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Articles by Joseph Wancho
June 29, 1977: Earl Weaver’s rule book saves Orioles from defeat
American League fans in the 1970s were accustomed to the sight of Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver arguing with the umpires. Weaver never cheated the fans out of their hard-earned dough. His protests with the arbiters were legendary. No matter what his grievance was, he was going to have his say. And in most cases, his debates were of a vociferous nature. “Just because you have a job, doesn’t mean you’re competent to fill the job,” said Baltimore general manager Hank Peters.
'Most Regrettable Incident of My Baseball Career'
The 1920 American League pennant race was as tight as one could get. Three teams were within a half-game as the middle of August approached. Cleveland (70-40, .636) was in a virtual tie with Chicago (72-42, .632). New York (72-43, .626) was a half-game behind them and breathing down their necks. Cleveland hit the rails for its last swing through the Eastern teams in 1920. The trip would begin in New York and continue through Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington.
The SABR Bookshelf: Winter 2022
Here are the SABR Bookshelf listings for Winter 2022. To get your NEW book listed on The SABR Bookshelf, make sure a review copy is sent to: The SABR Bookshelf, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004. An e-book file will also suffice; please send the e-book in PDF, EPUB or Kindle/MOBI format to jpomrenke@sabr.org.
Society for American Baseball Research
“Swung on, a fly ball to left field! There goes Hinton. He’s under it. He has it and the ballgame is over! Sonny Siebert has pitched a no-hitter…..Listen to the crowd.” — Cleveland broadcaster Jimmy Dudley, WERE AM /1300, June 10, 1966. Sonny Siebert and his wife, Carol, had been discussing his recent pitching performances. Even though his record was 4-3, it had been nearly three weeks since he posted a win. “I hadn’t been going so good and she was kidding me about being bombed so much,” said Sonny.
October 10, 1920: A game of World Series firsts: unassisted triple play and grand slam
A pivotal Game Five in the 1920 World Series was on the horizon in Cleveland. With the Series tied at two wins apiece, the Brooklyn Robins and Cleveland Indians were looking to gain an important advantage with a victory. If the visiting Robins captured a win, they would be assured of a return to Ebbets Field. If the Indians came out on top, they could close out the Series with two more wins at home.
Dennis Eckersley
Cleveland pitcher Dennis Eckersley was pitching pretty well. His last outing was a 12-inning game against Seattle, in which he held the Mariners without a hit from the sixth inning on, covering the last 7 2/3 innings. He was rewarded with a complete-game win, when the Tribe pushed a run across in the last of the 12th inning to give Cleveland a 2-1 victory. His next assignment was a tough one, to be sure, a Memorial Day matchup against the California Angels and their ace, Frank Tanana.
Society for American Baseball Research
“My father-in-law said I wasn’t worth that much,” said Garland, “and he was right. No pitcher is worth that based on one season. But if they offer it to you, naturally you’re going to take it.”1 Wayne Garland wore “it” like an albatross around his neck. “It” is how baseball fans in general — and Cleveland Indians fans specifically — remember him best: the 10-year, $2.3 million contract that Garland signed with the Indians in November 1976.
May 26, 1993: Ball bounces off Jose Canseco’s head and caroms over the fence
May 26, 1993: Ball bounces off Jose Canseco’s head and caroms over the fence Corrections? Additions? If you can help us improve this game story, contact us. It has been said that when fans attend a major-league baseball game, more often than not they may see something happen on the field that they had never seen before. This statement may seem a tad silly. After all, how many different actions could happen during the course of a ballgame that had not been witnessed before?
Society for American Baseball Research
Most great players have something similar during their careers: a dominant year, a key series in which they made their name — or a signature play. Hall of Famer Enos Slaughter’s even had a nickname. His “Mad Dash” in Game Seven of the 1946 World Series took place on the brightest of stages. It’s certainly one of the reasons why he was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1985. Yet there was much more. Over a 19-year big-league career, he posted a .300 batting average, with 2,383 hits.
