Who’s In The Hall Of Fame- Andy Cooper

 

Andy Cooper played over 20 seasons in the Negro Leagues, beginning in 1920 with the Detroit Stars and ending as a player/manager for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1941.

Cooper was a big left handed pitcher, standing 6’ 2”,  and is considered to be one of the top 3 lefties in Negro League history. He helped lead the Kansas City Monarchs to the 1929 Negro National league pennant, pitching as both a starter and reliever, while compiling a 13-3 record. Cooper is considered the all time saves leader in the Negro Leagues with 29.

As a player/manager he lead the Kansas City Monarchs to 3 Negro American League pennants in 1937, 1939 and 1940. He suffered a stroke during the 1941 season, and died of a severe heart attack on June 3rd at the age of 43.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006.

1912 World Series-Boston Red Sox vs NY Giants

The winners of the 1st 2 World Series go head to head for the 1st and only time. Hard to imagine these 2 storied franchises have only met just 1 time in the Fall Classic. The Giants are in the midst of a World Series losing streak that would reach 4 straight. They lost to Philadelphia in 1911, this year to the Red Sox, once again to Philadelphia in 1913, and then to the White Sox in 1917. They don’t win a World Series until they beat the Babe Ruth lead 1921 Yankees.

This series is one of the all time greats, going 8 games, and ending in extra innings with the help of Fred Snodgrass’ $30,000 muff of a flyball.

For more about this series and the entire 1912 season I recommend The First Fall Classic by Mike Vaccaro

GAME #1 10/8/1912 @ the Polo Grounds

Smoky Joe Wood vs Jeff Tesreau

Red Sox  4

Giants     3

The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the 3rd when Red Murray drove in 2 with a hard single to center. The Red Sox answered back in the 6th when Tris Speaker lead off with a triple and scored on a fielders choice. The Red Sox took the lead for good in the 7th on a Harry Hooper double and a Steve Yerkes 2 run single.

With a run in and runners on 2nd and 3rd with just 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, Smoky Joe Wood struck out Art Fletcher and Doc Crandall to end the game. Wood finished with 11 strikeouts

GAME #2 10/9/1912 @ Fenway Park

Christy Mathewson vs Ray Collins

Red Sox  6

Giants     6 (11)

This game was called do to darkness after 11 innings. The Red Sox tied the game with a run in the bottom of the 8th and again in the bottom of the 10th. Both runs were unearned thanks to some unfortunate miscues by the Giant defense behind Christy Mathewson.

GAME #3 10/10/1912 @ Fenway Park

Rube Marquard vs Buck O’Brien

Giants   2

Red Sox 1

Buck Herzog drove in Red Murray with a sac fly in the 2nd, and then doubled and scored in the 5th to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. The Red Sox threatened in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings but were unable to score on Marquard.

In the bottom of the 8th Larry Gardner doubled in Duffy Lewis to make the score 2-1. After an error and a stolen base put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs for the Red Sox, Hick Cady hit a bomb that was run down in centerfield for the final out by Fred Snodgrass.

GAME # 4 10/11/12 @ Polo Grounds

Smoky Joe Wood vs Jeff Tesreau

Red Sox  3

Giants    1

Wood struck out 8 to win his 2nd game of the series.

GAME #5 10/12/12 @ Fenway Park

Christy Mathewson vs  Hugh Bedient

Red Sox  2

Giants   1

Rookie Hugh Bedient out-dueled Christy Mathewson allowing just 3 hits and 1 unearned run. Back to back triples in the 3rd by Harry Hooper and Steve Yerkes lead to the only runs the Red Sox needed.

GAME #6 10/14/12 @Polo Grounds

Buck O’Brien vs Rube Marquard

Giants    5

Red Sox 2

The Giants scored all 5 runs in the 1st inning after 2 outs. 3 singles, 2 doubles a stolen base and a balk sent Buck O’Brien to the showers after just 1 inning pitched.

GAME #7 10/15/1912 @ Fenway Park

Jeff Tesreau vs Smoky Joe Wood

Giants  11

Red Sox  4

Joe Wood lasted just 1 inning, giving up 6 runs in the 1st. The Giants banged out 16 hits, 3 by Chief Meyers, and 3 by Larry Gardner, which included a home run.

