Baseball – 1943

Baseball in 1943

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January

January 1Negro League star Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted to St. Francis hospital for rest and treatment. He will be released in time to go to Hot Springs‚ Arkansas‚ to get in shape for the baseball season.
January 4A wartime tone for the season is set when Red Ruffing‚ just months short of his 38th birthday‚ and minus 4 toes‚ is drafted into the Army Air Corp.
January 5In Chicago‚ the teams agree to start the season later than usual and prepare to train in areas north of the so-called Eastman-Landis line (named after Joseph Eastman‚ head of the Department of Transportation‚ and Judge Landis)‚ an area East of the Mississippi and North of the Ohio and Potomac rivers. The two St. Louis teams are excluded‚ though they will train in Missouri. Resorts‚ armories‚ and university facilities are chosen for training sites. The Dodgers will train at Bear Mountain‚ NY; Cards‚ at Cape Girardeau‚ MO; the Yankees‚ in Atlantic City. The Red Sox go to Tufts College.
January 19The Braves release veterans Paul Waner and Johnny Cooney.
January 25The Yankees send Lefty Gomez to the Boston Braves for cash. He will be released without playing a game and will sign with Washington on May 24th.
January 27The Cubs pay cash to the Reds to get P Paul Derringer.
January 29The Yankees trade 2B Jerry Priddy and minor leaguer Milo Candini to the Washington Senators for righty Bill Zuber and cash. Zuber‚ classified 4-F in the draft‚ will not have a winning season in New York‚ while Candini will go 11-7 this year.

February

February 2After experimenting with a vest worn over knit jerseys‚ the Cubs return to conventional baggy flannels for 1943. The outfitting change saves the organization $2‚000 on the cost for uniforms.
February 9The NL is looking for a buyer for the Phillies‚ whose owner‚ Gerry Nugent‚ has fallen in arrears on rent and bank loans. The league pays $10 a share for 4‚685 out of 5‚000 outstanding shares in club (David Jordan‚ Larry Gerlach‚ and John Rossi in the 1998 TNP report that the NL buys 2‚600 shares and assumes the club’s debts of $300‚‚000‚ more than a third of which is owed to the NL itself).
February 17Joe DiMaggio‚ drawing $43‚500 from the Yankees‚ trades in his salary for the $50 a month as an army enlisted man. DiMag‚ in his customary quiet style‚ gives no notice to the club.
February 18The NL finds a buyer for the Philadelphia club: a syndicate headed by William D. Cox‚ a New York lumberman.
February 20Phil Wrigley and Branch Rickey charter the All-American Girls Softball League. The league will operate around the Chicago area and is formed as a sports backup in case the government shuts down ML baseball. The league will later change its name and switch to hardball with a pitching distance of 40 feet and bases 68 feet apart‚ eventually evolving to distances close to the major league lengths.
February 24The Texas League announces it will quit for the duration of the war. The Cardinals‚ with 260 farm players in the service‚ will reduce farm clubs from 22 to 6. Only 9 minor leagues will start the 1943 season. Advertisements for players appear in The Sporting News.
February 26The Phils sign Bucky Harris as manager. It is the 4th ML club Harris has led‚ not counting 2 stints-later 3-at Washington. Clark Griffith‚ Rogers Hornsby‚ Donie Bush‚ and Bill McKechnie have also managed 4 clubs.

March

March 9The Phillies get Babe Dahlgren from the Dodgers for vet Lloyd Waner and Al Glossop. It is the Babe’s 4th team in less than two years.
March 13The major leagues approve an official ball‚ which will be made from reclaimed cork and balata in the interior‚ materials not needed in the war effort. Officials insist the ball will have the resiliency of the 1939 ball‚ but the players will express dismay that they cannot drive the new ball and point out the dearth of runs and homers in 1942 even with the old ball.
March 20LF Bob Johnson‚ a star for the Athletics since 1933‚ is traded to the Senators for 3B Bob Estalella and Jimmy Pofahl. Johnson has led the A’s in RBIs in each of the last seven seasons: no team has ever traded a slugger with that mark.

April

April 16After beating Boston College at Fenway two days ago by a 17-2 score‚ the Red Sox take on Harvard. The Bosox avenge a 1-0 loss to the Crimson 27 years ago by winning 21-0.
April 18Before 10‚010 at Fenway‚ the Red Sox beat the Braves‚ 5-3‚ as Bobby Doerr hits a homerun.
April 20The season starts‚ 2 weeks later than customary. Stalwarts such as Joe DiMaggio‚ Ted Williams‚ Enos Slaughter and Johnny Mize are gone‚ among some 60 players who could have been classified as regulars in the 1942 season. In the “presidential opener” in Washington‚ the Senators under new manager Ossie Bluege defeat the A’s‚ 7-5.

Braves manager Casey Stengel is struck by a taxi‚ fracturing a leg‚ and will miss much of the season. Dave Egan‚ a Boston sportswriter‚ nominates cabdriver as Sportsman of the Year‚ weary of Stengel’s humor in the face of the Braves’ pitiful record. Whitey Wietelman had a different version of the events (as related by Stan Fischler): “I was sitting in a bar with Casey‚ having a couple of beers. He had to go across the street to the Miles Standish Hotel. He wore a big black coat and a black hat. He walked into the cab-and that’s what happened.” Tomorrow’s 3rd game in the Boston City Series will be called on account of mud. But the Red Sox will win the final match‚ 1-0‚ behind Tex Hughson.
April 21Travel restrictions limit the crowd to 4‚000 in St. Louis as the Browns Al Hollingsworth blanks the White Sox 3-0‚ the Browns’ 7th consecutive Opening Day win.

At the home opener at Wrigley‚ 9‚044 fans watch as the Pirates Rip Sewell allows just three hits to beat the Cubs‚ 6-0. Paul Derringer is outgunned in the loss. It is the 2nd Opener in a row that Sewell has beaten the Cubs‚ and he will rip off another five wins over them this year. There are just 4 games today‚ but all of them end in shutouts‚ a record.
April 22Despite going 4-for-4 in a 5-2 win at Ebbets Field‚ the Giants’ Mel Ott declares the new baseballs hit like overripe grapefruits. Reds slugger Frank McCormick adds‚ “It was like hitting a piece of cement.”

