Baseball – 1942

Baseball in 1942

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January

January 4Rogers Hornsby becomes the 14th player selected to the Hall of Fame‚ getting 78 percent of the vote. But Frank Chance with 58 percent and Rube Waddell with 54 percent miss out.
January 6Bob Feller‚ winner of 76 games for the Indians in 3 previous seasons‚ follows Hank Greenberg into the military. Feller‚ saying “I’ve always wanted to be on the winning side‚” enlists in the Navy and reports to Norfolk‚ VA‚ for duty.
January 15President Roosevelt gives baseball the go-ahead to play despite W W II. In his famous “green light” letter FDR says‚ “I honestly think it would be best for the country to keep baseball going.” He encourages more night baseball so that war workers may attend.

The Cubs‚ who had signed contracts to install lights at Wrigley Field‚ drop their plans because of the military needs for the material.

February

February 3At a special meeting of owners to discuss wartime regulations‚ they decide to allow 14 night games for each club‚ with Washington allowed 21. Two All-Star Games will be played‚ one with a military All-Star team. Curfews are set for night games with no inning to start after 12:50 wartime.
February 5In one of their best trades ever‚ the Braves get minor-leaguer Tommy Holmes from the Yankees for Buddy Hassett and Gene Moore. Hassett will hit .284‚ then join the Navy and will not make it back to the ML. The much-traveled Moore will be traded by the Yanks in less than 3 weeks. Holmes‚ with three .300+ seasons in the IL‚ could not break into New York’s all star outfield. In 10 seasons with the Braves he will hit over .300 and win the MVP in 1948.
February 7Cincinnati stirs the hometown fans by selling popular Ernie Lombardi to the Boston Braves‚ where he will win the batting title in 1942 with a .330 average.
February 8At California’s Folsom prison‚ the annual game between major leaguers and the prison team is stopped when it’s discovered that two prisoners have escaped. With the pros leading 24-5 at the end of 7 innings‚ the game ends and guards go after the two lifers‚ who are found 3 hours later. The major leaguers include Ernie Lombardi‚ Ernie Bonham‚ Gus Suhr‚ Joe Marty‚ and Johnny Babich.
February 12Gordon Houston‚ an OF with Texarkana in 1940‚ is the first player in organized baseball to lose his life in WW II. Houston was making a routine training flight in Washington when his plane crashed.
February 19Hal Trosky‚ whose season ended last August when he injured his finger‚ and suffering from migraine headaches that cannot be treated‚ retires as first baseman of the Indians. Trosky will come back to play for the White Sox in 1944 and 1946‚ but the Hall of Fame brilliance he showed in the 30’s is gone.
February 23Mrs. Charles Comiskey is abducted at gunpoint by two men while she is sitting in the waiting room of Ted Lyons‘ bowling alley. They take a $3500 diamond ring and $12 after driving her around for 45 minutes. They release her and give her a $1 for cab fare. They did not molest her or take her mink coat.

March

March 1Can players in the military play for the clubs if on furlough or based near a game site? Owners decide against it.
March 4The Cuban all-stars beat the Dodgers‚ 2-1‚ in Havana.

The Reds issue a warning to fans not to tip the ushers at Crosley Field.
March 5Variety‚ the week entertainment newspaper‚ wades in against “droopy drawers” in baseball. “Joe DiMaggio and Carl Hubbell are the silliest looking pair we’ve seen. Way back in the days when the speed boys were stealing 40 to 90 bases a year‚ you’ll remember they used to roll their pants just below the knee. Now they’ve got ’em almost to their shoes. The theory here is that the constriction inherent in the new style can slow a player a full stride getting to first.”

Phil’s manager Hans Lobert wants the “lies” dropped from the team’s nickname. “We’ve been a the bottom of the standing so long the syllable seems to imply we’re lying dormant. Besides‚ it confuses us with a cheroot. “I don’t like it‚” he explains in the TSN. “It may sound a bit far fetched‚ but it’s going to be the Phils from now on.”
March 6In Havana‚ the Dodgers beat the Cuban all-stars‚ 6-4‚ in 11 innings‚ though manager Leo Durocher is not around at the end. He is chased in the 9th after arguing with the umps. The Dodgers win tomorrow and split a doubleheader on the 8th.
March 7The Cuban all-stars make it 2 out of 3 from the Dodgers‚ scoring 2 in the 9th to win‚ 4-2.

The Yankees beat the Cardinals‚ 3-2‚ with Tommy Henrich driving in all the New York runs.
March 8In Florida‚ Montreal club officials announce one of the odder trades in history. The Royals are sending Big Bill O’Brien‚ their trainer for 15 years‚ to the Dodgers in exchange for their muscle manipulator‚ Charles “Doc” Wilson. O’Brien has also been the trainer for the Montreal Maroons hockey team.

In a charity game at Gilmore Field in Hollywood‚ CA‚ three Chicago players lead a team of major Leaguers to a 3-2 win over a team of coast players. Taft Wright’s 2-run homer is the big blow. The go-ahead run comes in the 3rd when Lou Stringer‘s single is followed by Lou Novikoff‘s double. Seven thousand fans are on hand.

At Havana‚ the Cuban All-stars and the Dodgers split a pair before 12‚418. The Dodgers win the opener‚ 6-3‚ then lose‚ 3-0.

Pinch hitter Buddy Blair strikes out with the bases loaded in the 9th and the Philadelphia Athletics drop their 3rd straight to to the PCL San Diego Padres. The final is 5-4.
March 18Two black players‚ Jackie Robinson and Nate Moreland‚ request a tryout with the Chicago White Sox during spring training at Pasadena. Manager Jimmie Dykes allows them to work out but dismisses the two without an offer.
March 21The TSN quotes a spokesman for Cubs owner Wrigley on night baseball. “If the fans do not come out in satisfactory numbers‚ especially to the Sunday doubleheaders we’ve scheduled‚ then the organization will take it that they want night ball‚ and we’ll give it to them.” The Cubs are collecting equipment for night baseball‚ including shipping transformers from Catalina Island.
March 23The Dodgers bring Frenchy Bordagaray back to Brooklyn‚ buying the veteran 1B from the Yankees.
March 29The Cards beat the Yankees‚ 3-2. to win the championship of St. Petersburg‚ 6 games to 3. The Yanks have been tied but never beaten since 1926‚ when they dropped the local series to the Braves.

April

April 2The Sporting News raises its price to 15 cents a copy‚ $7 per year. For the first time in nearly 70 years there will be no Spalding or Reach guides. The Sporting News takes over the role. Its first edition has some improvements but also some flaws: Additional AL pitching records are missing‚ and so is Lou Boudreau‘s entire batting record.

Publisher A.J. Spink‚ in TSN‚ reports on the result of a poll of 100 former major leaguers and managers as to who their choice is as best player of all time. Ty Cobb is the overwhelming pick‚ getting 60 of the votes cast. The remaining 42 votes are divided among 14 players: Honus Wagner (17): Babe Ruth (11); and Rogers Hornsby and Ross Youngs (2 votes each). The following players each received one vote: Lou Gehrig‚ Ed Delahanty‚ Tris Speaker‚ Joe DiMaggio‚ Mel Ott‚ George Sisler‚ Eddie Collins‚ Christy Mathewson‚ Walter Johnson‚ and Jerry Denny. Among those who reveal they voted for Cobb are Speaker‚ Collins‚ Sisler‚ Johnson‚ Al Simmons‚ Connie Mack‚ and Jack Coombs.
April 5The season will start with Lou Boudreau of Cleveland‚ Mel Ott of the Giants‚ and Hans Lobert of the Phillies as new managers.
April 12Before 8‚700 at Fenway‚ the Red Sox lose to the Braves‚ 7-5‚ as Johnny Pesky makes 4 errors. Johnny Sain is the winning pitcher.