GAME#8 10/16/1912 @ Fenway Park

Christy Mathewson vs Hugh Bedient

Red Sox  3

Giants    2(10)

Much has been written about this game, specifically the 10th inning. With the score tied at 1 in the top of the 10th, Red Murray doubled and scored on a single by Fred Merkle to put the Giants up 2-1. In the bottom of the 10th Clyde Engel lifted a flyball to Fred Snodgrass in centerfield. He dropped the ball for a 2 base error. The soon to be labeled $30,000 muff. The next batter smashed a sure extra base hit to deep centerfield that this time was run down by Snodgrass for the out. By all accounts a tremendous catch by Snodgrass. Inexplicably Mathewson walked the light hitting Steve Yerkes to put runners on the corners. Tris Speaker lifted a foul pop between home and 1st base. Varying accounts have Merkle making no effort to catch a ball that was clearly his. While another account has Mathewson yelling “Chief”, for Chief Meyers to catch a ball that he clearly could not get to. Regardless, Speaker got a 2nd chance and singled in the tying run. Larry Gardner won the game on a sacfly.

The average attendance for this series was 31,505, with the winners share being $4,025. The Red Sox hit just .220 as ateam with a 2.55 ERA. The Giants hit .270 with a tiny 1.71 ERA. Joe Wood went 3-1 while Tris Speaker hit .300, the only Red Sox to hit .300 in the series. In game 7 Tris Speaker became the only outfielder to have an unassisted double play in World Series play, when he fielded a short fly ball in centerfield and beat Art Wilson to the 2nd base bag. Twice in this series Christy Mathewson retired the side on just 3 pitches.

 

Book Review-Native American Son by Kate Buford

 

From the SABR release:

Buford’s ‘Native American Son’ Wins 2011 Larry Ritter Award

Kate Buford’s Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe is the winner of the 2011 Larry Ritter Award, given by SABR’s Deadball Era Committee to the best book related to the Deadball Era published in the previous year.

Kate Buford’s fine biography of Thorpe, published by Alfred A. Knopf in October 2010, details the story of Thorpe’s legendary athletic achievements: leading the Carlisle Indian Industrial School football team to victories against the country’s finest college teams, coached by the renowned “Pop” Warner; winning gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics; defining the burgeoning sport of professional football; and playing long, often successful — and previously unexamined — years in professional baseball.

 

This is not strictly a baseball book, but, as stated above Jim Thorpe did play professional baseball at the major league level. From 1913 to 1919 he played parts of 6 seasons in the National League, with the Giants, Reds and the Braves. Thorpe hit just .143 in his 1st season with the Giants, primarily do to the inability to hit the curveball, albeit with just 36 at bats. He improved every season and actually hit .327 while playing in 62 games in his final season. A testament to his athletic skills.

This book is about the life of arguably the greatest athlete in the 20th Century. Covering his childhood, his years at the Carlisle Indian school, the Olympics, professional football, baseball, as well as his movie career, 3 marriages, and his   lifelong battle with alcoholism. All detailed in this fine biography written with reverence and respect for the athlete and the man, as well as a no holds barred recounting of the deplorable treatment of the American Indian before and during his life.   If you have an interest in the Deadball Era, the early days of professional football, or a well told story of a great American Athlete, then this book will not disappoint.

Some of the things I learned from this book:

Pop Warner was Jim Thorpe’s coach at the Carlisle school, and he was not a very nice man.

Amateurism in the Olympics was always a joke.

Although his Olympic amateur status and his medals were restored in 1982, the official Olympic records were not modified to include his records or his 1st place finishes. Does this make any sense?

The early days of football were extremely violent, with numerous deaths on the field.

Jim Thorpe appeared in over 50 Hollywood films.

Iron Eyes Cody appeared in a couple of movies with Jim Thorpe. He is most famous as the crying Indian in the “Keep America Beautiful” commercials back in the 1970’s. He was actually an Italian by the name of Espera Oscar de Corti, not an American Indian. Is there no truth in the world?