After a day’s delay because of rain‚ the Yankees open at the Stadium with a 5-4 come-from-behind win against the Senators. Johnny Murphy‚ who relieves starter Ernie Bonham in the 9th and tosses just one pitch‚ is the victor. Roy Weatherly‚ filling in for DiMaggio in center field‚ drives home the tying and winning runs with a double off Owen Sheetz. Mickey Haefner is the losing pitcher. Joe Gordon has the game’s only homer‚ an 8th-inning shot off starter Early Wynn‚ that gives the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Because of the meat shortage‚ no vendors walk among the fans selling hot dogs‚ though there are hot dogs available at the concession stands.
April 24Pitcher Al Gerheauser makes his major league debut as the Phillies’ Opening Day pitcher‚ starting at Ebbets Field against the Dodgers. Brooklyn pounds him for 7 hits and 5 runs in 4 innings on their way to an 11-4 win. Gerheauser is the last rookie to debut as an Opening Day starter.

A spokesman for A. G. Spalding defends the baseball‚ saying the 11 shutouts (sic) in the first 29 games are the result of it being “too wet and too cold. In time the new ball will prove to be just as lively as the old one.” A few days later the company admits that the balls contain an inferior grade of rubber cement‚ which has hardened. The teams agree to use up their stock of balls left over from the 1942 season while a new supply of higher-quality balls is made. In fact‚ the Dodgers today are the first team to score in double figures this season.
April 25Rufe Gentry of Buffalo (International League) wins an 11-inning no-hitter against Newark 1-0. The last IL no-hitter of this length was thrown by Toronto’s Urban Shocker on July 22‚ 1916.
April 27The Braves ship Ernie Lombardi to the Giants for catcher Hugh Poland and infielder Connie Ryan. Lombardi‚ last year’s top hitter‚ reportedly wanted a salary increase to $15‚000‚ $2‚500 over the Braves allowed wage scale. Under the Treasury Department’s guide lines put in before the start of the 1943 season‚ no ballplayer could make more than the top 1942 salary paid by his team unless special permission was obtained. The Giants‚ with a top limit of $17‚500 (Billy Jurges’ salary) could accommodate the Schnooze’s salary demands‚ and the trade was made.
April 29Connie Ryan‚ a New York Giants two days earlier‚ cracks a 9th inning homer against his now former teammate Van Lingle Mungo to give the Braves a 5-2 win. New Giant Ernie Lombardi pinch hits and K’s with the tying run on base in the 9th.
April 30The Phils buy OF Jimmy Wasdell‚ who will start the next 3 years‚ from the Pirates.

May

May 2Phillies pitcher Schoolboy Rowe pinch hits with the bases loaded in the 6th inning and cracks a grand slam off Braves righty Al Javery to break a tie. The Phils win‚ 6-5‚ but it takes them 12 innings. For Rowe‚ it is his 2nd grand slam-he hit one in 1939 while with Detroit-and he is the only pitcher to hit a grand slam in each league. He’ll finish the 1943 season with a .306 average as a pinch hitter.

Behind the strong pitching of Wally Hebert and Bob Klinger‚ the Pirates twice shut out the Cubs‚ winning 3-0 and 1-0. Hi Bithorn loses game one. In the second game‚ Cubs hurlers Dick Barrett and Lon Warneke combine on a hardluck one-hit loss: Vince DiMaggio‘s hit in the 4th is the only safety. Barrett, 35 and making his NL debut, can’t blame his offense on the new cement ball; 1942 baseballs are used.
May 4Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick demonstrates the revised “balata ball” to reporters by bouncing it on his office carpet. This ball will prove to be 50 percent livelier than the 1942 one. When introduced in games on May 9th‚ 6 HRs will be hit in 4 doubleheaders compared with 9 HRs hit with the previous ball in the first 72 games.
May 5In the nitecap 5-2 win against the Indians‚ Chicago’s Wally Moses steals home. It is Wally’s second steal of home in extra innings‚ tying Tony Lazzeri‘s mark. Cleveland wins the opener‚ 2-1.
May 7At Comiskey Park, a paid crowd of 513 plus 260 ladies see ther White Sox edge the Tigers, 1-0, in 10 innings. Johnny Humpries, the winning pitcher, scores the winning run on Luke Appling’s double.

At Philadelphia, new Phillie Jimmy Wasdell has 6 RBIs on a homer, triple and single to pace the Phils to a 13-3 win over the Giants.
May 9The Yankees take game 1 from the A’s with a 13-1 mashing behind Spud Chandler (3-0). Chandler contributes a three-run inside-the-park homer in the first inning. Roy Weatherly is 5-for-5 with a triple and homer. His homer is followed by another from Charlie Keller. The A’s rebound to win game 2, 4–3, holding Weatherly hitless.

First place Brooklyn splits a pair with the Braves in Boston. The Dodgers take the opener, 5–4 in 10 innings behind the relief pitching of Bobo Newsom. The Braves come back to win game 2, 2–1 behind knuckleballer Jim Tobin. The NL will not play again until May 13.

The AP reports that the new lively balata ball, introduced on May 8 in the NL and used today in the AL, is a success resulting in six homers hit in the four AL doubleheaders.
May 14The Detroit Tigers play their 4th straight extra-inning game‚ losing to the A’s‚ 7-6.