Veteran Cedric Durst of San Diego (PCL) walks on a close 3-2 count with 2 outs in the 9th to stop Seattle Hal Turpin’s bid for a perfect game. Turpin retires the next batter for a 2-0 no-hitter.
April 14In Washington‚ Vice President Henry Wallace fills in for FDR and tosses out the first ball. Then Red Ruffing makes his 5th and final Opening Day start for the Yankees‚ holding the Senators to 3 singles as the Yanks win‚ 7-0. The Yankees tally 3 runs in the 2nd inning off the Senators young righty Sid Hudson for all the scoring they need. For Ruffing‚ it is his 245th career victory‚ tying him with Ted Lyons for most wins by an active pitcher. Helping to keep order at the park are 80 auxiliary police from DC’s 13th precinct-“40 whites and 40 negroes.”

Ted Williams opens the season with a 3-run first-inning homer at Fenway Park. He adds 2 other hits and 5 RBI‚ as the Red Sox beat the A’s 8-3.
April 15At Washington‚ Bobo Newsom holds the Yankees in check for three innings‚ but New York tallies three in the 4th and rolls on to a 9-3 victory. DiMaggio has a single‚ double and long homer with two on into the CF bleachers. Phil Rizzuto adds three singles to make the win easier for Spud Chandler.

The Giants score 6 runs in the 6th inning to top the Dodgers‚ 6-4. Ott’s Men start the scoring in the big inning with a leadoff homer by Danning and conclude it with a grand slam by prized rookie Willard Marshall. The two blows offset homers by Riggs and Walker for Brooklyn. Giants fans are asked to return foul balls so that they can be sent to Army camps.

Behind the 7-hit pitching of Dizzy Trout‚ the Tigers topple the Indians‚ 6-2. Rudy York has a round tripper to help blast rookie Ray Poat from the mound in the 4th. Poat‚ a college chum of Lou Boudreau‘s at Illinois‚ is making his first start for the Tribe.

Jim Tobin pitches and bats the Braves to a 6-2 victory over the Phils. Tobin scatters eight hits and clouts a fifth inning homer off Paul Masterson with one on‚ but loses his shutout when Danny Litwhiler hits a 9th inning homer. Braves rookie Nanny Fernandez is 4-for-5 and has now collected 7 hits in his first two games.

Following a tractor accident at Jefferson Barracks‚ Missouri‚ Johnny Sturm has two joints on his right hand amputated‚ an operation that finishes his baseball career. Sturm‚ who played first base for the Yanks‚ hit .239 with 4 homers as a rookie last year.
April 16At the IL opener in Jersey City‚ 55‚218 tickets are sold‚ tops in the minors‚ thanks to Mayor Frank Hague. The ball park holds 22‚000. Last year’s opener sold 61‚000.
April 17At the home opener at Ebbets Field‚ newly marrieds Pee Wee Reese and Pete Reiser are greeted in their first at-bats by a trumpet-playing fan who serenades them with “Here Comes The Bride.” The Dodgers beat the Phils 7-1.
April 18Military leaders on the Pacific Coast ask that the PCL limit crowds to 3‚000.
April 19The Reds don’t collect their first hit off the Cubs Claude Passeau until there is one out in the 8th when Harry Craft singles. They go on to beat the Cubs in 11 innings‚ 2-1.
April 20Against the Braves‚ Brooklyn’s Dolf Camilli homers off Tom Earley to help the Dodgers to a 9-2 win.
April 21Only 4 games are played in the ML‚ and three end in shutouts: Pirate Rip Sewell trips the Cubs 5-2; Reds P Johnny Vander Meer beat the Cards 1-0 in 11 innings; Cleveland’s Jim Bagby nips the Tigers 1-0‚ and the Browns Al Hollingsworth beats the White Sox 3-0.
April 22At New York‚ Joe DiMaggio poles a homer plus 2 triples to lead the Yanks to an 11-5 win over the A’s. Spud Chandler coasts to his 2nd win.

At Pittsburgh‚ Rip Sewell holds the Cubs to 6 hits‚ including an inside-the-park homer by Lou Stringer‚ to give the Pirates a 5-2 win. The homer is the only one the Cubs will hit at Forbes Field this year‚ and on the 27th‚ Stringer will hit the Cubs lone 1942 HR at Cincinnati. Hi Bithorn takes the loss.
April 23At Detroit, Hal White makes his second ML start and registers his second straight shutout, whipping the White Sox and Ted Lyons, 9-0. Lyons allows 16 hits. White allowed 6 runs in 4 relief innings last year, but recorded a shutout in his first ML start on April 18.

At Washington, the Senators down the Red Sox, 10-5, but lose starter Dutch Leonard in the second inning when he breaks his ankle on a play at first base. Leonard will pitch only six games this season.
April 26Before a crowd of 48‚631 at the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants lose a pair to the Braves‚ 3-2 and 8-5. All 22 hits in the nitecap are singles: of the 13 hits in game 1‚ only Mickey Witek‘s double is for extra bases.

Alvin Montgomery‚ a catcher on the Braves training roster‚ is killed in an auto crash.

In the first of two games against Montreal (International League)‚ Baltimore 3B Bob Lemon has 3 homers and a triple and scores 5 times to lead the Orioles to a 10-5 win. The future Hall of Famer adds another homer in the nitecap.

At Greenvuille‚ SC‚ a game between the Greenville Spinners and the Macon Peaches (South Atlantic League) is stopped after one pitch by Sherriff R. H. Bearden. Umpires Forrest and Atkinson are placed under ‘technical arrest’ for violating the state’s Sunday blue law.
April 27At Baltimore‚ 3B Bob Lemon‚ a future Hall of Fame pitcher‚ leads the Orioles (IL) to a doubleheader split with Montreal by hitting 3 home runs‚ a triple‚ and single in the 1st game‚ a 10-5‚ win. He hits a 4th homer in the nitecap.
April 30Indian veteran Vern Kennedy scatters 11 hits‚ and the Tribe beat the A’s 6-1‚ for their 11th victory in a row. Herm Besse gives up 8 hits‚ but his eight walks leads to a loss. Mills has 3 RBIs for first-place Indians.

Braves rookie third sacker Nanny Fernandez goes hitless‚ but Boston downs the Cubs‚ 3-2. Fernandez had eight consecutive hits coming into today’s game.

A month after selling veteran P Bobo Newsom‚ who had slipped to 12-20 record after three 20-win seasons‚ to Washington‚ the Tigers sell Schoolboy Rowe to the Dodgers. The vet will win just two in Brooklyn before making a comeback in Philadelphia.

May

May 1Before 3‚620 at Wrigley Field‚ the Cubs outslug the Giants to win‚ 13-9. The Giants have two homers‚ both by pitchers‚ as Hugh East and Harry Feldman hit their first major league homers‚ both off Cubs starter Jake Mooty. Peanuts Lowry homers for the Cubs.
May 2Cleveland beats the Senators 12-3 in Washington behind Jim Bagby’s 5th straight win. The win gives the first-place Indians (12-3) 13 straight victories. The Red Sox will end the streak tomorrow.

For the second straight game‚ Ted Williams cracks a 9th-inning HR‚ this time off Eldon Auker‚ to give the Red Sox a 10-10 tie with the visiting Browns. Bobby Doerr‘s RBI double wins it‚ 11-10. Pesky pulls off a hidden ball trick in the 9th‚ but it is for naught as Doerr‚ unaware of the ruse‚ calls time out before the play. Eldon Auker goes the distance allowing 17 hits in the loss.

The Reds sell OF Ernie Koy to the Phils and Frank Secory to Milwaukee (AA).
May 3The Tigers edge the A’s‚ 8-7 in game 1 of a twinbill. Rudy York‚ who clouted 2 homers yesterday‚ hits 2 more in the opener‚ one short of Cobb’s AL record for 2 straight games. Phil Marchildon allows 2 hits in game 2 to stop the Tigers‚ 1-0.

