The wild and wooly American League race continues to be close and ever-changing as we enter the second half of the season. Aliquippa briefly was atop the pack, but now Vermont and Backwoods are tied for first. Even Mar-a-Lago, only 3-7 in Ivanka Trump's first week of managing, is only 3 games out of the playoffs at this point. Yukon has been king of the hill in the National for awhile, sharing the top spot with Verona at times but now 3 games ahead of their closest challenger. Still plenty of time for anyone to get hot and jump into the playoff hunt.
Some great performances (as usual) this block of games, but we have to reward two players who put up almost identical, Wonder Twin type numbers. The Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, and Roy Campanella are our Co-Players of the Week. Backwoods 1B Gehrig batted .371 with 5 HRs and 12 RBIs. Mar-a-Lago's Campanella hit .370 with 3 HRs and 12 RBIs. Honorable mention to Pohdunkville's intimidating pitcher Don Drysdale, who won twice and only allowed 12 hits and 2 runs in 22 innings.
As for who's not hot, who have to go with the last of the spitballers, Pohdunkville's Burleigh Grimes. The Grimy One was battered for 22 hits and 18 earned runs in just 16 innings, racking up two losses this set. Paul Molitor is suffering, as well, as the Misogynist batsman is just 3 for 28 (.107 average) lately.
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| The Iron Horse, apparently on a low attendance day |
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| Roy Campanella's use of multiple bats at one time has helped him hit .370 this set! |
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| Don Drysdale working with promising prospect Greg Brady |
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| Burleigh Grimes putting a little stank on the ball |
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| Paul Molitor is currently making Ivanka Trump sick - |
Day 81: Pohdunkville wins the 5th in a row, 9-5 over the Roadrunners, as Lefty Grove (10-1) gets back on the winning track and Nap Lajoie pounds out 4 hits. Carl Hubbell gets the win for Yukon as Paul Waner and Turkey Stearnes put together a 9th inning rally, 4-2 triumph over Bad Axe. Vermont continues to swing the lumber as they roll up 13 runs and 16 hits on Aliquippa. Al Simmons drove in 5 Socialist runs. Cal Ripken rips a grand slam and Windy City tops Mar-a-Lago 7-5. Backwoods Randy Johnson strikes out 10 Misers, Bastards win 4-3.
Day 82: Wow, break up the Pohdunkville Pounders! It's six in a row for them, courtesy of a Rod Carew walk-off single in the 13th. They beat Verona Ridge 3-2, with Don Drysdale making like Pud Galvin and throwing all 13 innings. Bad Axe gets hot late to overcome Yukon and win 7-3. Vermont lives and dies by the home run. They live today as Eddie Mathews clubs two HRs and drives in 5, it's a 6-2 Socialist win, with Pud Galvin picking up win #7. The Misers beat the Bastards 6-4, thanks to late HRs by Hack Wilson and Rogers Hornsby. Mar-a-Lago puts a hurt on the Doobies, 14-4. Roy Campanella drives in 4 and gets three hits. Old-timers Ty Cobb and Dan Brouthers also collect three hits for the Misogynists.
Day 83: Christy Mathewson moves to 12-6 as the Polar Bears break the winning streak of Pohdunkville by a score of 10-7. Vermont's Old Hoss Radbourn shut down those young bucks from Backwoods in a 4-1 Socialist win. Bad Axe's Dazzy Vance pitches the Lumberjacks over Mar-a-Lago 5-2. Pottersville gets to Verona's closer Goose Gossage in the 10th, a Hack Wilson HR gives the Misers a 4-3 win. Windy City's Bert Blyleven dominates the Beavers, holding them to just 1 run and 6 hits.
Day 84: Excitement in Bad Axe! The Misogynists and the Lumberjacks were deadlocked after 9 innings. Mar-a-Lago scored two runs in the top of the 10th, but Bad Axe put together 5 hits to win 7-6. Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Kirby Puckett, Billy Herman all reached base safely and it was Jimmie Foxx's least favorite player, SS Dave Bancroft, with the walk-off single! More extra inning action as Aliquippa puts up three runs in the top of the 10th to get by Windy City. Verona Ridge gets a late three-run homer from Orlando Cepeda to upend Pottersville 6-2. Even more drama as Vermont gets a walk-off homer from Babe Ruth (#31) to turn back the Bastards. Yukon gets by Pohdunkville 8-4, Chuck Klein was the hitting hero for the Polar Bears.
