Baseball – 1945

Baseball in 1945

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January

January 7In the most violent incident in Cuban baseball history‚ OF Roberto Ortiz of Almendares attacks umpire Bernardino Rodriguez in a dispute at home plate and knocks the umpire unconscious.
January 10Baseball writers again fail to elect a new Hall of Famer. Frank Chance‚ Rube Waddell‚ and Ed Walsh come closest‚ but none attract the required three-fourths of the vote.
January 25Training rosters list 260 players who are classified 4F for military service‚ and quality of big-league play will decline even more from l944 and l943. But the flow of players will begin to turn around. Rosters will include Al Benton‚ Tigers; Jim Wallace and Tom Earley‚ Braves; and Van Mungo of the Giants as players returning from the military.

The Yankees are sold by the Ruppert estate to Larry MacPhail‚ Dan Topping‚ and Del Webb for $2.8 million. For that price the trio obtains 400 players‚ 266 of them in military service‚ Yankee Stadium‚ parks in Newark and Kansas City‚ and leases on other minor league ballparks. Jake Ruppert‚ who died in 1939‚ paid more than the new purchase price for the ground on which Yankee Stadium was built in 1923.

February

February 10Thirty-seven-year old Jimmie Foxx signs with NL Philadelphia Blue Jays. Foxx hit just .050 last year with the Cubs.
February 14Bob Quinn‚ president of the Boston Braves since 1936‚ relinquishes his job as general manager‚ and his son John takes over the post. The elder Quinn has been in organized baseball since 1900.
February 15Billy Southworth Jr.‚ the son of Cards manager Billy Southworth‚ is killed when his B29 crashes into the water off Flushing‚ New York. The 27-year-old was a veteran of 25 missions in Europe‚ and was the first player in organized baseball to enlist in WW2. The young Southworth was a well regarded outfielder with the Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) in 1940.
February 22At the ML meetings‚ the owners cancel the 1945 All-Star Game scheduled to be played at Boston’s Fenway Park on Tuesday‚ July 10. Even after the cancellation‚ schedule-makers leave the dates of July 9‚ 10 and 11 in case circumstances might change‚ permitting the game. In place of the All-star game‚ 8 simultaneous games pitting the NL vs. the AL are to be played. Seven are played‚ with the 8th being cancelled. Also approved is a rule change stating that a player needs 400 at bats to qualify for a batting title.

March

March 5Bert Shepard‚ a one-legged veteran of the war‚ tries out as a pitcher for the Senators. The symbol of wartime baseball‚ outfielder Pete Gray of the Browns‚ will field and bat with only one arm.

With war-time travel restrictions still in effect‚ the Dodgers open spring training at Bear Mountain‚ NY with 15 players in camp. Seven teams-the Browns‚ Tigers‚ Reds‚ Indians‚ Cubs‚ Pirates and White Sox-are training in Indiana‚ the most of any state. The Red Sox are at Pleasantville High School in NJ‚ while the Braves are prepping at the Choate School in Connecticut.
March 6Harry O’Neill‚ who played one game for the 1939 Philadelphia Athletics‚ is killed in the battle of Iwo Jima.
March 8As noted by historian Bill Deane‚ today’s edition of The Sporting News has a column from Boston Post writer Jack Malaney‚ a former president of the Baseball Writers’ Association‚ and future member of the Hall of Fame Veterans’ Committee. He introduces what will come to be known as the “Jack Malaney Plan”‚ proposing that each of the 16 major league teams play inter-league exhibition games on July 10‚ scheduled to minimize travel. The five cities that have teams in each league-Boston‚ Chicago‚ New York‚ Philadelphia‚ and St. Louis-would host games between the cross-town rivals‚ while the others would play in cities en route to regularly-scheduled games. Proceeds from the games would be split between the American Red Cross and the National War Fund.
March 25A group of blacks appears at the Dodger offices to ask for tryouts for aging Negro Leaguers P Terris McDuffie and 1B Dave Thomas. The two will work out for Branch Rickey in Brooklyn on April 7.
March 31Headline: DiMaggio to the Phillies. Vince is sent by the Pirates in exchange for P Al Gerhauser‚ who lost 35 games in 2 seasons. DiMaggio will drive in 84 runs while again leading the NL in strikeouts.

April

April 12At Braves Field‚ the Red Sox stagger to a 12-11 win over the Braves in a game that features 8 errors and 15 walks. Tomorrow’s exhibition game is cancelled because of the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
April 16Under pressure from local politicians‚ the Boston Red Sox allow 3 blacks-Marvin Williams‚ Sam Jethroe‚ and Jackie Robinson-to work out at Fenway Park. None is signed.
April 17Cincinnati opens the season with an 11-inning‚ 7-6 victory over the Pirates. The Reds offense was sparked by CF Dain Clay‚ who cracks a 5th inning grand slam: it will be his only HR this year in 645 at bats. Also in the 5th‚ with the Pirates leading 2-0 with 2 runners on‚ the Bucs runner at 2B‚ Frankie Zak‚ calls time to tie his shoe lace. The ump Ziggy Sears waves his arms‚ but Reds pitcher Bucky Walters doesn’t see him and fires a pitch that Jim Russell hits for an apparent HR. The hit is disallowed‚ and the Bucs fail to score in the frame. Forty-six-year old Hod Lisenbee‚ who had not appeared in the majors in 9 years‚ works two innings of hitless relief to earn the win‚ the 37th and last of his career.

Steady rain holds the crowd at Yankee Stadium to 13‚923 as Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia throws out the first ball for the Opener against the Red Sox. The Yanks’ lone score until the 7th inning is a homer by rookie Russ Derry in the 3rd off Rex Cecil. Meanwhile the Red Sox jump on Atley Donald for three runs in the 1st inning and another in the 7th on Ben Steiner’s solo homer. But helped by four Boston errors‚ and another homer by Russ Derry-this one a grand slam‚ New York scores seven runs in the 7th inning to finish the scoring at 8-4. Sox first baseman George Metkovich makes a ML record 3 errors in the frame on a missed tag‚ bad throw‚ and fumble. Forty-one-year old Jim Turner pitches the last two innings for New York.

In Philadelphia‚ the Dodgers win the Opener‚ 8-2‚ over the Phils. The Phils have 18-year-old Granny Hamner‚ in his 2nd season‚ at shortstop‚ with older brother Garvin Hamner‚ in his only season‚ at 2B.

At Cleveland‚ Thornton Lee is the winning pitcher in the White Sox 5-2 victory over the Indians. Tony Cuccinello helps with a successful hidden ball trick in the 6th on Lou Boudreau at 3B. For Cooch‚ it is at least his 4th successful use of the ploy‚ the first coming in 1929. As historian Bill Deane notes‚ this is the first time the trick has worked on Opening Day.

Pete Gray‚ the one-armed OF‚ plays his ML debut game with the St. Louis Browns. He singles once‚ off Les Mueller‚ in four at bats‚ and handles no chances in the outfield. St. Louis beats the Tigers 7-1‚ for their 9th straight Opening Day win‚ a ML record that the 1975-83 Mets will tie.

In Boston‚ Giants player-manager Mel Ott has a field day by setting six ML records in his team’s 11-6 win. Ott collects a double‚ two walks and three runs. His records for a player with one team include 1‚026 extra-base hits‚ 2076 total bases‚ 1‚778 RBIs‚ 1‚787 runs‚ 1‚631 walks‚ and 20 years with one team.
April 19Joe Cronin of the Red Sox‚ catches his spikes at 2B and fractures his right leg in a 4-3 loss to the Yankees. The 39-year-old will retire but will continue as manager. Mike Ryba decides the game by hitting Johnny Lindell on the wrist with the bases full in the 9th.
April 20In the delayed presidential opener in Washington‚ tribute is paid to the late FDR before Speaker Sam Rayburn tosses out the first ball. The Yankees win their 4th straight‚ pounding 3 pitchers for a 6-3 win.

Mickey Grasso‚ future ML catcher‚ escapes from a German prisoner-of-war camp. He was captured in North Africa in February 1943 during Operation Torch.
April 21The Red Sox go to 0-5 as the A’s club the Sox at Fenway‚ 8-2. Ford Garrison has a 3-run homer and Frank Hayes a grand slam to back Buck Newsom and keep Bosox interim manager Del Baker winless. The A’s will win tomorrow as well.
April 24At a meeting of owners in Cleveland a list of possible successors to Judge Landis is cut to 6: Ford Frick‚ president of the NL‚ and 5 politicians‚ Jim Farley‚ Carl Vinson‚ Robert Patterson‚ Bob Hannegan‚ and Frank Lausche. Larry MacPhail suggests adding the name of Albert “Happy” Chandler‚ a Kentucky senator. The list then narrows to Chandler and Hannegan. On the first ballot Chandler leads 11-5‚ short of the required three-fourths. One vote switches over‚ and the owners unanimously approve the selection. Also approved is the Malaney Plan for interleague play‚ first brought up at the February meeting. Besides the same-city games‚ Cincinnati will play at Cleveland‚ Brooklyn at Washington‚ and Detroit at Pittsburgh. The latter contest will later be scrapped when the ODT refused to grant the Tigers permission to detour 62 miles to get to Pittsburgh. The seven benefit games will held on July 9 and 10.

