Baseball – 1946

Baseball in 1946

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January

January 1George Trautman‚ head of the American Association‚ becomes general manager of Detroit‚ succeeding Jack Zeller‚ who retires after 25 years with the Tigers.
January 2The White Sox buy P Alex Carrasquel and SS Fred Vaughan from the Senators. Carrasquel will make only 3 appearances for Chicago before being farmed out. When the Sox acquire his nephew Chico in 1949‚ the Sox will swap Alex for reliever Luis Aloma‚ who will act as an interpreter for the young Venezuelan shortstop.
January 3The Red Sox get Rudy York from Detroit in a trade for Eddie Lake.
January 5Catcher Walker Cooper goes to the Giants. The sale by the Cardinals for $175‚000 is the highest cash deal ever. The Joe Cronin transaction in 1934 and the Dizzy Dean sale in 1938 were larger deals but also involved other players. Cooper was considered the best catcher in the game before his 1945 induction into the Navy following a salary dispute with the team.
January 6The Red Sox announce that they have signed a working agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are managed by John Peacock‚ a former Boston catcher.
January 12The first professional league game is played in Venezuela‚ launching the newly constituted 4-team Liga de Beisbol Profesional de Venezuela. The game is won by Magallanes 5-2.
January 22The Red Sox sell veteran 3B Jim Tabor to the Phillies.

February

February 5The Phils purchase P Al Jurisich and OF Johnny Wyrostek from the Cardinals.

The Cardinals sell OF/1B Johnny Hopp to the Braves for a reported $40‚000 and the transfer of infielder Eddie Joost to the Cardinals’ Rochester farm team. Hopp will play well in Boston‚ while the veteran Joost will break in as a regular with the A’s in 1947.
February 9Pirate southpaw Preacher Roe suffers a brain concussion in an altercation with a referee in an Arkansas basketball game.
February 15Detroit’s Hank Greenberg signs for $60‚000 and then marries New York department store heiress Carol Gimbel 3 days later.
February 19Giants OF Danny Gardella becomes the first major leaguer to announce he is jumping to the “outlaw” Mexican League‚ the first shot in the series of events that will dominate baseball even more than the return of all the war veterans. His attempt to return to the ML a few years later will initiate a major court battle.
February 25Ted Williams‚ back from the service‚ hits the first spring training pitch he sees for a home run.

The Chicago White Sox hand out the first media guide to beat writers. Just 17 pages long‚ it is the creation of Marsh Samuel‚ according to historian Peggy Beck. The project intrigues Bill Veeck‚ owner of the Cleveland Indians‚ who hires Samuel away from the Sox to create a guide for the Tribe.
February 28Alex Carrasquel‚ White Sox pitcher‚ signs a 3-year contract with the Mexican League.‚ the first shot in the event that will dominate baseball even more than the return of the war veterans.

March

March 3Before 4‚668 in Miami‚ the New York Giants and Boston Braves play to a 17-inning‚ 4-4 tie. The game is called on account of darkness.

The New York Yankees wind up their 11-game swing through the Panama Canal Zone with a 5-4 loss to the Canal Zone All-stars. Al Jarlett‚ slated for the PCL‚ goes the rout in handing the Yankees their 3rd loss. The team leaves for Florida tomorrow.

The Browns sign veteran Joe Medwick who has been released by the Boston Braves. They will release him before the season starts and he will sign up with Brooklyn.
March 7Negro Leaguer Marvin Williams‚ playing for Vargas against Margallanes‚ sets a still-standing Venezuelan League mark by driving in 8 runs on 2 homers and 2 singles. Vargas wins 16-9.
March 10In Havana‚ Cuba‚ the Red Sox defeat the Senators‚ 7-3 in a spring training game.
March 17In Daytona Beach‚ The Dodgers take the field against their minor-league farm team‚ the Montreal Royals. With Jackie Robinson in the lineup for Montreal‚ the game marks the first appearance of an integrated team in organized baseball in this century. More than forty years later‚ the field will be renamed Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
March 30A holdout from the Browns‚ SS Vern Stephens signs a 5-year deal with the Pasquel brothers to play in Mexico. The Giants dismiss Roy Zimmerman‚ George Hausmann‚ and P Sal Maglie for dickering with the Pasquels‚ and the trio departs for Mexico. One day later Mickey Owen of the Dodgers signs to manage the Mexican club in Torreón. Stephens will play a couple of games in Mexico‚ then jump back. Owen announces he will return and then changes his mind again.

April

April 7In a 10-7 exhibition loss to the Cubs‚ Browns pitcher Bob Muncrief breaks his toe when hit by a line drive off the bat of Al Glossup. Muncrief‚ 13-4 in 1945‚ will reverse it to 3-12 this season. Vern Stephens‚ who just jumped back from the Mexican League‚ hits a 3-run homer. The Browns also announce the release of one-time NL star Ducky Medwick.
April 13Eddie Klepp‚ a white pitcher signed by the defending Negro League champion Cleveland Buckeyes‚ is barred from the field in Birmingham‚ AL.

The Browns edge the Cardinals 3-2 before 16‚855 in the opener of their city series. Joe Grace‘s homer in the 8th is the difference. The Cardinals will win tomorrow 4-3.
April 16The Tigers‚ Cubs‚ Reds‚ Athletics‚ and Phillies retain their 1945 ticket prices. Other clubs increase admission costs. Typical: $2 to $2.50 for boxes‚ general admission $1.25‚ bleachers 60 cents. The fans respond with the 2nd highest opening day attendance to date: 236‚730. Only in 1931 (249‚010) was the number exceeded.

Harry Truman attends in the official Opener in Washington‚ resuming the tradition discontinued by Roosevelt in 1942. The Red Sox break a 3-3 tie in the 7th by pushing across three runs against starter Roger Wolff‚ to give Tex Hughson a 6-3 win. Ted Williams has just one hit‚ but it’s a 440 foot line drive HR to dead center‚ one of the longest shots in Griffith history. After the game‚ it’s revealed that 10 of the Washington players are temporarily living in the Senators clubhouse‚ a sign of the tight housing shortage.

In New York‚ UN Secretary General Trygve Lie attends his first baseball game and sees manager Mel Ott hits the last HR of his career‚ off Oscar Judd. The Giants defeat the Phillies (now back to their original nickname)‚ 8-4. In the next game‚ Ott will injure his knee diving for a fly ball‚ and his playing is curtailed. Of Ott’s 511 home runs‚ 323 are hit at the Polo Grounds‚ the most any player has hit in one park. When he retires in 1947‚ he will have failed to hit a HR in Philadelphia after the Baker Bowl was abandoned in 1938.

At Boston‚ the Braves open with a 5-3 win over the Dodgers‚ but the win doesn’t sit well with some 5‚000 fans (of 18‚261) who go home with green paint on their clothes. The stadium seats were freshly painted‚ but the cold weather prevented all of the seats from drying completely. The Braves will run an advertisement apologizing to fans and offering to reimburse for any cleaning bills. Claims pour in from around the country and the offer will cost the Braves more than $6‚000.

In Detroit‚ a crowd of more than 52‚000 cheer as Hal Newhouser stops the Browns‚ 2-1‚ striking out 8. Hank Greenberg‘s homer into the LF stands is the margin of victory.

The White Sox open at home and manage just 3 hits and no runs in losing‚ 1-0‚ to Bob Feller and the Indians. Feller strikes out 10 and his shutout is saved in the 9th when CF Bob Lemon makes a diving catch and doubles the runner off 2B. Bill Dietrich takes the tough loss.

At Shibe Park‚ Spud Chandler‚ 38‚ allows just 5 hits as the Yankees beat the A’s‚ 5-0. Chandler spent most of 1944-45 in the Army and appeared in just 5 games in two years. Joe DiMaggio has a two-run homer and Tommy Henrich a two-run double to pace the offense. A’s starter Russ Christopher allows all the runs in his six innings of work.
April 18Before an Opening Day crowd of 29‚825 at Ebbets Field‚ the Dodgers celebrate their homecoming with an 8-1 win over the Giants. Vic Lombardi is the winner‚ losing his shutout in the 9th. The Bums score 5 in the 3rd and 2 in the 5th when they steal 4 bases with Reiser stealing 2B and home.

At St. Louis‚ Stan Musial has a double and homer to drive in 2 runs as the Cards beat the Pirates‚ 4-2. A bright spot for the Bucs is Ralph Kiner‘s first ML homer‚ off Howie Pollet‚ in the 8th. It is the first run Pollet has allowed after 35.2 consecutive scoreless innings: he finished 1943 with 3 shutouts and 28 scoreless innings. The Cards go from white to red at 3B‚ as Schoendienst‚ a left fielder last season‚ replaces Whitey Kurowski‚ rusty after his holdout.

Robert Murphy‚ Boston labor relations counsel‚ announces the formation of the American Baseball Guild‚ an organization for players. The organization will seek a minimum salary of $6‚500‚ binding arbitration‚ and a share of any sale of a player.

Jackie Robinson debuts as 2B for the Montreal Royals (International League) and is the first recognized black in organized ball in this century. A HR and 3 singles in a 14-1 win over Jersey City starts off the season‚ one in which he will win the IL batting championship at .349.
April 19The Yankees open at home on Good Friday‚ a perceived conflict that is strongly protested by the New York chapter of the Catholic War Veterans. Because of their protest Mayor William O’Dwyer (a Dodger fan) passes up the honor of throwing out the first ball. A WW II Medal of Honor winner substitutes‚ and Joe Page and the Yanks beat Washington‚ 7-6.

The Braves send outfielder Max West to the Reds for pitcher Jim Konstanty. Konstanty will pitch just a few games for Boston before going to the International League.
April 20The Reds Bucky Walters‚ in a tight pitching duel with the Pirates Rip Sewell‚ steals home in the 6th‚ but Sewell wins the squeaker 2-1 before 28‚000 in Pittsburgh.

As a capacity crowd of 40‚887 cheer at Wrigley Field‚ the Cubs raise the 1945 pennant‚ then lose their first game after 3 victories. Harry Brecheen of the Cards scatters 6 hits to win 2-0. It’s Chicago’s biggest opener since 1929.
April 21Cleveland C Frank Hayes catches the last of 1‚312 consecutive games as a backstop‚ a streak begun on October 12‚ 1943‚ when he was with the Browns. Virgil Trucks wins 3-2 for the Tigers.