The Giants score 5 runs in the first two innings against the host Reds, then hang on as Cincinnati scores 3 runs in the 9th. New York wins, 5-4.  Reds rookie Hank Sauer, listed at 23 (born March 17, 1919), hits his first ML homer. Decades later his birth year will be corrected to 1917, relieving his younger/older brother Ed who was born in January 1919.
May 4The Reds score 12 runs-on 6 hits‚ 4 walks a hit by pitch‚ and 3 errors-in the 4th inning and coast to a 15-4 win over the visiting Giants.
May 6At Boston‚ White Sox vet Ted Lyons loses to Joe Dobson‚ 3-1 in 10 innings. Bobby Doerr is the difference for Boston‚ hitting homers in the 8th and 10th innings. The White Sox have given Lyons (1-3) just 2 runs in his 4 decisions.
May 8At Ebbets Field‚ in the first twilight game in 24 years‚ the Dodgers top the Giants 7-6 with Dolph Camilli’s 7th inning home run onto Bedford Avenue the big blow. With more than 24‚000 fans on hand‚ nearly $60‚000 is raised for the Navy Relief Fund‚ as all the proceeds are donated. Everyone‚ including the ball players and umps‚ pay their way into the park. The Dodgers also debut a celebrated rookie-Gladys Gooding‚ who plays the “Victory Calliope”‚ the second organ played in ML stadiums. Gooding was discovered by Larry MacPhail at a hockey game at Madison Square Garden. Besides the Rangers‚ Gladys later is the organist for the Knickerbockers‚ and will write the Dodgers’ theme song “Follow the Dodgers.” Gooding will play for the Dodgers until 1958 when the team moves west.
May 10The Reds Ray Starr and Bucky Walters both pitch shutouts over the Cardinals. Starr wins the opener‚ 1-0‚ allowing 9 hits‚ and Bucky coasts‚ 3-0‚ on a 4-hitter.
May 12At Boston‚ the Cubs outslug the Braves‚ 9-8‚ as rookie Ed Hanyzewski wins his only game of the year. Bill Nicholson has a 2nd inning homer off loser Lou Tost‚ while Braves pitcher Jim Tobin hits a pinch homer.
May 13Pitcher Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves slams 3 successive HRs-two off Jake Mooty and one off Hi Bithorn– to beat the Chicago Cubs‚ 6-5‚ at Braves Field‚ the only ML pitcher ever to hit 3 straight in a game. Tobin is the only 20th century pitcher to hit 3 in a game. His last‚ in the 8th‚ breaks a 4-4 tie. Bithorn takes the loss. Bill Nicholson returns the compliment‚ clouting a 2-run homer off Tobin in the 6th inning‚
May 14The Giants score 10 runs in the 8th inning to whip the Pirates 12-6 at the Polo Grounds. Pinch hitter Babe Young bangs a double and a triple in the rally.
May 17Pitching his first of 8 consecutive Sunday doubleheader first games‚ Ted Lyons beats the visiting Senators‚ 7-1. Thirteen of his 20 starts this year will be on Sunday.
May 19The Phillies attempt at duplicating the Dodgers’ charity effort fails‚ as only 3‚366 fans show up for the mid-week twilight game with the Pirates. Little money is raised for the Army and Navy relief funds‚ but the Phils come away with a 5-4 win.

Where are the frequent flyer miles? The Cubs sell Babe Dahlgren to the Dodgers‚ six days after they sold the Babe to the Browns on a conditional basis. The condition was that he hit‚ and after pinch hitting in two games‚ the Browns sent him back.
May 20Brooklyn’s Whit Wyatt loses 1-0 to the Cards Mort Cooper‚ the first loss for Wyatt after 8 straight wins. Cooper allows just 2 hits. The Cards score on Walker Cooper‘s triple and a fly ball in the 5th.

Rookie Ray Lamanno hits a grand slam in the 3rd‚ off Ike Pearson‚ in the Reds 10-3 win over host Philadelphia.
May 24At Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo‚ one of the most memorable games in Japanese League history takes place‚ a 28-inning marathon (4-4 tie) between Nagoya and Taiyo. It takes three hours and 47 minutes and both starters‚ Michio Nishizawa of Nagoya and Jiro Noguchi of Taiyo‚ go all the way: Nishizawa 311 pitches; Noguchi 344. Games are not allowed to end in a tie because the league has to show off their fighting spirit‚ according to historian Yoichi Nagata. Because this is the last day of the spring schedule in the three-part season (spring‚ summer and fall)‚ closing ceremonies and awards are scheduled‚ so officials order the umpire to end the game. Nagoya uses only 9 players‚ and Taiyo‚ 10. Despite the war‚ the game is noted in TSN.
May 25A pulled muscle ends a 652-game playing streak for Cincinnati 1B Frank McCormick as the Reds’ Paul Derringer stops the Pirates‚ 6-1. Hank Sauer plays 1B.
May 27At Wrigley Feld‚ Gee Walker hits a grand slam for the Reds off Johnny Schmitz. Cincinnati wins‚ 10-1 with all of the gate receipts going to the Army-Navy Relief Fund. The game is preceded by a match between the Great Lakes (Navy) and Camp Grant (Army). The Navy wns‚ 4-1.
May 29New York’s Lefty Gomez‚ self-described as the worst-hitting pitcher in baseball‚ bangs out 4 hits in pitching a 4-hit‚ 16-1 victory over Washington. They are his last ML hits. Buddy Hassett adds 4 hits as well.
May 30The Reds split a twinbill with the Cardinals but lose 3 outfielders to injuries in the process. After Johnny Vander Meer wins the opener‚ 3-2‚ the Cards take the nitecap 10-5. Mike McCormick breaks his leg sliding into 2B in game 1 and Harry Craft and Gee Walker are knocked out when they collide in the 8th inning of game 2.
May 31Against the Pirates‚ the Reds Clyde Vollmer chops a home run on the first ML pitch he sees‚ the 5th major leaguer to do so. Pitcher Max Butcher is the instant loser as the Reds go on to win 3-0 in this 2nd game of a doubleheader. The Reds win game 1‚ 8-2. Vollmer’s next homer won’t come until 1947.

In game 1 of a twinbill sweep at Brooklyn‚ Dixie Walker of the Dodgers is credited with an inside-the-park grand slam as the Braves aging Paul Waner searches for the ball under the bullpen bench. Walker follows Pee Wee Reese‚ Pete Reiser‚ and Arky Vaughan over the plate. The Dodgers win‚ 10-2. Brooklyn wins the nitecap‚ 3-1‚ behind Whit Wyatt‘s 10th straight win over Boston.

Before 22‚000 at Griffith Stadium‚ Satchel Paige pitches 5 innings to defeat the Dizzy Dean All-Stars‚ 8-1. Dean pitches just the first inning‚ giving up 3 hits and 2 runs. Private Cecil Travis plays 3B. The game a week earlier‚ in which Paige won 3-1 at Wrigley Field‚ drew 29‚000. Judge Landis will prohibit a scheduled July 4th matchup because the first 2 games outdrew ML games.

June

June 1Jimmie Foxx crosses leagues‚ waived by the Red Sox to the Cubs for “considerations more than the waiver price.”

Connie Mack sends his regular catcher‚ Frankie Hayes‚ to the Browns for P Bob Harris and C Bob Swift. Hayes had been a spring holdout but will return to the A’s in February‚ 1944. Visiting injured soldiers at Walter Reed hospital on June 21‚ 1945‚ Mack will respond to a question about the trade by saying the A’s needed a catcher with a lot of chatter. “Hayes can catch day after day but he doesn’t talk much‚” says Mack.

Army-Navy relief games by each team are publicized war efforts by organized baseball. The game at Ebbets Field contributes $60‚000 from a crowd of 43‚000‚ but the Phillies’ game at Shibe Park draws only 2‚000 fans and $3‚000.
June 2Red Sox star Ted Williams enlists as a Navy aviator but he will finish the season with the Sox as will many other players who enlist or await draft‚ which moves slowly despite the early discouragements of the war. Among AL regulars of 1941 who are now in the service: Johnny Rigney‚ Joe Grace‚ John Berardino‚ Cecil Travis‚ Bob Feller‚ Pat Mullin‚ Buddy Lewis‚ Sam Chapman‚ Johnny Sturm.

