the Giants and Cardinals split a doubleheader. The Cards take the first game 8-5 behind pitcher Willie Sherdel plus three homers by former Giant George Harper. The Giants salvage the nightcap 7-4 when they score 5 runs in the 8th inning to give rookie Carl Hubbell the win over Grover Cleveland Alexander. Shanty Hogan‘s grand slam off Alexander is the big blow. New York remains 2 games behind the NL-leading Cardinals.
September 21At St. Louis‚ Boston’s Red Ruffing smashes a 3-run homer in the 7th and pitches the Sox to a 5-3 win over the Browns.
September 22Boston 1B Phil Todt hits HRs in the 7th and 8th innings as Boston beats the Browns‚ 5-3. His first homer‚ off Ed Strelecki is Boston’s 1st hit. His 2nd comes with pitcher Danny MacFayden on base.
September 24The Tigers draw 404 fans for their last meeting with the last place Red Sox‚ winning 8-0 behind Sam Gibson‘s 5-hitter. Pat Simmons is knocked out in the 7th when he gives up consecutive triples to Al Wingo‚ batting 9th‚ John Stone‚ and Charlie Gehringer. Harry Heilmann has a HR and double for Detroit. Jack Rothrock is busy for Boston playing LF‚ SS‚ and pitching a shutout last inning. On September 29‚ Rothrock will catch an inning against the Indians before moving to left field to replace pitcher Danny MacFayden. With that move‚ Rothrock plays all 9 positions this year‚ plus pinch hitting and pinch running.
September 26The Cardinals lose to Brooklyn‚ 6-1‚ but still hold a half-game lead over New York. Dazzy Vance sets down the Mound Citymen on 5 hits and strikes out 7 to beat Mitchell.
September 27With the Giants just a half game behind the Cardinals‚ New York loses the 1st game of a doubleheader to the Cubs 3-2. On a controversial play at the plate in the 6th inning‚ New York’s Shanty Hogan hits a ball back to P Art Nehf who throws to third to get the runner. But the runner Andy Reese was off with the crack of the bat and bowls over C Gabbie Hartnett. Hartnett grabs the runner to keep from falling. and as Hartnett holds him‚ Reese is tagged out by the Cubs 3B. The Giants bench erupts‚ but umpire Bill Klem rules Reese is out. The subsequent protest will be disallowed‚ despite a photo clearly showing Hartnett up the line holding Reese. The Giants win the nitecap 2-0‚ but a loss tomorrow clinches the pennant for St. Louis. McGraw will maintain that Klem’s call cost the Giants the pennant.

At Boston‚ the Cardinals erupt for 7 runs in the 15th inning to win 10-3‚ handing the loss to starter Bob Smith. Smith goes 14.1 innings‚ allowing 9 hits and 12 walks. Smith and Kent Greenfield allow the 7 runs‚ a ML record for the 15th inning. The Cards tied the game in the 9th on Andy High‘s 2-out‚ 2-run single.

For a remarkable 2nd time in five weeks‚ Lefty Grove strikes out three batters on 9 pitches‚ this time victimizing the White Sox (Berg‚ Thomas and Mostil) in the 7th inning. Grove also starts the A’s scoring with a solo HR and wins 6-3‚ his 6th straight win over Chicago and his 24th of the year. Not until Jim Bunning‚ in 1959‚ will another AL hurler K the side on 9 pitches.

At St. Louis‚ Bump Hadley pitches the Senators to a 6-5 win over the Browns. Goslin‚ leading the AL‚ is 2-for-4‚ while his rival Heinie Manush has one hit‚ a 3-run HR‚ in the Browns 5-run 9th. Manush has 13 homers-all at home.
September 28Ruth records his 53rd homer of the year and George Pipgras survives an 11-6 win over the Tigers to clinch the AL pennant for the Yankees. The A’s will finish 2 1?2 games out.

At St. Louis‚ Browns P Alvin Crowder beats his former teammates the Senators 4-3 to finish with the AL best record‚ 21-5. He will later go back to Washington and win 50 in 2 years for the Nats.