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Cleveland pitcher Walter “Duster” Mails was feeling his oats, and why wouldn’t he be? He was living a dream after he was acquired by the Indians on August 31, 1920, in an effort to shore up the pitching staff. But manager Tris Speaker got much more than he bargained for when in eight starts in the month of September, Mails went 7-0 with an ERA of 1.85. Still, that was the regular season.
Society for American Baseball Research
Indians fans in Cleveland awoke the morning of May 23, 1957, to the musings of columnist James E. Doyle of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Doyle often wrote a small poem at the beginning of his column, and this spring day was no exception. Soxcess with Cal “That stuff served up by Cal McLish,” The Red Sox say “was quite a dish.” From homer hunger were the Sox – And then they gave poor Cal his knocks.
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From 1978 through 1990, the Atlanta Braves were one of the worst teams in the National League, despite a surprise first-place finish in the NL West Division in 1982 followed by two consecutive seasons with a second-place finish. Within this 13-year span, the Braves finished in sixth (last) place for six seasons, fifth place in three seasons and fourth one year. Although the Braves had some outstanding ballplayers, they just didn’t have enough of them to remain competitive within their division.
June 30, 1995: Eddie Murray joins 3,000-hit club
It is one of the gold standards of major-league baseball: the 3,000-hit club. More than 16,500 players have participated in at least one major-league game. Of those, only 19 players had exceeded more than 3,000 hits in their career. On June 30, 1995, Eddie Murray became the 20th member to become immortalized on that coveted list. (As of 2018, the list has grown to 32 players.) Murray was as accomplished a player as there was in major-league history.
September 8, 1995: Indians end 41-year postseason drought, clinch AL Central title
It had been 41 years since the Cleveland Indians were in the postseason. Of course, back in 1954, there was just the World Series. There was no Division Series or Championship Series, just two eight-team leagues, with the respective winners facing off in the fall classic. Expansion over the years, from those eight clubs to the 28 teams in 1995, made it necessary to add layers of playoffs. The Division Series, or LDS as it became known, was to be brand-new in 1994.
Society for American Baseball Research
From 1978 through 1990, the Atlanta Braves were one of the worst teams in the National League, despite a surprise first-place finish in the NL West Division in 1982 followed by two consecutive seasons with a second-place finish. Within this 13-year span, the Braves finished in sixth (last) place for six seasons, fifth place in three seasons and fourth one year. Although the Braves had some outstanding ballplayers, they just didn’t have enough of them to remain competitive within their division.
September 7, 1984: Dwight Gooden one-hits the Cubs
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Society for American Baseball Research
On October 20, 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers were on the verge of winning it all. They held a comfortable lead over the Oakland Athletics in the World Series, three games to one. LA was in a good spot for sure as its ace, Orel Hershiser, was the starting pitcher. After Kirk Gibson’s dramatic pinch-hit home run in Game One delivered a victory, Hershiser blanked the A’s in Game Two, 6-0. Dodgers’ fans were dreaming of a world championship, and Hershiser delivered.
Society for American Baseball Research
"I’ve always said Ron Guidry, pound for pound., was the fiercest competitor I ever played with. Nobody wanted to give him a chance when he came up. Too skinny, too small, they all thought. They couldn’t see what he had in heart. He had a big one and a lot of determination.” — Willie Randolph1 Ron Guidry had many fine seasons hurling for the New York Yankees. But in 1978, the hard-throwing left-hander was the top pitcher in the big leagues.
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All right up there, drop down the ladder from your clubhouse. A new member is joining you. Henry, show him the secret handshake. Willie, educate him on the secret password. Babe, don’t hog all those s’mores. Junior, slide over a bit. Gentlemen, please welcome Jim Thome to the 600 Home Run Club. It may seem a bit of tomfoolery to think of an actual tree house hosting some of the greats of the game of baseball. But on August 15, 2011, that is exactly the scene one might envision.