Ted Williams hits 5 HRs in a week‚ but players are bemoaning a low-voltage ball. HRs will be down for the season by more than 25 percent‚ and the NL will average less than 4 runs a game per team for the first time since 1920.
June 4Muskogee (Western Association) OF Allen McElreath is declared permanently ineligible by minor league head George Trautman for attempting to induce a teammate to throw a game.
June 5The A’s and Browns battle for 15 scoreless innings before St. Louis scores in the 16th to win‚ 1-0. For the white elephants‚ it is their longest 1-0 loss.
June 6Against White Sox P Orval Grove‚ the Red Sox hit for the cycle‚ including a leadoff home run by Dom DiMaggio. But those are the only 4 hits that Grove allows as he is victorious‚ 3-1.

Red Ruffing wins his 250th game‚ stopping the Indians on 4 hits. The Yankees win‚ 3-0. He’ll win his 251st in 8 days defeating the Browns.
June 8Despite 2 homers by Jeff Heath and 5 hits by Ken Keltner‚ the Indians lose 11-10 to the Yankees in 11 innings. Tom Ferrick‘s wild throw to 3B allows DiMaggio to score the winning run. Joe Gordon singles in the 10th to extend his hitting streak to 25 games‚ and Buddy Hassett‘s 2 singles extends his hit streak to 20 games.
June 10The visiting Giants‚ behind Bill Lohrman‚ top the Reds‚ 3-1. The Reds only run is a homer by prized rookie catcher Ray Lamanno‚ one of five Reds hits. Lonnie Frey has three singles. Lamanno’s homer‚ his 7th‚ lands on the roof of a laundry across the street from the left field wall. The Giants also make five hits in beating Gene Thompson.
June 15In a rare twi-light game at Ebbets Field‚ Claude Passeau and the Cubs stop the Dodgers‚ 6-0 before a crowd of 15‚159.
June 17In a doubleheader at Cincinnati‚ Braves vet Paul Waner is 0-for-4 in game 1‚ and collects his 2‚999 hit in game 2. He hits a grounder off the glove of SS Eddie Joost that is ruled a hit-his 3‚000th-but Waner shakes his head and the ruling is changed to an error.

The Tigers Dizzy Trout stops the Yankees‚ 1-0. It is New York’s first shutout since last year.
June 18Another brawl between the Cards and the Dodgers at Ebbets Field leads to ejection and fines for Joe Medwick and Frank Crespi. Medwick’s spikes high slide into Marion at 2B precipitated the brawl. The Dodgers win 5-2 when Larry French doubles in 2 runs in the 8th with 2 out and keeps on running till he’s tagged out at 3B. The time of the out is 9:03 with the rule that no inning can start after 9:05. Brooklyn leads the NL lead is 7 1?2 games.
June 19At Forbes Field‚ Paul Waner‚ now with the Boston Braves‚ joins Cap Anson and Honus Wagner as the only NL players with 3‚000 hits‚ with a single off Rip Sewell. Two days earlier‚ Waner’s grounder bounced off an infielder’s glove and had been ruled a hit. Waner‚ who did not want his 3000th hit to be a tainted one‚ signaled to the scorekeeper that it was an error‚ and the ruling was changed. Bob Elliott hits 2 HRs to help the Pirates win 7-6 in 11 innings.

With Ernie White on the mound‚ Pete Reiser steals home in the 4th‚ and the run is the difference as the Dodgers beat the Cardinals‚ 4-3.

At Chicago‚ Dom DiMaggio‘s 5th inning inside-the-park home run is the only score as the Red Sox top the White Sox‚ 1-0. The ball rolls under the Red Sox bullpen bench and Dom circles the bases before RF Wally Moses can recover it. Charley Wagner is the winner over hardluck Eddie Smith (1-11)‚ who loses his 3rd 1-0 game this season.
June 20Cleveland’s Al Smith allows just one Yankee hit-a second inning double by Joe DiMaggio in beating New York‚ 1-0. Ernie Bonham takes the loss. The New Yorkers have lost 5 of their last six games-two by 1-0 scores-but still lead the AL by 9 1/2 games.

The Dodgers stop the Cardinals‚ 9-4‚ pounding out fifteen hits. Joe Medwick‚ the NL’s leading hitter (.350) has four hits to stretch his consecutive hit streak to 23 games. Hugh Casey‚ who came on in the 3rd and allows just two hits‚ is the winner.

At Bolden’s Bowl‚ Josh Gibson leads the Homestead Grays (Negro League) to a 7-2 win over the host Philadelphia Stars. Gibson clouts his second homer in two games.
June 21Ted Lyons (5-5) wins his 250th career game‚ 6-5 over Boston’s Dick Newsome. A week from now he will beat New York’s Red Ruffing to match the Yankee hurler’s 251 career wins. The White Sox veteran will finish the season 14-6 with 20 complete games in 20 starts‚ lead the AL with a 2.10 ERA‚ then enter the Marine Corps at age 42.
June 26Jimmy Foxx signals his return to Boston by hitting his first NL homer‚ a 2 run homer in the top of the 9th to give the Cubs a 6-4 win over the Braves. Double X has a 2-run single in the 3rd. Paul Waner and Max West homer for Boston.

Harland Clift has a 3-run HR and Chet Laabs a 3-run double as the Browns beat the Senators‚ 6-5. Nats P Buck Newsom bats lefty in his 2nd AB against Auker and singles. He resumes natural righty at bat on his next turn and makes out.
June 27Gene Stack‚ a White Sox pitcher who never made a mound appearance for Chicago‚ dies after pitching for an army team in Michigan City‚ Indiana. Stack was the first player from a ML roster in a service uniform.

With 2 outs in the 9th‚ Reds rookie Ray Lamanno cracks a 3-run pinch homer to give the Reds a 3-1 win over the Dodgers. Johnny Vander Meer wins his 1st game at Ebbets since his 1938 no-hitter.
June 28Ernie Koy’s 15th inning single scores the winning run as the Phils beat the Cards‚ 2-1. Tommy Hughes is the winner‚ despite collapsing in the dugout in the 10th after running from 1B to 3B. He revives to complete the game. Johnny Beazley matches Hughes for 12 innings before Howie Krist relieves. Krist loses his 1st game in 2 years after 13 straight wins. The Cards take the nitecap‚ 3-1‚ behind Lon Warneke‘s 5-hitter.

July

July 1The 1st 7 batters in the first inning score for Cleveland and the Tribe wins 7-2 over the host White Sox. Five hits‚ a walk and an error send Orval Grove to a quick shower. His replacement Jake Wade gives up an RBI single but only allows 2 hits the rest of the way. Al Smith is the winner. Smith will win 10 games this year‚ as will Al Hollingsworth‚ the top number of victories for a lefty in 1942.
July 4The Dodgers (51-20) stretch their first-place lead to 9.5 games with a twinbill win at Philadelphia. Kirby Higbe wins the opener‚ 14-0‚ and Johnny Allen takes the nightcap‚ 5-4.

In the only single game played today‚ Bucky Walters of the Reds shuts out the Pirates‚ 2-0.

At Boston‚ the first-place Yankees split a pair with the second-place Red Sox. Red Ruffing wins the opener‚ 6-3‚ and Tex Hughson is the victor in the nitecap for the Sox‚ 6-4. Johnny Pesky helps Tex by nabbing Tommy Henrich in the 8th inning with a hidden ball trick.

