Jim’s Corner
June 17, 2004, 2004
TML 1930 All
Star team:
First Team All TML Second Team All TML
1B Lou Gehrig (AV) Bill Terry (DM)
2B Charlie Gehringer (MC)Tony Lazzeri (AV)
SS Joe Cronin (AB) Red Kress (DM)
3B Fred Lindstrom (BC) Woody English (NA)
OF Hack Wilson (RR) Babe Ruth (RV)
OF Al Simmons (NY) Lefty O’Doul (NA)
OF Babe Herman (WW) George Watkins (AV)
C Gabby Hartnett (DM) Bill Dickey (BC)
SP Wes Ferrell (NY) Ray Moss (BS), Dazzy Vance (MG), Pat Malone (WW), Lefty Grove (MG), Ted Lyons (NY),
RP George Blaeholder (AV) Roy Mahaffey (DM)
TML 1930
Player/Pitcher of the Year
In a unanimous decision, Lou Gehrig of Albany got all 13 first place votes to sweep the slate and poll 195 points and win his 3rd player of the year award (1927, 1937). Al Simmons of New York finished second with 110 points and Hack Wilson of Rainier was third with 105 points.
The pitcher of the year award was a 3-man race won by Wes Ferrell of New York. Ferrell got 36 points to edge Ray Moss of Beach City (33) and Dazzy Vance of McGraw (28) for the award. For Ferrell, it was his first win.
TML 1930 Gold
Gloves
1B Bill Terry (DM)
2B Oscar Melillo (BC)
SS Woody English (NA)
3B Jimmy Dykes (RV)
OF Heinie Manush (AB)
OF Tom Oliver (DM)
OF Chuck Klein (DY)
C Mickey Cochrane (RV)
P Firpo Marberry (WR)
The
TML World Series was played face to face in Pittsburgh. The two teams split their 10 games this in
1930!
The
Wild Weasels came from the brink of a 3-0 series deficit to storm back and
defend their 1930 Championship. The
Weasels had gone down 2-0 in games to Wes Ferrell and Ted Lyons and were losing
game 3 in the Wilds, when they stormed back to tie the game in the bottom of
the 9th. New York came right
back to take a 5-4 lead on a two out Earle Combs triple, but Chick Hafey
returned the favor in the bottom of the 10th with a 2 run triple to
give the Weasels the game.
From
there it was routine as Wild never looked back in taking the final 3 games
including the clinching 8-3 win in game 6 at New York. The high-powered Wild offense was held to a
.256 batting average but they hit when it counted behind Babe Herman (11 hits,
3 homers 7 rbi’s) and Johnny Frederick (10 hits, 6 doubles).
Al
Simmons was 13 for 25 with 7 rbi’s, but the Wild hurlers held down Mel Ott and
stymied the New York offense.
Congratulations to Willie Jelks for his 3rd TML title in a
year!
TML 1940 All
Star team:
First Team All TML Second Team All TML
1B Johnny Mize (RR) Hal Trosky (AV)
2B Joe Gordon (NA) Bobby Doerr (SL)
SS Arky Vaughan (AV) Luke Appling (WW)
3B Stan Hack (NY) Buddy Lewis (WW)
OF Joe DiMaggio (NY) Barney McCosky (WW)
OF Ted Williams (NY) Bob Elliott (WW)
OF Hank Greenberg (SL) Bill Nicholson (WW)
C Ernie Lombardi (WW) Frankie Hayes (NY)
SP Johnny Gorsica (WW) Red Ruffing (NY), Bob Feller (SL), Paul Derringer (WW), Ted Lyons (NY),
RP Clyde Shoun (NY) Tex Carleton (RV)
TML 1940
Player/Pitcher of the Year
In a runaway win, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Woodchoppers captured his first player of the year. Joe D. pulled down 197 points to outpoll teammate Ted Williams (105), Arky Vaughan of Albany (103) and last year’s Player of the Year, Johnny Mize of Rainier (100).
The pitcher of the year award ended in a flat out tie. Winning the award were Red Ruffing of New York and Johnny Gorsica of Wild. Ruffing and Gorsica both picked up 50 votes with 5 firsts, 1 second and 2 thirds. Ted Lyons (21) of New York finished second in the balloting. For Ruffing, it marked his second Pitcher of the Year award having also won in 1938.
TML 1940 Gold
Gloves
1B George McQuinn (NY)
2B Bobby Doerr (SL)
SS Lou Boudreau (DY)
3B Billy Werber (MG)
OF Frank DeMaree (RR)
OF Joe DiMaggio (NY)
OF Enos Slaughter (RV)
C Bill Baker (NA)
P Red Ruffing (NY)
The TML World Series was played face to face in Pittsburgh. Wild had taken the season series over New York 8-2.
The top 3 in the potent New York Woodchopper batting order took over the series as Stan Hack, George McQuinn and Ted Williams combined to rout the Wild Weasels and give New York a repeat championship in 1940. New York won 4 games to 2.