Sparked by Frankie Frisch‘s steal of home‚ the Cards score a ML record 7 runs in the 15th inning to beat the Braves at Boston‚ 10-3. For Frisch‚ it is his 2nd extra-inning steal of home (his first came against the Dodgers in the 2nd game on July 20‚ 1927)‚ a major league first and still the National League record. The Cards tied the game in the 9th on Andy High‘s 2-out single.
September 29Behind Bill Sherdel and Flint Rhem‚ the Cardinals win the NL pennant with a 3-1 win at Boston while the Cubs are beating New York‚ 6-2. The final margin is 2 games over the Giants‚ 4 over the Cubs.

The Tigers and Yankees tie an AL offense record when they combine for 45 hits‚ Detroit tallying 28 of them. Four Tigers collect 4 hits apiece for a since-tied AL record‚ as Detroit wins the slugfest 19-10. The Yanks will finish the season with the top three RBI men (Gehrig and Ruth with 142‚ Bob Meusel with 113)‚ just the 2nd time this has happened. It will occur just once more‚ with the 1932 Phils.
September 30In Washington’s 9-1 win over the Browns‚ Washington OF Goose Goslin‚ for the 3rd day in a row‚ gets 2 hits‚ one a 9th inning looping single‚ to edge the Browns OF Heinie Manush .379 to .378. It is Goose’s only batting title in his 18-year career. Nats’ ace Sam Jones volunteers to pitch to stop Manush‚ while Blaeholder tries the same for St. Louis. Blaeholder gets Goslin in his first 2 at bats‚ but Goose then hits a 5th inning HR.

White Sox rookie Bob Wieland makes his first ML start‚ beating the second-place A’s‚ 1-0. The A’s leave 12 men on base.

October

October 1Washington owner Clark Griffith fires manager Bucky Harris. The former “Boy Wonder”‚ now 31‚ hit just .204 as player-manager.
October 4The Cardinals lack the Yankees’ power‚ but have a .325 hitter in Jim Bottomley‚ who tied with Hack Wilson for NL HR honors with 31 and led in RBI with 136. St. Louis has a solid infield defense with Frankie Frisch‚ the venerable Rabbit Maranville‚ and their fleet OF‚ led by Taylor Douthit‚ whose 547 putouts and 566 total chances in CF have set post-1900 records.

The first game is a swift execution before 61‚425 at New York. Babe Ruth has a single and double and scores twice‚ once on Bob Meusel‘s 4th-inning HR‚ and Lou Gehrig is 2-for-4 with 2 RBI off Bill Sherdel (21-10). Waite Hoyt (23-7) sets the Cards down with 3 hits‚ one a solo HR by Bottomley in the 7th‚ for a 4-1 win.
October 5Grover Alexander (16-9) faces George Pipgras (24-13) in game 2. Gehrig unloads a 3-run HR in the first. The Cards tie in the 2nd‚ but Pipgras shuts them out on 2 hits the rest of the way. Alexander is nicked for one in the 2nd and is driven to cover by a 4-run outburst in the 3rd and it’s 9-3 New York. Ruth is 2-for-3‚ and Gehrig has 3 more RBI.
October 7Veteran Tom Zachary (3-3 with New York) gets a start against the Cards’ Jesse Haines (20-8). Two infield hits followed by a triple give the Cards 2 runs. Lou Gehrig leads off the 2nd with a booming HR‚ and in the 4th the sharp-fielding Taylor Douthit misplays a single before a 2-run HR by Gehrig. Three runs in the 8th give New York a 6-3 lead that stands up when Zachary goes all the way for a 7-3 win. Ruth and Gehrig have 2 hits each‚ and Gehrig another 3 RBI.
October 9After a rainout‚ Waite Hoyt and Bill Sherdel are back on the mound for game 4. After 6 innings‚ the Cards hold a 2-1 lead. With one out in the 7th‚ Ruth hits a HR‚ his 2nd of the game‚ and Gehrig follows suit. When Meusel singles‚ in comes Alexander to face Tony Lazzeri. Lazzeri doubles and later scores the 4th run of the inning. In the 8th‚ Cedric Durst‚ subbing for Earle Combs‚ hits one out of the park‚ and Ruth follows with his 3rd HR of the game. Final score is 7-3 and the Yanks sweep their 2nd straight WS. Ruth’s World Series BA of .625 is still unmatched; with Gehrig’s .545 and a record 9 RBI‚ they also set individual and team offensive records for hits‚ HRs‚ total bases‚ and at bats in a game.
October 15Walter Johnson signs a 3-year contract to manage the Senators‚ Griffith having secured his release from the 2nd year of his contract to manage Newark. Tris Speaker will take over as Newark’s manager.
October 16Gordon “Mickey” Cochrane wins AL MVP honors‚ edging Heinie Manush by 2 points. Neither Ruth nor Gehrig is eligible‚ having won before.
October 17George Moriarty resigns as Tigers manager and is replaced by ousted Washington skipper Bucky Harris. Moriarty will return to the ranks of the AL umpires.
October 29The Giants send OF Lefty O’Doul and cash to the Phils for OF Freddy Leach.