The only Class E league in minor league history-the Twin Ports League-qualifies for play. It is a semi-pro industrial league located in the northern Minnesota mining area.
May 20With Charley Fuchs and Al Gerheauser pitching‚ the Phillies whitewash the Cubs‚ 3-0 and 2-0.
May 21At Griffith Stadium‚ the Chicago White Sox top the Washington Senators 1-0 in 1 hour‚ 29 minutes‚ the quickest night game in AL history.
May 24After his release from the Braves‚ Lefty Gomez signs with the Senators. He will pitch in only one game‚ which he loses‚ then retire.
May 27In a 3-2 loss to the Tigers‚ the Yankees Johnny Allen‚ incensed over a balk call‚ attacks umpire George Barr and is suspended for 30 days and fined $200. On May 21st‚ Frank Crosetti made his first start after serving a 30-day suspension for umpire pushing. This occurred in the 3rd game of the World Series when Crosetti pushed Bill Summers.
May 30The Cubs play 32 games before hitting a home run‚ but today Bill Nicholson hits the two Cubs blasts of the year. both two-run homers‚ against the Braves’ Al Javery. His first homer‚ in the 4th inning‚ comes in the club’s 1‚120th at bat of the season. The Cubs win‚ 5-1‚ with Paul Derringer the victor. The 2nd game is postponed.

The Red Sox are also having trouble hitting the major league’s balata ball‚ as Jim Tabor hits the first Sox homer at Fenway Park in a DH sweep of the Tigers. The Bosox win 3-0 behind Dick Newsome‚ and 5-1 behind Lou Lucier. In 33 games‚ the only other Boston homers are Leon Culberson‘s dinger in Detroit on the May 23‚ and Bobby Doerr‘s inside-the-park liner at Washington on May 15th.
May 31Mort Cooper gives up a 7th inning hit to Billy Jurges in stopping the Dodgers on a one-hitter 7-0. Jurges’ ?y ball loops down the foul line.

In a PCL game‚ Oakland’s Cotton Pippen stops Oakland‚ 10-0 with a 7-inning perfect game. the first in league history.

June

June 1Rip Sewell of the Pirates throws his dew-drop ball in a 5-4 win against the Braves. Sewell loops the ball 18 to 20 feet high on its way to the strike zone. Later it is called a blooper or eephus ball. The pitch is more than a gag‚ and Sewell is on his way to a 20-win season. Huck Geary wins it for the Bucs with a 14th-inning steal of home.

The Cards send outfielders Buster Adams‚ Coaker Triplett and Dain Clay to the Phillies for outfielders Danny Litwhiler and Earl Naylor. For Adams‚ it’s his second time around St. Louis.
June 2The Red Sox and the Browns play their 4th consecutive extra-inning game‚ working 45 innings in 2 games May 31 and another pair today. Sixth-place Boston splits today‚ losing 7-4 and winning 3-2 to take 3 out of 4 from last-place St. Louis. Both leagues will set records for extra-inning activity‚ 91 in the AL‚ 80 in the NL. Brownie P Denny Galehouse doesn’t help in the game 2 loss‚ getting nabbed by 2B Bobby Doerr in the 8th on a hidden ball trick.
June 4Mort Cooper of the St. Louis Cardinals tosses the 2nd of back-to-back one-hitters‚ beating the Philadelphia Phillies‚ 5-0. Hits by Brooklyn’s Billy Herman on May 31 and by the Phils Jimmy Wasdell today deprive him of no-hitters. Cooper has 6 wins and 3 shutouts on the way to his 2nd 20-win year.

At Forbes Field‚ the Pirates hold an 8-7 lead when Vince DiMaggio singles off Giants P Bill Sayles in the bottom of the 8th. With Pete Coscarart at bat‚ the first pitch skips by C Ernie Lombardi‚ who lumbers after the ball as DiMaggio heads for 2B. When Vince sees that Lombardi has yet to reach the ball he continues on to 3B‚ while Sayles shakes his head at how slow his backstop is. With home plated unguarded‚ DiMaggio continues running and scores-from first-on a passed ball. The Bucs win 9-8.
June 5Carl Hubbell snaps the Giants loss streak of 7 games by pitching a one-hitter against the Pirates to win 5-1. The only hit for Pittsburgh is a solo HR by 1B Elbie Fletcher. The win is King Carl’s 250th. Giants C Ernie Lombardi‚ who left yesterday’s game after being cut on the forehead by the spikes of Pirate Jim Russell‚ is married today to Berice Ayres.
June 12In a 14-5 New York win over the A’s‚ Roy Weatherly of the Yankees‚ who caught 10 ?y balls in a game April 28‚ does it again. He is the first OF to have 10 putouts in a game twice in one season.
June 13Aided by a 11 walks from former teammate Ken Chase‚ the Senators add 18 hits to beat the Red Sox‚ 16-5. The Nats are helped by another two walks to total 13.
June 16Behind the fine pitching of Carl Fischer‚ lately of Jersey City‚ the Giants nip Bobo Newsom and the Dodgers‚ 3-2. Sid Gordon guns down two base runners from LF‚ Mel Ott has two hits‚ including a homer‚ and walks his last time up. The base on balls is the first of 7 straight that he will receive over the next two games‚ a new NL mark.
June 17Player-manager Joe Cronin of the Red Sox hits two 3-run pinch HRs‚ going deep off Russ Christopher and then Don Black in each game of a doubleheader‚ as Boston beats the St. Louis Browns‚ 5-4‚ and loses‚ 8-7. He had hit a 3-run pinch HR two nights before against the A’s for three HRs in his last four ABs. He flied out in the 2nd game on the 15th. Cronin will pinch-hit 43 times this year with 18 hits‚ including an AL record 5 pinch-hit HRs. His 25 RBIs is also a record‚ subsequently tied.