In the 8th inning of an 8-4 Negro League victory over the Newark Eagles at Yankee Stadium‚ Baltimore Elite Giants spitball ace Bill Byrd beans Eagles manager Willie Wells. Wells is carried from the field‚ and the incident causes him to design a batting helmet. When he steps into the batter’s box Thursday he will be wearing a modified construction worker’s hardhat.
July 5Peanuts “Nyassas” Davis pitches and bats the Cincinnati Clowns to a 7-4 victory over the Baltimore Grays in the new Negro Major League. Davis’s receiver Pepper Bassett catches the last inning in a rocking chair.
July 6First-inning HRs by Lou Boudreau and Rudy York off Mort Cooper lead the AL to a 3-1 triumph over the NL in the All-Star Game at the Polo Grounds. Mickey Owen‘s pinch HR is the NL’s only score: he does not hit a single HR during the regular schedule. Johnny Vander Meer pitches 3 shutout innings for the NL‚ striking out 4. The game‚ scheduled to start at 6:30 P.M. and end promptly at 9:10‚ is delayed a half hour because of showers. The curfew is reset to 9:30‚ just minutes after the game ends‚ and the post-game press interviews are conducted in darkness.
July 7A military all-star team‚ captained by Mickey Cochrane‚ that includes Bob Feller‚ Cecil Travis‚ Sam Chapman‚ Benny McCoy‚ Johnny Sturm‚ and Frank Pytlak loses 5-0 to the AL stars in a night game at Cleveland in front of 62‚094 fans. Jim Bagby wins against his Indian teammate Feller. The winner is Military relief which receives $160‚000.
July 8The Cards sell veteran P Lon Warneke (6-4) to the Cubs. The Arkansas Hummingbird was 17-9 last year‚ but in answer to the fans protests‚ Breadon says‚ “We let Warneke go because it was apparent that he had lost some of his stuff.” Maybe so. Lon will be 21-24 in Chicago.
July 9The Bucs Rip Sewell battles the Phils Rube Melton for 6 innings‚ before the latter gives up a run in the 7th and retires for a PH in the 8th. The Pirates drop 8 runs on the relievers to win‚ 9-0. In a pregame race‚ Phils OF Stan Benjamin wins the 100 yard dash beating Ernie Koy‚ Danny Murtaugh‚ Johnny Barrett and Stu Martin in 10.2 seconds.
July 12In a Western Association twinbill‚ Joplin and Hutchinson split‚ with the Miners winning 12-7‚ then losing 11-10. Jess Hamm wins game 1 then loses game 2‚ while Bill Stearkel for Hutchinson loses the opener and wins the nitecap.
July 14The Reds Ray Starr allows just 3 hits but loses‚ 2-1‚ to the Phils when outfielders Harry Craft and Melton collide on a fly ball hit by opposing P Rube Melton. Both fielders are knocked unconscious. Melton gets the inside-the-park home run-the only HR of his career-and the win.
July 15“There is no rule‚ formal or informal‚ against the hiring of Negro players‚” says Judge Landis in response to an editorial in the New York Daily Worker newspaper.

At Wrigley‚ Lou Novikoff and Jimmie Foxx homer for the Cubs‚ but ex-Cubs Kirby Higbe and Hugh Casey pitch the Dodgers to a 10-5 win. The game is enlivened in the 5th inning when Chicago P Hi Bithorn is relieved. He whirls on the mound and fires a high hard one at Dodger manager Leo Durocher standing in the dugout. He’s off mark‚ as he’s been all day. The loss‚ however‚ goes to Claude Passeau.

The Newark Bears outhit the Orioles just 14-13‚ but beat Baltimore 23-3 to tie a club scoring record. The Little Yankees score 7 runs in the 3rd on only one hit-a HR by Kelleher. Newark ties a league mark with 7 HRs‚ 3 by Hank Majeski.
July 16The Reds trade pitcher Jim Turner‚ along with Bobby Abreau‚ and cash to the Yankees for minor leaguer Frank Kelleher. Kelleher is leading the IL in HRs with 23.

Chattanooga’s Joe Engel since pro ball’s only Chinese player‚ George Ho. Ho is a junior at St. Johns in New York and hit .380 in two years of semipro ball in NYC.
July 17The Browns‚ under Luke Sewell‚ achieve an 8-game win streak with doubleheader victories 4-2 and 11-1 over the A’s. Chet Laabs blasts HRs in both games. During the 8-game streak‚ Laabs hits 7 HRs‚ including a grand slam on the 15th. He will finish 2nd to Ted Williams in the AL with 27 HRs.

The Yankees crush the Indians 8-1‚ getting a first inning grand slam from Phil Rizzuto. Red Rolfe also homers.
July 18The Dodgers and Cardinals split a pair with the Red birds chasing starter Larry French in the opener and winning 7-4. French loses his first of the year after 10 straight wins. The Dodgers also lose Hugh Casey when the reliever is hit on the finger by a smash off the bat of Stan Musial. The fracture will cost Casey 3 weeks. Brooklyn wins the nitecap‚ 4-3‚ behind lefty Max Macon‚ who wins with relief from Curt Davis.
July 19The Brooklyn lead of 8 games is cut as the Cards win 3 of 4. The larger blow‚ however‚ is a concussion suffered by Pete Reiser after crashing into an OF wall at Sportsman’s Park chasing an Enos Slaughter 11th-inning fly. Reiser drops the ball upon impact‚ and Slaughter scores an inside-the-park HR for a 7-6 Cards’ win. Hitting .379 at the time‚ Reiser will see his average fall to .310 after the injury. His 20 stolen bases will still lead the NL‚ and he will finish the year not having grounded into a DP.

Playing without Williams and Doerr‚ the Red Sox drop a doubleheader against the Indians at Fenway Park‚ losing 10-7 in 12 innings‚ and 4-0 in a 7-inning nitecap. Boudreau has 3 hits in each game to lead his charges. Sox pitcher Mike Ryba catches in both games‚ as the 3rd backstop in the opener‚ and the starter (0-for-2) in the nitecap before Doerr pinch hits for him in the 7th. Mel Harder allows 3 hits in game 2 to win.
July 21At Forbes Field‚ the Monarchs (Negro League) Satchel Paige performs one of his legendary feats. Years earlier‚ Paige told Josh Gibson that one day he would strike him out with the bases loaded. With a man on‚ 2 outs‚ and Gibson 3rd up‚ Paige walks the next 2 Grays to bring Gibson up. Satchel tells the crowd what is going to happen. “Three fastballs‚ Josh‚” Paige tells him‚ then proceeds to strike him out.
July 22Ted Williams is handed a $250 fine by manager Joe Cronin for loafing.
July 23After giving up a lead-off bloop single‚ Newark Eagles Leon Day strikes out 18 Baltimore Elite Giants to set a Negro League record.
July 25The Giants purchase vet Van Lingle Mungo (11-3) from Minneapolis (AA) to replace the ailing Cliff Melton.
July 26Clyde McCullough hits 3 consecutive HRs‚ but the Chicago Cubs lose 4-3 to Philadelphia Phillies in game one. The Phils also take the nitecap‚ 6-1. McCullough will end the year with 5 homers.
July 27The New York Daily Worker announces that Pittsburgh Pirates owner Benny Benswanger will arrange a tryout for Roy Campanella‚ Sammy T. Hughes‚ and David Barnhill. In August‚ Campanella and Hughes will jump their team during a tight pennant race to “showcase” for the ML.
July 29Van Lingle Mungo makes his debut in a Giants uniform‚ but gets poor support and loses to the Cubs‚ 4-2. Mungo gives up 7 hits in 7 innings in losing to Hi Bithorn. Mungo leaves after giving up Bill Nicholson‘s 10th homer. Dick Bartell and Babe Young homer in the nitecap‚ a 3-1 win for Dick Lohrman.

Outhit by the Cards 9 to 6‚ the Dodgers win 4-3 behind Whit Wyatt at Ebbets Field. Mort Cooper is the loser‚ dropping the Cards eight games behind the Dodgers The game ends at 9:14‚ the first major league contest to be stopped because of the Army’s dim-out rule. There is one out in the home half of the 7th when the game is stopped.

Vern Stephens has 5 hits‚ including a HR and 2 doubles‚ but it is not enough as the Browns lose 11-10 to the Senators. The Nats collect 20 hits off 6 Brownie pitchers.
July 30The Phillies defeat the visiting Reds‚ 4-2‚ with SS Bobby Bragan catching all 9 innings. Bragan caught part of the game on the 24th and for the rest of his career will be behind the plate most often.

August

August 1The Dodgers (71-29) top Johnny Schmitz of the Cubs‚ 9-6‚ to stretch their lead to nine games over St. Louis.
August 2Carl Hubbell wins his 5th straight‚ topping the Cardinals 7-1. Mel Ott’s 2 homers‚ one a grand slam‚ eases the way for the vet. In the nightcap‚ Dick Bartell‘s 9th inning error paved the way for Billy Southworth’s squeeze bunt‚ and the Cards win‚ 3-2. Mort Cooper allows 4 hits in winning his 13th.