After dropping an 11-inning duel between Rowe and Sain‚ 3-2‚ the Phillies rebound to take the 7-inning nitecap from the Braves‚ 3-1. It is their 1st win of the year with Al Jurisch getting the decision over Johnny Hutchings. Hutchings set a club record last year with 57 appearances‚ but this will be the last of his ML career.

Portland’s (PCL) Ad Liska tosses a 7-inning no hitter against Hollywood‚ winning 1-0. Liska last pitched in the majors in 1933.
April 22Boston’s Eddie Pellagrini homers in his first at bat in the ML‚ in a 5-4 Red Sox win over Washington.
April 23Ed Head of the Brooklyn Dodgers tosses a no-hitter at the Braves‚ beating Boston’s Mort Cooper‚ 5-0‚ before 30‚287 at Ebbets Field. It is Head’s first ML appearance since his return from the military. He last pitched in the ML in July 9‚ 1944‚ when the Pirates knocked him out in 2 innings. Head was a left-handed pitcher until 1935 when he broke his pitching arm and he was forced to pitch right-handed.

The Permanent Committee of the Hall of Fame announces the selection of 11 old-time players to membership in the Hall of Fame. Eleven former players-Joe Tinker‚ Johnny Evers‚ Frank Chance‚ Jess Burkett‚ Tom McCarthy‚ Rube Waddell‚ Eddie Plank‚ Ed Walsh‚ Jack Chesbro‚ Clark Griffith‚ and Joe McGinnity-are named. The committee also reveales the names of 39 others-managers‚ executives‚ umpires‚ and sportswriters-to the new “Honor Rolls of Baseball.”
April 25Leo Durocher is acquitted of assaulting a baseball fan‚ John Christian‚ under the grandstands at Ebbets Field on June 8‚ 1945. Christian will admit that he received $6‚750 from the Dodgers for his injuries.

Despite 5 hits by rookie Marv Rickert‚ the Cubs lose to the Reds‚ 7-5. It is Cincy’s first win at Wrigley since September 17‚ 1944‚ and just their 2nd in 27 games with the Cubs.

In Boston‚ the 3rd-place Red Sox hammer the Yankees‚ 12-5 behind Joe Dobson to start a team-record win streak of 15 games. Yesterday‚ it was the Yanks winning by the same score.

The Sporting News notes: “A batted ball by Rigney Bueschen of Memphis hit a flying bat during the fourth inning of the April 25 tilt with New Orleans‚ killing the winged mammal‚ but the ball was deflected into the waiting hands of Pete Layden‚ Pel outfielder.[and former All American football star at the University of Texas].” (noted by Willie Runquist)
April 26At Fenway‚ Boston’s Boo Ferriss shuts out the A’s‚ 7-0. The Sox strand 13 runners.

Giants pitchers Ace Adams and Harry Feldman jump to the Mexican League.

In an Alabama State League slugfest‚ Brewton edges Ozark 30-29‚ by scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning. The two clubs rack up 46 walks‚ 35 hits‚ 6 wild pitches and 4 hit batsmen. The game takes 4:18.
April 27Max Lanier stops the Cubs on 4 hits and St. Louis wins‚ 4-0. Lanier has given up one unearned run in 27 frames.
April 28Two days after buying Goody Rosen and Jack Graham from the Dodgers‚ the Giants sweep a doubleheader from Brooklyn 7-3 and 10-4 before 56‚076. Rosen is the hitting star with 5 hits and‚ when the Dodgers end the season in a tie with the Cardinals‚ fans speculate that the Dodgers traded Rosen 2 days too soon. Hal Schumacher wins the opener-his first victory since 1942-and Bob Joyce‚ a 31-game winner last year in the PCL‚ takes the nitecap for his 3rd straight win. Pee Wee Reese‘s two run homer off Prince Hal does most of the Dodger damage. Jake Pike has a three run homer in the first to rout Joe Hatten. Despite the double loss‚ Brooklyn remains in first place.

The Red Sox take over the AL lead by sweeping two from the A’s. Tex Hughson wins 2-1 and Mickey Harris follows suit‚ 5-1. Sam Chapman‘s homer in the opener ruin’s Tex’s shutout.

The largest paid crown in Detroit history-57‚149-watch as Red Embree pitches and bats the Indians to a 3-1 victory over the Tigers. Embree scatters six hits and knocks in two runs in the 12th for the win. Embree had singled in the 11th‚ one of eight hits allowed by Stubby Overmire.

At Yankee Stadium‚ the Negro League Homestead Grays take a pair from the New York Black Yankees. Both games are 10-0‚ with the 2nd ending after six innings. Shortstop Sam Bankhead leads the attack with six hits‚ while Josh Gibson lofts a three run homer in the opener. Gene Smith and Harold Hairston allow just 7 hits in the two games in winning.
April 30Dispelling the rumors that he had lost his fastball after nearly 4 years in the Navy‚ Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians hurls his 2nd no-hitter‚ beating the New York Yankees 1-0 on Frankie Hayes‘ HR in the 9th inning. It is the first no hitter thrown against the Yankees.

Joe Dobson shuts out the Tigers‚ 4-0‚ and the Red Sox win their 5th in a row.

In his first start since coming out of the Army‚ Nashville pitcher Dutch McCall strikes out 17.

May

May 1Boo Ferris benefits from 13 runs and the Red Sox tame the Tigers‚ 13-1.

About to be benched for poor hitting‚ Dick Whitman collects 5 hits to pace the Dodgers to a 5-1 win over the Cubs. The Cubs strand 13.
May 2In St. Louis‚ Giants manager Mel Ott informs C Clyde Kluttz at breakfast that he has been traded from New York to the Phillies. But Cards manager Eddie Dyer calls Kluttz at lunch to tell him not to pack; St. Louis has just made a trade for him. Kluttz is part of the trades that sends Vince DiMaggio from the Phils to the Giants and 2B Emil Verban from St. Louis to Philadelphia. The Giants then beat the Cards‚ 5-1‚ scoring 4 in the 9th. Dave Koslo tosses a 4-hitter for New York‚ beating Harry Brecheen. Brecheen fans three in the 3rd-Kerr‚ Koslo‚ and Rigney-all on called strikes.

At Yankee Stadium‚ the Yanks do all their scoring in the 4th to beat Cleveland‚ 8-2. Nick Etten cracks a grand slam and then ends the inning by lining into a DP with the bases loaded. Spud Chandler wins his 4th straight.

Ailing Ted Williams hits his 2nd homer of the year‚ a 10th inning blow that gives the Sox a 5-4 win over the Tigers. It is the Red Sox’ 7th straight win and keeps them two games ahead of the Yankees.
May 4Jim Bagby beats the Indians’ Bob Feller‚ 6-2‚ as the Red Sox have now won nine straight. Williams drives in 3 runs on a double and HR.
May 5P Hank Borowy hits 2 doubles and drives in 4 runs during the Cubs 11-run 7th inning for a 13-1 victory over the Phillies in the opener. Chicago drops the nitecap‚ 7-1.

The Giants and Reds split a pair with New York taking the opener‚ 3-2. In the 7-4 Reds win‚ Cincinnati fans boo the substitution of Ray Mueller for C Ray Lamanno‚ who had 3 hits in 4 trips to the plate. Sent in for the final inning to preserve a NL record consecutive-game catching streak of 233 contests‚ Mueller sits out the next day. Mueller missed only 81 innings during the streak‚ which began July 31‚ 1943‚ and included Army service through 1945.

In a Bucs’ doubleheader sweep at Pittsburgh‚ the Dodgers attract an overflow crowd that spills onto the field and is held back by ropes. There are 9 “crowd doubles” as the Pirates win‚ 5-4 in 11 innings and 4-3. The double loss drops the Bums out of a first place tie with the Cards. In game 2‚ Preacher Roe relieves Nick Strincevich with 2 outs in the top of sixth with the score tied 3-3. With a 6 p.m. curfew looming‚ pinch runner Bob Ramazzotti tries to steal home on Roe’s 1st pitch and is tagged out by C Bill Salkeld. In the bottom of the 6th‚ Frankie Gustine drives in the winning run with a crowd double‚ and the game is called‚ giving Roe a one-pitch win.
May 6Pinch runner Joffre Cross steals home in the 10th inning‚ giving the first-place St. Louis Cardinals a 9-8 victory over the Boston Braves.

The Red Sox sweep two games from the Browns in a postponed twinbill‚ with Boo Ferriss winning the opener 7-5 behind Ted Williams 3 RBIs. In the 8th inning of the opener‚ with George Metkovich on first‚ Johnny Pesky grounds out on a hit-and-run. He had hit safely 11 times up‚ one shy of Pinky Higgins ML record hitting streak. Manager Cronin said Pesky had called the play on his own‚ and he would have had him hitting away. In the nitecap‚ Williams scores the winning run in the 9th on Dom DiMaggio‘s RBI single‚ and the Sox Joe Dobson comes away with a 5-4 win. Dom will drive in a record-tying 84 runs hitting in the leadoff spot (87 altogether). The Sox have now won 11 in a row and are 3 games in front of the Yankees.

In Washington’s 7-4 win‚ Cecil Travis gets his 6th straight hit over 2 games before being stopped by Cleveland’s Steve Gromek. A prewar hitting star‚ Travis has few other starring moments as a player after suffering frozen feet in combat in Europe.
May 7The Red Sox stretch their win streak to 12 games by topping the Browns‚ 10-6. The Sox score 4 runs in the 7th to tie the game‚ and then win it in the bottom of the 14th on Leon Culberson‘s grand slam. Clem Dreiseward steams to his 2nd win during Boston’s streak.

Cleveland loses 2-1 in 10 innings to the Senators Mickey Haefner.
May 8Hot-hitting Boston 2B Johnny Pesky becomes the first player in AL history to score 6 runs in one game‚ as the Red Sox beats the White Sox 14-10. Mickey Harris is the winner‚ despite giving up 17 hits in 8 2/3 innings. Boo Ferriss retires Taffy Wright for the last out and the Sox have now won 13 straight.