Mel Ott‚ the Giants’ player-manager‚ walks 5 times in an 8-5 win over the Kirby Higbe and the Dodgers. Ott also received 5 free passes in games in 1929 and 1933. With a base on balls in his last trip to the plate yesterday and again on his first at bat tomorrow‚ Ott garners 7 consecutive walks‚ a NL mark that Eddie Stanky will match in 1950.
June 18In a 3-2 loss to Cleveland‚ not a single putout comes the way of Detroit 1B Rudy York‚ tying the AL mark set in 1930 by Bud Clancy. It will be matched next by another Tiger 1B Norm Cash‚ in 1963.
June 20In St. Louis‚ the Cubs and Cards split a pair. Max Lanier is the victor in the 10-9 opener‚ with a little help from Cubs 2B Eddie Stanky‚ who makes 3 errors in the 8th inning. The 3 Es ties the NL mark. Hi Bithorn gives the Cubs a 2-1 win in game 2.
June 23Because of racial unrest in Detroit‚ 350 armed guards are on hand for the Cleveland-Detroit game. Hal Newhouser wins the opener 3-1‚ but Cleveland wins the nitecap 9-6 on Jeff Heath‘s 11th-inning HR.
June 27Howie Krist picks up two victories as the Cardinals sweep the Cubs. 3-2 and 4-3. Krist tosses 1 1/3 inning of the opening game win‚ then comes back with 5 2/3 innings in the nitecap to whip Claude Passeau and Hank Wyse.

July

July 1The Sporting News switches to a tabloid format from a standard metro layout as a means of saving newsprint.
July 2In a 3-2 loss to Washington‚ White Sox 30-year-old rookie Guy Curtwright has his 26-game hitting streak stopped. It’s an AL rookie record but Curtwright falls one game short of the club record set by Luke Appling. He will hit .291 in this his only season‚ and his rookie hitting streak will last until Garciaparra‚ in 1997.

The Indians score in just one inning-the 3rd-against the Yankees‚ but they tally 12 runs‚ and Allie Reynolds gives up just 3 hits to win‚ 12-0.
July 3In a night game in Cleveland‚ Leon Culberson cycles to lead the Red Sox to a 12-4 win over the Indians. Joe Dobson starts for the Red Sox‚ but 41-year-old Al Simmons pinch hits for him in the 6th‚ and Mike Ryba then wins in relief. Culberson is the 4th AL rookie-and the 3rd Sox rookie-to hit for the cycle. It is also the first night cycle in ML history.

In Detroit‚ the royalty have the day‚ as the Tigers sweep a pair from New York. “Prince Hal” Newhouser pitches the opener‚ a 6-5 win. In the nitecap‚ the Tigers win a 10-9 slugfest. Reliever Hank “Prince” Oana‚ brought up last month‚ wins his first ML decision and belts a 3-run homer‚ his only ML dinger‚ off losing pitcher Atley Donald. The Hawaiian-born Oana came up briefly with the Phillies in 1934 as an outfielder but converted to pitching last year‚ and went 16-5 with Ft. Worth (Texas League).
July 7Chicago’s Wally Moses swipes home in the 14th inning to give the White Sox a 3-2 win over the Red Sox. It is the second steal of home in extra innings for Moses this year‚ and a record three times he’s accomplished the feat.
July 8At Comiskey Park‚ Chicago RHP Orval “Righty” Grove has a no-hitter against the Yankees until‚ with 1 out to go‚ Joe Gordon doubles. Grove gets the next batter for a 1-0 win.

Phils P Dick Barrett‚ acquired two days ago from the Cubs‚ goes 14 innings to top the Reds‚ 1-0. Pinky May singles with 2 outs in the bottom of the 14th to drive home the lone run.
July 10Today’s Dodger game is almost anticlimactic to a pregame attempted strike by the players following Leo Durocher‘s 3-game suspension of P Bobo Newsom‚ the team’s leading pitcher with 9 wins‚ for insubordination. Minutes before the game‚ SS Arky Vaughan handed his uniform to Durocher and refused to play. Durocher called for volunteers to play‚ but by game time he had just a battery of Curt Davis and Bobby Bragan. Branch Rickey intervened‚ and Vaughan and the others agreed to play. Vaughan and Durocher will never make up and Vaughan will sit out the next 3 seasons‚ ostensibly to help the war effort by farming‚ rather than play for The Lip. Only with Durocher’s suspension in 1947 will the future Hall of Famer return to the Dodgers. Newsom‚ 9-4‚ will be traded to the Browns on July 15th. When the game‚ designated “Kitchen Fat Day” to allow women a free ticket if they bring one pound of fat to the game (5‚002 pounds of fat are collected for the war effort) finally starts‚ the Dodgers wallop the Pirates 23-6‚ scoring the most runs they will in a game the rest of this century. Only twice in team history have they scored more: 25‚ on May 20‚ 1896 and September 23‚ 1901.

Homestead Grays owner Rufus “Sonnyman” Jackson is jailed after a confrontation with Mexicans trying to sign his players. Jackson will retain his players and win the Negro League World Championship.
July 12In Boston‚ a team of Armed Forces all-stars managed by Babe Ruth and featuring Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams plays the Braves in a fund-raising effort. Ruth pinch-hits in the 7th and flies out to right. The all-stars win 9-8 on a Williams HR.
July 13The AL edges the NL 5-3 at Shibe Park in the first All-Star Game played under the lights. Bobby Doerr of the Red Sox is the hitting hero with a 3-run HR off Mort Cooper in the 2nd inning. Cooper loses his 2nd straight All Star game‚ the only pitcher to ever do so. Vince DiMaggio of the Pirates has a single‚ triple and HR in 3 trips. Doerr also handled 6 fielding chances. At the All-Star break he had handled 307 errorless chances‚ dating back to May 20th. His AL streak will end at 349 chances‚ a record he will break in 1948.
July 15The Dodgers send the suspended Bobo Newsom to the Browns for Fritz Ostermueller and Archie McKain. Bobo will last just 7 weeks in St. Louis‚ going 1-6‚ before being sold to the Senators.
July 18Playing as if neither team wanted the win‚ the Giants and Phillies strand 30 base runners‚ tying the major league record. The Giants tally 19 hits to the Phils 15‚ while the 2 staffs combine for 11 walks. New York wins‚ 10-6. In the nitecap‚ the Phils strand another dozen while the Giants leave 6.
July 23Boston 2B Bobby Doerr drops an Appling pop fly‚ for the first error in 349 chances over 59 games. Chicago tops the Red Sox‚ 8-6‚ with Orval Grove winning his 9th straight.