The Braves split a pair with the Reds‚ winning the opener‚ 7-0‚ behind Al Javery before being shot down by Paul Derringer‚ 4-2. Boston’s top home run hitter‚ Max West hits a grand slam in game 1.

At Detroit‚ The Tigers sweep a pair from the Red Sox‚ 8-4 and 6-2‚ to knock Boston out of 2nd place. Dizzy Trout wins the opener‚ helping himself with a 3-run HR. Virgil Trucks wins the nitecap‚ giving up a 9th inning HR to Ted Williams. Along with Jim Tabor‚ CF Dom DiMaggio has a homer in the opener‚ then adds an unassisted DP in the nitecap.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Satchel Paige and Hilton Smith combine to pitch a one-hit shutout over the New York Cubans (Negro League). The Monarchs win‚ 9-0. In the first game of the twinbill‚ the Philadelphia Stars conquer the Baltimore Elite Giants‚ 7-4. Henry Spearman’s grand slam sparks the Philley attack.
August 3A military relief game at the Polo Grounds with the Dodgers attracts a Polo Grounds record crowd of 57‚303. The Giants‚ losing 7-4‚ have 2 on and no out in the 9th when the game is called. A government order mandates that lights must be turned out at 9:14. Giants President Horace Stoneham states that twilight games would be terminated since “playing against the clock was too tough.”
August 4The Giants-Dodgers game ends in a 1-1 tie as Pee Wee Reese‘s grand slam in the top of the 9th is wiped out. As was the case the day before‚ the game is called because of the government’s 9:14 curfew on lights. It is the last twilight game played at the Polo Grounds. The Dodgers have held the NL lead for 144 days. The margin over the Cardinals is 10 games. Until the season’s end‚ Brooklyn will win 17‚ lose 18.

Braves pitcher Jim Tobin clubs his 6th homer of the year‚ tying the NL record for homers by a pitcher‚ but he loses to the Phils‚ 4-2.

A dim out in the 10th inning cancels Pee Wee Reese‘s grand slam. The score reverts to the 9th inning resulting in a 1-1 tie between Brooklyn and the Giants.
August 5White Sox 1B Don Kolloway‘s 2-out steal of home in the 5th inning is the only run of the game against Tiger lefty Hal Newhouser. Sore-armed Thornton Lee is the winner. There are 7 games played today‚ and 5 end in shutouts.
August 6An editorial in The Sporting News argues for segregation on the diamond. The column states that members of each race “prefer to draw their talents from their own ranks and both groups know their crowd psychology and do not care to run the risk of damaging their own game.”
August 8A bean ball salvo between Manny Salvo of the Braves and Whit Wyatt of the Dodgers ends in a 2-0 Boston victory. Only two batters are hit‚ but many pitches are close and the hurlers almost come to blows twice. Salvo gets fined $50 and Wyatt $75. Wyatt also tosses a bat. For Wyatt (8-1)‚ it is his first loss after 10 straight wins over the Braves.
August 9The Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-8 in 18 innings at Cincinnati. The Reds tie the score in the 9th‚ 10th‚ and 12th innings before the Cubs hang on. Stan Hack collects 5 hits and 3 runs for Chicago. Both teams combine to notch 25 base on balls for the match‚ and the Cubs strand 23 runners‚ while the Reds leave 21‚ a ML record until 1974. Each team uses 6 pitchers‚ a ML record. The Reds take game 2 by a 2-1 score.

As a warm-up to the upcoming series at St. Louis with Brooklyn‚ the Cardinals win their 7th straight‚ a 7-2 win over Pittsburgh behind rookie Johnny Beazley.
August 10In a playoff of a 16-inning tie on August 8‚ the Pirates again hammer Mort Cooper‚ and win‚ 6-4. Cooper won’t lose the rest of the year.
August 11At Cleveland‚ in the first game of a twi-nighter‚ Indian P Al Milnar has a no-hitter until Doc Cramer singles with 2 out in the 9th. But the duel with Detroit’s Tommy Bridges ends in a 14-inning scoreless tie because the rules state the game cannot be continued under the lights. Milnar allows just two hits and his catcher Gene Desautels catches the entire game without a putout (no strikeouts) or assist.
August 14The Yankees turn a ML-record 7 DPs in an 11-2 win over the Athletics. Bill Dickey guns down 2 runners following third strikes‚ three are started by the DP combo of Rizzuto and Gordon‚ reliever Johnny Murphy triggers another‚ and 3B Red Rolfe initiates one. The 7 DPs give the Yankees 150 on the year; they’ll finish with 190‚ just missing the (since surpassed) ML mark they set last season of 194.
August 15With 2 outs and 2 strikes in the last of the 9th‚ Dolf Camilli hits a 2-run homer to give the Dodgers a 5-4 win over the Braves. With the homer‚ his 20th‚ Camilli takes over the NL lead.

Despite Bill Nicholson hitting 3 homers‚ 2 doubles and a single‚ the Cubs lose two games to the Pirates‚ 8-5 and 8-7‚ the nitecap in 11 innings.

At Fenway the Sox sweep a pair from the Senators‚ winning each by one run. In the opening 2-1 win‚ Ted Williams 2-run homer backs Tex Hughson‘s 9th straight win and 15th overall. The 7-6 nitecap win goes the Broadway Charlie Wagner‚ whose last 6 wins‚ since June 7‚ have all been by one run‚ including a pair of 1-0 wins. Lou Finney drives in the tying and winning runs with a triple.
August 18After going 1-6 before the All-star break‚ Carl Hubbell posts his 8th straight win‚ beating the Braves 10-2. The 39-year-old veteran is backed by Mel Ott’s 3 hits‚ including a HR into the LF stands at the Polo Grounds.
August 22Cubs catcher Clyde McCullough‚ SS Lennie Merullo‚ and 1B Phil Cavarretta combine on a triple play in the top of the 11th‚ and Bill Nicholson homers in the bottom half of the inning‚ as the Chicago Cubs stun the Cincinnati Reds‚ 5-4.
August 23Seven of 16 games played today are shutouts‚ matching a mark set September 7‚ 1908. A near-miss is by White Sox veteran Ted Lyons. Taking a regular Sunday start‚ he wins his 256th career game‚ a 3-hitter 3-1 complete game victory over Cleveland.

Cub pitchers Claude Passeau and Lon Warneke each toss 3-0 shutouts against the Reds while Red Sox hurlers Tex Hughson and Joe Dobson whitewash the A’s‚ winning 2-0 and 7-0.

Walter Johnson pitching to Babe Ruth is the pregame attraction that draws 69‚000 for the New York-Washington game at Yankee Stadium that provides $80‚000 for Army-Navy relief. Ruth hits the fifth pitch into the right-field stands‚ and then adds one more shot before circling the bases. Sixteen relief games contribute $523‚000 during the season. In the doubleheader between the Senators and the Yankees‚ the Senators win the opener‚ 7-6 and New York cops the nitecap‚ 3-0‚ in 5 1/2 innings.