Hitting a 9th inning HR for the 3rd time in 4 games‚ Butch Nieman poles a 3-run homer‚ giving him 5 RBIs as the Braves defeat the Dodgers‚ 8-6. Nieman’s 3-run HR on April 20 beat the Phils‚ 6-5‚ and his 9th inning HR on the 22nd tied the Phils.
April 25Baseball writers cannot seem to get any Hall of Fame candidates past the 75 percent requirement‚ but a committee selected to bring in some old-timers succeeds with a group of turn-of-the-century names: Jimmy Collins‚ Roger Bresnahan‚ Fred Clarke‚ Dan Brouthers‚ Ed Delahanty‚ Hugh Jennings‚ Mike “King” Kelly‚ Jim O’Rourke‚ Wilbert Robinson‚ and Hugh Duffy. Collins‚ overlooked in 6 HOF elections‚ was on the all-time teams of Connie Mack and John McGraw.
April 27At the Stadium‚ George Myatt leads the Senators to a 6-4 win over the Yankees. Myatt has a walk‚ four hits‚ three stolen bases‚ two runs and two RBIs to back Mickey Haefner‘s pitching. Frank Crosetti has a pinch homer with two on in the 8th for New York.

The first-place Cubs win their 5th straight‚ as Paul Derringer shoots down the Pirates‚ 7-3. Rip Sewell allows 4 hits in 4 innings‚ but 4 errors hand him the loss.

Behind Ed Heusser‘s 4-hit pitching‚ the Reds edge the visiting Cards‚ 2-1. In St. Louis‚ Mort Cooper announces he is willing to pitch tomorrow against the Reds‚ even though he and his brother Walker are in a pay dispute with the Cards. Walker is awaiting induction into the armed services. The Coopers quit the team two weeks ago after learning that SS Marty Marion had received a new contract for $13‚500. The brothers want $15‚000 each.

The Giants Bill Voiselle‚ first citizen of Ninety Six‚ NC‚ shuts out the Dodgers‚ 5-0. Backing him are Mel Ott and Steve Filipowitz‚ who belt homers in the 6th inning. Filipowitz’s drive‚ which apparently hits the low screen in front of the LF boxes‚ is first ruled a double by ump George Magerkurth. Home plate ump Bill Stewart overrules him‚ calling it a homer.

New York’s Mark Baldwin surrenders only 3 hits‚ but is out dueled by Ed Stein‚ who pitches his 2nd one-hitter of the season to lead Brooklyn to a 3-0 victory.
April 28The Cubs Hank Wyse tosses a one-hitter over the Pirates‚ winning‚ 6-0. The only Pittsburgh hit was by Bill Salkeld in the 8th inning.

The Red Sox end their 8-game losing streak to start the season‚ by beating the A’s‚ 8-4.
April 29In his first ML appearance‚ Boo Ferriss of the Red Sox survives a first inning. in which he throws 17 balls and loads the bases‚ to blank the A’s 2-0. At bat‚ he is 3-for-3. The Sox also take the nitecap in 13 innings‚ winning 6-3.

The Browns take a pair from the White Sox‚ winning 3-2 and 11-4. They break open game 2 with 3 runs in the 7th off reliever Clay Touchstone‚ who last pitched in the majors in 1928 and 1929 for the Braves.

The Yankees split a pair with the Senators‚ losing the nitecap‚ 2-1 after winning the lidlifter‚ 13-4. Russ Derry hits a pair of homers-including his 2nd grand slam of the season-in the opener‚ and has Joe McCarthy wondering if he has another Ruth.

Between games of a doubleheader‚ the Tigers swap outfielder-3B Don Ross and 2B Dutch Meyer‚ signed 9 days ago‚ to the Indians for Roy Cullenbine‚ one of the Detroit players freed by Judge Landis in 1940. Landis had specified that none of the new free agents could play for the Tigers for three years. Cleveland wins the opener‚ 4-0‚ while Detroit takes the nitecap by the same score.
April 30P Dixie Howell‚ briefly with Cleveland in 1940‚ is liberated from a prison camp in Germany.

May

May 1Skeeter Webb’s bouncing single over 2B in the 3rd deprives Chicago’s Joe Haynes of a perfect game. No other Tiger runner reaches base as the White Sox win‚ 5-0‚ on Haynes one-hitter.
May 2The first-place Giants take a 7-0 lead over the host Phillies‚ then hold on for a 9-8 win.
May 6Boston’s Boo Ferriss pitches his 2nd straight shutout‚ blanking the Yankees 5-0‚ matching a mark last accomplished by Johnny Marcum in 1933.

Tiger pitchers Hal Newhouser and Al Benton shut out the Browns in a doubleheader. Prince Hal wins 3-0 and Benton follows with a 1-0 victory. Roy Cullenbine hits a 9th inning HR in game 2 off Tex Shirley for the win. He did it also last year while with the Indians.

Phils P Ken Raffensberger is inducted into the Navy‚ while Card C Walker Cooper joined the Navy on May 1.
May 8It’s a good day for the Skaffs. Playing for Baltimore (International League)‚ he has 4 hits‚ including a double and 2 homers‚ scores 3 times and has 6 RBIs. Teammate and brother Frank has 3 hits‚ including a pair of homers‚ scores 4 runs and drives home 5.
May 9At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants top the Reds‚ 6-1‚ before a crowd of 26‚077. Feldman is the winner and Hausmann and Ott homer. For Ott it is #494.
May 11Behind Phil Cavarretta‘s 4 hits‚ the Cubs beat the hapless Phils‚ 7-1. Cavarretta is hitting .365.

The Giants defeat the Reds‚ 4-3‚ for their 6th win in a row‚ but New York CF Johnny Rucker goes hitless for the first time in 19 games. Rucker is a nephew of great Dodger southpaw Nap Rucker.
May 13Rookie phenom Boo Ferriss reaches 22 shutout innings before allowing a run versus the Tigers in an 8-2 Red Sox win. This sets an AL record for scoreless innings at the start of a ML career. Ferriss strikes out 1B Rudy York 4 times‚ all on called 3rd strikes. Detroit earns a split with a 2-0 win in game 2‚ behind Al Benton’s pitching. Benton has now allowed one earned run in his last 45 innings.

The Yankees Atley Donald is victorious over the Indians‚ 1-0‚ in 10 innings when New York breaks through against pitcher Red Embree. A walk‚ a bunt single‚ a sac bunt and a sac fly by Denny plate the run. Atley is 13-1 against the Tribe‚ with his only loss coming on August 21‚ 1941 when Feller won‚ 2-0. Cleveland wins the second game‚ 4-2‚ behind Steve Gromek‘s 7-hitter.
May 14Ex-serviceman Mel Bosser makes his ML debut with the Reds and walks 10 Phillies before being relieved in the 8th inning by Beck. Bosser‚ whose only pro experience is pitching in Class D‚ allows 8 hits and gets credit for the 5-4 win.
May 16Mort Cooper goes AWOL from the Cardinals‚ returning to St. Louis. A 20-game winner for 3 previous seasons‚ Cooper‚ along with his brother‚ has had his salary frozen at $12‚000 for three years‚ and is in a salary dispute with owner Breadon. Without Cooper‚ the Cards drop a pair to the Braves‚ losing 5-4 in 14 innings‚ and 4-1.
May 17The Giants score six runs in the 8th to vanquish the Cubs‚ 8-5 and a sweep of the 4-game series. For New York‚ it is their 12th win in 13 games. Rookie Al Gardella starts at 1B for New York‚ and his brother Danny is announced as a pinch hitter in the 8th‚ but is switched for Billy Jurges.

Trying for their 12th win in a row‚ the 2nd-place Dodgers are scuttled by the Pirates‚ 12-3. Nick Strincevich stops the Dodgers‚ who fall three games behind the Giants. Olmo’s hit streak is also stopped At 14 games.

For the 4th day in a row‚ all AL games are postponed because of rain.
May 18A wet record. The Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics both have 7 straight games postponed because of rain in the past 4 days. In the AL‚ every game between the 14th and the 17th is rained out.

In a 15-12 Dodgers’ victory over the Cubs‚ Brooklyn’s Luis Olmo hits a triple and HR‚ each with the bases loaded. No 20th century ML player will matc h this until Adam Kennedy doe sit in 2000. Olmo adds a double for good measure. Former OF Ben Chapman is the winning pitcher.

Jimmie Foxx hits the 2nd pinch grand slam of his career‚ off Ken Burkhart‚ to give the Phils an 8-7 lead. But St. Louis rallies in the 9th to win 11-8.
May 20In St. Louis‚ Pete Gray stars‚ as the Browns sweep the Yankees 10-1 and 5-2. Gray has 2 RBI on 3 hits in the opener‚ and in the nightcap he scores the winning run and hauls in 7 ?y balls‚ 3 on spectacular catches.

Before 51‚340 fans at the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants and Pirates split a doubleheader. Bill Voiselle wins his 8th straight to give the Giants a 5-1 win in the opener. Medwick and Lombardi homer for New York. Preacher Roe then shuts out the Giants in game 2. New York ends the day atop the NL by 3 1/2 games.