The Reds blow a 5-2 in the 9th when 1B Bert Haas trips over the bullpen mound and misses an easy pop fly by Eddie Stanky that would’ve ended the game. Stanky then walks to load the bases and Billy Herman follows with a 3-run double to tie the game. The Dodgers win it‚ 8-5‚ in the 10th on a 3-run pinch homer by Don Padgett. 2B Lonnie Frey of the Reds throws out 6 straight runners as part of an 11-assist game and adds a triple and 2 singles.

At Griffith Stadium‚ Detroit 2B Eddie Mayo snags a 3rd inning liner off the bat of Gil Torres to start a triple play. The ball was deflected by P Hal Newhouser‚ but Mayo grabbed it before it hit the ground. It is the 2nd time in a year that Mayo has started a triple play off Gil Torres: in the 2nd inning of a nitecap on July 20‚ 1945‚ Mayo grabbed a Torres line drive to start the TP.
May 9At Fenway‚ Boston (20-3) runs its win streak to 14 by edging Chicago‚ 7-5. Bobby Doerr‘s 2-run homer in the 4th inning is the big blow. Mickey Harris‚ in relief‚ wins his 2nd game in two days.

At Chicago‚ Braves first sacker Johnny Hopp swipes home in the 12th to break a 2-2 tie with the Cubs. Boston scores twice more to win‚ 5-2‚ with Lefty Wallace taking to decision over Ray Prim.
May 10Before a Friday Ladies’ Day crowd at Yankee Stadium of 64‚183‚ the first-place Red Sox take their 15th straight game‚ a 5-4 win over the Yankees. Earl Johnson gets the win with 4 innings of scoreless relief. A Joe DiMaggio grand slam accounts for all the Bombers’ scoring.
May 11The New York Giants top the Boston Braves 5-1 in the first night game at Braves Field. The game draws 35‚945 for the Braves‚ who will draw 468‚083 fans for 24 night games this season. All told‚ the 4th place Braves will pull in 969‚673‚ nearly double the previous high of 517‚803 set in 1933.

The Red Sox lose their first game after 15 straight wins‚ as Tiny Bonham beats Tex Hughson and Boo Ferriss 2-0 before 52‚011 at Yankee Stadium. Tommy Henrich hits a homer and accounts for both runs. The Red Sox are 21-4‚ 4 1?2 games ahead of the Yanks. The 15-game streak is still a Red Sox record.
May 12A crowd of 69‚401‚ the largest in Stadium history‚ watch the Yankees give the Red Sox 2 unearned runs and manage just 3 hits off Mickey Harris‚ and lose to Boston‚ 3-1. The Sox gets just 3 hits off loser Spud Chandler.
May 13The Yankees become the first ML team to fly on a regular basis‚ as the fly United to St. Louis aboard the Yankee Mainliner. Red Ruffing and four others choose to take the train.
May 14The Dodgers give away free nylons as a promotion and 31‚000 show up for the match against the Cardinals. Marty Marion breaks a 5-5 tie by driving in 2 runs in the 11th and Max Lanier goes all the way to beat the Dodgers. The win leaves St. Louis a game back of Brooklyn.

Red Sox hurler Dave Ferriss uses just 78 pitches in pitching a 2-hit shutout over the White Sox‚ winning 3-0.
May 15Fireworks occur as Brooklyn starter Les Webber brushes back Slaughter in the first inning‚ but the Cardinal outfielder retaliates by bunting up the 1B line and flattening Webber as he tries to field the bunt. Slaught then silences the fans with two catches in the first inning and a throw to double off Furillo. The Cards move into first place by edging the Dodgers‚ 1-0‚ behind Howie Pollet.

Mel Harder and Steve Gromek fire back to back shutouts over the A’s as Cleveland wins two‚ 3-0 and 5-0.
May 16Pinch runner Jeff Cross steals home in the 10th inning to give St. Louis a 9-8 win over Boston. A week ago the Braves won on an extra-inning steal of home. The Cards win their 9th of 10 road games but will lose tomorrow.
May 17In the first of 2 at Cleveland‚ Bob Feller fans 14 in shutting out the Senators‚ 4-0. Feller allows 5 hits while the Tribe manages just 6 off Mickey Haefner. The nitecap is stopped after 8 innings because of darkness with Walt Masterson the winner for Washington‚ 6-4.
May 18In a great trade for Detroit‚ the Tigers acquire 3B George Kell from the A’s for popular hometown outfielder Barney McCosky. McCosky‚ back from the war‚ is hitting just .198. The Tigers then sell veteran 3B Pinky Higgins to the Red Sox.

The Red Sox coast to an 18-8 win over the Browns as Mickey Harris wins his 7th straight. Ted Williams has a grand slam for Boston.

After rainouts the past two days‚ the Giants and Cubs play the first of two games‚ with the Cubs rolling to a 19-3 win. Game two is washed out.
May 19The oldest star to go into the military was the White Sox P Ted Lyons‚ who finished each of the 20 games he started in 1942. Lyons continues to pitch on the first 5 Sundays of the 1946 season. Although the 46-year-old former Marine has an ERA of 2.32‚ he loses 3 of his 4 starts including today’s opener to Washington‚ 4-3. The Nats Johnny Niggeling beats Ed Lopat in the nitecap‚ 7-1‚ as Mickey Vernon cycles for the Nationals.
May 20Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs makes his first error since September 21‚ 1941‚ ending his streak with an all-time pitcher’s fielding record of 273 consecutive errorless chances. Passeau set the mark using the small glove in the NL. He received permission from the commissioner to use a modified glove because the fingers on his left hand were affected by a gunshot wound incurred as a youngster. He wins the game‚ however‚ beating Boston’s Mort Cooper‚ 6-4.

A state Supreme Court justice has armed the Yankees with an injunction against the raiding Mexican Leaguers‚ and the Dodgers and the Cardinals have also turned to the courts for protection and damages. Before any of the relief becomes permanent‚ however‚ Max Lanier‚ Fred Martin‚ and Lou Klein jump back to the Redbirds.
May 21Bob Feller retires the 1st 14 batters and the Indians use 9 walks to beat the Yankees‚ 7-2. Feller fans 8.

At Detroit‚ the Red Sox win an uphill battle‚ 6-4‚ over Detroit and stretch their AL lead to 6 games. Earl Johnson pitches 5 innings of hitless relief and hits 2 doubles‚ scoring the tying run after his 1st double. His second double drives in a pinch runner from 2B‚ subbing for Dom DiMaggio who was injured stealing.
May 22With the score tied 1-1 in the 10th inning at Ebbets Field‚ Cubs SS Len Merullo and Dodger 2B Eddie Stanky start punching each other‚ precipitating a brawl between the 2 teams. Claude Passeau rips off Leo Durocher‘s jersey before calm is restored. The Dodgers win 2-1 in 13 innings‚ collecting 11 hits off Johnny Schmidt‚ who goes the distance. Joe Hatten gives up 4 hits in 12 innings‚ with Higbe pitching the last round.

At the refurbished stadium in Detroit, the Yankees overcome a first inning three-run homer by Hank Greenberg to subdue the Tigers, 5-3. The Yanks stop an 8th inning rally with a triple play, started on a grounder to 1B by Dick Wakefield. The all-tag TP is the first in Briggs Stadium history. The Tigers turn four DPs to keep the game close.
May 23Police sit along the dugouts of both clubs at Ebbets Field after yesterday’s brawl but that doesn’t stop a pregame fight between the Dodgers Dixie Walker and the Cubs Lenny Merullo. The first place Dodgers again win‚ 2-1‚ in 11 innings. The pregame fight will cost 5 players $650‚ plus suspensions for Walker‚ Merullo and Cubs coach Smith. Galan gets tossed in the 4th and Durocher in the 9th.

The Cardinals‚ the pre-season favorites to win the NL pennant‚ suffer a blow when pitchers Max Lanier and Fred Martin‚ and infielder Lou Klein jump to the Mexican League. Lanier was 6-0 in 6 starts this season. The 2nd-place Cards win today at the Polo Grounds behind Johnny Beazley’s 4-hitter‚ but will lose 3 of their next 4 starts and drop into 2nd place.

The Yankees deflate Virgil Trucks with HRs in the 5th inning by DiMaggio and Nick Etten. Joe Gordon then greets reliever Hal White with the Yankees 3rd consecutive HR‚ and the Bombers drive over Detroit 12-6.
May 24Ted Lyons‚ 45 years old‚ gives up the mound to replace Jimmie Dykes as Chicago White Sox skipper. He is 1-4 but has an ERA of 2.32. The last 28 games he pitched‚ dating back to 1941‚ were complete.
May 25The first place Dodgers whip the Phillies‚ 7-1‚ for their 14th straight win at Shibe Park. Augie Galan has single‚ double‚ and triple and is involved in an unusual “catcher’s balk” play. Augie is at bat when Reiser‚ on 3B‚ breaks for home on an attempted steal. Phils C Andy Seminick tips Galan’s bat on the play and umpire Al Barlick calls the balk. Reiser is awarded a steal of home and Galan gets 1B. The Dodgers will sweep a pair tomorrow at Shibe.
May 26Two-for-42 and hitting .048 for the season‚ Mel Ott stops playing and will only manage the Giants.

The Red Sox turn stingy as Boo Ferriss holds the White Sox to one hit in the opener of two. In the nitecap‚ Emmett O’Neill allows just two Chicago hits. The three hits allowed in a double header equals the 1934 record set by the Dean brothers‚ when Paul Dean tossed a no-hitter in game 2.
May 27The outlaw Mexican League scuttles its competition‚ Mexico’s only league entry in organized baseball. There are now 43 minor leagues for 1946.
May 28The Washington Senators edge the New York Yankees 2-1 before 49‚917 fans in the first night game at Yankee Stadium.
May 29Boo Ferriss shuts out the A’s‚ 2-0‚ as the Boston Red Sox start another win streak.
May 30In a play that anticipates a scene in The Natural by Brooklyn-native Bernard Malamud‚ the Braves’ Bama Rowell smashes a double in the 7-run 2nd inning of the second game of a doubleheader at Ebbets Field. The ball shatters the Bulova clock high atop the right-field scoreboard at 4:25 P.M.‚ showering glass down on the Dodgers’ RF Dixie Walker. An hour later the clock stops. The Braves win 10-8 after being shut out 5-0 by Kirby Higbe in the opener.