Day 85: Aliquippa's Greg Maddux continued in his bid for the Cy Young award, with a shutout of Windy City. Maddux is now 12-3 with a 3.44 ERA, amazing considering the lineups he faces every day. Bad Axe's Lou Gehrig drives in 3 runs and help Smokey Joe Williams (another Cy Young contender) move to 11-7 in a 5-3 win over Mar-a-Lago. Verona Ridge gets out of their recent funk as Ozzie Smith singled in Carl Yastrzmemski for the winning run in the bottom of the 10th. Big Bill Foster of Backwoods shuts out mighty Vermont. Pohdunkville's Juan Marichal highkicks his way to a 3-1 win over Yukon, as Harmon Killebrew belts a two run homer.
Day 86: Yogi Berra with a walk-off triple as Pottersville edges Bad Axe 5-4. If you are not yet clicking on the "Day XX" link to see all the daily boxscores and stats, you are missing great reporting like this...
"Mr. Potter was in great spirits in his post-game interview. Yet, when asked
about his feelings after the thrilling comeback victory, he volunteered,
'I'll tell you this much - I know how my counterpart, Paul Bunyan, feels
right now - and it's not very good. It's terrible when you come up on the
short end of one of these!'
In other news, Candy Cummings, the Hall of Famer with the most stripper-like name, gets his first win of the year as Pohdunkville gets by Mar-a-Lago 6-4. Yukon wallops Windy City 11-4, Honus Wagner has a big night as the Dutchman puts up 4 hits and 3 RBIs. Early Wynn continues to live up to his name for Vermont, now with 7 wins against only 1 loss. 4-2 Socialist win over the Roadrunners. Backwoods 1B Mule Suttles hits two doubles and brings home 3 runners to support Sandy Koufax in a 8-4 victory over the Beavers.
Day 87: Pohdunkville's Don Drysdale took some time out from training Greg Brady to shut out Mar-a-Lago 3-0. Not to be outdone, Hilton Smith of Backwoods shuts out Alipuippa on just 4 hits. Bad Axe users two Lou Gehrig homers to overcome Pottersville 4-3. Nolan Ryan outduels Christy Mathewson to help Windy City to a 7-3 win over Yukon. Verona Ridge got 7 shutout innings from Steve Carlton, and topped Vermont 4-1.
Day 88: Yukon and Windy City battled hard, with the lead changing hand 5 times, but the Polar Bears get the 7-6 win when Martin Dihigo hits a walk-off single. Big night for Turkey Stearnes, who had 4 hits and scored 3 times. Mar-a-Lago dealt Lefty Grove of Pohdunkville his 2nd loss of the season in a 6-3 game. Mel Ott (3 hits) helped Eddie Plank earn a 5-3 win over Bad Axe. Backwoods enters the bottom of the 8th trailing Aliquippa 5-2 and leaves the frame with a 6-5 lead, which they held on to for the win. Vermont gets past Verona Ridge 5-3, giving Bob Lemon his 9th win of the season.
Day 89: Pohdunkville's Satchel Paige was dealing tonight, striking out 11 Roadrunners and helping the Pounders win 5-3. Mar-a-Lago's deadball players were on fire tonight, with Mickey Welch going the distance and Dan Brouthers homering and driving in 2 as they top Backwoods 7-2. Aliquippa rolled up 19 hits and 11 runs in a big win over Pottersville. Hughie "Ee-yah" Jennings put up 4 hits, and every Beaver had at least one base hit. Yukon tops arch-rival Bad Axe in a game where the lead changed hands SIX times (have not seen that all year!), finally ending when the Flying Dutchman singled in Jesse Burkett for the walk-off win.
Day 90: Bad Axe beat Yukon 5-3, and Smokey Joe Williams is now tied with Greg Maddux and Christy Mathewson with 12 wins. Tony Gwynn is currently riding a nice 21 game hit streak! Backwoods beat Mar-a-Lago by just one run, 8-7, Wee Willie Keeler contributed three hits. Ralph Kiner moved to 2nd place in the Home Run chase when he clouted his 29th homer of the year in an 8-3 Verona Ridge win over Pohdunkville. Pottserville is all over Aliquippa and Greg Maddux, 13-3, with George Brett cracking two HRs.
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| Aliquippa's Hughie Jennings, famed for yelling "ee-yah" for no apparent reason, and for leading our league in being hit by pitches with 20. The next closest player is Jud Wilson with 11. "Ee-yah, I got hit by another pitch!" |
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