At Boston‚ the Reds build an 8-1 lead over the Braves behind the pitching and hitting of Bucky Walters‚ who belts a pair of homers. Bucky then holds on for a 10-8 win.
May 21After a twinbill yesterday in New York‚ the 2 teams play today in Pittsburgh with Pirates winning their 2nd straight‚ 5-2. Ernie Lombardi hits 2 homers for the Giants scores.
May 23Mort Cooper is traded by the Cardinals to the Braves. The three-time 20-game winner has twice jumped the club in a salary hassle. Threatening to run out again unless his contract is increased from $12‚000 to $15‚000‚ Cooper is swapped by owner Sam Breadon to the newly affluent Braves for Red Barrett and $60‚000 cash. Cooper will develop arm trouble while Barrett‚ 9-16 in 1944‚ will win 21 games for the Cards this season.
May 24The visiting Giants beat the Reds 7-6 on a pinch homer by colorful Danny Gardella. Gardella had started the day by leaving a suicide note in his hotel room for his roommate Nat Reyes. When Reyes returned to the room a few minutes later‚ he noticed the open window and read the note. Horrified‚ he rushed to window only to see the grinning face of Gardella‚ who had been hanging from the window ledge several stories over the street.

The Tigers lose Al Benton‚ who has 5 wins and 3 shutouts‚ when he is hit on ankle in the 4th frame by a line drive off the bat of Estralla. The A’s score 4 in the 5th to win‚ 7-2.
May 25Red Sox CF Leon Culberson makes an unassisted DP when he catches a short looper and continues on to 2B to nab Vern Stephens before he can return. Despite the play‚ the Red Sox lose to the Browns‚ 5-0. Nels Potter records the shutout.
May 27The White Sox get only 3 hits total in a doubleheader loss to the Red Sox. Boo Ferriss allows only a single-by Tony Cuccinello in the 2nd-in the opener to win‚ 7-0‚ for his 6th straight victory and 4th shutout. Emmett O’Neill gives up 2 singles in the nitecap to win‚ 2-1.

After losing 9 straight to the Browns over 2 seasons‚ the Yanks brush aside the jinx to sweep a pair‚ winning 10-9 and 3-1. The Browns blow a 8-2 lead in the first game and lose in the 14th inning. The nitecap is called after 8 innings because of darkness.
May 30Before the biggest Wrigley crowd-42‚565 paid-in 7 years‚ the Giants top the host Cubs‚ 8-6 in the opener‚ and Mel Ott passes Honus Wagner‘s career total of 4‚888 total bases to set an NL record. Wagner’s has since been adjusted to 4868 and both players’ totals have been passed. Slim Emmerich is the winner over Ray Prim. The Cubs take the nitecap‚ 11-2 behind Bob Chipman‘s 3-hit win over Bill Voiselle. Andy Pafko clouts a 3-run homer in the 3rd. It’s Voiselle’s 2nd straight pounding after winning his first 8 games.

June

June 1In St. Louis‚ Giants manager Mel Ott fines Bill Voiselle $500 for a fat pitch to Cards hitter Johnny Hopp. Voiselle has a 3-1 lead with one on‚ one out in the bottom of the 9th‚ then on an 0-2 pitch‚ Hopp triples for a RBI‚ and then a rainstorm interrupts the game for an hour. Voiselle returns to the mound and gives up a single to Ray Sanders and a triple to Whitey Kurowski to lose it‚ 4-3. Ott fines the pitcher for not wasting one. He later rescinds the fine‚ but relations between the two will remain cool.
June 2The Phils Vince DiMaggio hits a pinch grand slam against his old teammates‚ but the Pirates win 7-6. Vince will hit another slam on June 27.
June 3The Browns Tex Shirley pitches 13 scoreless innings against the A’s‚ but to no avail. The game ends 0-0.
June 5After a losing road trip‚ the Giants play the Dodgers before 42‚926 at the Polo Grounds‚ losing a 6-3 decision in 14 innings. Goodie Rosen hits a 2-run homer in the 14th to seal the win for Brooklyn.
June 6In the first of 2 at Boston‚ Boo Ferris scatters 14 hits in beating the A’s‚ 5-2. Ferris is 8-0 on the year to tie the AL mark held by Chicago’s John Whitehead for wins at the start of a career. Boston completes the sweep‚ winning the nitecap‚ 3-2. Ferriss pinch hits in the nitecap‚ hitting into a DP.

Senator Langer‚ Republican of SD‚ introduces a bill in Congress that would require that 10% of ML rosters be made up of war veterans missing an arm‚ leg‚ foot or hand. “Congress has the right to do this because it controls interstate congress‚”he says‚ adding‚ “I’m serious about this.” The bill doesn’t get to first bsae.

Dorothy Arnold is awarded a divorce decree from Joe DiMaggio‚ whom she married in 1939. She retains custody of Joe‚ Jr‚ 2.
June 7Van Lingle Mungo and the Giants beat Brooklyn‚ 10-5‚ with a little help from Da Bums‚ who make 8 errors.
June 9Following an 8-7 win over the Phils‚ Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher is arrested on a complaint by a fan that Durocher allegedly using brass knuckles‚ slugged him after an Ebbets Field cop hit him and broke his jaw‚ then pinned back his arms. The fan‚ John Christian‚ had been loudly berating the Dodgers and‚ after the 6th inning‚ the policeman was escorting the fan beneath the stands when the incident occurred. The case will come to trial next April and the all-male jury will take just 38 minutes to find the policeman and Durocher not guilty. In a separate settlement of a civil suit before the trial‚ Durocher paid Christian $6‚750.
June 13In Boston‚ the Phils lose the 1st game 8-3 for their club-record 16th loss in a row. In game 2‚ the Braves contribute 8 errors to help the Phils win 5-4‚ but it takes them 15 innings to do it.
June 14The Giants send Ducky Medwick and lefty Ewald Pyle to the Braves for catcher Clyde Kluttz.
June 15At Griffith Stadium‚ the Senators and Red Sox play 27 innings of baseball in a doubleheader that finally concludes at 1:02 a.m. Boston wins the opener in 14 innings‚ then the two teams struggle through a 13-inning tie before time is called. This is the first post-midnight game recorded in the majors.

The Phils send Johnny Peacock to the Dodgers for outfielder-turned-pitcher Ben Chapman‚ who will manage the team in the last half of the season.
June 16Boo Ferriss loses to the Yankees 3-2 after starting his career with 8 victories-4 of them shutouts-for the Red Sox.
June 19Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower‚ just back from Europe‚ is given a tremendous round of applause from fans at the Polo Grounds. The Braves then beat New York‚ 9-2 behind Jim Tobin’s pitching and 3 RBIs.

At St. Louis‚ in what will be dubbed the “Battle of the Dugouts”‚ the 8th inning produces fireworks as the White Sox score 4 runs to eventually win‚ 4-1. After reliever George Caster is lifted‚ he fires the ball into the White Sox dugout‚ prompting manager Jimmie Dykes to come out and protest. Browns catcher Gus Mancuso tells Dykes to shut up Karl Scheel‚ a Sox bench jockey who has been mercilessly “riding” the Browns. When Dykes says you can find him in the dugout‚ a few Browns‚ led by Sig Jakucki and Ellis Clary‚ do just that‚ giving a Scheel a “most brutal (Dykes)” pounding. The ex-Marine requires first aid but travels with the team to Cleveland. About 100 spectators mill on the field to try and see the action. In Cleveland‚ Dykes sendds a telegram to Will Harridge accusing Browns manager Luke Sewell with instigating the riot.
June 21Making his last start before answering the Army’s induction‚ the Cubs Hank Wyse wins his 6th straight stopping the Pirates‚ 5-4.

At Boston‚ the Yankees pound rookie star Boo Ferriss for 10 runs and score 13 in the 5th on their way to a 14-4 win.
June 24The Giants sweep a pair from the Phils‚ winning 7-6 and 5-1. Bill Voiselle‚ making his 2nd start in 2 days‚ is the winner in the opener. Voiselle was slapped for 6 runs in the first inning yesterday in the Giants‚ 9-8‚ 11-inning loss. It is also Voiselle’s first win since being slapped with a $500 fine by manager Ott. Voiselle also made 2 consecutive starts last season‚ on Septmber 2/3‚ winning the second game.
June 26The Bainbridge (MD) Naval Training Center beats the St. Louis Cards‚ 9-6. The Sailors are led by former Card pitcher Ken Raffensberger‚ who scatters 10 hits‚ and Dick Sisler‚ who collects 4 safeties.
June 29Ben Chapman replaces Fred Fitzsimmons‚ who resigns as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. The club recently lost a team-record 16 straight. Chapman was acquired as a pitcher from the Dodgers on June 15th‚ but is better known as the Yankee outfielder and base-stealing star. Chapman will be the NL’s first player-manager since Jimmy Wilson (1934-39) when he appears in three games. Fitzsimmons final game is a 9-1 loss to the Cards at Shibe Park. Del Rice has three hits‚ three runs and three RBIs to pace the Birds.

The Senators jump on Stubby Overmire for 5 runs in the first inning and topple the first-place Tigers‚ 8-3. The Tigers lead the Yankees by a half-game.