The Red Sox sweep two from the Senators‚ winning 6-5 and 7-2. Joe Dobson and Mickey Harris are the winning pitchers.

At Wrigley‚ the Reds lose the first game‚ 6-1‚ then in game 2 overcome a 6-1 deficit to down the Cubs‚ 7-6. Cincy scores 6 runs in the 9th‚ climaxed by a 2-run homer by Ray Mueller.

June

June 3The A’s release Bobo Newsom at his own request. He becomes a Senator for the fourth time 2 days later.

The Reds sell Mike McCormick to the Braves.

The Red Sox sweep another doubleheader‚ this time beating the White Sox 6-1 and 5-2‚ behind Ferris and Dobson. The Sox will win 14 doubleheaders this year‚ tying the mark of the 1943 Yankees and Indians‚ and the 1945 Senators. They won’t lose any doubleheaders‚ splitting the other 13 this year. In game 1 plus the 2nd game of the May 30 twinbill‚ Bobby Doerr sets the AL record for chances handled in 2 consecutive games with 28.
June 5The Cards top the Braves 2-1 as Elvin Adams’ pinch single in the 9th drives in the winner. Rookie Joe Garagiola doubles in the 7th for his first hit in front of his hometown fans.

After beating the Browns yesterday‚ 9-4‚ behind Johnson‚ the Red Sox and Browns play 12 innings today before the game is called‚ 8-8.
June 6The Cubs take a 6-0 lead into the 8th over the Giants‚ but NY ties to send it to overtime. Frank Secory‚ with just his 2nd hit of the year‚ cracks a pinch grand slam off Dave Koslo in the 12th to win it‚ 10-6.
June 7One hour before game time‚ Pirates players vote 20-16 in favor of a walkout rather than play against the Giants‚ in order to gain recognition of the American Baseball Guild. To strike‚ however‚ requires a two-thirds majority and so the walkout does not occur. Aims of organizer Robert Murphy are not exactly stated‚ but goals are sometimes identified as a minimum salary of $7‚500‚ arbitration of salary disputes‚ and players sharing in 50 percent of any sale price. The Pirates top the Giants‚ 10-5.

Cubs pitcher Claude Passeau wins his own game with a 2-run game-ending homer in the 9th inning against Brooklyn. Chicago wins‚ 2-0.
June 8After acquiring Vince DiMaggio from the Phils in May‚ the Giants sell him to the San Francisco Seals (PCL).

Cardinals P Red Barrett picks up his 1st win of the season‚ a 7-0 one-hitter over the Phils. Barrett retires 22 straight before Del Ennis‘ 8th inning single breaks up his no-hitter.

The Red Sox bag the Tigers‚ 15-4‚ behind Joe Dobson.
June 9In a doubleheader loss in Pittsburgh 2-1 and 5-1‚ Giants manager Mel Ott is thrown out of each game for protesting calls‚ a major league first. Umps Dunn and Magerkurth do the tossing.

The Yankees draw 66‚545 for a doubleheader with the Indians‚ and pass the one million mark in attendance‚ the earliest date in ML history. Cleveland spoils the party with a 9-5 win in the opener‚ but the Yankees salvage the nitecap‚ 7-4.

Boston sweeps two from Detroit‚ winning 7-1 and 11-6‚ to run their win streak to 11 games. Joe Dobson and Mickey Harriss are the winning hurlers. Ted Williams hits a homer in each game‚ including a 502-foot shot off Fred Hutchinson that lands on a fan’s straw hat in Section 42‚ Row 37‚ Seat 21 in RF. The fan Joseph A. Boucher is later quoted‚ “How far away must one sit to be safe in this park? They say it bounced a dozen rows higher. But after it hit my head‚ I was no longer interested.” The home run will be commemorated by having the seat (first‚ on the bleacher bench‚ then later on the seat) painted red. This will remain the longest home run hit at Fenway Park: Manny Ramirez will knock one into the LF netting around the Coke bottle in June‚ 2001 and it will “measure out” at 501 feet.
June 11The Red Sox clip the Indians‚ 10-5 behind pitcher Bob Klinger. The Sox have now won 12 in a row.
June 12The Red Sox 2nd long win streak early in the year-this one 12 games-is broken by Bob Feller‘s 7-2 win at Boston. Jim Bagby takes the loss. This is Boston first loss of the year at home to a western team.

The Dodgers collect 15 hits in pummeling the Cardinals‚ 10-7. The Birds manage just 6 hits‚ but collect 13 walks. Rex Barney walks 9 but doesn’t give up a hit till the 7th. Pete Reiser has a single‚ double‚ triple and in the 7th makes his 5th theft of home this season.
June 14Cleveland’s Allie Reynolds toils 12 1/3 innings against the Athletics before the Mackmen push across 2 runs to beat the Tribe‚ 5-3 at Cleveland. The Chief walks 10 and strikes out 10.

The Yankees sell veteran Hank Majeski to the A’s. Considered over the hill‚ Majeski will play another 9 seasons.
June 15Commissioner Happy Chandler bans Mexican jumpers Max Lanier‚ Fred Martin‚ and Lou Klein. Chandler mentions a lifetime suspension for the players‚ but his penalty is later reduced to 5 years.
June 18The Yanks sell righty veteran Bill Zuber (0-1) to the Red Sox. Zuber will go 11-3 for the Hubmen over the next 3 years. Zuber was 5-11 last year for New York‚ but 7 of his losses were shutouts‚ a club record.
June 20The Cards remain a game and a half behind the Dodgers by beating the Braves‚ 9-1. The Birds break up a pitching duel between Dickson and Wright by scoring 8 runs in the 8th inning. Musial has a pair of doubles in the big inning while Walker has a single and double.

A Fortune magazine story gives some rare details of baseball finances‚ showing the 1945 Yankees revenue of $1.6 million and profit of $306‚000‚ cut to $201‚000 after minor league losses. Of the gross income‚ $896‚000 is from home ticket sales.
June 21A federal judge rules that the Seattle club does not have to play returning serviceman Al Niemiec but it does have to pay him his $720 a month contract through the season. At mid season 143 players who had ML contracts when they went to war had been released or sent to the minors. Former ML players Van Mungo‚ Lou Finney‚ Chubby Dean‚ Nate Andrews‚ and Max Butcher are all playing in Class D leagues.
June 22Bill Veeck‚ head of a syndicate which includes Bob Hope and Harry Grabiner‚ purchases the Cleveland Indians for an announced $1‚750‚000. This launches Veeck on a long career as a lively promoter.

At Ebbets Field‚ the second-place Cards deal a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers‚ whittling Brooklyn’s lead to 1 1/2 games over the Cards. Howie Pollet and Rex Barney each pitch six scoreless innings‚ but the Redbirds send 11 batters to the plate in the 7th and five flutter across. The final is 5-1.

The 3rd-place Cubs sweep a pair from the Giants‚ winning the opener 5-2 behind Hank Wyse. Wyse’s shutout is broken in the 9th when Jack Graham legs out an inside-the-park homer. In the nitecap‚ the Bruins score six in the 7th to give an 8-5 win to reliever Hi Bithorn. Eddie Waitkus‚ with three hits including an inside-the-park homer‚ paces an 11-hit attack.
June 23At the Polo Grounds‚ Eddie Waitkus and Marv Rickert of the Chicago Cubs set a ML record by hitting back-to-back‚ inside-the-park HRs-a major league first-in the 4th inning‚ but the team loses 15-10 to the New York Giants. Mickey Witek counters with a grand slam in New York’s 9-run 4th. Chicago wins the second game‚ 9-4‚ as the two teams combine for 55 hits on the afternoon. Rickert and Witek each have 5 hits in the 2 games.
June 24A bus careens off a Cascade Mountain pass road‚ killing 9 members of the Spokane (Western International League) club. Jack Lohrke‚ a young infielder‚ had not reboarded the bus after it stopped at a restaurant just before the accident. The restaurant owner called him as he was about to get on the bus‚ telling him there was a long distance phone call and that he had been sold to San Diego. He decided to return. He later exclaimed‚ “I guess it just wasn’t my turn‚ But how did the owner know we would stop in that town? And what if the call had come five minutes later?” The future Giant and Phil will be known ever after as Lucky.

In a 13-inning 6-5 loss to the Reds‚ Brooklyn’s Pete Reiser grounds into a double play ending a streak of 887 at bats without hitting into one. The record began on July 21‚ 1941‚ with three years off for the Service. Reiser’s mark will last more than a half-century until the Pirates’ Tony Womack breaks it on July 27‚ 1998.
June 25The Reds rampage 15-3 over the Dodgers in Brooklyn. Eddie Lukon is 5-for-5‚ with a homer and 2 doubles.
June 29The Yankees not only lose 2-0 to the A’s‚ they lose the services of veteran Red Ruffing‚ who sustains a broken kneecap when he is hit by a Hank Majeski line drive. The Yanks will give the 42-year-old his release in late September and he will sign with the White Sox for the ’47 season.

Kirby Higbe (8-0) drives in 4 runs to help the Dodgers roll by the Braves‚ 12-3. Dixie Walker‚ the league’s top hitter has one hit but drives in 3 runs. The Dodgers lead the idle Cards by 4 games.

July

July 2The Yankees nip the Red Sox 2-1 before a Stadium crowd of 69‚107. Spud Chandler walks 9 in the first 4 innings but takes a no-hitter into the 9th before Bobby Doerr hits a one-out single.

The Dodgers win their 7th straight‚ beating the Phils‚ 3-2‚ at Ebbets Field‚ while the Cardinals are dropping their 4th in a row. The Reds beat St. Louis‚ 7-5‚ with all the Cincy runs unearned. Brooklyn now leads St. Louis by 7 1/2 games.
July 3St. Louis pitcher Ken Burkhart rolls to a 16-0 shut out over the Reds‚ after the Cardinals score 10 runs in the 4th inning. Burkhart allows 10 hits but strands 14. Enos Slaughter has 6 RBIs.
July 5The first place Dodgers lose to the last-place Giants‚ 7-6‚ but not before Bums manager Durocher makes his famous‚ “nice guys finish last” remark to reporters. In a pre-game interview with Red Barber‚ the announcer calls Giants manager Ott “a nice guy.” The Lip retorts‚ “A nice guy? I’ve been in baseball a long time. Do you know a nicer guy in the world than Mel Ott? He’s a nice guy. In last place. Where am I? In first place. The nice guys are over there in last place‚ not in this dugout.