August 16, 1920: Ray Chapman suffers fatal blow to his skull on pitch from Carl Mays
August 16, 1920: Ray Chapman suffers fatal blow to his skull on pitch from Carl Mays Corrections? Additions? If you can help us improve this game story, contact us. The 1920 American League pennant race was as tight as one could get. Three teams were within a half-game as the middle of August approached. Cleveland (70-40, .636) was in a virtual tie with Chicago (72-42, .632). New York (72-43, .626) was a half-game behind them and breathing down their necks.
Society for American Baseball Research
On May 12, 1961, the Detroit Tigers were visiting New York to start a four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Although the season was only a month old, the Tigers held a two-and-a-half-game lead over the Yankees and were eager to send a message to the defending American League champions. As the eighth inning came to a close, Tigers left fielder Rocky Colavito returned to the third base dugout.
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It is one of those records that may never be equaled, much less broken. For 75 years a handful of pitchers have come close to tying Johnny Vander Meer’s record of pitching two consecutive no-hitters. But it has proven elusive for even the most elite hurlers throughout major-league history. His first no-hitter came on June 11, 1938, at Crosley Field, Vander Meer’s home ballpark in Cincinnati. Many games of this variety require great defense and timely hitting.
Society for American Baseball Research
LnRiLWhlYWRpbmcuaGFzLWJhY2tncm91bmR7cGFkZGluZzowfQ== LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==...
Society for American Baseball Research
On October 15, 1946, the St. Louis Cardinals won their sixth world championship with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Enos Slaughter led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single, and with two outs scored from first base on Harry Walker’s double to left-center field. The play, which later became known as Slaughter’s “Mad Dash,” sent the frenzied Cardinals fans at Sportsman’s Park into a celebratory mood.
July 15, 1994: Albert Belle's corked bat leads to suspension
The 1994 major-league season brought about two significant changes with regard to the makeup of each league’s standings. Since 1969, the National and American Leagues had used a two-division format, one East and one West, to accommodate the burgeoning expansion in the big leagues. The NL and the AL had both grown by four teams since the AL began to swell in 1961. The Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins entered the NL in 1993, making the count 14 teams in each league.
June 18, 1979: Earl Weaver rips up the MLB rulebook, gets ejected
June 18, 1979: Earl Weaver rips up the MLB rulebook, gets ejected Corrections? Additions? If you can help us improve this game story, contact us. “The show gets better every night As Weaver’s cork blew out of sight Another wild one to the last Too bad the Tribe again got gassed”1 The Cleveland Indians were about as hot as they got in the 1970s. As the month of May 1979 came to a close, the Indians were in sixth place with a 21-26 record, 8½ games back of front-running Baltimore.
May 14, 1967: Mickey Mantle smacks his 500th home run
After winning five straight pennants, and two world championships in the first half of the decade, the New York Yankees were certainly getting a different view of the American League standings. After decades of being rulers of the roost, the Bronx Bombers were now, well, part of the roost. After the Yankees won the pennant in 1964, they sank to sixth place, 25 games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins.
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On a cold and raw Boston day in April 1978, the Red Sox hosted Cleveland in an early-season matchup of American League rivals. It was much too early for the game to have any bearing on the Eastern Division, as teams were still bunched together in the standings with only a handful of games separating the division leaders from the cellar dwellers. But this day belonged to the Indians, and specifically first baseman Andre Thornton.
October 21, 1976: Big Red Machine sweeps Yankees for second straight World Series championship
The 1976 Cincinnati Reds were on the cusp of accomplishing a first in franchise history. The Big Red Machine, as they had come to be known, were one win away from sweeping the New York Yankees and for the first time win back-to-back World Series. The Reds had won a thrilling seven-game Series over Boston in 1975 in a Series that many say was the best fall classic ever. Not many would be making the same assessment about the 1976 World Series.
May 15, 1981: Cleveland's Len Barker makes history with perfect game against Blue Jays
May 15, 1981: Cleveland's Len Barker makes history with perfect game against Blue Jays Corrections? Additions? If you can help us improve this game story, contact us. Who could have foreseen that the Friday evening matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Indians would be such a historic game? Certainly not the 7,290 who sat through a misty, wet game that began with a first-pitch temperature of 47 degrees, which fell to the 30s by the time the final out was recorded.