Boo Ferriss pitches and bat the Red Sox to a 4-2 win over the White Sox. Ferriss has a run scoring single and a two-run homer in the 9th to snap a 1-1 tie.

Bucky Walters and the Reds stop the Braves‚ 4-1. Boston’s only score is Chuck Workman‘s 10th homer. Tommy Holmes has two hits to stretch his hit streak to 25 games and is the first player to reach 100 hits.

July

July 1The first of the superstars returns from the war. Hank Greenberg‚ gone for 4 years‚ homers in his first game following his release from the Army before 47‚700 in a Sunday game at Briggs Stadium. Rudy York adds a 3-run homer as the Tigers win the opener over the A’s‚ 9-5. Without Greenberg‚ Detroit takes the nitecap‚ 5-3‚ to lead the Yankees by 3 1?2 games with Chicago and Boston following.

Led by Tommy Holmes‚ the Braves win twice to sweep the three-game set with the 2nd place Cards‚ 6-3 and 8-7. Holmes is 7 for 10 in the series‚ including 4 homers and a triple‚ and stretches his hit streak to 28 games.
July 3At Braves Field‚ the Cubs tie a ML record when Phil Cavarretta‚ Don Johnson‚ and Stan Hack each score 5 times as Chicago pummels the Braves 24-2. For Chicago‚ it is the most runs scored this century. Johnson has 5 hits‚ as does Cavarretta‚ who adds 5 ribbies. Starter Claude Passeau is the beneficiary of all the infield (16 runs scored) support. Tommy Holmes‚ hitting in his 30th straight game‚ is 3-for-4 to raise his average to .402. The Cubs will sweep the next three games from Boston‚ and Holmes will go 5-for-14.
July 4The Cards sweep two from the Giants at the Polo Grounds‚ winning 8-4 and 9-2. Augie Bergamo leads the way with 9 RBI‚ 8 in the 2nd game‚ on 10 hits‚ including 2 HRs. His 2nd HR‚ in the nitecap‚ is a grand slam.

In the first game against Cleveland‚ the Indians tie a ML record with no assists‚ a first ever for a 9-inning game‚ in beating the Yankees‚ 4-2. Sidearmer Steve Gromek allows just 5 hits‚ including a Russ Derry homer‚ in winning‚ as the outfield pulls down 15 flyballs. Two years ago‚ the Browns went 8 innings without an assist: the Mets will be the next team to pull it off‚ on June 25‚ 1989. New York takes the nitecap‚ 3-2‚ as Al Gettel beats Allie Reynolds.

At Chicago‚ Harlond Clift leads a Senators sweep by hitting 3 homers and driving in 9 runs. One of his homers come in the opener‚ a 5-4 12 inning win with Marino Pieretti (9-4) going the distance. In the 11-2 nitecap win‚ Clift belts 2 homers‚ one a grand slam. These are the final 3 homers of his career.

The A’s snap a 14-game losing streak‚ beating the Browns‚ 3-2‚ in the lid lifter. They almost win the nitecap‚ but the Browns rally in the 9th to win‚ 6-5. Pete Gray‘s bases-loaded single drives in the tying and winning runs.
July 5At the Polo Grounds‚ Giants Whitey Lockman‚ 18‚ homers in his first ML at bat‚ off George Dockins‚ but the Cards prevail‚ 7-5.

Cleveland beats New York‚ 3-2‚ in 11 innings as Jeff Heath homers to break up a pitching duel between Tiny Bonham and Babe Klieman. Klieman has 3 assists and an AL record 6 putouts in the win. New York drops the 3rd with the loss.
July 6Despite homers by Pete Coscarart and Jim Russell to lead off the game against Don Hendrickson‚ the Braves sweep the Pirates 13-5 and 14-8. For the winners‚ Butch Nieman connects for a pinch grand slam in the opener. In the 2nd game‚ Tommy Holmes hits in his 34th consecutive game to pass Rogers Hornsby‘s NL record of 33 in 1922.

P Phil Marchildon rejoins the Athletics. In the Canadian Air Force‚ he was shot down and held in a German prison camp for 9 months.

Mobile (Southern Association) catcher Harry Chozen‚ with a 33-game hitting streak‚ is in the on deck circle when he is hit by an errant bat and knocked unconscious. Chozen‚ who had walked his only time at bat‚ leaves the game but league Prexy Billy Evans rules that Chozen’s hit streak is still intact. It will eventually reach 49 games‚ breaking the Southern League record of 46 set by Johnny Bates in 1925. In the last 4 games of the streak‚ Chozen will pinch hit‚ getting a hit each time.
July 7White Sox outfielder Wally Moses leads off the 1st inning with a walk‚ moves to 3B‚ and swipes home when A’s pitcher Luther Knerr goes into a slow windup. That’s all the scoring Chicago pitcher Bill Dietrich needs for the 1-0 win.
July 8Filling wartime rosters requires going deeper into the bag. The Dodgers bring back Babe Herman from California. He pinch-hits twice against the Cardinals‚ tripping over 1B on a hit as the Dodgers lose‚ 6-4. Guy Bush‚ Clay Touchstone‚ and Hod Lisenbee‚ contemporaries of Babe Herman in the 1920s‚ will get their chances on the mound. The Babe will go 9-for-34‚ mostly as a pinch-hitter‚ sock one HR‚ and be a popular gate attraction in Brooklyn.

The Cubs take the NL lead by winning 2 from the Phillies‚ 12-6 and 9-2. Phil Cavarretta has 4 hits and 4 RBIs in the opener‚ as Ray Prim beats Whit Wyatt. Led by Vance Dinge’s 4 hits‚ the Phils outhit the Cubs in the opener‚ 17-12. The Cubs never relinquish first place‚ despite losing 16 of 22 games to the Cards.
July 9With tomorrow’s All-Star Game at Fenway Park canceled because of travel restrictions‚ seven inter-league games are played on July 9 and 10 for war charity during the schedule break. All the games are arranged geographically. Plans for a USO-sponsored all-star game in Europe do not materialize‚ although the war in Germany is over and fighting in the Pacific will be over in 6 weeks.

At Comiskey Park‚ the White Sox edge the Cubs‚ 5-4‚ in ten innings‚ before Chicago’s biggest crowd (47‚144) since 1941. At Cleveland‚ the Reds blanked the Indians‚ 6-0. At New York’s Polo Grounds‚ Hershel Martin’s grand slam helped the Yankees trounce the Giants‚ 7-1‚ in a rain-shortened game. At Philadelphia‚ slugger Jimmie Foxx is the starting pitcher for the Phillies (or Blue Jays) as they defeat the Athletics‚ 7-6.

At St. Louis‚ the Browns avenge their 1944 World Series loss to the Cardinals with a 3-0 triumph. The Browns use nine different pitchers with each hurling one inning‚ while the Cards have four pitchers work two innings apiece. Despite the 11 pitching changes‚ the game took only one hour‚ 31 minutes to play!

At Fenway Park‚ the Red Sox topped the Braves‚ 8-1‚ in the only day-game of the series. Boo Ferriss‚ discards plans to pitch both right- and left-handed in the game‚ stays with his right in subduing the Braves. The Sox’ Jack Tobin singles off his brother‚ Jim‚ while Tommy Holmes has a hit for the Braves. Holmes reaches the All-Star break with a .401 average and a N.L.-record 37-game hitting streak‚ but the skein was snapped the day the regular schedule resumes.

At Washington‚ the Senators defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers‚ 4-3‚ in a game marred by the career-ending knee injury suffered by Brooklyn’s rookie pitcher‚ Lee Pfund. Ironically‚ the game’s winning pitcher is Bert Shepard‚ who had lost a leg in military service. Shepard pitches 4 innings and gives up two runs.

The games raised a total of $244‚778 for charity. The Boston game‚ though it has the third-lowest attendance of the games‚ contributes the most: $73‚000. The reason: 44 box seats were sold at the price of $1‚000 each. The New York and Chicago games each net $50‚000+.
July 11Aaron Robinson‚ Yankees C‚ returns from the military. Red Ruffing is back too‚ and so are Hugh Mulcahy and Buddy Lewis. Charlie Keller will follow‚ and a couple of dozen former ML players will be in uniform before the season is over.
July 12The Chicago Cubs stop Tommy Holmes’ modern-day NL hitting streak at 37 games‚ beating the Boston Braves 6-1 behind Hank Wyse for their 11th victory in a row. The Braves take game two 3-1‚ as Claude Passeau loses his first after 9 straight wins. Holmes hits .433 during the streak and will finish at .352‚ 2nd in the NL. His 9 strikeouts coupled with 28 HRs and 47 doubles is unparalleled for making contact and hitting for average and power.

A’s pitcher Bobo Newsom and Jesse Flores toss back to back shutouts over the Browns‚ winning 4-0 and 11-0.
July 13At Yankee Stadium‚ Cleveland outfielder Pat Seerey slugs three HRs‚ the 2nd a grand slam‚ and a triple for a 15 base total as the Indians go on a batting spree to win‚ 16-4. Seerey hits his homers off starter Atley Donald‚ Monk Dubiel‚ and Steve Roser. Fat Pat will top his total in 1948‚ the only player to ever have two games with 15 or more total bases. Heath adds a pair of homers and pitcher Steve Gromek collects 4 hits to win his 10th game and 4th straight over New York. The Yanks’ Donald is going in the other direction‚ and this will be his last career start. His hex over the Indians is broken as well; after going 13-1 against Cleveland‚ he’s lost to them twice in 10 days.

