Who’s In The Hall of Fame- Joe Gordon

 

 

Pop Quiz: Of all the 2nd baseman that have played in the American League, which one hit the most home runs in the 20th Century?

Anybody have Joe Gordon’s name immediately pop in their head?

Joe Gordon was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 2009

Joe Gordon played just 11 seasons in the majors, missing 2 seasons due to WWll.(1945,46) He was an All Star for 9 seasons, and received MVP votes in 8 seasons, finishing in the top 10 5x, and winning it in 1942.

He hit 253 home runs with a high of 32 while playing for Cleveland in 1948. He appeared in 6 World Series, winning 4 out of 5 with the Yankees, and coming out on top in 1948 with the Indians, the last World Championship won by the Indians.

“Flash” Gordon played halfback at the University of Oregon, as well as competing as a gymnast and a long jumper. He even found time to play violin with the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

As a lifetime Yankee fan I’ve only really heard about Joe Gordon because Ted Williams got robbed of an MVP award in his Triple Crown season of 1942. And I’ve never really given Joe Gordon any consideration other than incredulity toward an MVP award that he probably didn’t deserve. But Joe Gordon was a top notch 2nd baseman, both offensively and defensively, and deserves his place in the Hall of Fame, as well as more respect from this Yankee fan.

1909 Year in Review

The 1909 season saw the Chicago Cubs in the National League once again win over 100 games(104), and saw the emergence of a Philadelphia A’s baseball dynasty. Unfortunately for both teams it would not win them any pennants. The Tigers would win their 3rd straight AL pennant lead by Triple Crown winner Ty Cobb. And the Pirates, lead by Honus Wagner  would take the NL pennant. Both pennant races were close but neither the Pirates or Tigers were seriously threatened. The Cubs would come back in 1910, but the Tigers won’t see another World Series until 1934. In fact Ty Cobb would play 19 more seasons and never play in another World Series. The A’s are all set to dominate the AL over the next several seasons with the likes of Eddie Collins, HR Baker, Jack Barry, Eddie Plank, Chief Bender, and Jack Coombs.

The Pirates would go on to win the World Series in 7 games.(More on that in a future post)

The 1st two all concrete and steel ballparks would open this season. Shibe Park, named after A’s principle owner Benjamin F Shibe would open on 4/12 with the A’s besting the Red Sox 8-1. In that game A’s catcher Doc Powers would slam into a brick wall while chasing a pop foul. After the game he would complain of intestinal pain, and would be operated on the following day. He died 2 weeks later on 4/26.

Forbes field wouldn’t open until 6/30. Forbes field was named after British General John Forbes. He was instrumental in the French and Indian war, helping to capture Fort Duquesne, later named Fort Pitt, from the French. The Pirates lost to the Cubs 3-2.

7/19- Neal Ball of Cleveland had the 1st ever unassisted triple play vs Boston. He also homered and doubled as well.

7/28- NL President Harry Pulliam shot and killed himself in his apartment.

8/18- Giant player/coach Arlie Latham stole 2nd base against the Phillies. At 49 years old he is the oldest to do so.

 BORN:

3/2- Mel Ott

3/25- Dutch Leonard

3/28- Lon Warneke

4/9- Claude Passeau

7/7- Billy Herman

10/15- Mel Harder

12/6- Stan Hack

DIED:

2/4- John Clarkson

4/6- Doggie Miller

4/26- Doc Powers

7/5- Frank Selee

9/17- Herman Long

Also in the world:

On 7/25 Louis Bleriot becomes the 1st person to fly across the English Channel.

LOUIS IN HIS BLERIOT XI

Max Baer is born on 2/11. He is a former Heavyweight boxing champion, and more importantly the father of Max Baer Jr.