At Ebbets Field‚ the Dodgers sweep 2 from their cross-town rivals. In the first game‚ the Giants took a 4-2 lead in the 10th on Johnny Mize‘s 2-run HR‚ only to see Dolf Camilli hit reliever Harry Feldman‘s 1st pitch for a grand slam and give Dem Bums a 6-4 win. The 2nd game‚ the Dodgers score 2 in the 5th to take a 7-5 lead in a game halted by darkness. The Dodgers now lead St. Louis by 7 1/2 games.
August 24The Dodgers open a 4-game series in St. Louis with Larry French (13-1) on the mound for the front-runners. Terry Moore scores 4 runs for the Birds as they coast to a 7-1 victory behind Max Lanier‘s 14th victory.
August 25The largest night crowd in St. Louis history‚ watch two aces deal‚ the Dodger Whit Wyatt and the Cardinals Mort Cooper‚ go scoreless for 12 innings. Both teams score in the 13th‚ and the Cards win it in the 14th‚ 2-1‚ on Walker Cooper‘s solo shot. The win by Mort Cooper cuts the Dodgers lead over St. Louis to 5 1/2 games.
August 26Johnny Beazley wins his 16th game of the year‚ 2-1 over the Dodgers in 10 innings. The win caps a sweep of Brooklyn‚ with Max Lanier having edged Larry French in the opener 2 days before.
August 27Brooklyn salvages a win‚ 4-1‚ to leave St. Louis with a 5 1/2 game lead.
August 28Dodger Pete Reiser‚ hitless in his last 13 trips and with his batting average down 35 points in 6 weeks‚ enters the hospital with a torn thigh ligament.
August 30The Giants’ Mel Ott collects his 2‚500th hit in a 5-5 tie in Chicago in game 2. In the opener‚ the Giants win‚ 8-6‚ as Ace Adams beats Hi Bithorn.
August 31Larry MacPhail seeks insurance for the Dodger pennant run by buying Bobo Newsom from the Senators for $25‚000. The purchase had been rumored for weeks. The veteran will respond by shutting out Cincinnati 2-0 in three days. [Blanking the Reds is not difficult. Bill McKechnie’s team will hit .231 for the season‚ the lowest in the ML since the Highlanders hit .229 in 1914 and Brooklyn .229 in 1910.]

Mel Parnell‚ pitching for Canton (Middle Atlantic League) pitches 18 innings against Zanesville‚ winning 5-4. He almost wins his own game in the 17th after singling and going to 2B on a bunt. The next batter singles but Parnell is thrown out at the plate. Parnell finishes the season at 16-9 for Canton.

September

September 1The 2nd place Cardinals match Brooklyn by recalling OF Irv Dusak. Cards’ owner Sam Breadon responds‚ “They can have their Newsom‚ but I’d rather have Dusak. He has been one of the most sought-after players in the minor leagues.” Dusak‚ however‚ hits just .185.

After going 24-9 in July and 25-8 in August‚ the Cardinals are still 3 1/2 games behind Brooklyn. Brooklyn beats Pittsburgh today‚ 4-2.

A story in the Chicago Tribune reports that player-manager Parnell Woods of the Negro AL Cleveland Buckeyes‚ and two teammates have been invited to try out with the Inidians at the start of the 1943 season. The two teammates are Eugene Bremmer and Sam Jethroe‚ who is leading the league in hitting with a .450 average.
September 4At Fenway‚ the Red Sox continue to roll as Bill Butland stops the Tigers‚ 3-0‚ on 4 hits. It is Boston’s 22nd win in 25 games and they’ve cut the Yankee lead from 13 to 7 1/2 games.
September 6Hank Gornicki shuts out the Cubs‚ 5-0‚ in the opener and Pirate teammate Luke Hamlin follows and shuts out the Cubs in the nitecap‚ 6-0.
September 7In the first game of a doubleheader‚ the Pirates erupt for 11 runs in the 6th inning against the Cards to win‚ 11-6. They won’t have an inning in double figures again until June‚ 1989. The Cards bounce back in the nitecap‚ 6-4‚ behind Johnny Beazley’s 19th win.

A traffic accident in Geneva‚ Ohio claims the lives of Negro Leaguers Buster Brown and Smokey Owens. Teammates on the Cleveland Buckeyes‚ Eugene Bremmer and Lefty Watts‚ are hospitalized. The accident occurs when their car in rear-ended while they are changing a flat tire. The players were returning home following a series against the New York Black Yankees.
September 8The Dodgers move 3 games ahead of the idle Cards by beating the Pirates‚ 4-0. Ed Head allows just 4 hits.
September 10Brooklyn‚ with a slim 3-game lead in the NL‚ loses to Chicago’s Lon Warneke‚ 10-2. Across the river at the Polo Grounds‚ left Howie Pollet gives the Cards a 5-1 win over New York. Hubbell was the announced starter‚ but in pre-game warm ups he was hit on the head by an errant throw from Musial. Hal Schumacher was inserted as the starter but gave up 3 first inning runs to earn an early shower.
September 11Eddie Freed of the Philadelphia Phillies collects a single‚ two doubles‚ a triple and an intentional walk in his ML debut‚ a Phils team record. But the Reds win 8-5 in 11 innings on Ray Lamanno‘s HR. The 5’6″ Freed will total only 10 hits during his brief ML career as he is drafted in January‚ 1943 for three years. Only 393 fans are on hand for today’s game‚ as the last-place Phils will draw just 230‚183 this season.

At Ebbets Field‚ Mort Cooper‚ wearing Coaker Triplett‘s #20 uniform‚ scatters 3 hits to shut out the Dodgers 3-0‚ and become the year’s first 20-game winner. The shutout is his 8th of the year. The Cardinals‚ now just a game in back of Brooklyn‚ order World Series tickets to be printed.

Before a night game crowd of 4‚127‚ the Indians down the A’s‚ 5-4‚ in 13 innings. The win goes to reliever Phil Marchildon‚ his 17th. Making his debut at 2B for the Indians is 18-year-old Ted Sczepkowski‚ who goes 1-for-5.
September 12Brooklyn fandom’s worst fears are realized as the Cardinals again beat the Dodgers‚ 2-1. The win by Max Lanier leaves both teams tied for 1st at 94-46.
September 13Chicago Cub SS Lennie Merullo makes a ML record 4 errors‚ all on consecutive plays‚ in the 2nd inning of the nightcap against the Boston Braves. The Cubs win 12-8 after losing the first game 11-6. Merullo‚ who made an error in the opener‚ is comforted by his DP partner Lou Stringer‚ who made 4 errors in his ML debut a year ago. Merullo has a son born today and his teammates suggest he nickname him “Boots.”

In Philadelphia‚ the Cards blow a 1-0 lead in the 9th and lose 2-1‚ then win the 2nd game 3-2. The Dodgers blow their opportunity by losing twice to Reds. Bobo Newsom‚ who had planned to pitch both games of the doubleheader‚ loses the 1st game 6-3. Durocher then went with Curt Davis in the 2nd game and the Phils won again 4-1. The Dodgers are now in 2nd place.

At Chicago‚ the Red Sox sweep a pair from the Pale Hose‚ winning 6-1 and 5-0. Bill Butland wins the opener on 4 hits‚ while Tex Hughson wins his 19th in game 2. Ted Williams homers in game 1‚ the 12th straight game in which he’s had an RBI‚ tying Joe Cronin‘s team record. Ted scores 2 in the nitecap‚ but has no ribbies.
September 14In the Negro League WS‚ Leon Day‚ pitching for the Homestead Grays‚ fans 12 in beating Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Monarchs 4-1 in Game 4. The Monarchs protest‚ contending that Day and 3 other players were picked up from other teams. Day’s win is disallowed‚ and the Monarchs sweep the 4 games.

The red-hot Cardinals score 4 in the 9th to beat the Phillies 6-3.