The Cards Harry Brecheen wins a brilliant pitching‚ 1-0‚ over the Cubs Claude Passeau‚ who allows just 2 hits.
July 6Cubs twirlers Johnny Schmitz and Hank Wyse each toss shutouts at the Reds‚ as Chicago wins‚ 2-0 and 1-0. Joe Beggs loses to Schmitz in the 12-inning opener when he gives up a 2-run pinch homer to Frank Secory. Harry Gumpert is the hard-luck loser in the nitecap.

The Cards ship Blix Donnelly to the Phils for cash. When removed from a game earlier this year‚ Donnelly vowed to hit Birds manager Eddie Dyer between the eyes with a ball if he lifted him again.
July 8A special meeting of clubs deals with Mexican League defections and attempts by players to gain new rights. Some results: $5‚000 minimum salary‚ $25-per- week training-camp expenses‚ a fixed period for spring training‚ 25 days for post-season barnstorming‚ maximum pay cut of 25 percent. A pension fund aimed at providing $100 a month for retired 10-year players will be funded by WS broadcast rights and net proceeds from All-Star Games. Each league will have a player rep to baseball councils. The first player reps named are Yankees P Johnny Murphy and Dodgers OF Dixie Walker.
July 9With 7 Red Sox teammates on the AL squad‚ Ted Williams stages a power show with 2 HRs‚ 2 singles‚ a walk‚ 4 runs scored‚ and a record 5 RBI to lead the AL to a 12-0 laugher over the NL at Fenway Park. The highlight of the All-Star Game is Williams’ 3-run HR off a Rip Sewell blooper pitch in the 8th. The Red Sox came into today’s contest with a 7 1/2 game lead in the AL.
July 11The Giants jump on newly activated pitcher Johnny Grodzicki and the oft-injured Howie Krist to beat the host Cardinals‚ 13-3. Grodzicki was the Cards best minor league hurler in 1941‚ winning 31 games for Houston (Texas League)‚ but was severely injured by shrapnel in WW2 and never regained his effectiveness.

The Yankees sell INF Oscar Grimes to the A’s. Grimes was New York’s regular 3B in 1944-45‚ but lost his job when the vets returned.
July 12Johnny Sain just misses a perfect no-hitter when Grady Hatton‘s 1st inning pop ?y drops among three Braves behind 3B for a double. No one else gets on as the Braves win 1-0 in Cincinnati. Ewell Blackwell takes the loss.

Howie Pollet allows 3 hits in beating the Giants 2-1 in St. Louis in the first of 2 games. Pollet then comes out of the bullpen in the night cap to protect a 5-4 lead in the 9th inning. With runners on 1st and 3rd and no outs‚ Pollet gets Mize on a short fly‚ then gets a DP ground ball. Red Barrett picks up the win‚ just his 3rd. Barrett won 23 games in 1945.
July 13Al Zarilla of the St. Louis Browns legs out 2 triples‚ tying the ML record‚ in the 4th inning as the Browns beat the A’s 11-4 at Shibe Park. Zarilla’s accomplishment is just the 2nd time since 1900 that this has been done.
July 14Player-manager Lou Boudreau of Cleveland hits 4 doubles and one HR‚ but Ted Williams wallops 3 HRs and drives in 8 runs‚ as the Boston Red Sox top the Indians 11-10. Boudreau’s 5 extra base hits is a since-tied ML record (20th century)‚ but he is the first American Leaguer to hit 5 in a game. The Kid’s homers include a grand slam with the Tribe ahead 5-0‚ a 3 run homer‚ and a game-tying solo shot in the 8th. In the Sox 2nd-game win‚ the famous Boudreau Shift is born. Boudreau shifts all his players‚ except the 3B and LF‚ to the right side of the diamond in an effort to stop Williams. Ted grounds out and walks twice while ignoring the shift and the Red Sox win‚ 6-4.

The Dodgers lead shrinks to 2 1/2 games following a doubleheader loss to the Cardinals in St. Louis. St. Louis takes the opener‚ 5-3 when Enos Slaughter drives a 2-run HR in the 8th inning. Slaughter has 4 RBI in the game. In the nitecap‚ Musial‚ who scored the tying run in the 8th after a triple‚ hits a 12th-inning HR off starter Vic Lombardi for the Cardinal sweep.

The Braves Warren Spahn wins his first ML game‚ topping the Pirates‚ 4-1.
July 15On Red Schoendienst Night‚ a delegation from his hometown of Germantown‚ Illinois cheer as the Cardinals pound the Dodgers‚ 10-4. Dodger manager Durocher blows his top when a catch by Pete Reiser is ruled a trapped ball‚ allowing a Redbird run to score. Umpire Al Barlick tosses Durocher and he receives a fine and 5-day suspension for his lip. Outfielder Joe Medwick‚ forced to play 1B‚ makes two critical errors for the Dodgers.
July 16Pinch-hitter Erv Dusak fails on a sacrifice attempt‚ then hits a dramatic 3-run HR in the 9th gives the Cards a 5-4 win over Brooklyn and a sweep of their 4-game series. The win‚ Howie Pollet‘s 10th of the year‚ moves St. Louis to within a half game of the first place Dodgers. The four games‚ including a doubleheader‚ brings 87‚027 to Sportsman’s Park.

At Fenway‚ Bob Feller tops Tex Hughson and the Red Sox‚ 6-3. Feller lost to Hughson‚ 1-0‚ in their last meeting‚ but wins his 16th today‚ fanning 7. Ken Keltner belts two homers and Pat Seerey adds one‚ his 14th‚ off Tex. Heinz Becker‚ in his first AL game‚ adds two doubles and a single. Ted Williams‚ in 5 at-bats against the “Williams Wall‚” is 2-for-5‚ trickling a single into left and smashing a line-drive triple past Seerey in RF. Boston remains in first place by 11 games.

The Phils manage just 4 hits off Ewell Blackwell‚ but hand the Reds pitcher a 2-0 defeat. Schoolboy Rowe gives up 5 hits in winning his 9th.

At Ogdensburg (Border League)‚ Ogdensburg rolls over Granby‚ 35-14‚ as the Maples outhit the Red Sox‚ 32-21. Maples playing-manager Bob Dill pickles the ball going 6-for-6 with 2 home runs‚ a triple‚ 3 doubles‚ and 10 RBIs.
July 18The Cards top the Phillies 5-4‚ while the Dodgers lose their 6th straight. St. Louis moves into 1st place ahead of the Brooklyn.
July 19In a Boston-Chicago game‚ umpire Red Jones issues a warning to the Sox pitcher after a beanball is thrown at Ted Williams. Hearing razzing from the Sox dugout‚ Jones tosses the alleged perpetrator OF Ralph Hodgin and 3 others. When the jeering keeps up‚ 3 more Sox are tossed. The wisecracks continue and the incensed Jones clears the bench‚ ejecting a total of 14 White Sox in all‚ leaving only the starters. The White Sox lose the game as well‚ 9-2.
July 21Lew Flick of Little Rock (Southern Association) gets 9 straight hits in a 19-inning game. Flick gets 3 more hits in the 2nd game of the doubleheader. Teammate Kerby Farrell collects 8 hits in the first game. Both players will make it to the majors.

In a doubleheader sweep against the visiting Browns‚ Ted Williams collects 7 straight hits‚ including hitting for the cycle in the nitecap. Boo Ferriss wins his 15th in the opener‚ 5-0‚ for his 5th shutout of the year‚ while Williams is 3-for-4. Williams starts the nitecap with a 2nd-inning homer‚ off loser Cliff Fannin‚ his 27th homer of the year. In the 3rd‚ Ted follows with a line drive that hits the bullpen wall in right center‚ then caroms off CF Walt Judnich’s thigh‚ and Williams has a triple. Joe Dobson‚ with relief help from Bob Klinger‚ is the winner‚ 7-4.
July 24Bob Feller wins his 18th‚ stopping the A’s on three hits‚ 1-0. Feller K’s nine to run his season total to 220. Hank Edwards homer‚ off Bob Savage‚ is the only score.

Scoring both runs in the first‚ the Dodgers top the Cubs‚ 2-1‚ and move back into the NL lead. Rookie Joe Hatten is the winner as his teammates dice Hank Wyse for 11 hits.

At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants drop the Cards out of first place when Johnny Mize belts a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th. The Giants Dave Koslo wins‚ 3-1. He also scores the first run on a bases-loaded walk in the 2nd.

After being tied with the Cards for 5 days‚ the Dodgers take over undisputed 1st place with a 2-1 win over the Cubs. Joe Hatten is the winner.

Washington’s well-traveled Bobo Newsom stops Detroit’s Dizzy Trout‚ 1-0‚ handing Trout his 5th shutout loss of the year. Cecil Travis‘ single scores Stan Spence‚ who has a 4-for-4 afternoon.

The Reds Bucky Walters wins his 6th straight victory‚ stopping Boston‚ 2-1. The Braves Johnny Hopp‚ the NL’s leading hitter‚ maces three hits‚ one driving in Boston’s lone run.
July 25The Reds score an unearned run in the 8th to beat Boston’s Johnny Sain‚ 1-0. Johnny Vander Meer wins his 6th straight.
July 26In a move that foreshadows Bill Veeck‘s use of Eddie Gaedel‚ the Indians try and use a midget at third base. With Ted Williams about to step in the batters box at Fenway‚ the Indians move into the Williams shift. Three-foot tall Marco Songini runs onto the field and takes over the empty third base spot. The umps then wave him off. The Red Sox win‚ 5-1.

Monty Stratton‚ who lost a leg in a hunting accident in 1938‚ wins his 14th game for Sherman (East Texas League). He will finish with 18 victories for the second-division team.