The Philadelphia Phillies are skippered by two managers as they beat the Pirates‚ 11-9. With Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons managing‚ the game was started on June 3‚ but suspended after 6 innings because of Pennsylvania’s Blue Law. The Phils were in the lead‚ 11-9. Under the leadership of Ben Chapman‚ who took over for Fitzsimmons on June 29‚ Andy Karl shuts out the Pirates today for the last 3 innings and the Phils win‚ 11-9. For Karl it is one of his 15 saves on the year‚ high in the NL. In later years‚ most record books will credit the win to manager Fitzsimmons‚ though Neft & Cohen will give it Chapman.
July 15Before 43‚803 fans at Wrigley‚ the Cubs sweep the Giants‚ 5-3 and 7-2 to extend their lead to 4 games. Hy Vandenberg allows 3 hits in winning the opener‚ and Hank Wyse takes the nitecap. The Cubs will take 3 out of 4 from the Giants.

Detroit manager Steve O’Neill sends in pitcher Zeb Eaton to hit with the bases loaded in the 4th against the Yankees Hank Borowy. Eaton rewards his confidence with a pinch grand slam‚ but the Yanks win 5-4 when rookie Walter Wilson walks a batter with the sacks full in the 6th.

In the first-game loss to the Reds‚ the Phils Charley Schanz hits 4 batters to tie the NL record. Bucky Walters wins‚ 6-1. It is the 3rd time in 8 seasons that Reds batters have tied the record of 4 hit batsmen in a game. The Reds take the nitecap‚ 3-1‚ as vet Vern Kennedy beats his old teammates.

The Pirates skewer the visiting Dodgers‚ beating them 9-1 and 15-3. Rip Sewell and Ken Gables are the winning pitchers over Vic Lombardi and Hal Gregg. In game 2 Bob Elliot hits for the cycle and Pete Coscarart scores 5 runs.
July 19Secretary of the Navy Forrestal and Admiral Nimitz asked baseball commissioner Happy Chandler today to make arrangements to send the World Series winner “on a tour (90 days) of the Pacific Ocean to play Army and Navy teams at advance bases.” Mr. Forrestal is so enthusiastic that he adds in a letter to Chandler: “It may persuade more Japs to surrender because the one thing they all want to know is: ‘who’s leading the leagues?’ Connie Mack voices approval saying‚ “It will do the boys in service a world of good to see the 1945 world champions in person on the diamond.” But the war will end in less than a month and the tour never takes place.

Cubs pitcher Hank Wyse wins his 7th straight‚ and 13th of the season‚ setting down the Dodgers‚ 3-1 on five hits. The league leaders have now won 20 games against 5 defeats since June 27th.

The Reds win the opener against the Braves‚ 4-3 in the ninth on a single by Woody Williams‚ Boston wins the nitecap in 10 innings‚ 6-5. Butch Nieman‘s three run homer ties the game in the 7th and he scores the winning run in the 10th on Carden Gillenwater‘s single. After the nitecap‚ umpire George Magerkurth gets into a fight with a fan‚ but players break up the fisticuffs.

The Pirates win 4-0 over the Giants‚ as Bill Salkeld climaxes the scoring with a three-run homer in the 8th. Rip Sewell wins his 11th of the year‚ while Harry Feldman is the loser. Salkeld hits his homer off Ace Adams‚ who relieves Feldman in the 8th.
July 21The Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics battle to a 1-1 tie in 24 innings. with the A’s pulling off a DP with the sacks full to finish the contest. Les Mueller hurls the first 19 2?3 innings‚ scattering 13 hits and walking 5 for the Tigers. Dizzy Trout pitches the rest. Mueller’s outing is the longest since George Uhle and Ted Lyons went head-to-head in 1929‚ and no hurler has matched Mueller’s endurance feat since. He was helped by Jimmy Outlaw‚ who throws a runner out at home in the 10th after the A’s make 3 singles. The A’s use just two hurlers: Russ Christopher (13) and Joe Berry‚ the final 11. The top hitter is Bobby Estalella who goes 5-for-10. The match last an AL-record 4 hours and 48 minutes before umpire Bill Summers calls it at 7:48 p.m. because “he couldn’t see the ball.” (an AL rule prevents the lights being turned on during a scheduled day game). The AL’s longest previous match was 4 hours: 47 minutes on Sept. 1‚ 1906.

The Yankees bomb the White Sox into 6th place‚ 12-3‚ with the help of three homers. Nick Etten connects with the bases full‚ and Herschel Martin and Bud Metheny connect as well. Ernie Bonham wins his 2nd of the year as the Yankees chase Earl Caldwell in the 1st inning.

Chief Specialist Bob Feller hurls a perfect no-hitter as his Great Lakes Naval Training team trims the visiting Ford All-Stars‚ 13-0‚ before 10‚000 sailors. Feller’s catcher Walker Cooper belts a two-run homer to key a five-run 4th inning.

Assault charges against umpire George Magerkurth are dismissed. The ump and a fan got into a fight three days ago after a doubleheader in Cincinnati. The ump complained that the fan‚ Tom Longo‚ had been riding him all season‚ but Longo contended that Magerkurth had confused him with the real heckler. The two shook hands.
July 22Red Sox rookie star Boo Ferris picks up his 17th win in beating the Browns 3-2. Skeeter Newsome is 3-for-3. 34‚810 fans jam Fenway Park‚ and thousands are turned away.

Making his first start since the 1942 WS‚ New York’s Red Ruffing beats the Athletics‚ 13-4‚ despite tiring in the 7th and being relieved by Gettel. Red gives up no runs and just 2 hits until the 7th.
July 25Harry Chozen of Mobile (Southern) goes hitless ending his batting streak of 49 games. Chozen had pinch hits in his last 4 games to keep his streak alive.
July 27Hal Newhouser shuts out the White Sox as first-place Detroit‚ wins‚ 1-0. Eddie Mayo hits a 9th inning walk-off homer off Johnny Humphries for the victory; it is the 2nd time in two years Humphries as served up a 9th inning homer to lose a shutout.

The Cubs purchase P Hank Borowy from the New York Yankees in an unexpected waiver deal‚ confounding fans and the other AL teams. Borowy‚ 10-5 with the Yankees‚ was put on waivers‚ apparently to solve a roster problem‚ and was passed over by all 7 AL teams who assumed the Yanks would pull him back if claimed. The Cubs snatch him for $97‚500‚ and he will help the Cubs win the pennant with an 11-2 record‚ including 3 wins over the Cardinals down the stretch.
July 29Needing 2 hits to reach 2‚000‚ Boston’s Bob Johnson collects 4 to lead the Red Sox to an 8-4 win over the Senators.

August

August 1Mel Ott hits the 500th HR of his career‚ a total exceeded only by Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx. He will hit 10 more this season and one on Opening Day of 1946 to finish with 511. Ott leads the Giants to a 9-2 win over the Braves at the Polo Grounds.
August 3The Dodgers recall 17-year-old infielder Tommy Brown from St. Paul. Brown made his ML debut last year.
August 4Tom McBride of the Boston Red Sox drives in ML-record tying 6 runs in the 4th inning of the 2nd game of a doubleheader against the Senators‚ as the Sox score 12 runs. He doubles and triples off Santiago Ullrich and Joe Cleary‚ each time with the bases loaded. The Sox bat around against Cleary‚ who gives up 7 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. Cleary‚ the last major leaguer born in Ireland‚ gets one out‚ on a strikeout‚ but this is his only ML appearance and he’ll finish with a 189. ERA. The Senators then call on Bert Shepard‚ who remarkably pitches 5 1/3 innings giving up one run on 3 hits. For Shepard‚ who was wounded in WW2 and lost a leg‚ this too will be his only major league appearance. The Sox win‚ 15-4.

At Crosley Field‚ the Reds edge the Cubs‚ 4-3‚ behind the pitching of Ed Heusser. It is Cincy’s only victory against Chicago this year as they will go 1-21 against the Cubs. Onl;y the Cubs (1909 vs. Braves)‚ (Pirates vs. Braves 1909. are close with a 1-20 mark) the Yankees (1927 vs. Browns) and the 1937 Pirates (vs. Reds) have matched this. No team has been swept in a season series.