Outfielders Luis Olmo‚ Augie Galan‚ and Frenchy Bordagaray of the Dodgers account for record 18 putouts in a game against Cincinnati. Whitlow Wyatt is the Dodger pitcher‚ winning 2-0‚ on 4 hits.
July 24Browns pitcher Bobo Newsom struck on the head by a liner off bat of Red Sox pitcher Oscar Judd. Bobby Doerr goes deep off Bobo‚ the 3rd straight day that Doerr has homered
July 25The Cubs shut out the Giants twice by 2-0 scores. Hi Bithorn wins game 1 and Ed Hanyzewski matches him in the nitecap.

At Yankee Stadium‚ the 2nd game of a twinbill with the White Sox is interrupted by the announcement that “Mussolini has resigned. The crowd cheers wildly. On the field the Yankees take game 2 by a 6-3 score after losing the opener‚ 2-1.
July 27In St. Louis the Cards sweep a pair from the Phillies‚ 6-2 and 5-2‚ to drop Philadelphia to 7th place. Murry Dickson and Howie Crist pitch for the Redbirds‚ now winners of 11th straight. Al Gerheauser suffers his 10th defeat‚ while Dick Conger takes the nitecap loss. Dixie Walker‚ with four hits in the 2nd game‚ and Stan Musial with a homer‚ are the hitting stars.

The Phillies new owner Bill Cox‚ 33‚ fires manager Bucky Harris. who was hired prior to the season‚ and replaces him with Brooklyn P Freddie Fitzsimmons. Harris learns of the firing when a reporter calls him. In New York‚ Cox makes the announcement without ever mentioning Harris.
July 28The Phillies threaten to strike‚ rather than take the field for a game with the Cardinals‚ the proceeds of which are earmarked for the War effort. The players are upset because they learn about Harris’s firing by reading of it in the newspaper. Cox averts the strike by telling the players in the locker room that the firing had “nothing to do with Bucky’s abilities.” The Phils then agree to play‚ and snap the Cardinals’ 11-game win streak. A few days later‚ Cox and Harris get into a public name-calling fight‚ and Harris deals the final blow by telling reporters that Cox bet on games‚ a charge that will culminate in Cox being forced to sell the team.

In a charity game for the Red Cross at Yankee Stadium‚ Babe Ruth heads a team of former Yankees against Ted Williams‘ team‚ which consists of the University of North Carolina Cloudbusters. Johnny Sain walks the Babe in his one plate appearance‚ as the old time Yanks lose‚ 8-5.
July 29The White Sox make a fine acquisition signing up Tony Cuccinello‚ recently released by the Braves. Cooch will just miss winning the batting title in 1945‚ then return as a Sox coach in 1957.
July 30Phil Cavarretta of the Chicago Cubs homers off the RF foul pole against Johnny Allen of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 3rd inning. Because of wartime conservation‚ the ball is retrieved‚ and Bill Nicholson then hits next pitch out of Wrigley Field. The result: one ball‚ one pitcher‚ 2 pitches‚ 2 homers. The Cubs go on to beat the Dodgers‚ 12-3.
July 31Dodger Dolf Camilli‚ the league’s MVP in 1941‚ is traded with Johnny Allen to the Giants for Bill Sayles‚ Bill Lohrman‚ and Joe Orengo. Camilli declines to report his new team and retires to a California ranch for the season: next year he will manage in the PCL and in 1945 will return briefly to the Red Sox. Allen goes to the Giants for the $7500 waiver price.

August

August 1Before 51‚723 fans at Comiskey Park‚ the Negro league West team defeats the East‚ 2-1‚ in the annual all-star game. Satchel Paige is the star‚ striking out four and allowing only one ball to be hit out of the infield during his stint. He also swats a double in his only at bat.

Players losses to the military have taken some of the competition out of Cards-Brooklyn confrontations‚ but the brawling doesn’t stop. In the opener Cards catcher Walker Cooper apparently attempts to spike Augie Galan and the two are ejected in the 6th inning. the “duster” occurs after Dodger reliever Les Webber fires four successful balls at Stan Musial. “Each ball seemed headed straight at Musial and were not the customary wide throws used for intentional walks” (UP). Cooper‚ the next batter up‚ hits a grounder and tries to spike Galan at 1B. Police are needed to break up the fight and escort the two off the field. The Cards win the double bill‚ 7-1 and 5-4‚ virtually eliminating the Dodgers and putting the Birds 11 games in front of the Pirates. Harry Brecheen wins the opener‚ defeating Curt Davis. Reliever Al Brazle wins the nitecap‚ with starter Kirby Higbe losing.

The White Sox tighten their hold on second place with a double win‚ 5-1 and 15-9‚ over the host A’s. Wally Moses is the hitting star‚ stealing his 30th base in the opener‚ and connecting for a homer‚ two triples and a single in the two games. Luke Appling‚ in the batting race with Dick Wakefield‚ is hitless in the opener‚ but is 4-for-4 in the nitecap. Buck Ross (8-4) wins the opener‚ the 3rd former Mackman this week to top the A’s. Haynes takes the nitecap over Harris.

