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| Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn of the Vermont Socialists |
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| Duke Snider putting up big numbers for Aliquippa |
A little background on Old Hoss for those not fully aware of the legendary hurler....
Charles Radbourn’s pitching achievements were hailed by contemporaries and sportswriters for decades as some of the greatest feats of nineteenth century baseball. Little known today, many considered an 18-inning game in 1882 as the finest athletic contest ever seen on a baseball diamond. That game was won, not by the pitcher Radbourn, but by the batter Radbourn playing right field. After a scoreless seventeen and a half innings, he clubbed one over the left field wall for the first walk-off home run in a 1-0 game in major league history.
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| This isn't the time of Sparky, Gibby and Trammell, it is 1884, the era of Old Hoss! |
It was on the mound though that Radbourn truly shined. For decades, his winning 59 games in 1884 was viewed as the greatest of all pitching feats. Until recently, most references cited him with sixty wins, a discrepancy arising from determining who should be credited with the victory in his July 28 relief appearance. Throughout his lifetime and well into the career of Cy Young, Radbourn was hailed as the “King of Pitchers.” He had an easy underhand motion from which he delivered a variety of pitches from varying arm angles. He was one of the first to truly dicker with his delivery day in and day out to keep hitters off balance, a trait expanded upon by Clark Griffith and Eddie Plank at the turn of the century.
Not everyone is en fuego, however. Pottersville's OF Zack Wheat, recently promoted to a starting role in the Miser's outfield, has a mere 4 singles to show for his last 26 at bats. Verona Ridge's Fergie Jenkins was rocked in two losses, giving up 22 runs and 25 hits in just 12 innings.
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| This week's failures may just lead Fergie to cope with illegal substances |
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| Zack Wheat corkscrewed to the ground after another whiff |
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| Not Ferguson Jenkins but funny nonetheless |
Day 91: Big day for Johnny Bench, who hit a single, a double, and a home run and drove in four runs as Verona Ridge beat Pohdunkville 9-7. Backwoods used Oscar Charleston's 16th home run to get past Mar-a-Lago in 10 innings, 4-3. The Rajah's 4 RBIs put Pottersville over Aliquippa 6-4. Bad Axe gets three hits from Ernie "The Schnozz" Lombardi and edges Yukon 10-8.
Day 92: Backwoods' Wee Willie Keeler became the first player to get five hits in a game more than once this season, as he pulled the feat against Yukon. The Wee One's fifth hit was memorable, a walk-off HR in the bottom of the 11th. Pohdunkville gets another fine outing from Don Drysdale to top Windy City 3-1. All three Pohdunkville runs came in the top of the 9th, courtesy of a Gabby Hartnett triple. The Misers demolish Bad Axe 19-9. Stan "The Man" Musual crushed two home runs, scored three times, and drove in four runs. All Miser batsmen got at least one hit. Verona topped Aliquippa 3-1, Ryne Sandberg hit safely three times and Rich "Goose" Gossage earned his 22nd save. Vermont gets a complete game effort from Pud Galvin and easily beat the Misogynists 8-3.
Day 93: Christy Mathewson of Yukon earned his league-leading 13th win of the season, 5-4 over Backwoods. The Polar Bears were held scoreless through eight innings but put up a five-spot in the top fo the ninth. Another come from behind win tonight, this one in the Windy City as the Doobies were trailing Pohdunkville 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth, and rejoiced when Ernie Banks hit a walk-off GRAND SLAM! "Sunday" Teddy Lyons got the victory, sending Lefty Grove to just his 3rd loss of the season. The Misers win their 4th in a row, 8-4 over Bad Axe. Hack Wilson hacked his 23rd homer of the year in that contest. Verona Ridge holds on for a 5-4 win over Aliquippa, Amos Rusie securing his 10th win, and Dizzy Dean notching his 7th save. Old Hoss Radbourn mystified the Mar-a-Lago batters, tossing a 4 hit shutout, final is Vermont 4, Mar-a-Lago 0.
Day 94: Jose Mendes, one of the Cubans who played in the Negro Leagues, tossed a four hit shutout for Windy City, who beat Pohdunkville 4-0. Three Finger Brown of The Yukon held the Bastards to just 1 run, while the Polar Bears put up 8 runs. "Sliding Billy" Hamilton had three hits in that game. The Misers continue to roll, dropping Bad Axe 14-9. Hack Wilson drove in 5 of the Miser's runs. Aliquippa destroyed Verona Ridge 16-2. Greg Maddux joined Christ Mathewson for most wins so far (13). 2B Bobby Doerr cracked two HRs for the Beavers. Babe Ruth has somewhat quietly and consistently been putting up a fantastic season (.344, 32 HRs, 83 RBIs). His homer lifted Vermont over Mar-a-Lago 6-4.