MAX BAER

JR.-THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A DOUBLE NAUGHT SPY

1909 Final Standings

NL

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Pittsburgh Pirates             154  110   42    2  .724     -   701  448
Chicago Cubs                   155  104   49    2  .680   6.5   635  390
New York Giants                158   92   61    5  .601  18.5   624  547
Cincinnati Reds                157   77   76    4  .503  33.5   607  601
Philadelphia Phillies          154   74   79    1  .484  36.5   517  519
Brooklyn Superbas              155   55   98    2  .359  55.5   444  627
St. Louis Cardinals            154   54   98    2  .355  56.0   583  731
Boston Doves                   155   45  108    2  .294  65.5   435  683

AL

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Detroit Tigers                 158   98   54    6  .645     -   666  493
Philadelphia Athletics         153   95   58    0  .621   3.5   605  411
Boston Red Sox                 152   88   63    1  .583   9.5   601  549
Chicago White Sox              159   78   74    7  .513  20.0   492  464
New York Highlanders           153   74   77    2  .490  23.5   589  587
Cleveland Naps                 155   71   82    2  .464  27.5   493  532
St. Louis Browns               154   61   89    4  .407  36.0   441  575
Washington Senators            156   42  110    4  .276  56.0   380  656

AMERICAN LEAGUE	NATIONAL LEAGUE
AVG: TY COBB(DET)- .377 EDDIE COLLINS(PHI)- .347 NAP LAJOIE(CLE)- .324	AVG: HONUS WAGNER(PIT)- .339 MIKE MITCHELL(CIN)- .310 DICK HOBLITZELL(CIN)- .308
HR: TY COBB(DET)- 9 TRIS SPEAKER(BOS)-7 SAM CRAWFORD(DET)-6	HR: RED MURRAY(NY)- 7 3 TIED AT 6-BEALS BECKER, LARRY DOYLE, TOMMY LEACH
RBI: TY COBB(DET)-107 SAM CRAWFORD(DET)-97 HR BAKER(PHI)- 85	RBI: HONUS WAGNER(PIT)-100 RED MURRAY(NY)- 91 DOTS MILLER(PIT)- 87
WINS: GEORGE MULLIN(DET)-29 FRANK SMITH(CHI)- 25 ED WILLETT(DET)-21	WINS: MORDECAI BROWN(CHI)-27 HOWIE CAMNITZ(PIT)- 25 CHRISTY MATHEWSON(NY)-25
K’S: FRANK SMITH(CHI)- 177 WALTER JOHNSON(WAS)- 164 HEINIE BERGER(CLE)- 162	K’S: ORVALL OVERALL(CHI)-205 NAP RUCKER(BRO)- 201   EARL MOORE(PHI)-173
ERA: HARRY KRAUSE(PIT)- 1.39 ED WALSH(CHI)-1.41 CHIEF BENDER(PHI)- 1.66	ERA: CHRISTY MATHEWSON(NY)- 1.14 MORDECAI BROWN(CHI)- 1.31 ORVAL OVERALL(CHI)- 1.42
MVP: TY COBB(DET) .377-9-107, TRIPLE CROWN	MVP:HONUS WAGNER(PIT) .339-5-100
CY YOUNG: GEORGE MULLIN(DET) 29-8, 2.22	CY YOUNG: MORDECAI BROWN(CHI) 27-9, 1.31
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: HARRY KRAUSE(PHI) 18-8, 1.39	ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: BABE ADAMS(PIT) 12-3, 1.11

NOTE: THE CY YOUNG AND ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARDS ARE BASED ON A SABR VOTE, THE MVP IS MY CHOICE.

The Good Old Days

On May 20, 1875 the Hartford Courant posted the following ad:

TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE DOLLARS REWARD

At the great base ball match on Tuesday, while I was engaged in hurrahing, a small boy walked off with an English-made brown silk UMBRELLA belonging to me and forgot to bring it back. I will pay $5 for the return of that umbrella in good condition to my house on Farmington avenue. I do not want the boy(in active state) but will pay two hundred dollars for his remains.

                                                                                -SAMUEL L. CLEMENS

This is why Mark Twain is considered one of America’s greatest humorists. I wonder if today’s newspapers would have posted this ad?

Twain would have been just 39 years old when he attended this game, and had yet to publish The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

 

The game that Twain attended was a matchup between the hometown 12-0 Hartford Dark Blues and the 16-0 Boston Red Stockings. The game was attended by over 9,000 spectators, a huge number for 1875, and was won by the Red Stockings 10-5.

The Red Stockings were managed by Harry Wright and featured his brother George Wright, as well as Andy Leonard, Ross Barnes, Cal McVey, Deacon White, Jim O’Rourke and Al Spalding. The Dark Blues were well represented by Tom York, Bob”Death to Flying Things” Ferguson, Tommy Bond and Candy Cummings.