At Chanute (Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League)‚ Chanute beats Iola‚ 14-3‚ as Ross Grimsley of Chanute strikes out 18 batters. Grimsley will have a cup of coffee with the White Sox in 1951‚ but his son will star for the Orioles.
July 27Rudy York of Boston hits grand-slam HRs in the 2nd and 5th innings off Tex Shirley of the St. Louis Browns‚ as the Red Sox win 13-6. Only Tony Lazzeri and Jim Tabor have accomplished this feat before York. York also adds a 2-run double to knock in 10 runs. York leaves a runner in the 7th when he strikes out and two more in the 9th‚ when he hits in a double play. He had 5 RBI against the Browns yesterday.
July 28Cleveland’s Bob Feller shuts out the Senators‚ 2-0‚ allowing just 4 hits and striking out 10. Allie Reynolds completes the sweep with a 7-4 win in the nitecap.
July 29After failing as a pinch hitter in the opening 2-1 loss to Walt Masterson‚ Cleveland pitcher Bob Lemon hits his first home run‚ off Washington’s Early Wynn‚ a future teammate in an 8-4 nitecap loss. Lemon will hit another 36 to finish one behind former Indian Wes Ferrell on the homer list for pitchers.
July 31Cleveland’s Bob Feller wins his 20th‚ shutting out the Red Sox on one hit while striking out 9. Bobby Doerr‘s single in the 2nd inning is Boston’s lone hit‚ the 2nd time he has had a hit to break up a Feller no-hitter. Feller’s two-run triple is half the offense as the Indians prevail‚ 4-1.

In Philadelphia‚ the Reds sweep a pair from the Phillies‚ winning 4-3 and 2-0. In game 2‚ Ewell Blackwell is lifted with one out in the 9th‚ and Harry Gumbert finishes the shutout. Blackwell‚ who will end the season with 9 wins‚ is often given credit for today’s shutout‚ which would give him 6 for the year. Only Fred Norman‚ in 1972‚ will notch 6 shutouts with fewers than 10 wins.

The Cubs beat the Giants‚ 8-1‚ behind Claude Passeau‘s 3-hitter. Johnny Gee takes his first loss since returning to the Giants after a year’s retirement.

August

August 1Future major leaguer Warren Hacker ties the knot at home plate at the Pampa Oilers Baseball Park. His bride is the former Olinda Schenke.
August 3In a game ended by rain after 5 innings‚ Johnny Beazley holds the Phils to one hit to win 3-1 for the 2nd-place Cards. The lone hit is a 5th inning HR by Frank McCormick.
August 4Bobby Doerr leads the Red Sox offense with 7 RBIs as Boston beats the host Tigers‚ 9-4. Four of the runs come on a grand slam.

The Browns win a pair from the Athletics as Tom Ferrick picks up both wins in relief‚ 8-7 and 7-4. He goes an inning in game 1 and 2 2/3 more in the nitecap.
August 5Mickey Owen quits his Mexican League team. He and Luis Olmo ask Commissioner Chandler for reinstatement 3 days later.
August 8Bill Benswanger‚ son-in-law of Barney Dreyfuss‚ owners of the Pittsburgh Pirates since 1900‚ sells the club to a group headed by Frank McKinney and John Galbreath. Singer Bing Crosby is among investors in the team. The Pirates are purchased for a reported $2.5 million.

A bloop single in the 7th inning by former battery mate Frank Hayes deprives Bob Feller of a no-hitter against the White Sox. Hayes was traded by Cleveland in June‚ just weeks after hitting a homer in Feller’s April 30th no-hitter. It is the 8th one-hitter of Feller’s career. His 10 games of less than 2 hits betters Addie Joss‘s old mark of 9.
August 9All games are played at night for the first time in ML history‚ 4 in the AL and 4 in the NL. Attendance is close to 200‚000‚ with the Yankees at the top of the list with63‚040 at the Stadium.

The Yanks lose to the Red Sox‚ 4-3‚ as Rudy York drills a 3-run homer in the 6th inning for Boston. Boo Ferriss wins his 19th.
August 11Stan Musial gets 8 hits in 9 at bats‚ as the St. Louis Cardinals sweep the Cincinnati Reds 15-4 and 7-3. The Reds lose the opener despite Grady Hatton‚ Max West‚ and Ray Mueller banging consecutive homers in the 8th inning‚ a first in Reds history.

The Phillies sweep Brooklyn 7-6 and 6-4 to end the string of 18 consecutive Brooklyn wins in Philadelphia‚ a ML mark. The last Phillie victory at home against the Bums was May 5‚ 1945.
August 12Stan Musial continues his hot hitting‚ going 4-for-4 to back Al Brazle‘s 3-hitter against the Cubs. The Cards win 5-0.

Bluefield (Appalachian League) romps over Pulaski‚ 35-5‚ scoring in every inning including an 11 run‚ 6th inning. Leading the Blue-Grays are 1B Zikmund and 3B Orlando. Zikmund is 7-for-8 with 4 extra base hits‚ 5 RBIs and scores 7 runs. Orlando is 5-for-6 with 2 doubles‚ a triple‚ home run‚ and he is hit by a pitch. It’s not just the bats that are on fire: during the game‚ 4 different fires start under the grandstand.
August 13Boston’s Dave Ferriss wins his 8th straight for his 20th win‚ defeating the Athletics‚ 7-5. Ferriss is the first pitcher to win 20 games in his first two seasons since Wes Ferrell in 1929-30.

In Cleveland‚ more than 65‚000 are on hand at Municipal Stadium to see Bob Feller take on Detroit’s Dizzy Trout. Feller pitches no hit ball for 6 innings‚ but a walk and two singles in the 8th scores a run for Detroit‚ and Cleveland loses‚ 1-0. Feller strikes out 7 to run his total to 262.
August 14The Dodgers pull in 57‚224 fans for a day-night doubleheader with the Giants‚ the first afternoon-evening games with separate admissions. The Dodgers reward their fans by winning both games‚ 8-4 and 2-1.
August 15Behind the timely hitting of Miksis and Walker the Dodgers win 7-1‚ to sweep their 4-game series with the Giants. Higbe is the winner allowing 3 hits. Catcher Bruce Edwards ties a ML record when‚ in the 4th inning he makes assists on 3 consecutive plays: he is the first National League catcher to do it. Da Bums now lead the idle Cards by 2 games.
August 20The Pirates vote on whether to accept the Guild as their bargaining agent. The vote is 15-3 against‚ with 10 abstentions‚ effectively killing the Guild. They then blank the Dodgers‚ 10-0 behind Strincevich to cut the Flatbush lead to a half game.

It’s “Appreciation Day” in Boston as the Braves give away a Packard and a Ford before the game‚ then lose to the Cardinals‚ 4-1. Howie Pollet wins his 15th. Lolly Hopkins‚ a die-hard fan from Providence‚ RI‚ draws the winning tickets for the cars.

In Washington‚ the attraction is not the teams‚ but the pre-game exhibition of Bob Feller pitching to an army clocking-device to time his fastball. An extra 20‚000 fans show up to see Feller‚ who had not been informed about it; he asks for and gets $700 from Griffith. Feller’s fastball is clocked at 98.6 crossing the plate (107 mph leaving his hand) on 4 pitches; his 5th pitch shatters the wooden frame of the device. Taking the mound Feller then strikes out 7 in a losing cause‚ as the Indians commit 4 errors. Knuckleballer Mickey Haefner is the winner‚ 5-4.
August 21Del Ennis hits a 2-out homer in the 9th off Bauers to give the Phils a 1-0 win over the Cubs.

John Johnson of Newnan‚ Georgia-Alabama League (Class-D) wins both ends of a doubleheader‚ twice shutting out the league-leading Valley Rebels to win‚ 1-0 and 7-0.
August 22Clubs approve a change to a 168-game schedule‚ but they will rescind the decision at another meeting Sept. 16. Television is first recognized‚ with clubs given rights to their own games. Players jumping to outlaw leagues will not be allowed to apply for reinstatement for 5 years.

The Cardinals sweep the Phillies to tie the Dodgers for 1st place in the NL. Howie Pollet (16-6) wins the 1st game‚ 7-6‚ when Musial hits a HR in the 12th‚ and Harry Brecheen is the winner‚ 4-3‚ in the nightcap under the arcs.
August 25Tied for first with St. Louis‚ the Dodgers open a 4 games series with the Cards by splitting a doubleheader. The Dodgers take the opener 2-1‚ handing Howie Pollet his 1st loss in 3 weeks. The Cardinals take the nitecap 14-8.

In the first of 2 at Fenway‚ Boston’s Boo Ferriss tops the Indians Red Embree‚ 2-1‚ in Boo’s final decision at home. His record at Fenway is 13-0 this season. Home runs account for all the scoring as Doerr hits 2 and Jordan hits one. There are no homers in the nitecap as the Sox complete the sweep‚ 13-6. Johnson is the winner in relief with starter Allie Reynolds taking the loss.

In Cincinnati‚ the Reds prize rookie Grady Hatton fractures his right knee cap in the dugout runway and is out for the season. Hatton runs into a brick wall trying to avoid spiking a girl seeking autographs.
August 26Cardinals P Murry Dickson beats the Dodgers 2-1 to move St. Louis into 1st place.
August 27Kirby Higbe tops the Cardinals 7-3 to give Brooklyn a split of their series.
August 28Behind Paul Erickson‚ the Cubs edge the Dodgers 4-3‚ dropping the Dodgers out of first place. Hank Behrman is the loser for the visitors.

The Cardinals keep sole possession of the NL lead by sweeping two from the Giants. St. Louis wins the night cap on a 9th inning 2-out 2-run HR by Walter Sessi.
August 29The Cubs beat Brooklyn 3-2 for their 2nd win in a row over Brooklyn‚ and their 7th overall. Hank Borowy is the winner over Vic Lombardi.

St. Louis ace Howie Pollet shuts out New York‚ 4-0‚ to give St. Louis a 2 1/2 game lead over the Dodgers.
August 30The Red Sox sweep a pair with the Athletics‚ winning‚ 6-0 and 6-2. Game 2 is their 90th win of the year‚ the earliest they’ve ever won 90 games.
August 31Luke Sewell quits as manager of the Browns; Zack Taylor will finish the season.