With all the NL hubbub‚ the Yankees go about their lofty business‚ clinching the flag against Cleveland‚ 8-3. Ernie Bonham wins his 20th game‚ and DiMaggio strokes 4 hits.
September 15The visiting Cards trips the cellar Phils‚ 3-2 in 14 innings when reliever Murry Dickson doubles and scores on Jimmy Brown‘s single off Si Johnson. Johnson goes the distance for the Phils in losing his 7th of the year to the Cards. St. Louis starter Mort Cooper gives up a tying homer to Nick Etten in the 8th. After coach Chuck Klein pinch hits and bounces out to end the game‚ manager Hans Lobert races to the second deck to confront a fan who had been heckling him throughout the game‚ especially after his decision to insert the little-used Klein. Lobert is restrained from punching the fan by Klein.
September 16Ben Chapman‚ pitcher/manager for Richmond (Piedmont League) punches out umpire I.H. Case and will be suspended from playing the entire 1943 season for the assault. He’ll return to pitch for the Dodgers in 1944.
September 17Pete Coscarart slaps a two-run single to give the Pirates a 3-2 win over the slumping Dodgers. The Cardinals score 5 runs in the 9th inning to beat the Braves 6-4. St. Louis now leads Brooklyn by 3 games.
September 21New York’s Ernie Bonham wins his 21st game of the year‚ topping the Senators‚ 4-1. His 21-5 record will lead the AL in winning percentage (.808) and he will lead in shutouts (6).
September 23In Brooklyn‚ Larry French‚ 35‚ pitches a brilliant one-hitter‚ allowing just Nick Etten‘s 2nd inning infield hit‚ and beating the Philadelphia Phillies 6-0. Etten is retired on a DP as French faces just 27 batters in his 197th and last career win (197-171‚ with 40 shutouts). There are 13‚346 fans on hand‚ 8‚647 of which are admitted free by bringing with them 10 pounds of iron for the war effort. French finishes the year at 15-4 with a 1.83 ERA‚ and after a brief relief stint on the 26th‚ he’ll enlist in the Navy. He’ll be stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yards‚ but his petition to the Navy to allow him spot starts with the Dodgers will be denied. “I still need three winning games to paste 200 in my scrapbook‚” says French. “I want them‚ and I won’t be satisfied with my career until I get them.” Despite his disappointment‚ French will stay in Navy‚ rise through the ranks and retire in 1969 with the rank of captain. Larry MacPhail‚ the 52-year-old Dodger president‚ also announces today that he is quitting at the end of the season to reenter the army.

At St. Louis‚ the Cards maintain their two-game lead as Johnny Beazley stops the Reds‚ 4-2‚ on 2 hits. It is his 20th win.
September 24Mort Cooper tosses his 10th shutout of the year to give the Cardinals a 6-0 two-hit victory over the Reds. Cooper’s 22nd win of the year clinches at least a Cardinal tie for the pennant.
September 25With the Giants’ 3rd-place finish secure‚ OF Hank Lieber pitches a complete-game 9-1 loss against the Phillies at the Polo Grounds. He yields 9 hits and strikes out 5 in his only ML pitching appearance. He had been a pitcher at the U. of Arizona. The Phils score 5 of their runs without a hit. The Giants take the opener‚ 6-3‚ behind Hal Schumacher.
September 26Youngsters‚ admitted free for bringing scrap metal to aid the war effort‚ get restless and invade the field at the Polo Grounds in the 8th inning of the 2nd game with the Giants leading 5-2. Umpire Ziggy Sears forfeits the game 9-0 to the Braves. Boston P Warren Spahn is not charged with a decision‚ although he was losing at the time of the forfeit. But he is given credit for a complete game‚ his only one in 4 appearances for the year. Carl Hubbell wins the opener‚ 6-4.

The Dodgers win their 7th straight‚ 8-3‚ over the Phils and gain a half-game on the idle Cards. Dolf Camilli drives in 4 runs and is the front man on a triple steal. Larry French (15-4) wins in relief.
September 27It is Tony Lupien Day at Fenway‚ and the Red Sox Tex Hughson wins his 22nd to tie Mort Cooper for the ML lead‚ as the Red Sox edge the Yankees‚ 7-6. A Fenway Park crowd of 26‚166-including 4‚293 youngsters who gained free admission by bringing 29‚000 pounds of scrap metal-watches Hughson scatter 11 hits in going all the way. Johnny Murphy‚ one of 4 Yank hurlers‚ takes the loss. Ted Williams has a single in three at bats to finish the season at .356 and wins his second straight batting title. Teammate Johnny Pesky is 2nd at .331. Williams also leads the ML in HRs (36)‚ RBI (137)‚ runs (141)‚ and walks (145). Williams‚ Pesky‚ and Dom D play their last games before entering the service. DiMaggio finishes the year with 439 PO and 19 Assists to lead the AL: His brother Vince leads the NL in the same categories with 383 and 20.

On the last day of the season‚ the Cardinals‚ winners of 9 games out of 10‚ have a 1 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers‚ winner of 7 straight. The Cardinals clinch the NL pennant by winning the first game of a doubleheader from the Cubs‚ 9-2. Billy Southworth benches his regulars for game 2‚ but the Cards still win‚ 4-1‚ giving Johnny Beazley his 21st win of the year. Lou Novikoff‚ who led 4 minor leagues in hitting in consecutive years but was a bust with the Cubs in 1941‚ gets a “gift hit” when Beazley lets a light grounder come to a stop so that Lou can maintain a .300 batting average for the season. Novikoff is 1-for-8 today.

Kirby Higbe wins for the Dodgers‚ 4-3‚ at Shibe Park in a meaningless win. Brooklyn finishes with 104 victories‚ the most for a runner-up team since the 1909 Cubs won that many. Phils outfielder Danny Litwhiler completes his 151st errorless game of the season in a loss to the Dodgers. Litwhiler becomes the first OF to avoid an error the entire season. He has 308 putouts and 9 assists on the year. The Dodgers are victorious but their hopes of a Cub sweep of a doubleheader with St. Louis are smashed as the Cards take both games. Brooklyn’s 104 wins leaves them 2 games in back of the Birds.
September 28In a City Series battle between the Cubs and Sox‚ 41-year-old Ted Lyons (14-6) shuts out the Northsiders on 3 hits and no walks in just 1 hour: 18 minutes. Lyons then leaves to enlist as a private in the Marine Corps.
September 30Down 7-0 to Red Ruffing in the Series opener‚ the Cardinals storm back for four 9th-inning runs‚ not enough to win but enough to portend the result of the WS.

October

October 1Behind 3-0‚ the Yankees tie it up in the top of the 8th‚ but rookie Stan Musial singles in Enos Slaughter in the bottom of the inning to forge a 4-3 Cardinal victory.
October 3The Cards win their second in a row as Ernie White shuts out New York on 6 hits‚ winning 2-0. Arguments during the game result in $200 fines for Joe Gordon and Frank Crosetti; the latter will also suspended for the first 30 days of the 1943 season for shoving umpire Bill Summers.
October 4The Cards get 6 runs in the 4th‚ but the Yankees tie the game with 5 in the 6th. St. Louis scores 3 more runs to win 9-6 in a 22-hit game.

In a rematch of last year’s IBA world championship‚ Cuba tops Venezuela‚ 8-0‚ behind Connie Marrero‘s 3-hitter. Venezuela is led by 2B Luis Aparicio‚ Sr. and losing pitcher Chino Canonico. Marrero will debut with the Washington Senators in 1950.
October 5Whitey Kurowski’s 2-run HR in the 9th inning gives St. Louis a 4-2 WS triumph and enables the Cardinals to upset the New York Yankees in 5 games.

November

November 1Larry MacPhail enters the army and the Dodgers look to St. Louis for leadership. After 2 decades in St. Louis‚ Branch Rickey splits with owner Sam Breadon. He will sign to become GM at Brooklyn.
November 3Ted Williams is the ML Triple Crown winner‚ but the writers select 2B Joe Gordon by 21 votes as AL MVP. Gordon of the New York Yankees leads the AL with 95 strikeouts‚ the most ground balls hit into double plays (22)‚ and the most errors at his position (28). P Mort Cooper gets the MVP honor in the NL with Cards teammate Enos Slaughter finishing 2nd.
November 30Bill Terry resigns from his job as supervisor of the Giants’ minor league system to go into private business. The Giants‚ with 9 minor league teams at the start of 1942‚ are down to two‚ Jersey City and Ft. Smith‚ Arkansas.

December

December 1At ML meetings in Chicago‚ the owners decide to restrict travel to a three-trip schedule‚ rather than the customary four. Spring training in 1943 will be limited to locations north of the Potomac or Ohio rivers and east of the Mississippi.
December 2The Reds send SS Eddie Joost and P Nate Andrews to the Braves for SS Eddie Miller.
December 17The Yankees trade OF Roy Cullenbine and C Buddy Rosar to the Indians for Roy Weatherly and IF Oscar Grimes. With the draft in mind‚ all four players are married with one child each. As noted by historian Lyle Spatz‚ Rosar had been in the doghouse with Joe McCarthy for leaving the team without permission the weekend of July 18-19 to take a police examination in Buffalo. The leave-taking prompted the Yankees to sign vet C Rollie Hemsley.