The Woodchoppers lost the battle of the aces twice as Paul Derringer out dueled Red Ruffing in games 1 and 4, but after that it was an offensive show. Williams was 10 for 27 with 3 triples and a homer while knocking in 13 runs. Hack scored 10 times while 7 of McQuinn’s 12 hits were for extra bases.
Wild scored 4 runs with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning of game 6 to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Al Simmons came off the bench to hit a 2 run single in the top of the 11th to give the Woodchoppers the lead and put the champagne back on ice. Never saying die, the Weasels put two runners on in the bottom of the 11th before Herb Hash succeeded where Johnny Murphy and Clyde Shoun had failed.
For New York the championship was the 5th for the franchise.
TML 1954 got off to a rousing start in Period 1 as Beach City and Troy shot to the top of the pack both holding 2 game leads over the competition.
The Haymakers were led by their long-time first baseman, Gil Hodges. Hodges tossed up an OPS of 1.299 by hitting .444, slugging .778 with an OB of .521. Big Gil drove in 22 runs on 36 hits and created 33 runs to nose out McGraw’s Ralph Kiner (1.290, 31 RCs) for the player honor. Beach City Duke Eddie Mathews hit 10 homers and drove in 21 to lead the way for the Dukes.
Warren Spahn of Mudville gained pitching honors by posting 4 wins to nudge out Bob Feller of Troy (1.04) and Jim Wilson of Beach City for the first period nod.
Period 2 was another Dukefest as Beach City ran off 25 wins in their 30 games to stretch their lead to 4 over the Wild Weasels. Jim Wilson, Johnny Schmitz and Robin Roberts combined to go 15-1 for the Dukes in period 2 with Roberts gaining 7 wins. Roberts shared pitching honors with Herm Wehmeier of Richmond who was perfect in 7 starts.
Mudville went 16-14 for the period to take over first place from Troy. Savannah and New York each had 18 wins but had further to go as the Hays slipped to 8-22 for the period. Co-players of the period were 2/3 or the Mudville bomb squad – Willie Mays and Ted Williams. Williams hit .429 and Mays .408. Williams had a Gehrigish OPS of 1.660 and Willie checked in at 1.270. RCs for the period were Mays 48, Williams 44. How did the Bandits only get 16 wins!
Bobby Avila of Andrew’s Team sits atop the batting race hitting .432, followed by Mays at .395. Eddie Mathews has gone deep 22 times in the first 50 games while Willie Mays has created 70 runs to lead Duke Snider of Savannah by 11.
Herm Wehmeier has won 10 of 11 decisions (2.69 ERA) to lead all pitchers. Jim Wilson’s 1.61 ERA leads Bob Feller (1.94), Early Wynn (2.26) and Mike Garcia (2.47) in the ERA chase. Bob Lemon (the 4th of Cleveland’s big 4 that year) is doing less than well for New York.
The last of the interdivisional wars will be fought during period 3 and then the real business of intradivision kicks off on July 5th.
All in all, the 50’s are a lot of fun.
Draft order for the first round (with trades implemented) is:
NY (from DY), TG, DW, HM, CS, MV, NH, SV, RR, NY, BC, MG, AV, BC (from NA), WW, FC
Anyone wishing a 1970 database (with the official rosters and rookie list enclosed) let me know.
Fort Lauderdale had the best record in the league in the first period (20 out of 24) and got out of the gate quickly and built a 6 game lead in the Mantle over the Lagace brothers. Matching the Cubs 6 game lead were the Wild Weasels. Their 17 wins put them ahead of perennial division powerhouses Gotham City and Zaca’s. Business as usual in the Aaron and Clemente as last year’s World Series foes (Kentucky and New York) both got early leads.
Player of the period was Javier Lopez of Fort Lauderdale. Javy didn’t have the most runs created by he was dominant. He paced all hitters with 1.431 OPS and 10 homers. Lopez hit .414 and slugged .943 to outdistance Scott Rolen of Kentucky. Rolen picked up 36 RCs by hitting .390 and driving in 29 runs.
Pitching honors went to Tim Hudson of Tarpin Ridge. Hudson won 6 times (Mike Mussina of Kentucky and Arthur Lee Rhodes of New York also each won 6 times) and put up a miniscule 0.85 ERA to nudge out Mark Mulder of the Cubs (0.36).
I will cover this in great detail next time. Suffice it to say that it was one memorable weekend! We had a blast and there are definitely some big time stories to tell. Uncle Steve Blass was just GREAT! The Matty Alou story was worth the trip alone.
Although I write this every Jim’s Corner, they still come in all different forms. Here is the official form:
The standard TML series naming convention is HHRRYY (Home team initial, Road
team initial, TML Year) when reporting a series. (NYTG69)
Please remember to send your files to both jpertier@nycap.rr.com and james.w.Pertierra@verizon.com.
See you shortly!
Jim Pertierra 7/1/04