Buddy Kerr hits into three DPs against the Dodgers‚ but his homer is the difference as the Giants win‚ 2-1. Lefty Monte Williams is the winner over Kirby Higbe. The high point of the game is at 2B when former Dodger Goody Rosen slides into Eddie Stanky with spikes high. Stanky retaliates with a hard tag in the face and the two start punching. Both are ejected. Extra police are ordered for tomorrow’s doubleheader at the Polo Grounds‚ a sweep by the Dodgers that puts them into a tie for first place with St. Louis.

The rampaging Red Sox (92-40) sweep a pair from the Yankees‚ winning 5-2 and 3-1 at the Stadium. Boo Ferris (24-4) wins the opener and Mickey Harris (16-7) takes the nitecap.

September

September 2Red Sox pitcher Boo Ferriss win his 12th straight game in the opener and his 24th of the year as Boston sweeps two from the Yankees‚ 5-2 and 3-1. It is the Bosox 10th straight win over New York this year and their 14th twinbill sweep. Boston split 13 doubleheaders on the year and lost none. Dom DiMaggio and Nick Etten have HRs today. Ferriss‚ who earlier in the season had a 10-game win streak‚ joins Walter Johnson (10 and 14 in 1913) as the only pitchers with 2 winning streaks of 10 or more games in one season.

It’s a first as manager Mel Ott lifts himself for a pinch hitter in the 7th at Boston. Righty Sid Gordon goes into pinch hit against lefty reliever Ernie White and grounds out. Ott manages the Giants to an 8-3 win.

The Cardinals win a pair from the Reds‚ 6-4 and 8-7‚ as Al Brazle wins both in relief. He toils 5 2/3 innings in the opener and another 3 in the nitecap. It is the 2nd time in a month that a reliever has won a pair. Enos Slaughter leads the attack with a 2-run homer in game 1 and 2 HRs‚ a double and single in game 2. St. Louis now leads the Dodgers by 2 1/2 games.
September 5The Tigers jump on an overworked Bob Feller‚ chasing him with 9 runs in the 4th inning. The highlight is Hank Greenberg 30th homer‚ a three-run shot. Fred Hutchinson wins‚ 10-0.
September 8With the Red Sox running away with the AL race‚ attention closes in on Bob Feller‘s strikeout pace. After a 4-1 Browns opening win‚ Feller tops the Browns‚ 3-2‚ on six hits and 8 strikeouts and reaches 300 today‚ a number reached by Walter Johnson and Rube Waddell twice each. Can Feller beat Waddell’s 347 of 1904? Boudreau finds plenty of innings for Feller to work as the season comes to an end and statisticians discover an error in the Aug. 24th box score that shorted the fireballer one strikeout against the A’s. Counting that one‚ Feller ends with 348. Alas! Waddell’s old record of 347 was apparently based on the compilations of George Moreland‚ an early baseball historian‚ and listed in Little Red Book. TSN researchers later revise Waddell’s total to 349. Feller’s 348 strikeouts will lead the AL‚ while Johnny Schmitz will lead the NL with a pedestrian 135. The 213 K difference between the 2 league leaders is a ML record that will not be topped this century.

Dodger Pete Reiser‚ even though still as injury-prone as he was before the war‚ accounts for 3 of the Dodgers 7 steals‚ including home‚ in an 11-3 Dodger victory over the Giants. It is his 7th steal of home this year. He will lead the ML with 34 steals despite missing more than 30 games due to injuries.

The Browns sweep a pair from the Yankees‚ winning 2-1 and 9-8‚ both in extra innings. Yankee manager Bill Dickey makes his last ML at bat a good one‚ lining a pinch single in the 8th inning.

In the minor leagues Bill Kennedy of Rocky Mount (Coastal Plain League) will be credited with 456 strikeouts‚ breaking the former mark of 418 set by Virgil Trucks in the Alabama-Florida League in 1938.
September 9The Giants lose to Phils 5-4 as Bobby Thomson debuts with 2 hits. Del Ennis‘ 3-run HR is the big blow for the Phils.
September 11The Reds and Dodgers set a ML record by playing the longest scoreless tie game in history‚ 19 innings‚ at Ebbets Field‚ before darkness ends it. The previous record was 18 innings‚ set in 1909. The Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer pitches the first 15 innings‚ striking out 14‚ with Harry Gumbert pitching 4 innings. For Brooklyn‚ Hal Gregg pitches the first 10 innings‚ followed by Hugh Casey (5 innings)‚ Art Herring (3 innings)‚ and Hank Behrman (1 inning) Later‚ the Dodgers will win the playoff‚ 5-3.

The Cubs and Braves battle to a 3-3 tie after 17 innings. Chicago gets 13 hits to Boston’s 8‚ though the Braves manage just one hit over the last 12 1/3 innings. Hank Borowy‚ who pitched yesterday‚ pitches the final 7 hitless frames.
September 12The Dodgers‚ a game and a half out despite winning 9 of their last 10‚ host St.‚ Louis for a three game series. But the Cardinals rip Brooklyn‚ 10-2‚ behind Howie Pollet‘s 5-hitter‚ in the series opener. The Cards light up Kirby Higbe in the first inning for 5 runs‚ highlighted by Joe Garagiola‘s 3-run homer.
September 13The Boston Red Sox clinch the AL pennant‚ edging the Cleveland Indians 1-0 on Ted Williams‘ inside-the-park HR‚ the only one of his career. Williams lines the ball to left center over the shift when LF Pat Seerey pulls in behind the SS position‚ and Ted outlegs Fat Pat who eventually runs the ball down. Tex Hughson stops the Indians on 3 hits beating Red Embree‚ who allows just two hits. The Boston margin at the season’s end will be 12 games.

It’s the Dodgers turn as they score 4 runs in the 1st inning against Red Munger and hold on to top the Cardinals 4-3. The Dodgers now trail St. Louis by 1 1/2 games.
September 14Roy Hamey‚ president of the American Association‚ is named general manager of the Pirates by its new owners.

Durocher starts young Ralph Branca against the Cardinals lefty lineup with the intention of lifting the 20-year-old after one batter and putting in lefty Vic Lombardi. But Branca looks good and goes the route to win 5-0 and move the Dodgers a half-game in back of St. Louis. The gate of 32‚960 gives the Dodgers 1‚509‚755 attendance for the season‚ a NL record topping the Cubs of 1929.

Ewell Blackwell blanks the Giants to give the Reds a 4-0 win. It is Blackwell’s 6th shutout. He’ll finish with a 9-13 record‚ a 2.45 ERA‚ and allow just one HR in 190 innings.
September 15After dropping the opener 4-3 in 10 innings‚ the Brooklyn Dodgers are stinging the Chicago Cubs‚ 2-0‚ at the end of the 5th inning when a swarm of gnats descends upon Ebbets Field and causes the game to be called off early. The Dodgers take the win away as Kirby Higbe allows just one hit‚ a second inning safety by Mickey Livingston.

Ernie Lombardi of the Giants slams the ball 483 feet under the stairway in right-center of the Polo Grounds‚ but barely makes 3B. It is the 3rd triple in 7 years for Schnozz and the last of his career. The Cardinals still sweep 2 from the Giants‚ but at a cost. After Murry Dickson‘s 3-0 win in the 1st game‚ Howie Pollet preserves the Cards’ 7-4 victory in 2nd game‚ but suffers some arm pain when he doesn’t warm up sufficiently.

Senators’ reliever Early Wynn smacks a grand slam home run against Detroit’s Johnny Gorsica as the Nationals roll by Detroit‚ 15-5. Wynn wins over Dizzy Trout.

The A’s Bill McCahan makes his first ML starts and blanks the Indians‚ 2-0‚ in a game called after 7 innings. The Browns Fred Sanford also makes his first start a shutout‚ stopping the Yankees‚ 1-0.

At Chicago‚ Red Sox pitcher Dave “Boo” Ferriss notches his 25th win‚ beating the White 4-1 in the first of two. Johnny Rigney then applies the whitewash to the Red Sox to win the nitecap‚ 6-0‚ on 3 hits.
September 17The Cards Howie Pollet wins his 20th victory‚ 10-2 over the Giants‚ despite scattering 11 hits.
September 18Brooklyn P Ralph Branca wins his 3rd game of the year‚ a 3-0 shutout over the Pirates.

Washington’s Sherry Robertson leads off with a home run against Cleveland. It is his 2nd consecutive leadoff HR‚ having connected yesterday in Detroit. Robertson has 3 hits and scores 3 as the Nats win‚ 8-1 behind Mickey Haefner. The mark was last accomplished by Harry Hooper in 1913.
September 20George Kell is 6-for-7 to pace the Tigers 22-hit attack against Cleveland. The Tigers roar‚ 15-1 with Fred Hutchinson getting the easy win over Allie Reynolds‚ allowing just a run on Eddie Robinson‘s HR.
September 21Bill Zuber beats the Senators‚ 7-5 in 11 innings as the Red Sox notch their 100th win of the season.

In 11 innings‚ Detroit beats the Indians 5-3 in the last ML game played at Clevelan’s League Park. The event goes unheralded as‚ the Indians are not yet sure if they will continue to split their games between the two parks. The attendance is just 2‚772.
September 22At Municipal Stadium‚ Detroit tops Cleveland‚ 3-0‚ as Newhouser beats Feller for the first time. The battles between the two will result in Feller winning 8 of 10 decisions. Feller complains after the game that‚ except for Dick Wakefield‚ all the Tiger hitters were chopping at the ball to avoid striking out. He K’s 7 to Newhouser’s 9. The Tigers win the nitecap‚ 4-3.

In a sweep of the A’s‚ rookies Yogi Berra and Bobby Brown debut for the Yankees. Shortstop Brown has a single and Yogi belts a two-run homer‚ off Jesse Flores. New York wins‚ 4-3 and 7-4.
September 24Disappointing on the field‚ the Yankees nevertheless finish their home season with a 2‚309‚029 attendance‚ the first team to reach two million. The best previous draw was the 1929 Cubs at 1‚485‚166. Total ML attendance was 18.5 million‚ 80 percent more than 1945.

Led by Hank Greenberg‘s three homers‚ the Tigers roll by the Browns‚ 4-3 and 10-1. The veteran slugger was benched on August 22nd but now has 41 homers. Hutchinson and Trout are the winners.