At Pittsburgh‚ Pirate catcher Bill Salkeld is 5-for-5‚ including hitting for the cycle‚ and drives in all 5 runs‚ but his Bucs lose 6-5 to the Cardinals reliever Harry Brecheen. Salkeld hits his only triple of the year in the cycle‚ half his career total. His offensive effort offsets a curious defensive stat: he has no putouts or assists in the game.
August 5The Cubs bang out 22 hits in game 1 of a pair to overwhelm the Reds‚ 12-5. Hack has 3 doubles and a single‚ and Cavarretta has 4 hits. The Cubs take the nitecap‚ 2-1‚ behind Claude Passeau‘s 6-hitter. Chicago has won 17 of their last 18 games.
August 8The Tigers split a pair with the Red Sox‚ winning 5-2 before losing 7-4 in 12 innings. In the 10th frame of the 2nd game‚ a line drive off the bat of Detroit’s Hank Greenberg fractures the head of Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Jim Wilson‚ necessitating a 2-hour operation. Wilson will return to pitch 11 more years‚ but won’t win another ML game till 1951.
August 10Richard Muckerman buys out Don Barnes’ interest in the Browns and now controls 50 percent of the club.
August 11Chicago’s Claude Passeau limits the Braves to two hits-both coming with 2 out in the 8th-as the Cubs win‚ 8-0. The Cubs score 6 in the 9th after starter Logan is lifted.
August 12Mel Ott leads the Giants to a pair of wins over the Reds‚ 3-2 and 6-5. Ott hits a pinch 3-run homer in the 8th of the nitecap after his homer and another by Danny Gardella leads the way in opener. The Reds Bill McKechnie‚ desperate for hitting‚ selects P Joe Bowman to pinch-hit for Vern Kennedy in game 1. Bowman is 0-for-42. He will hit .088 for the season.

Phils baserunner Fred Daniels collides with Cubs 1B Phil Cavarretta‚ sidelining the Cubs star for 25 of the next 27 games. The Cubs manage to win two from the Phils‚ 4-3 and 12-6.

In the lid lifter at Briggs Stadium‚ pitcher Jim Tobin‚ acquired on waivers‚ pitches 3 scoreless innings against New York and clubs a 3-run game-ending homer in the bottom of the 11th to win‚ 9-6. Another former Brave‚ Jim Turner‚ serves up the homer. The Tigers win the nitecap‚ 8-2‚ behind Hal Newhouser‘s 18th win.
August 13Branch Rickey becomes the principal stockholder of the Dodgers. He and associates Walter O’Malley and John Smith acquire the 50 percent interest of the Ebbets estate for a reported price of $750‚000.
August 14Cleveland’s Lou Boudreau suffers a broken right ankle in a collision at 2B with Dolf Camilli‚ but the Tribe beats the Red Sox‚ 3-0 behind Jim Bagby’s 3-hitter.

Giants rookie Sal Maglie makes his first ML start‚ beating the Reds‚ 5-2. It is Cincy’s 11th straight loss. They’ll lose a pair tomorrow before winning.
August 15The Cubs rack up 19 hits‚ including 2 homers by Gillespie‚ one with the bases full‚ to swamp the Dodgers‚ 20-6. Chicago scores 8 in the 4th inning with the first 8 batters reaching base before an out is recorded. Hank Borowy coasts to the win.

Commissioner Happy Chandler sells WS radio rights for $150‚000 to Gillette. Ford had been the WS sponsor since 1934‚ paying $100‚000 annually.

Umpire Ernie Stewart is canned by AL President Will Harridge for “disloyalty.” Stewart had complained about the pay and taken his case to Chandler. Bill McGowan is the top-paid umpire in the league at $9‚000.
August 18Scheduled demonstrations at the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field to end segregation in organized baseball are called off.
August 19In game 2 of a doubleheader against the Reds‚ 37-year-old slugger Jimmie Foxx makes his first ML start‚ pitching‚ the first 7 innings for the Philadelphia Blue Jays. He leaves with a 4-1 lead‚ and Andy Karl saves Foxx’s only ML decision‚ a 6-2 final. Double X’s ERA in 10 ML appearances is 1.52. Foxx’s opponent is Howie Fox‚ who started yesterday’s game as well. The lidlifter goes the Phils as well‚ 5-0‚ though they are mathematically eliminated from a 1st place finish.

The Yankees win the first of 2 with the White Sox‚ 4-2‚ to break their 9-game losing streak‚ the longest under McCarthy. Chicago takes the nitecap‚ 20‚ as Lefty Grove gives up just 5 hits‚ 3 by Metheny.
August 20At the age of 17‚ SS Tommy Brown of the Brooklyn Dodgers is the youngest player to hit a ML HR. Brown belts his homer off Pirates southpaw Preacher Roe into the upper LF section at Ebbets Field. Seven Dodger errors make it easy for Pittsburgh to win‚ 11-1.

Detroit’s Hal Newhouser shuts out the A’s 4-0 for his 20th win of the year. Greenberg has his 15 game hitting streak stopped‚ but Roy Cullenbine and Doc Cramer add HRs.

Washington shuts out Cleveland twice as Marino Pieretti wins 7-0 and Alex Carrasquel follows with a 6-0 shut out.
August 24Cleveland ace Bob Feller returns from the Navy and attracts a home crowd of 46‚477‚ who watch him strike out 12 and yield only 4 hits in a 4-2 win over Detroit’s Hal Newhouser. He will get 9 starts during the remainder of the year‚ and his 5 wins will include a one-hitter and two 4-hitters. With the war now over‚ fans are clamoring for entertainment and it is clear Feller is still baseball’s number one ticket seller.
August 25The Tigers Joe Hoover will swipe only 19 bases in his career‚ but the most valuable one comes today. On the front end of a 3rd inning double steal‚ Hoover steals home against the Browns for the game’s only run.
August 26Red Sox pitcher Boo Ferriss wins his 20th game‚ beating the A’s 4-3 and doubling home the game winner in the 10th inning. The Sox take the nitecap‚ 4-3‚ on an 8th inning RBI by Boston native Byron La Forest. The rookie has 5 hits for the day‚ including two homers and a double.

Before a standing room only crowd of 42‚998 at Wrigley‚ the Cardinals down the Cubs‚ 5-1 behind Red Barrett‘s 5 hitter‚ and cut Chicago’s lead to 2 1/2 games. A week ago the Cubs lead the Cards by 7 1/2.
August 28Against the Phillies‚ Brooklyn’s teenage SS Tommy Brown hits a triple and then steals home sliding under a high pitch by Rene Monteagudo. At 17‚ he is the youngest to pull off a home steal. The Dodgers win‚ 7-1‚ for their 13th win in 14 games.
August 30Stan Hack of the Cubs becomes No. 82 in the 2‚000-hit club when he collects a first inning single off Pirate pitcher Preacher Roe. Earlier in the season the Senators’ Joe Kuhel and Red Sox OF Bob Johnson made the list. Hack scores after his safety‚ but the Pirates win‚ 6-4 over the first-place Cubs.

Yankees rookie Floyd Bevans‚ 28‚ retires the first 18 Red Sox batters before giving up a walk and a double to Bob Johnson‚ the only hit for the Sox. Bevans wins 7-1‚ defeating Boo Ferriss who was trying for his 21st win.
August 31The Senators again muff a chance to go into first place‚ dropping a pair to the Yankees‚ 3-2 and 3-1. In between games‚ Nats pitcher Bert Shepard receives the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in WW2. Shepard lost his leg in battle.

September

September 1The Phils beat the Braves 8-3 in Boston‚ as Vince DiMaggio hits his 4th grand slam of the year‚ tying a major league mark. An injury will shortly end the season for the senior DiMaggio.

Detroit’s Hal Newhouser wrenches his back pitching against the Indian’s Bob Feller. Newhouser leaves the game in the 7th and will stay behind when the team leaves for New York‚ but will rejoin them on the 7th. The Tigers win 5-4 behind Jim Tobin and are just 1 1/2 games ahead of the 2nd place Senators.
September 3In game 1 of a Labor Day doubleheader in Chicago‚ Andy Pafko hits a grand slam off Ed Heusser in 1st inning as the Cubs beat Reds‚ 7-2. Paul Derringer is the winner over Heusser. Chicago wins the nitecap as well‚ 7-1‚ as Hy Vandenberg outpitches Vern Kennedy. Chicago is now 19-1 this year versus the Reds‚ and moves 4 games in front of the 2nd place Cardinals.

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

In sweeping a pair from St. Louis‚ Pittsburgh edges the Cardinals‚ 6-5‚ beating starter Ted Wilks. Wilks will not lose another game until 1948-a total of 77 appearances‚ all but four in relief. Bill Salkeld has 2 of the Bucs 4 homers‚ and Frank Gustine steals home. In game 2‚ a 6-2 win‚ Preacher Roe fans 11 while his batterymate Al Lopez catches his 1‚793rd game‚ a ML record for catchers. He tops Hartnett.

Tom Seats of Brooklyn wins a pair against the Braves. Seats shuts out Boston‚ 4-0‚ in the opener‚ and wins the nitecap‚ 4-3 in 10 innings‚ with an inning of relief.