September 27, 1984: A Quirk of fate leads to Indians' late win
September 27, 1984: A Quirk of fate leads to Indians' late win Corrections? Additions? If you can help us improve this game story, contact us. The rebuilding and fortunes of some major-league baseball teams tend to be cyclical. Especially those that do not have the ownership with the deep pockets who could buy the top-tier free agents every season. The Minnesota Twins were one of the former, not the latter.
May 30, 1977: Dennis Eckersley no-hits Angels in Cleveland
May 30, 1977: Dennis Eckersley no-hits Angels in Cleveland Corrections? Additions? If you can help us improve this game story, contact us. It was evident to at least one person that Dennis Eckersley was destined to be a top pitcher in the big leagues. But the man who held this opinion, Frank Robinson, had to do some prodding to convince others.
October 14, 1976: Chris Chambliss’ home run delivers pennant to the Bronx
It had been 12 years since the New York Yankees participated in the postseason. In 1964 the Yankees lost a thrilling seven-game World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. Up to then they had won the American League pennant in 14 of 16 seasons beginning in 1949. Love the Yankees or hate them, it is unquestionably one of the greatest runs of success in the history of any professional sport.
August 5, 2001: Cleveland overcomes 12-run deficit to beat Mariners
Perhaps the greatest story line during the 2001 season was the Seattle Mariners. Building on the previous season, when they took the New York Yankees to six games in the American League Championship Series, the Mariners waltzed through their 2001 schedule with grace and precision. They had a winning record against every AL opponent, and did not post double-digit losses in any month. These were the new Mariners, as the Seattle faithful watched their favorite players depart from the Great Northwest.
September 7, 1993: Hard-hittin’ Mark Whiten hits four home runs for Cardinals
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April 8, 1975: Frank Robinson debuts as first black manager in major leagues
April 8, 1975: Frank Robinson debuts as first black manager in major leagues Corrections? Additions? If you can help us improve this game story, contact us. "It was a tremendous day for me, a day I’ll always remember, the biggest day of my life in baseball.” — Frank Robinson1 On August 21, 1974, the Cleveland Indians were in second place in the American League East Division, trailing Boston by six games.
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The telegram was brash and a bit disrespectful. Simply stated, it read “DEAR MOOSE: TOLD YOU SO. JOE PEP.”1 The New York Yankees needed pitching help—specifically a boost to their rotation—following the 1962 season. They set their sights on Stan Williams, a right-handed twirler for the Los Angeles Dodgers who had won 14, 15, and 14 games the previous three seasons.
August 16, 1920: Ray Chapman suffers fatal blow to his skull on pitch from Carl Mays
The 1920 American League pennant race was as tight as one could get. Three teams were within a half-game as the middle of August approached. Cleveland (70-40, .636) was in a virtual tie with Chicago (72-42, .632). New York (72-43, .626) was a half-game behind them and breathing down their necks. Cleveland hit the rails for its last swing through the Eastern teams in 1920. The trip would begin in New York and continue through Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington.
Society for American Baseball Research
On October 20, 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers were on the verge of winning it all. They held a comfortable lead over the Oakland Athletics in the World Series, three games to one. LA was in a good spot for sure as its ace, Orel Hershiser, was the starting pitcher. After Kirk Gibson’s dramatic pinch-hit home run in Game One delivered a victory, Hershiser blanked the A’s in Game Two, 6-0. Dodgers’ fans were dreaming of a world championship, and Hershiser delivered.
Dennis Eckersley
Cleveland pitcher Dennis Eckersley was pitching pretty well. His last outing was a 12-inning game against Seattle, in which he held the Mariners without a hit from the sixth inning on, covering the last 7 2/3 innings. He was rewarded with a complete-game win, when the Tribe pushed a run across in the last of the 12th inning to give Cleveland a 2-1 victory. His next assignment was a tough one, to be sure, a Memorial Day matchup against the California Angels and their ace, Frank Tanana.