Day 95: A lot of goose eggs in Pohdunkville as the Pounders and the Roadrunners flailed away haplessly for 10 innings. Verona Ridge finally scratched out a run against Juan Marichal in the top of the 11th, but super closer Goose Gossage walked three straight batters, and then fumed as Gabby Hartnett hit a walk-off single. More walk-off drama in Mar-a-Lago as the Misogynists, trailing 5-3 going into the bottom of the 9th, got a two-run shot from Sunny Jim Bottomley, a walk to Harry Heilmann, a HBP of Eddie Collins, and finally, a Big Ed Delahanty single to win it, 6-5! You like these walk-off hits? I hope so, we have one more! Backwoods' Craig Biggio belts a walk-off homer in the 12th to send the Bastards over the Socialists 3-2. No need for a walk-off here as Aliquippa whomped Bad Axe 13-2. Duke Snider hit two HRs. Yukon beats Windy City 4-3, getting homers from Negro League stars Turkey Stearnes and Jud Wilson.
Day 96: Backwoods reclaimed first place from Vermont, courtesy of a 8-7 win featuring 10 K's from Sandy Koufax. 3B Jimmy Collins had 3 hits in Pohdunkville's 8-4 win over Verona Ridge. Yukon wins their fourth in a row as Lefty Gomez leads them over Windy City 4-2. Pottersville put up two 6 run innings (4th and 9th) to outslug Mar-a-Lago 15-9. Aliquippa was all over Bad Axe, 11-1. Grover Cleveland "Old Pete" Alexander goes the distance, allowing only 1 run and 7 hits.
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| Mule Suttles belts 3 HRs in a game for Backwoods! |
Day 97: Christy "Big Six" Mathewson was dominant, shutting out Windy City on four hits and leading Yukon to their fifth win in a row. Verona Ridge rolls over Pohdunkville 14-5, Tris Speaker leading the way with 4 hits. Mar-a-Lago shows some signs of life, putting up 17 hits in a 9-6 win over Pottersville. Bad Axe stomps Aliquippa 9-1, with Tony Gwynn leading the offense and Tom Seaver going all nine innings. Backwoods beats Vermont 12-5. The big news here was Mule Suttles blasting 3 HRs, a feat only done so far by Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Mike Piazza.
Day 98: Jimmie Foxx hits a grand slam in Bad Axe's 11-9 win over Verona Ridge. The Roadrunners never gave up, scoring 7 in the bottom of the ninth, but finally got closed out by Stan "The Polish Man" Covelseki. Vermont gets another superb outing from Old Hoss Radbourn in a 2-1 victory over Pohdunkville. Backwoods shut down the Misers, 7-1, "The Big Unit" Randy Johnson handcuffing the Misers on just three hits. Mar-a-Lago's Mickey Welch got the win over Yukon's Three Finger Brown, 9-4. Aliquippa's Pedro Martinez shut out the Doobies, and Duke Snider supplied two more home runs in the 5-0 Beaver victory.
Day 99: George Kell gets 4 hits and 4 RBIs as Bad Axe edged Verona Ridge 10-9, in a game featuring 7 homers. Vermonts comes from behnd and tops Pohdunkville 6-5, with Elmer Flick the hero with a walk-off single. Mar-a-Lago ekes past Yukon 6-5, Ken Griffey's 19th homer making the difference. Windy City turns back Greg Maddux and Aliquippa 4-2. Backwoods destroys Pottersville 17-1. Jackie Robinson, Wee Willie Keeler, and Pie Traynor each got three hits, but it was catcher Luis Santop going 5 for 5 to be the star of the onslaught.
Day 100: Not sure if this has happened before, but EVERY game was decided by one run today! Backwoods wins their sixth in a row with a 4-3 win over Pottersville. Oscar Charleston's walk-off single brought home Craig Biggio with the winning run. Bad Axe edged Verona Ridge 5-4, Jimmie Foxx become even more beloved by his teammates by blasting his 33rd home run. Cy Young is awarded the win in a 3-2 Yukon win over Mar-a-Lago. Vermont holds on for a 8-7 win over the Pounders, Early Wynn wins early and often, and moves to 8-2 for the year with this victory. Gaylord Perry held Windy City to just 3 hits, and the Beavers escape with a 3-2 win.
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