Before a crowd of 45‚000 in Nuerenberg‚ Germany‚ the Oise Base All Stars beat the Third Army All-star team‚ 2-1‚ to take a 2-1 lead in the Army World Series. Leon Day of the Newark Black Eagles‚ pitches a 4-hitter for the victory. The final two games in the series will be played in Reims‚ France.
September 4Long-time Yankee batting practice pitcher Paul Schreiber‚ 43‚ who last pitched in the ML in 1923 and the minors in 1931‚ relieves for the Yankees against Detroit in a Tiger rout. Schreiber gives up no hits in 3 1?3 innings‚ but the Tigers and Dizzy Trout win‚ 10-0. The 22 years between ML appearances is a ML record. Schreiber will pitch again on the 8th when‚ in an 11-4 loss to Detroit‚ he gives up 4 hits and 2 earned runs in a one-inning appearance.
September 5On Honus Wagner Night in Pittsburgh‚ the Dodgers spoil the party by winning‚ 5-3‚ in 10 innings‚ on Goody Rosen‘s 2-run homer.
September 6Punching umpire Joe Rue earns an indefinite suspension for the A’s C Greek George. George will not play in the majors again‚ though his lifetime batting average of .177 might be the main cause.
September 7Facing the Brown’s Bob Muncrief Joe Kuhel hits an inside-the-park HR into the CF corner‚ the only homer hit by a Senator all season at Washington’s cavernous Griffith Stadium. The Nats hit 26 more on the road. The Senators win‚ 3-2‚ behind Roger Wolff‘s 4-hitter. Muncrief also tosses a 4-hitter. George Case scores the 1st run on a steal of home and also steals 2B and scores just before Kuhel’s HR in the 3rd inning.

Detroit stays 1 1/2 game ahead of Washington by beating the Yankees 5-0 behind Newhouser’s 22nd win. Newhouser allows just 4 singles in winning his 22nd game as the Tigers will win five games in New York.
September 8President Truman tosses out the first ball and then cheer the Senators to their 5th win in 6 games against the Browns. The 2nd place Nats win 4-1 behind the 5-hit pitching of Pete Appleton‚ recently released by the Browns. It is the vet’s last win.
September 9Dick Fowler of the Philadelphia Athletics returns from 3 years with the Canadian Army and pitches a no-hitter‚ walking 4 and beating the St. Louis Browns‚ 1-0‚ in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. A triple by Hal Peck leads to the winning run in the 9th. It is the Canadian Fowler’s first start since his return and his first ML shutout. The no-hitter is the first by an Athletic since 1916.

Philadelphia and the Pirates split‚ with Pittsburgh winning 4-3 and losing 14-3. Philadelphia’s Jimmie Foxx hits a HR in each game‚ his 6th and 7th of the season. The second HR is the 534th and last of his career.

The Cubs sweep the Cards‚ 9-1 and 4-0‚ for their 17th doubleheader sweep this year. This ties the ML record set by the Cards last year.
September 13In his 1st start since returning from the Navy‚ Senator P Walt Masterson shuts out the Indians on 2 hits. Masterson’s win leaves the Senators just a half-game behind Detroit.

At Crosley Field‚ a crowd of 281 fans watch their Reds lose to the Giants‚ 3-2.
September 15In Washington‚ Detroit opens a 5-game series against the 2nd place Senators by breaking 6th inning ties in each game to sweep a pair‚ 7-4 and 7-3. The losses drop the Nats 2 1/2 games back.
September 16After 10 straight losses to Newhouser stretch back to 1943‚ the Senators finally beat the Detroit ace‚ 3-2. behind Roger Wolff‘s 19th win. The Tigers then win the nitecap 5-4‚ to stay at 2 1/2 ahead.

At New York‚ the Browns and Yankees split a pair‚ the Bombers losing the opener‚ 6-2‚ to Bob Muncrief. Vern Stephens has a 3-run homer and drives in 4 runs. Leadoff hitter Pete Gray is 1-for-4‚ collecting his safety off reliever Tiny Bonham. It is the last major league hit for the one-armed outfielder as he goes 0-for-3 in the nitecap‚ a 5-4 win for New York. Spud Chandler‚ the winning pitcher‚ drives in 3 runs.
September 17At Wrigley Field‚ Brooklyn’s Art Herring holds the Cubs to 3 hits in stopping the league leaders‚ 4-0. Ed Stevens has a 2-run double and an inside-the-park homer to pace the Dodgers. Swish Nicholson sets a NL record by making 10 putouts in RF‚ and he ties another mark with 11 chances accepted.
September 18The Senators score 4 in the 1st inning against Dizzy Trout‚ pitching for the 6th time in 10 days‚ and beat the Tigers 12-5 on a muddy field. The 2 teams tie a ML record by using 35 players. Detroit returns home 1 1/2 games ahead of the Senators.

In the Reds doubleheader split with Boston‚ Hank Sauer hits 3 homers‚ one in the first game and pair in game 2. The Reds lose the opener in 11 innings‚ 3-1‚ as Harrist and Wright each allow just 4 hits. Cincy 2B Kermit Wahl makes 3 errors in the 11th‚ a NL record-tying effort (but the only one to do it in extra frames). Howie Fox is the nitecap winner‚ 6-2.

The Cardinals give the Cubs 2 runs in the 1st on 2 hits and 2 errors‚ then hold on to win‚ 3-2‚ shaving the Cubs NL lead to 2 games over St. Louis. Red Barrett wins his 22nd game.
September 19Bob Feller limits the Tigers to one hit-a 5th inning bloop single by Jimmy Outlaw-as the Indians beat Detroit 2-0‚ and cut the Bengals lead to one game over idle Washington. Heath’s 2-run homer‚ one of 3 hits‚ accounts for all the scoring. Feller has now thrown 6 one-hitters.

A pigeon gets into play in Boston as the Red Sox sweep a pair from the A’s‚ winning 11-10 and 3-0. In game 1 Tommy McBride mistakes a pigeon for the ball in the first half of the 3rd inning and lets Sam Chapman‘s double bang against the wall at least 30 feet from him. In the bottom of the 3rd‚ Skeeter Newsome doubles and Hal Peck‘s throw fatally injures the pigeon. Otis Clarke pitches the Red Sox to a 3-0 win in the nitecap.

At Wrigley‚ the Cubs score a run in the 9th to tie and 3 in the 10th to beat the Cardinals‚ 4-1. Borowy and Dockins match scoreless frames until the 8th. The Cards will win the rubber game tomorrow.

In two exhibition games in New York‚ the Cleveland Buckeyes‚ the Negor AL champs‚ beat the Bushwicks‚ 2-0‚ behind Roosevelt Davis’s 3-hitter. The Homstead Grays‚ the Negro NL champs‚ lose 4-2 to the New York Cubans at the Polo Grounds.
September 20The Tigers lose to the Indians 6-1 while the Yankees beat the Senators by the same score. Cleveland scores 6 runs in the 8th with the help of 4 errors to rout Benton.
September 21At New York‚ the Yankees again dent the Senators’ pennant aspirations‚ beating them 5-3 behind homers by Nick Etten and George Stirnweiss. The Tigers drop to 1 1/2 games behind the idle Tigers. The Senators lose Harlond Clift who is hit on the head by a batting practice pitch and suffers a concussion. Yesterday will prove to be his last ML game.
September 22The Tigers eliminate the Browns‚ winning 9-0 behind Hal Newhouser. Hal drives in 3 runs with a double and triple.

Roger Wolff wins his 20th for the Senators‚ stopping the A’s‚ 2-0‚ to keep the Nats’ hopes alive.

Red Barrett wins his 23rd‚ 9-4‚ over the Reds and the Cards move to 1 1/2 games behind the idle Cubs.
September 23To make Griffith Stadium available for pro football‚ the Senators finish their season early‚ playing their last 2 games of the year in Philadelphia. The A’s tie the Nats 3-3 in the 8th‚ then win it in the 12th‚ 4-3‚ on a fly ball that OF Bingo Binks loses in the sun and it drops for a double. Bingo neglects to don sunglasses after the sun breaks through the clouds. Kell singles home the winner. The Senators win the night cap‚ 4-3‚ but their season ends with them one game behind the Tigers at 87-67.

The Tigers lose to Nels Potter‚ 5-0‚ garnering only 2 hits off the Browns ace.

After being honored in a pre-game ceremony on Andy Pafko Day‚ Pafko hits his 2nd slam of the month‚ off Preacher Roe in 1st inning of game 1 in Chicago. Cubs beat the Pirates 7-3‚ with Hank Wyse winning over Roe. The nitecap is rained out. The win keeps the Cubs 1 1/2 games ahead of the Cards‚ winners over the Reds.

The Phillies salvage a split with the Dodgers after making only one hit-by Rene Monteagudo-off Hal Gregg in a 9-0 first game loss. The Phils take the nitecap‚ 4-3.

NL Prexy Ford Frick presents Mel Ott with a lifetime pass to NL games in honor of his 20 years with the Giants. The Braves then sweep two from Ott’s boys‚ winning 4-1 and 7-3.
September 26The first-place Tigers gain a doubleheader split with the Indians when Hal Newhouser shuts out the Tribe 11-0. The Bengals fail to clinch as they lose the nitecap‚ 3-2‚ to Steve Gromek. The split leaves Detroit a game ahead of the idle Senators with 2 games left in St. Louis.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants pass the million mark in attendance for the first time ever. The draw today is a hook up between the Giants and Dodgers‚ but Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca beats New York righty Jack Brewer‚ 8-1.