The eight major league doubleheaders today draw 185‚199 fans‚ with the Detroit at New York games drawing the most at 43‚049.
August 2Yankee minor leaguer Larry Berra (the Yogi will come later)‚ playing for Norfolk‚ has 6 hits and 10 RBIs against Roanoke. This follows the 18-year-old catcher’s performance yesterday when he had 6 hits and 13 RBI. For the two games Berra has 12 hits‚ 23 RBI‚ with 3 homers‚ two triples‚ and a double. For his other 109 games‚ Berra has just 4 homers and 33 RBI. He will hit .253 for the year and lead the league in errors.
August 6Pittsburgh’s Rip Sewell‚ now throwing his blooper pitch some 25 feet high‚ loses to the Cardinals‚ 8-3‚ after 11 straight wins. He has won 18 already but will get only 3 more victories the rest of the season. Max Lanier is the winning pitcher.
August 7The Giants strand 18 runners in a 9-6 loss to the Phillies. Mel Ott’s team leaves 2 runners on in every inning to symbolize their dreary season that will result in 98 losses and the first Giant tail-end finish since 1915.
August 8In Cleveland‚ the Browns lose 5-2. St. Louis takes the field 8 times without recording an assist in the game‚ a ML record first in history. The Reds had no assists in a 7-inning contest on July 22‚ 1907. The Yanks will have no assists in a 9-inning game on July 4‚ 1945.
August 11St. Louis P Steve Sundra stops the Yankees on just one hit‚ a home run by King Kong Keller. The Browns win. 9-1.
August 13Against the Red Sox‚ White Sox SS Luke Appling collects his 2‚000th career hit as the Pale Hose win‚ 3-2.
August 17In a 4-2 New York win‚ Nick Etten of the Yankees singles twice off White Sox hurler Bill Dietrich‚ breaking a 17-game stretch in which Etten didn’t single. Six of the games were hitless‚ but Etten either doubled or homered in the other games. The Yankee lead is now 9 1?2 games with the Bombers winning their 9th straight series‚ most of which are now 4 games as a result of wartime travel. The streak of winning each series will stretch to 13 before being broken by the Senators.

Pittsburgh takes a pair from Boston‚ winning 8-0 and 4-3. Hank Gornicki is the winner in both games. Turnabout is fair play and on August 22‚ Gornicki will lose a pair to Brooklyn.
August 18In a trade that will benefit Washington‚ the Senators send Ellis Clary‚ Ox Miller and cash to the Browns for Johnny Niggeling and Harlond Clift. Niggeling will split 48 decisions as a Senator‚ while Miller will win just 3 in St. Louis.

In a doubleheader split‚ the Cards Harry Walker has his 29-game hit streak stopped by the Phils. His streak started July 21. The Cards win 6-0‚ then lose game 2‚ 6-3.

Carl Hubbell wins his 253rd and final game‚ all with the Giants‚ as he beats the Pirates 3-2. He will retire at the end of the year and take over what’s left of the Giants’ farm system‚ now down to 2 teams.
August 21The Browns top the A’s‚ 5-3 and 4-1‚ to extend the Mackmen’s losing streak to 15 games. Bobo Newsom wins the nitecap‚ his first victory since joining the Browns more than a month ago. In the opener‚ McQuinn and former A’s catcher Frankie Hayes hit homers for St. Louis.

At Cleveland‚ Charley Keller and Bill Dickey hit homers to pace the Yankees to a 8-3 win over the Indians. For Dickey‚ it is his 200th homer. Jeff Heath had a two run homer‚ his 4th of the series against New York. Hank Borowy is the winner and stops Lou Boudreau‘s 14-game hit streak. Nick Etten has three hits and an RBI‚ and is now tied with Rudy York for the RBI lead with 84.

Rudy York belts his 12th homer of the month‚ but the Tigers lose in 12 innings to the Red Sox‚ 7-6. Richards and Ned Harris also hit homers for the losers. The Red Sox will play 31 extra-inning games this year (15-14)‚ a ML Record.

At Philadelphia‚ Buffer Gibson‚ diminutive righty for the Birmingham Black Barons (Negro League) strikes out 20 batters in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Stars.
August 22The Dodgers beat the Pirates twice‚ 6-1 and 8-6‚ with Hank Gornicki losing both games. Ed Head and Rex Barney are the winners.

Tony Cuccinello‘s 9th inning homer in game 2 beats the A’s 3-2 and extends the A’s losing streak to 17 games. The White Sox take the opener‚ 5-2.

At Shibe Park‚ the Reds beats the Phils‚ 4-3‚ then unload 22 hits in game 2 to win‚ 20-6.
August 24The Philadelphia Athletics drop their 20th game in a row‚ losing to Chicago 6-5. This ties the AL record for futility. They dodge the bullet in game 2 by scoring 8 runs in the 2nd inning to win 8-1. Roger Wolff‚ who beat the Yanks on August 6th‚ allows 8 hits in winning the nitecap.
August 30At Yankee Stadium‚ the Red Sox lose 3-1 with Pinky Woods taking the loss. The Sox end a 27-game wartime road trip that began in Chicago on August 10 with 6 games‚ went to St. Louis (4)‚ Detroit (5)‚ Cleveland (8)‚ and New York (4). The Sox were 11-6.
August 31Bobo Newsom goes from the Browns to the Senators‚ his 3rd team in two months.

September

September 2The Tigers take a pair from St. Louis, winning 5-4 and 8-5. Dizzy Trout racks up his 16th win in game 1 and Hal Newhouser snaps a personal 9-game losing streak by winning game 2, though he needs relief help in the 9th. With an RBI in each game, Rudy York is the first Aler to reach 100.

The Tigers take a pair from St. Louis, winning 5-4 and 8-5. Dizzy Trout racks up his 16th win in game 1 and Hal Newhouser snaps a personal 9-game losing streak by winning game 2, though he needs relief help in the 9th. After driving in a run in each game, Rudy York is the first American Leaguer to reach 100 RBI this seacon
September 4At Brooklyn, the Dodgers edge the Giants, 4-3, in 17 innings, scoring when second baseman Mickey Witek throws wildly to 1B on a DP ball.