George Hendrick | Society for American Baseball Research
Perhaps no other sport offers redemption to a player more often, or more quickly, than baseball. It can be a dangerous motivator for a young ballplayer. This is especially true for one who has been given his first opportunity to play every day. Or for a player who has been lauded for his skill on the baseball field Often, his attempts at salvation are detoured, and his downward plight continues.
Society for American Baseball Research
Tony Kubek was a bit anxious. Not just because he was the starting left fielder for the New York Yankees, or that he was a rookie who was participating in his first World Series. But the series had shifted to his hometown of Milwaukee. For the first time, his family would see him play in a major-league game. The Braves had moved from Boston to Milwaukee after the 1952 season, and his family and friends were big supporters of the home team.
October 10, 1920: A game of World Series firsts: unassisted triple play and grand slam
A pivotal Game Five in the 1920 World Series was on the horizon in Cleveland. With the Series tied at two wins apiece, the Brooklyn Robins and Cleveland Indians were looking to gain an important advantage with a victory. If the visiting Robins captured a win, they would be assured of a return to Ebbets Field. If the Indians came out on top, they could close out the Series with two more wins at home.
October 2, 1978: Bucky Dent’s home run spurs Yankees to division title in AL East tiebreaker
If you can help us improve this game story, contact us . Baseball purists long for the days when baseball games, either regular-season or the World Series, were played under afternoon skies. Before the lure of television money and advertising dollars, baseball was an afternoon game. One with its one pace, no time clock, and moving with the ease of the summer breeze.
August 4, 1982: Joel Youngblood’s busy day: two hits for two teams in two cities
One of the more exciting days on the baseball calendar is the trade deadline on July 31.1 Networks and sports talk shows fuel the speculation and rumor mill about who could be on the move. Team officials must determine if their club is a pretender or a contender, a buyer or a seller. With the expanded playoffs as of 1995, and again in 2012 with the additional wild card team, there are more teams that consider a playoff berth as a viable option. For many players the move is not a surprise.
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He was blessed with cat-like reflexes, an accurate arm, and the ability to get his throws off quickly. His range at third base was as sweeping as a ten-foot leaf rake. He broke into the big leagues in Minnesota, honed his craft in Cleveland, and finally burst into stardom under the bright lights of New York City. On a team of all-stars, New York Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles seemed to be taken for granted. He was a solid contributor, and did his job without much fanfare.
Society for American Baseball Research
On a crisp, sunny autumn afternoon, the 1970 World Series began in Cincinnati’s brand-new Riverfront Stadium. The Reds and the Baltimore Orioles had breezed through their respective League Championship Series to meet at the apex of the baseball season. For the visiting Orioles, the taste of bitter disappointment lingered like castor oil on their tongues from the previous year’s defeat at the hands of the New York Mets.
July 19, 1974: Indians' Dick Bosman no-hits the world champion A's
The two-time world champions were in town. The Oakland A’s were “Kings of the Mountain” atop all of Major League Baseball. The A’s toppled Cincinnati in 1972 and the New York Mets in 1973. Many of that core group of players were on the 1974 squad: Vida Blue, Ken Holtzman, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Sal Bando, Billy North, Joe Rudi, Gene Tenace, Bert Campaneris, and Reggie Jackson. They were a colorful group of players that matched the colorful uniform combinations they wore on the diamond.
Society for American Baseball Research
“He has no weakness as a hitter. Pitch him inside, outside, high, low, fast stuff, breaking balls-anything you throw he can handle. He swings with the pitch; that is why he’s so great, He has no holes.”1 New York Yankee pitcher Catfish Hunter’s assessment of what it was like to pitch to Rod Carew may have been the opinion of many other pitchers from around the American League. Minnesota’s Rod Carew was hitting at a torrid pace in 1977.
Society for American Baseball Research
The game meant nothing. Well, virtually nothing. The Detroit Tigers were ending a three-game series in Cleveland looking for a sweep after taking the first two contests. But that was all that Detroit was playing for on August 14, 1958. The Tigers and Indians were playing out the string, holding down fourth and fifth place respectively in the American League standings. Detroit was a distant 15½ games behind first-place New York. Cleveland was 18 games behind.
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