Ted Wilks‚ in relief of Munger‚ notches a 2-1 win for the Cardinals. Johnny Vander Meer takes the loss for the Reds; he’ll win his next start‚ 1-0. For the Reds‚ it is the ML record 41st one-run loss this season. Six years ago they set the mark for one-run wins with 41.
September 25In a loss that will haunt the Dodgers at the season’s end‚ the Phils score 5 in the 9th to beat Brooklyn‚ 11-9. Leo Durocher sends in eight pitchers in an effort to stave off the final Phils’ rally‚ setting an NL record and tying the ML mark (Washington vs. Boston‚ in an end of the season farce game‚ October 4‚ 1913). In the first inning‚ Eddie Stanky cashes his 133rd walk‚ off Oscar Judd‚ but the pitcher ties the score in the 3rd with his only homer of the year‚ and drives in two more in the 4th off reliever Hal Gregg. Brooklyn scores three in the bottom of the 3rd when 2B Emil Verban makes two errors‚ and Phils 1B Frank McCormick makes his first error of the season after a ML record 131 straight errorless games. Ron Northey also misjudges a fly ball into a double by Bruce Edwards. In the 8th inning‚ Dodger pitcher Hank Behrman throws an inside pitch to Del Ennis‚ striking the young slugger on the wrist. Ennis retires with a possible broken wrist and the enraged Quakers charge it was deliberate. Two more singles chase Behrman and it is 9-6 going into the 9th. A walk‚ strikeout‚ and bad hop single brings in reliever Vic Lombardi. A single and walk brings in Art Herring‚ the 7th Dodger pitcher‚ who throws 4 balls to Frank McCormick and leaves‚ Kirby Higbe enters with the score tied‚ and Dee Moore’s long fly scores Johnny Wyrostek to make the score 10-9. Emil Verban‘s double drives in the last run to make Tom Hughes the winner over Lombardi.

The Reds’ Bucky Walter blanks the Cardinals‚ 6-0‚ but St. Louis stays a game in front of Brooklyn.

Come on down! Bill Veeck offers free admission to the fans and 12‚600 show up. The White Sox throw a damper on the party by beating the Indians‚ 4-1.

Handling 13 chances without an error against the Braves in an 8-0 loss‚ Giants SS Buddy Kerr runs his errorless streak to 254 chances‚ breaking Eddie Miller’s 1940 record.
September 26The Dodgers beat the Phils 8-2 to move with a half-game of the idle Cardinals. Dodger RF Pete Reiser fractures his leg sliding back into 1B and is out for the year. Reiser was hitting .277 with 73 RBI.
September 27For the 2nd time in 5 days‚ the Cubs shell Howie Pollet. The Cubs score 3 runs in the 4th inning to chase the Cardinal ace and win 7-2. St. Louis and Brooklyn are now tied for 1st place.

In Detroit‚ Feller pitches 5 innings‚ striking out 6 Tigers. Feller now has 343 strikeouts for the year. Bob Kuzava takes over and gets the win‚ 9-8.

At Fenway‚ Tex Hughson notches his 20th as the Red Sox win‚ 5-4 over Washington. It is Boston’s 104th win of the year.
September 28Brooklyn shells Braves’ 20-game winner Johnny Sain and wins 7-4. Meanwhile‚ Cardinal P Harry Brecheen quiets the Cubs‚ 4-1‚ to leave St. Louis tied for 1st place with a game to play.
September 29The Cardinals and the Dodgers end the season tied for the NL lead. Both are 96-58. The first-ever championship playoff series will start in 2 days. Former Cardinal P Mort Cooper pitches Boston to a 4-0 win over Brooklyn. The Cards can’t capitalize on the Dodger loss‚ however‚ as Cubs’ lefty Johnny Schmitz beats them‚ 8-3.

Giants’ SS Buddy Kerr plays in his 52nd game without an error‚ breaking Leo Durocher‘s NL record set in 1931. The Giants whip the Phils 3-1.

Feller and Newhouser hook up again‚ with Newhouser going for his 27th win‚ but this time Feller and the Indians beat Detroit‚ 4-1. Not till Newhouser strikes out does Feller register a K. Feller will strike out 5 Tigers to end the season with 348‚ believed to be the new record. Subsequent research will credit Waddell with 349 K’s in 1904. Feller ends the year with a no-hitter‚ two one-hitters‚ and 10 shutouts in 371 innings.

Johnny Vander Meer pitches a game 1 shutout‚ beating the Pirates‚ 1-0. Bob Usher drives in the lone run. In the nitecap‚ outfielder Al Libke starts on the mound and pitches 5 innings‚ allowing 2 runs and 4 hits in his last ML appearance. The former minor league pitcher gets no decision but the Reds win‚ 3-2‚ to close out their season.
September 30In a great trade for Boston‚ the Braves send 2B Billy Herman and 3 players (P Elmer Singleton‚ OF Stan Wentzel‚ INF Whitey Wietelman) to Pittsburgh for 3B Bob Elliott and C Hank Camelli. The Pirates want Herman to manager and in his only season‚ 1947‚ he’ll guide them to a last-place finish. But Elliot will win the NL MVP in Boston.

October

October 1In the first ever NL playoff before 26‚012 at Sportsman’s Park Field the Dodgers manage just 3 hits off Howie Pollet and lose 4-2. Joe Garagiola‘s 3 hits pace the Cardinals as they beat Ralph Branca.

While waiting for the NL playoff to be completed‚ the Red Sox tune up by playing a team of AL All Stars. In the 5th‚ Senator P Mickey Haefner accidentally hits Ted Williams on the right elbow with a pitch. The injury will affect Williams’ play in the WS.

Johnny Neun is named the Reds manager for next year.
October 3The St. Louis Cardinals wallop the Brooklyn Dodgers 8-4 at Ebbets Field to win the NL playoffs 2-0 and advance to the WS. Erv Dusak and Enos Slaughter lead the attack‚ while winning pitcher Murry Dickson adds a triple. Dickson allows just two hits till the last inning‚ before the Dodgers score three runs off him. Harry Brecheen strikes out two batters with the bases full to end it. Joe Hatten is the loser.
October 6The WS opens with a Red Sox 3-2 win as Rudy York hits a 10th-inning HR off Howie Pollet. The Sox tie the game in the 9th when an easy grounder to Marty Marion takes a freak bounce and goes through his legs.
October 7Harry Brecheen gives up only 4 singles in shutting out the Red Sox 3-0. He also drives in the first run of the game.
October 9Boo Ferriss records the 50th shutout in WS history. He holds the opposition to only 6 hits‚ as the Boston Red Sox blank the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0. Rudy York‘s 3-run HR in the first is the big blow.
October 10Enos Slaughter‚ Whitey Kurowski‚ and Joe Garagiola each have 4 hits‚ and Al Brazle pitches a 12-3 complete game win. The Cards tie a WS record by racking up 20 hits.
October 11The Red Sox take the Series lead with a 6-3 win‚ as Joe Dobson fans 8 in a complete game win. All 3 runs off of Dobson are unearned.

The Yankees send veteran Joe Gordon and Ed Bockman to Cleveland for 32-year-old pitcher Allie Reynolds (11-15). Columnist Dan Daniel will later report that Larry MacPhail and Bucky Harris initially wanted Red Embree‚ but DiMaggio advised them to take Reynolds. The Chief will be a mainstay of the Yankees championship teams while Gordon will finish out the 1940s with three good years. The Yanks will put Embree in pinstripes in a year.
October 13Back in St. Louis‚ Harry Brecheen ties the Series again with a 4-1 win‚ stopping the Red Sox on 7 hits.
October 15Enos Slaughter sprints all the way from 1B and slides into home with the winning run in the 8th inning on Harry Walker‘s double‚ as the Cardinals edge the Boston Red Sox 4-3‚ giving St. Louis the WS 4 games to 3. Harry Brecheen wins 3 games for the Cardinals‚ including Games 6 and 7‚ the only pitcher ever to win those. Billed as the duel between the 2 best hitters in baseball‚ the Series sees Stan Musial go 6-for-27 and Ted Williams 5-for-25. With the Series held in two small ballparks and the broadcast fees now aimed at a player pension fund‚ the Cardinal share of $3‚748 and the Red Sox portion of $2‚140 is the smallest Series payoff since 1918.
October 26Columnist Westbrook Pegler writes a critical piece about the off-field relationship between Dodger manager Leo Durocher‚ actor George Raft and well-known gamblers. This is the first of a number of articles that will lead up to the suspension of Durocher for the 1947 season.

November

November 1The right foot of Cleveland owner Bill Veeck is amputated‚ a result of a war injury in the South Pacific 2 years before. Veeck has had a tremendous impact on promotion in a half season of ownership. A minor but typical change is the regular posting of NL scores on the Cleveland scoreboard‚ a departure from the long-standing practice of both leagues.
November 15Ted Williams is picked as the AL MVP‚ finishing 27 points ahead of Hal Newhouser‚ the winner the past two years. A week from now the NL names Stan Musial for the honor with Dixie Walker a distant 2nd.

December

December 4W. G. Bramham retires as head of the minors. George Trautman will replace him.

The Reds trade pitcher Ed Heusser to Brooklyn for veteran Augie Galan.
December 6The major leagues finally accept the contention that invasion of minor league territory will result in compensation for the entire league. The major league clubs agree to return the selection of the All-Star teams‚ except for pitchers‚ to a fan ballot.
December 7The Indians send young OF Gene Woodling to Pittsburgh for veteran receiver Al Lopez. Lopez will play just 61 games in 1947‚ before taking over as manager of Indianapolis for 3 seasons. He will return to skipper the Indians in 1951.
December 9The Senators sell veteran knuckleballer to the Phillies where he’ll go 17-12 in 1947 and 12-17 the next year.
December 10The Yankees sign veteran 1B George McQuinn‚ recently released by the A’s. The 36-year-old has two good years left in him and will hit .304 with 80 RBI in 1947.
December 20With the trade for Al Lopez‚ the Indians send young catcher Sherm Lollar and 2B Ray Mack to the Yankees for minor league P Gene Bearden‚ P Al Gettel‚ and OF Hal Peck. Peck never played for New York after they acquired him in June. Lollar will play just 33 games in 2 years‚ while Mack is swapped after one game. Bearden‚ as a rookie knuckleballer in 1948‚ will win 20 games and the lead the AL in ERA.