At St. Louis, the Cardinals increase their NL lead to 14 1/2 games beating the Cincinnati Reds, 2-1, in 10 innings. A triple by Stan Musial , his 4th hit of the game, drives in the winning run. Howie Krist is the winner over Joe Beggs.
September 5Attempting to tie the 1912 Giants ML record of winning 14 straight series, the Yankees drop two to the Senators, earning just a four-game-split. Washington takes the opener, 3-2, behind Dutch Leonard and rookie Charlie Roberts lines an inside-the-park homer in the 8th to break a 2-2 tie; it is his first ML homerun. In the second game, Bobo Newsom departs in the 5th with a sore stomach but takes a 2-1 lead. Sherry Robertson hits a 3-run HR and the Senators win, 5-1.
September 6Woody Williams of the Cincinnati Reds collects his 10th straight hit in 2 games‚ as Cincy romps in the opener‚ 10-1. He is finally stopped by the Cubs Eddie Hanyzewski‚ in relief of loser Lon Warneke. Prior to the run‚ Williams had only 39 ML hits. Williams is the 8th National Leaguer to accomplish this hit feat. The Reds also take the nitecap‚ 3-1‚ in 10 innings‚ as Johnny Vander Meer tops Claude Passeau.

Pitcher Carl Scheib of the Philadelphia Athletics becomes the youngest player to appear in an AL game at age 16 years‚ 248 days (A’s 2B Jim Curry‚ in 1909‚ is listed in some encyclopedias as being younger). He gives up 2 hits in 1/3 of an inning and retires the side but takes the loss‚ an 11-2 defeat in the 2nd game against the Yankees.
September 8In a 3-2 Giants loss at the Polo Grounds‚ rookie Buddy Kerr hits a homer in his first ML at-bat‚ off the Phillies Bill Lee.
September 11At the Polo Grounds‚ Boston’s Jim Tobin serves up a homer run to Mel Ott as the Giants win‚ 10-2. It is Ott’s 18th and last homer of the year. All 18 have come at the Polo Grounds‚ second only to Gavvy Cravath’s 1914 ML mark of hitting all 19 at home.
September 12Bob Elliott’s 8th inning double is the Pirates only hit‚ as the Reds Elmer Riddle stops them‚ 1-0, in the first of two. The Pirates come back to shut out the Reds, 7-0, behind the pitching of Xavier Rescigno. Jim Russell hits a 3-run homer.

At Fenway, the New York Yankees sweep a pair from the Red Sox to sweep the five-game series and finish at 17-5 against the Sox for the year. The Yanks won’t sweep another 5-gamer in Boston until 2006. Ernie Bonham wins the opener, 1-0, and drives in the lone run off Joe Dobson with a single in the 8th. In game 2, the Sox blow a 5-1 lead as Billy Johnson hits a 2-run homer to spark the Yankees comeback. Atley Donald allows one hit over the last 5 innings.
September 18The Cardinals clinch the NL pennant with a double win over the Cubs‚ 2-1 and 5-0. Max Lanier wins the opener‚ scattering 7 hits as Lou Klein drives home both runs. Klein will player every inning of every game this year. Howie Pollet‚ Max Lanier‚ and Mort Cooper will rank 1-2-3 in NL ERA‚ and Al Brazle at 1.53 and Harry Brecheen at 2.27 are near the same level. For hitting‚ Redbirds prime with George Kurowski‚ Walker Cooper‚ and Stan Musial‚ who in his 2nd season hits .357 and has 220 hits‚ 347 total bases‚ 48 doubles‚ 20 triples.
September 19The Cubs snap an 11-game losing streak as Bill Nicholson has a single, 2 doubles, and a homer to pace them to 6–0 win over the Series-bound Cards. Hank Wyse allows 7 Card safeties in beating Harry Gumbert. Stan Musial hits a pair of doubles for St. Louis and Peanuts Lowrey has 3 for Chicago. In the 2nd game, a 10-9 Cubs win, Nicholson hits his 24th homer and has 6 RBIs for the day. “Big Bill” will lead the NL in both HRs and RBIs. Musial has 7 hits for the afternoon.

In front of 41,683 at the Polo Grounds, the New York Giants twice come from behind to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 3–1 and 7–4. Ace Adams makes his 66th appearance in the opener to tie Ed Walsh’s ML record set in 1908. Buddy Kerr has a 3-run HR in game 2.

At Yankee Stadium, 45,000 watch as the NYC Sanitation team beats the Police, 4–3, with a 3-run 8th.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Rip Sewell avenges a 1–0 loss to Cincinnati righthander Elmer Riddle from the week before by beating the Reds, 10–3. The Bucs knock out Riddle in 2 innings. It is Rip’s 21st win of the year, high in the NL. He also has a steal to finish the year with 7 stolen bases, just 6 off the NL high for the year. The Pirates take game 2 of the twinbill, 2–1, beating Johnny Vander Meer, who gives up 4 hits in 8 innings and 4 more in the 9th.

The American Association champion Milwaukee Brewers take a pair from Kansas City and set a season attendance record of 332,600.

The Birmingham Black Barons clinch the Negro American League title with a 1-0 win over the Chicago Giants. Johnny Hubar fires a one-hitter.

The Boston Braves take a pair from the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, winning 3-2 and 6-5 in 14 innings. Butch Nieman HR in the 14th wins it for Al Javery, who goes the distance as does Newt Kimball.

The Boston Braves take a pair from the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, winning 3-2 and 6-5 in 14 innings. A Butch Nieman HR in the 14th wins it for Al Javery, who goes the distance as does Newt Kimball.

The Boston Braves take a pair from the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, winning 3-2 and 6-5 in 14 innings. A Butch Nieman HR in the 14th inning of game two wins it for Al Javery, who goes the distance as does Newt Kimball.

The Boston Braves take a pair from the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, winning 3-2 and 6-5 in 14 innings. A Butch Nieman HR in the 14th inning of game two wins it for Al Javery, who goes the distance as does Phillies righthander Newt Kimball.
September 22In his second ML start, St. Louis rookie Fred Sanford records his second shutout, stopping the White Sox, 2-0, in the first half of a doubleheader. Sanford allowed two runs in 3 relief appearances during1943. Chicago rebounds for an 8-5 win in the second game.
September 24A crowd of 314‚ the smallest in Wrigley Field history‚ sees Andy Pafko make his Cubs debut. Pafko drives in 4 runs with a double and a single in 3 at bats‚ as the Cubs top the Phillies 7-4. Mercifully‚ the game is called after 5-innings because of the downpour.
September 25The Yankees clinch the AL flag with a 2-1 win over the Tigers in 14 innings.
September 26The White Sox make it an easy 15-3 win over the Senators by scoring 13 runs in the 4th‚ an AL record (also for 2 clubs) for the inning. The Nats shrug off the loss to win game 2‚ 5-2.