November

November 6Voters in Cleveland approve a bond issue to build a giant municipal stadium near the lakefront to attract events for the 1932 Olympics.

Voters in Massachusetts approve Sunday baseball in Boston, provided that the ballpark is more than 1,000 feet from a church. This leaves Pennsylvania as the only state with no Sunday baseball in the major leagues.
November 7The Cubs get Rogers Hornsby from the financially strapped Braves in exchange for $200‚000‚ IF Fred Maguire‚ P Percy Jones‚ C Lou Legett‚ former A’s P Harry Seibold‚ and P Bruce Cunningham. Braves owner-president Emil Fuchs also decides to be his own manager. He’ll be the last manager with no pro playing experience until Ted Turner‘s one game‚ in the 1970s. Under Fuchs‚ the Barves will finish 56-98‚ good for last place.
November 19In one of their most important acquisitions ever‚ Indians GM Billy Evans sends $40‚000 and 2 players to San Francisco (PCL) for OF Earl Averill. Averill asks for and gets $5‚000 from the Tribe as part of the deal. He’ll play 11 years in Cleveland‚ hitting .316.
November 21The Cardinals sign Billy Southworth as manager; Bill McKechnie goes down to Rochester (IL).
November 28The NL buys George Magerkurth from the PCL for $2‚000. This is the highest price paid for a new ump.

December

December 2Cardinals 1B Jim Bottomley is voted NL MVP with 76 points to 70 for Giants 3B Freddie Lindstrom‚ whose .358 BA was 3rd behind Rogers Hornsby and Paul Waner.
December 8The Cardinals sell veteran SS Rabbit Maranville to the Braves.
December 11At the NL meeting‚ President John A. Heydler proposes the designated hitter for pitchers to improve and speed up the game. He contends fans are tired of seeing weak-hitting pitchers come to bat. Heydler refers to his idea as “the tenth regular.”

Brooklyn sends P Jesse Petty to Pittsburgh for SS Glenn Wright. Wright will injure his arm in a handball accident and will play just 24 games in 1929‚ but in 1930 he’ll post career highs in hitting and HRs.
December 12The Pirates buy lefthander Larry French from Portland (PCL).
December 15The Red Sox trade Buddy Myer back to Washington for P Hod Lisenbee‚ P Milt Gaston‚ IF Bobby Reeves‚ IF Grant Gillis‚ and OF Elliot Bigelow. Myer will become a top player in the 1930s.
December 17At a joint meeting‚ a rule is changed that ends the practice of minor league teams selling star prospects to friendly ML clubs for high prices‚ then getting the players back‚ forcing another ML club to pay the reputed price for the player. Other changes ban the signing of players under the age of 17 and set a $7‚500 price tag on any first-year player.

NL President John Heydler’s designated hitter idea gets the backing of John McGraw‚ but the AL is against it.