I’m still patiently waiting for that time machine, and this game would be on my wish list. Attending a baseball game with Mark Twain……priceless. Also, as far as I know, neither the umbrella or the remains of the small boy were ever returned to Twain.

“Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.”- Mark Twain

Who’s in the Hall of Fame- Morgan Bulkeley

Morgan Bulkeley was the 1st President of the National League when it formed in 1876. He did so for 1 year. And that’s about it. His contribution to the game of baseball can fit on a post-it note.

Morgan Bulkeley ran the Aetna Life Insurance Company, a company that was founded by his father. He was truly devoted to the insurance business, but felt that the game of baseball was just a pastime. As a backer for the National Association Hartford Dark Blues he was invited by William Hulbert, the founder of the National League, to attend the 1st meeting of the club owners, as a representative of the Hartford franchise.  Hulbert admired Bulkeley for his business acumen and nominated him to be the 1st President of the league. Bulkeley’s name was the 1st name drawn, and by pure luck he became the President off the league.

When the post season winter meetings were held, Bulkeley didn’t even bother to attend. William Hulbert was then selected as the 2nd President of the league. Bulkeley remained associated with the Hartford team until it moved to Brooklyn at the end of the 1877 season. He would have no other ties to the game. 

Bulkeley became the President of the Aetna Life Insurance Company in 1879, and held that job until he died in 1922.

When Ban Johnson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937 based on his service as the 1st President of the American League(an honor he well deserves) it was deemed that the 1st President of the National League should be inducted as well.

I’m sure that Morgan Bulkeley was a nice guy, and a great insurance man, as well as a fine Governor of the state of Connecticut, but he deserves being in the Hall of Fame just a little bit more than Abner Doubleday, and just a little bit more than me.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

 

 

The story goes that in 1908 vaudeville entertainer Jack Norworth was riding the subway in Manhattan when he saw a sign announcing, “Baseball Today-Polo Grounds”. Having never been to the Polo Grounds or actually seen a professional baseball game, Noworth put pen to paper and wrote the lyrics to his oft sung ballad before reaching his stop. His friend Albert Von Tilzer would later supply the melody, and the 3rd most sung song in the world was born. (Who Let The Dogs Out, and Can’t Touch This, are 1st and 2nd on the list.)………wait……..those are the top 2 songs sung in my shower…..sorry. Obviously, Happy Birthday and The Star Spangled Banner are 1 & 2 on the list.

When Norworth later sang his song in his act it was met with cold indifference. (Not unlike my rendition of Who Let The Dogs Out) It would eventually catch on when a version was made for the nickelodeon. Millions of copies of the sheet music would be sold, initially entitled “The Sensational Baseball Song”

Neither Norworth or Von Tilzer would actually attend a baseball game until many years later. The 1st time it was sung at a professional game might not have happened until the World Series of 1934. Pepper Martin and the Gashouse Gang performed it before the start of game 4 in the series.

Harry Caray started to sing it during the 7th inning stretch in 1971 because, in his words, “…it was the only song I knew the words to.” Since then it has been sung by very few during the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley Field. It’s been massacred by many, but sung by very few. Mike Ditka and Ozzy Osborne come to mind. In Ken Burns’ magnificent 1994 documentary, Carly Simon provided her vocal skills to the song.

The 1st version had Katie Casey imploring her male companion to take her to the ballgame. In a later 1927 version Norworth renamed the leading lady Nelly Kelly. What follows is the initial version of the song:

Here we have the prim and proper Miss Katie Casey checking out today’s game.

Katie Casey was base ball mad.
Had the fever and had it bad;
Just to root for the home town crew,
                                                                 Ev’ry sou Katie blew. (Note: sou was slang for coin money)
On a Saturday, her young beau
Called to see if she’d like to go,
To see a show but Miss Kate said,
"No, I’ll tell you what you can do."

Here is the prim and proper Katie Casey grabbing all the crackerjack.

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don’t care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win it’s a shame.
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,
At the old ball game."

Here we have the prim and proper Katie Casey hogging down on a…..???….I’m going to guess a pancreas.

Katie Casey saw all the games,
Knew the players by their first names;
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Katie Casey knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:

Here we have the prim and……Ohh…who are we kidding, what’s wrong with this woman?

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don’t care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win it’s a shame.
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,
At the old ball game."