The town of Jim Thorpe where he is buried is approximately 70 miles south of this blogger, and it is commonly known that it is the former town of Mauch Chunk. Mauch Chunk is Indian for Mountain of the Sleeping Bear. I never knew that, ……and now we all know. The story of how the town of Mauch Chunk became the town Jim Thorpe and how it became his  final resting place is included in the book. Let’s just say it’s an ignominious ending for one of America’s greatest sport legends.

I also believe I found a factual mistake in this book. On page 180 it states that Jim Thorpe was inserted in the 2nd game of the 1913 World Series on a hunch by Manager John McGraw. He struck out twice and grounded out weakly to the opposing pitcher, Grover Cleveland Alexander. This included quoted excerpts from an unattributed news clipping found at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  I didn’t think that could be right because Pete Alexander never played in the American League. In fact the Giants lost to the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1913 World Series, while Pete Alexander pitched for the NL Philadelphia Phillies. Jim Thorpe did not appear in this World Series. Jim Thorpe did play in 1 game in the 1917 World Series against the White Sox. He was the starting right fielder, but was pinch hit for in the 1st inning, never getting an official at bat. I’m not sure what game is described in the book, but it did not happen in a World Series as stated. I’m actually pretty psyched about finding this error. I feel like Keith Olbermann hammering Ken Burns’ “Baseball” documentary for it’s numerous factual errors. It feels kind of good. Does that make me a bad person?

Read the book, it deserved the Larry Ritter Award, and it deserves your attention as well.

DMB World Series-1912 Boston Red Sox

 

Top Row: Joseph Quirk(trainer), Tris Speaker, unknown girl, Joe Wood, Hick Cady, Pinch Thomas, Buck O’Brien, Hugh Bradley, Duffy Lewis,

Middle Row: Harry Hooper, Bill Carrigan, Steve Yerkes, Olaf Henriksen, Clyde Engel, Les Nunamaker, Sea Lion Hall, Larry Gardner, Ray Collins, Jake Stahl,

Front Row: Heinie Wagner, Hugh Bedient, Mascot, Larry Pape, Marty Krug,

Lead by player/manager Jake Stahl the Boston Red Sox christened their spiffy new ballpark by winning 105 games and their 2nd American League pennant. They beat out a surprising Washington Senators by 14 games.

Their .277 team batting average was 2nd to the A’s .282. They lead the league with a paltry 29 home runs, a beefy 269 doubles and a representative 799 runs. Their 2.76 team ERA was 2nd to the Senators 2.69. These were the only teams with a sub 3.00 ERA.

Bill “Rough” Carrigan was the primary catcher. He hit .263 with just 8 extra base hits. He was backed up by rookie Hick Cady(.259) and 2nd year player Les Nunamaker(.252).

Jake Stahl hit .301 at 1st base. This is his last full season with the Red Sox as he would resign in 1913 at mid season.

The remainder of the infield was manned  by Steve Yerkes at 2nd(.252), Heinie Wagner at short(.274), and Larry Gardner at 3rd. Gardner hit .315 with a team leading 18 triples.

The Red Sox outfield of Tris Speaker, Duffy Lewis, and Harry Hooper ignited this offense. Speaker hit .383, 3rd in the league, his 10 home runs, 53 doubles and a .464 OBP were all 1st in the league. Tack on 90 rbis, 136 runs scored and 52 stolen bases and you have the league MVP. Duffy Lewis hit .284 with a career high 109 rbis. Harry Hooper had a down year hitting just .242.

Smoky Joe Wood had his career year going 34-5 with a 1.91 ERA. He lead the league in wins and shutouts with 10. This was Wood’s 2nd and last 20+ win season.

Buck O’Brien and Hugh Bedient also won 20 games. Bedient would have been a consensus Rookie of The Year choice. Ray Collins and Charles “Sea Lion Hall won 13 and 15 games respectively.

The Red Sox beat the NY Giants in a memorable 7 game series.

 

Baseball Card/Memorabilia Reminiscing

A Shoeless Joe Jackson autograph is kind of rare. It’s well known that he was illiterate, but he was perfectly capable of signing his name. He was just very reluctant to do so, so many of the verified autographs usually appear on legal documents only.