The Reds whitewash the Braves twice as Elmer Riddle‚ with his 21st win‚ stops them‚ 2-0 in the opener‚ and Johnny Vander Meer wins the nitecap‚ 1-0‚ when Gee Walker homers with 2 outs in the 9th. It is the first game-ending homer in 29 years. It is the 4th doubleheader shutout in the NL this season and the second time in 4 years that these two pitchers have combined for shutouts in a DH.

The Giants beat the Pirates‚ 5-0‚ and then lose game 2 in the 10th‚ 4-3. It is their 91st loss‚ a 20th C record for New York. Frankie Gustine has a steal in each including a swipe of home in game 2.
September 29St. Louis SS Vern Stephens sets a ML record by hitting 2 homers in extra innings-the 11th and 13th in a 4-3 win over Boston. Game 2 is stopped at 3-3. His feat will not be topped‚ and the next player to match him will be Willie Kirkland‚ in 1963.

The Cards recall Preacher Roe from Columbus and sell him to the Pirates.

October

October 2The Yankees take 2 from the Browns‚ 5-1 and 7-6‚ for their 14th sweep of a doubleheader‚ an AL mark. Bud Metheny hits a HR in the opener for the Yankees 100th roundtripper of the season.

The season finishes with attendance off some 13 percent from the year before. The Dodgers and Tigers‚ both good for a million in contending years‚ each drop below 700‚000. Only the Phils‚ under new ownership‚ have a significant increases‚ from 230‚000 to 467‚000. NL attendance falls from 8.9 million to 7.7 million.
October 5Many ML players have gone into the war‚ including several key Yankees and Cardinals players. Nevertheless‚ both these clubs are back in the Series. New York wins the opener at Yankee Stadium 4-2 behind Spud Chandler‚ who will later be named 1943 AL MVP. Joe Gordon homers off Max Lanier.
October 6Robert Cooper‚ father of P Mort Cooper and C Walker Cooper‚ dies at his home in Independence‚ MO‚ but both players decide to play in the WS. Mort is 1-for-3 and goes on to beat the New York Yankees 4-3‚ resurrecting memories of 1942 when the Yankees lost 4 straight after winning the opener. Marty Marion and Ray Sanders‘ two run homer. Mort leaves for home after the game: Walker will follow on October 11.
October 7The attendance is nearly 70‚000 as the Yankees take the lead on a 6-2 win helped by four Cardinal errors. Billy Johnston’s three-run triple in the 8th is the big blow off Al Brazle.
October 10Marius Russo‚ of little use during the season‚ pitches and bats the Yankees to a 2-1 win. He allows just 7 hits and his double knocks in the winner.
October 11Bill Dickey’s 2-run HR off Mort Cooper in the 6th gives the Yanks the championship. Spud Chandler gives up 10 hits but strands 11 in the 2-0 victory. Chandler won 2 games and compiled an 0.50 ERA. A full share is worth $6‚139 to the New York players; the Cards get $4‚321 each. The Series grosses $1.1 million at the gate‚ receives $100‚000 for broadcast rights‚ and donates $308‚000 to War Funds.

The Tigers swap OF Rip Radcliff to the A’s for C Bob Swift and 2B Don Heffner. Radcliff enters the Navy instead‚ finishing his ML career at 10 years‚ and the Tigers complete the deal with cash.
October 25Dodger manager Leo Durocher signs his 1944 contract‚ which calls for a base salary of $20‚000 plus $5‚000 for every 100‚000 fans over 600‚000.

November

November 1League statistics show the White Sox Luke Appling leading the AL hitters with .328‚ the lowest since Cobb hit .324 to lead in 1908. Conversely‚ of course‚ the pitchers’ marks were topped by Spud Chandler‘s 1.64 ERA‚ the best since 1919. Spud also has the best percentage at .833‚ on a 20-4 won-lost mark. The White Sox aging OF Wally Moses stole 56 bases after stealing only 3 two years before. The veteran Mel Ott hits only .234 for his Giants‚ but he still has 18 homers-all in the Polo Grounds.
November 11The MVPs for both leagues are named. New York Yankees righthander Spud Chandler (246 votes) wins in the AL with Luke Appling (215) finishing second. Chandler led the AL in wins (20), CG (20), ERA (1.64) and had the highest batting average (.258) among AL pitchers. Stan Musial (267) is the winner in the NL. For the second year in a row‚ a Cards teammate finishes 2nd as Walker Cooper attracts 192 votes.
November 18Just ahead of his disbarment‚ Phils owner William D. Cox announces his resignation to “devote all my time to war-essential business.”
November 23Commissioner Landis rules that Phillies owner William D. Cox is permanently ineligible to hold office or be employed in baseball for having bet on games‚ even though it was for his own team to win. The Carpenter family of Delaware will buy the Philadelphia club and Bob Carpenter‚ age 28‚ will become president. The Phils‚ in an effort to change their image‚ will conduct a contest for a new name.

December

December 2With only 9 minor leagues operating during the season‚ the minor league convention in New York has an incipient revolt to oust longtime head William G. Bramham in favor of Frank “Shag” Shaughnessy ‚ president of the International League‚ who had 5 pledges. But Bramham rules that 15 non operating circuits which had paid dues are eligible to vote. Five of the leagues had given proxies. A later appeal to Commissioner Landis fails.
December 4After one disappointing season in Washington‚ the Senators sell veteran slugger Indian Bob Johnson to the Red Sox. Clark Griffith will later call it the worst trade he ever made. Johnson will have 2 solid years in Fenway before retiring.
December 30Happy New Year to a couple of Babes. The Phillies send the much-traveled Babe Dahlgren to Pittsburgh for catcher Babe Phelps and cash.