Here we have the completely pickled Katie Casey singing, “Who Let The Dogs Out.”

The Captains of 1895

NOTE: This is a rerun of a previous post.

 

This lithograph appeared in the June 1895 Police Gazette. It featured the Captains of the 12 National League teams.

Who were these baseball heroes, as the lithograph proudly asserts?  Some of them are household names, with 5 eventual Hall of Famers, some…… not so much.

1. Cap Anson- Hall of Fame 1st baseman and Player/Manager of the 1895 Chicago Colts. At 43 years old Cap still had game. He appeared in 122 games and batted .335. Anson played 27 years in Major League baseball. As a manager he won 1295 games, finishing 1st 5 times.

(Moving clockwise…)

2. George Davis- This Hall of Fame shortstop was just 25 years old when he was named Player/Manager of the NY Giants. He was replaced as manager after a 16-17 start, but remained as team captain. He hit .340 with a 101 rbis. A lifetime .295 hitter over 20 seasons. He managed the Giants again in 1900 and 1901, compiling a 91-122 record.

3. Mike Griffin- Centerfielder and captain of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. His .332 average and 38 doubles led the Bridegrooms. He played in 3 Major Leagues, the American Association, Players League and the National League, and finished with a .296 average. He is credited with managing 4 games for Brooklyn in 1898 winning just 1 game.

4. Buck Ewing- Also a member of the Hall of Fame. Considered one of the great 19th century catchers. He played 105 games, all at 1st base as the Player/Manager of the 1895 Reds.  He hit .318 and finished his 18 year career with a .308 lifetime average. As a manager he would never finish higher than 3rd place, but he compiled a .553 winning %, suffering only 1 losing season over his 7 years of managing.

5. Jack Boyle- The Philadelphia Phillies led the NL with an astounding .330 average. No thanks to their 1st baseman/Captain. Boyle hit just .253 with no home runs. He had the lowest average of any player with over 115 at bats. He also led all 1st baseman with 36 errors.  He would retire in 1898 with a lifetime .253 average.

6. Patsy Tebeau- Hit .318 as the player/manager while playing 63 games at 1st. He would manage the Spiders and St. Louis Perfectos over 11 seasons. Never finishing 1st, but would beat the Orioles in the not so prestigious Temple Cup Series in 1895.

7.  Jack Glasscock- A fine 19th Century shortstop, batting .290 over 17 seasons. But despite hitting .338 in 18 games for the last place Louisville Colonels he was released in June and finished the season and his career with the Washington Nationals. The Colonels would finish in last place 52.5 games out. Glasscock would manage briefly in the majors, winning exactly half of his 70 games.

8. Ed Cartwright- Cartwright led the Washington Nationals with a .331 average and also had a team high 34 doubles, all leading up to a dismal 43-85 record. Good for 10th in the league. 1895 was his best season in a short 5 year career. He would retire in 1897 with a lifetime .295 average.

9.  Connie Mack- A manager of some note. As player/manager of the Pirates he appeared in 14 games and hit .306, leading the Pirates to a respectable 71-61 record, good for 7th place. Lifetime he would compile a 3731-3948 record as a manager over an incredible 53 seasons. He would manage some of the greatest and worst teams of all time.  He would win 5 out of 8 of his World Series appearances, while finishing last 17 times.

10 Doggie Miller- Miller hit .291 for the St Louis Browns as they finished 48.5 games out of 1st, good for 11th place. Miller was actually the Manager of the 1894 Browns team that finished 56-76, good for 9th place. It would be the only season he would manage in the major leagues.

11. Billy Nash- Playing 3rd base for the Boston Beaneaters Nash would hit .290 with a team leading 10 home runs. This would be Nash’s last season with Boston. He would be traded to the Phillies for Billy Hamilton. In Philadelphia he would become their player/manager and lead them to an 8th place finish in 1896. It would be his only season as a major league manager.

12. Wilbert Robinson- Uncle Robbie suffered a finger amputation in 1895 which would limit him to 77 games. His Hall of Fame career included 17 years as a player ending in 1902 as player/manager with the American League Baltimore Orioles. . He wouldn’t manage again until 1914 when he signed on with the Brooklyn Robins. He would manage them for 18 seasons while making 2 World Series appearances, losing to the Red Sox in 1916, and the Indians in 1920.