Throughout the years Jackson would receive autograph requests through the mail, and more often than not, the requestor would receive an autograph similar to the one above. Not a bad looking signature for an illiterate, shoeless, ballplayer.

Unfortunately the above signature is by Joe Jackson’s wife Katie. It must really suck to think you have a Joe Jackson autograph, only to find out it’s his wife’s. I read somewhere that something like 75% of the Mickey Mantle baseballs were signed by a clubhouse guy.So it’s not too unusual for an autograph to be fake.

I feel bad for the people that think they have a genuine piece of baseball history, especially for those that might have spent money to get that piece of bogus baseball memorabilia.

The people I don’t feel sorry for are the people that have money to throw away on something they know is bogus. The above fake, phony autograph sold at auction for just over $400 several years ago, with the buyer fully aware that it is not Shoeless Joe Jackson’s autograph. Am I missing something?  How could anybody pay $400 for this?

I’ll tell you why…..because it’s cool…..awesome….the next big wave of baseball collectibles. Everybody should have an autographed ball from somebody’s wife. So, I’m offering a genuine Babe Ruth baseball, autographed by my wife, for just $50….free shipping. Quantities are unlimited, be the 1st on your block to have one. Each ball comes with a COU…..Certificate of Unauthenticity. Satisfaction guaranteed!!!!

Pretty sweet looking, don’t you think?

1912 DMB World Series-NY Giants

 

Left to Right: Tillie Shafer, Jeff Tesreau, Doc Crandall, Fred Merkle, ?, Red Murray, Hooks Wiltse, Larry Doyle, Chief Meyers, ?, Al Demaree, Christy Mathewson, Buck Herzog, ?, Fred Snodgrass, John McGraw

Middle Row:  Wilbert Robinson, Beals Becker, ?, Red Ames

Bottom Row: Moose McCormick, Josh Devore, ?, Dick Hennessy-Mascot, ?, Art Fletcher, George Burns, Ted Goulait, 

The NY Giants lead by Manager John McGraw won their 2nd straight NL Pennant by 10 games over the Pittsburg Pirates. Unfortunately for the Giants they would lose to the Boston Red Sox in 7 games in the 1912 World Series. The 2nd of 3 straight World Series losses for the Giants.

As a team they hit .286, 1st in the league, as were their 47 home runs, and 823 runs scored. They outdistanced the 2nd place Cubs by 67 runs.

Their pitching staff lead the league as well with a 2.58 ERA.

The 1912 Giants were essentially the same team as the pennant winning 1911 Giants. The only significant addition was rookie pitcher Jeff Tesreau. His 17-7 record, and league leading 1.96 ERA  definitely helped the Giants secure the pennant.

Catcher Chief Meyers had his career year, hitting .358 with a .441 OBP. He was 3rd in the MVP voting.

23 year old 1st baseman Fred Merkle was playing in his 6th season with the Giants. He hit a solid .309 with a team leading 11 home runs.

Laughing Larry Doyle played 2nd, hitting a career high .330, with a team leading 98 runs scored. He was selected as the league MVP as well.

Filling out the infield were Art Fletcher(.282) at short, and Buck Herzog(.263) at 3rd.

The Giants’  speedy outfield of Fred Snodgrass, Red Murray, and Beals Becker combined to steal 111 bases. The soon to be infamous Snodgrass hit .263, Murray hit .277 with a team leading 92 rbi, and Becker hit .264.

Art Wilson backed up Meyers at catcher and hit .289. Josh Devore was the 4th outfielder, contributing a ,275 average. Tillie Shafer played short, 2nd and 3rd while hitting .288.

22 year old George Burns hit .294 in a part time roll in the outfield. Starting in 1913 Burns would be a full time outfielder for the Giants for the next 9 seasons.

On the mound the Giants were still lead by Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson. He had his 10th straight season of 20+ wins, going 23-12 with a 2.12 ERA. The much maligned Rube Marquard had an outstanding season, winning 26 games with a 2.57 ERA. Rookie Jeff Tesreau won 17, Red Ames won 11, and the 1st true reliever in baseball, Doc Crandall won 13 games. He relieved and finished 25 games on the season, and hit a nifty .313 as well.