The Cards whip the Cubs‚ 11-6‚ to move back to 1 1/2 games behind Chicago. The Cardinals finish the season with Chicago winning 16 of their 22 meetings‚ a ML-record number of wins against a pennant winner. The Cubs will sweep two from the Reds tomorrow to clinch a tie for the pennant‚ and sweep two from Pittsburgh on the 29th to win it.
September 27The Cubs sweep the Reds 3-1 and 7-4 in Cincinnati. Chicago wins 21 games against the Reds this year: their only loss to Cincy came on August 4‚ 4-3‚ at Crosley Field. The Cubs extend their ML record to 19 doubleheader sweeps in a season.

At Yankee Stadium‚ the 4th place Yankees whip the Athletics‚ 8-1. Pitcher Red Ruffing (7-3)‚ who returned to the team in July‚ helps his cause with a 3-run homer off Bobo Newsom. It is the 36th (and last) homer of his career: at this point only Wes Ferrell (38) has hit more as a pitcher. For Bobo‚ it is his AL-high 20th loss of the season.
September 28Four bases on balls give Eddie Stanky of the Dodgers 147 walks for the season‚ tying the mark held by Jimmy Sheckard of the Cubs in 1911. Brooklyn beats the Pirates‚ 5-2 as Olmo adds a homer and 2 doubles.
September 29The Cubs clinch the NL flag on Hank Borowy‘s 4-3 win over Pittsburgh in the first game of a doubleheader. The final margin for Chicago is 3 games over the Cardinals. During the season‚ the Cubs win 20 doubleheaders a ML record. Chicago takes the nitecap 5-0‚ scoring all 5 runs in the 4th inning. The big blow is catcher Paul Gillespie’s 2-run homer off Rip Sewell‚ the hit coming in his final major league at bat (Gillespie will go 0-for-6 in the WS). The game is called after 7 innings.
September 30Hank Greenberg’s grand-slam HR in the 9th inning on the final day of the season beats the St. Louis Browns 6-3 and clinches the AL pennant for the Detroit Tigers. Virgil Trucks‚ discharged 3 days earlier from the Navy‚ is the starter‚ with Newhouser relieving in the 5th. The continuing drizzle rains out the unnecessary 2nd game after one inning. The Tigers had been assured of a tie on September 26 when Newhouser won his 24th game‚ an 11-0 shutout of the Indians. There were 3 off days before the season finale today. The 2nd-place Senators finished the season on the 23rd.

In a 12-2 Yankee win over Boston‚ George Stirnweiss gets 3 hits on the final day to raise his average to .309 (actually .30854 to Cuccinello’s .30845). The 3rd hit comes in the 8th‚ off Otis Clark‚ in his last at bat. The White Sox-Cleveland games are washed out‚ depriving the veteran Tony Cuccinello of a shot at the title. The only other .300 hitter playing full time is teammate Johnny Dickshot (.302). Neither Cuccinello or Dickshot ever play another game in the ML as the White Sox release the two veterans. Only Elmer Flick in 1905 and Carl Yastrzemski in 1968 ever led the AL with a lower average than Stirnweiss‚ but the latter also leads the AL with 195 hits‚ 107 runs‚ 22 triples‚ 301 TB‚ 33 steals‚ and a .476 SA. He also led the AL in at bats (632) to Cuccinello’s 402. Snuffy is also the only major leaguer to finish a season as the top hitter without ever having led at any point during the season.

Eddie Stanky draws a walk his first time at bat‚ his 148th walk of the year‚ from Hugh Mulcahy to break Jimmy Sheckard’s NL mark. The Dodgers beat the Phils 4-1 as 2‚241 frostbitten Philley fans look on.

In the first of 2 at Boston‚ Don Fisher of the Giants shuts out the Braves‚ 1-0 in 13 innings‚ winning on Nap Reyes‘ home run. It is just the 6th time in ML history than a scoreless extra inning game has been won on a solo homer (his reward? One at bat in 1950) Fisher is just the 3rd pitcher this century to fire a shutout in his last appearance‚ and the 1st of 4 this century to throw a shutout in his only start. Luis Aloma‚ in 1951‚ is the next. The second game ends in a 7-inning 2-2 tie. Tommy Holmes is 4-for-6 in game one‚ and needing a 3-for-4 in game 2 to overtake Cavarretta for the batting crown‚ he comes up short‚ going hitless in 2 appearances. Cavarretta is 2-for-4 in the Cubs 5-3 win over the Pirates to finish at .355. Holmes hits .352.

October

October 3The Tigers and Cubs meet in the WS for the 4th time. Hank Borowy pitches a 6-hitter and Hal Newhouser is roughed up for 8 runs in 3 innings‚ as the Cubs win 9-0.
October 4Returning war vets Virgil Trucks and Hank Greenberg produce a 4-1 Detroit win. Trucks‚ who pitched in only 5 innings of one game at the end of the season‚ pitches a complete game‚ giving up 7 hits: he did win a game during the regular season. Greenberg’s 3-run HR in the 5th wins the game.
October 5Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs pitches a one-hitter‚ beating the Detroit Tigers 3-0 in the 3rd game of the WS. Rudy York‘s 2nd-inning single spoils Passeau’s bid for immortality. Bill Nicholson drives in the first run.
October 6Tavern owner “Billy Goat” Sianis buys a box seat for his goat for the 4th game of the WS and is escorted out of Wrigley Field. In retaliation Sianis casts a “goat curse” over the Cubs. The Tigers tie the series on Dizzy Trout‘s five-hit 4-1 win. Detroit scores all its runs in the 4th‚ with Hank Greenberg‚ Roy Cullenbine‚ Paul Richards‚ and a force-out scoring the runners.
October 7Hal Newhouser beats Hank Borowy 8-4. A 4-run 6th‚ including Hank Greenberg‘s double‚ provides the margin. The Tigers now lead the WS 3 games to 2.
October 8Stan Hack’s double takes a tricky bounce over LF Hank Greenberg‘s shoulder with 2 outs in the 12th inning to give the Chicago Cubs an 8-7 win in the 6th game of the WS. Hack has 4 hits‚ 3 RBIs‚ and reaches base 6 times. Borowy pitches 4 scoreless innings in relief‚ while Dizzy Trout‚ Detroit’s 5th pitcher‚ is the loser. The Series is now tied at 3 games apiece. Greenberg’s homer in the 8th is one of 13 hits for Detroit; Chicago counters with 15.
October 10The Tigers tally 5 runs in the first inning and rout the Chicago Cubs 9-3 behind Hal Newhouser‚ who strikes out 10‚ enabling Detroit to win baseball’s most sloppy World Series‚ 4 games to 3. The winners get $6‚433 a share‚ 2nd to the 1937 Yankees share. Each Cub gets $3‚930. Total receipts of $1.6 million is a WS record.
October 15Attendance in the ML was 10.28 million‚ breaking the 1940 record. The Tigers led with 1.28 million. The Dodgers‚ Giants‚ and Cubs also drew a million.
October 23Branch Rickey announces the signing of Jackie Robinson by the Dodger organization. Robinson signs a Montreal (IL) contract for 1946. Black pitcher John Wright also signs.
October 29Happy Chandler‚ who had continued to serve in the U.S. Senate after becoming commissioner‚ resigns his political office. He will presently move the commissioner’s quarters to Cincinnati.

November

November 6Billy Southworth leaves the Cardinals to sign a 3-year contract with the Braves‚ who are making aggressive moves under Lou Perini and other new owners. Eddie Dyer will become the new Cardinal pilot.
November 8For the second year in a row‚ MVP honors in the AL go to Detroit’s Hal Newhouser. Teammate Eddie Mayo finishes a distant 2nd‚ with George Stirnweiss a close 3rd. Newhouser is the only pitcher to ever win the honor twice in a row.
November 11The Cubs Phil Cavarretta (279 points) is named the NL MVP with Boston’s Tommy Holmes finishing 2nd. The Cubs Andy Pafko finishes 4th.
November 15The rules are revised for election of modern players to the Hall of Fame. A runoff election is formulated as a way to qualify more players for selection‚ but it fails to meet its objective as no one reaches the 75 percent requirement in the runoff. Frank Chance‚ Johnny Evers‚ Miller Huggins‚ and Ed Walsh come closest.

December

December 10At the annual meeting the major leagues head off the quest of the PCL for major status and more territorial protection for upper minors by a new AAA classification for the PCL‚ American Association‚ and International League. The Eastern and Texas Leagues are promoted from Class A to AA. The Southern Atlantic League moves to Class A from B.

For the majors‚ Returning servicemen are given increased protection for one year and the limiting of rosters to 25 players will be delayed until June 15.

The Reds sell 1B Frank McCormick to the Phillies.
December 11The Giants obtain a genuine “phenom‚” pitcher/outfielder Clint Hartung‚ from Minneapolis for $20‚000 and 3 players. Much ballyhooed‚ Hartung hit .358 in 66 games in 1942 for Eau Claire (Northern) while winning 3 games. He was in the military for the next 3 years‚ and will be for the 1946 season. The New York World Telegram’s Tom Meany writes‚ “Hartung’s a sucker if he reports to the Giants. All he has to do is sit at home‚ wait till he’s eligible‚ and he’s a cinch to make the Hall of Fame.”
December 12Five years to the day after shipping Jim Bagby, Jr. off to Cleveland‚ the Red Sox reacquire the vet‚ in exchange for P Vic Johnson and cash. Boston also sells SS Skeeter Newsome to the Phils.