April 25th, 1934 - University of Nebraska / Bison Press

One of my favorite publishers is the University of Nebraska Press, and its subsidiary, Bison Books. UN Press specializes in western history, and also publishes classic fictional accounts of the old west as well. Another of its strengths, however, is sports. A recent publication is an exceptionally good biography of Branch Rickey, which I'll be reviewing later in this blog.

Of most interest, however, is UN's trade paperback imprint, Bison Books. Bison Books specializes in keeping classic books of many genres, particularly those related to western history, in print. Among its many baseball publications include the books of Sports Illustrated writer Robert Creamer and Roger Kahn. UN is also the publisher for the Society of Baseball Research (SABR) and its annual publication on baseball history can be purchased through the UN Press.

UN's sports books can be found here:

http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/books/subjects/sports.jsp

They are frequently offered for sale at deep discounts. I'd recommend signing up for their mailing list to keep apprised. I would urge readers to browse UN's website and take a look at their extremely interesting publication lists.

April 25th, 1934 - NL Game Summaries

Braves Win on Late Heroics in 5-4 Thriller with Dodgers
'Buck' Jordon goes two for four, hits homer over right field wall


Brooklyn 4 12 0
Boston (NL) 5 8 0


Baxter "Buck" Jordan already had a hit when he stepped up to the plate with Marty McManus on second and two outs. The Braves had already scored once to close the gap to 4-2, and Boston fans could sense that if they were to prevail, it would have to happen here and now as Brooklyn pitcher Van Lingle Mungo had had the Braves number all afternoon, yielding just 4 hits and walks in the first 7 innings.

Braves pinch hitter Elbie Fletcher got things going in the 8th, with a single after catcher Shanty Hogan had already grounded out. He was forced out on a groundout by Shortstop Bill Urbanski for the second out. But, then, McManus came through with a big double, allowing Urbanski to score all the way from first. Jordan stepped to the plate, and hit a 1-2 fastball over the right field wall to tie the game at 4-4 as the crowd went wild. Mungo, who been brilliant all afternoon, lost what was left of his composure, yielding a walk and a go ahead double to Boston third sacker "Pinky" Whitney before Casey Stengel ordered a walk to Hall Lee and then removed Mungo for Phil Page, who was able to get the final out.

Boston went to their own bullpen for Bob Smith in the top of the 9th as the Dodgers sent up pinch hitter Len Koenecke, who had been given the day off. After getting the first two Dodgers to ground out though, Smith yielded a single to pinch hitter Buzz Boyle and then a walk to Lonny Frey. After a brief discussion on the mound between Smith, Hogan and Boston manager Bill McKechnie, Smith got Johnny Frederick to ground out, earning his second save of the year.



Derringer Sparkles for Reds Again, Deals Cubs Only Second Loss of Season
Cubs manage only 7 base runners in 5-1 loss to Reds

Cincinnati 5 8 0
Chicago (NL) 1 7 1

Cincinnati has only had two wins this year and the Cubs only two losses. Both Reds wins have something in common - the opposing team, the Cubs, and their starting pitcher, Paul Derringer. "Paul was brilliant again," said Reds manager Bob O'Farrell, who also caught the game for Cinci. "All his stuff was working - nearly every pitch," he added. O'Farrell made his contribution at the plate, going 2 for 4 with a double. Chicago was unable to recover after Cincinnati went ahead in the 5th inning, when they tallied 2 runs on 2 hits. Cincinnati finished with 8 hits in the victory.

April 25th, 1934 - AL Game Summaries

Detroit Drops Third Straight as Sox Blank Tigers 3-0

Jones stingy on the mound; allows only 4 hits

Chicago (AL) 3 9 0

Detroit 0 4 0

The Detroit Tigers dropped their third game in a row, and second at home, as they were completely baffled all day by White Sox started Sam Jones. Jones (1-1) pitched one of his finer games as he simply was too much for the Detroit batters. He didn't allow much, just 4 hits and 2 walks in 9 innings, reducing his ERA from 7.71 to 3.38. Chicago managed 9 hits in their victory. Elden Auker (0-1) took the loss. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks in 8 innings. 'We need to get our hitting back on track,' said a dejected Detroit manager Mickey Cochrane. 'Elden pitched a good game. Our problem is, when we get good pitching, we don't hit. When we do hit, we give up even more runs than we score. Bottom line - I know we can play better than this, and the fans here certainly deserve it.'

Browns Take Second Straight from League Leading Indians

St. Louis looking comfortable at home in second win over Tribe

Cleveland 4 9 1

St. Louis (AL) 11 15 3

Alan Strange hit 2 doubles and had 2 RBI at Sportsman's Park where the St.Louis Browns beat the Cleveland Indians by the score of 11 to 4. In the bottom of the 6th inning St. Louis scored 6 runs with the help of 6 hits. The highlight belonged to George Puccinelli who made the crowd happy when he lifted one out of the park for a two run home run (his 2nd of the season). The game was put out of reach in the 8th when Bruce Campbell (pictured) took advantage of loaded bases to hit his second home run of the year.

St. Louis ended up with 15 hits for the game while Cleveland had 9. The victory was credited to George Blaeholder (1-1) who went 6 innings,allowing 4 runs. Dick Coffman got the save, his 2nd. Monte Pearson (1-1)suffered the loss. He allowed 10 hits and 4 walks in 5 and 2/3 innings.

9th Inning Foxx HR Gives A's 6-5 Bronx Win

Yanks Drop to Cellar at 2-5

Philadelphia (AL) 6 15 0

New York (AL) 5 5 1

Today, A's first baseman Jimmie Foxx made himself at home in "the House that Ruth Built." All afternoon, the A's and Yankees battled in the Bronx. The A's would pull ahead, but the Yankees would answer. A wild and woolly affair, this game saw the lead change 6 times. A second massive home run in as many days, this time to right field, by Lou Gehrig (his 4th) tied the game in the 7th at 5 apiece. But it was another 4th home run of the year, this one belonging to Foxx, in the 9th that proved to be the game winner.

A's pitching was inconsisent, yielding only 5 hits, but giving up 10 walks in the process (including 4 to Babe Ruth). The Yankees could not bring their baserunners around, however. Al Benton(1-0) got the victory, allowing 5 runs for the game. Johnny Murphy(0-1) was given the loss in relief. He gave up 1 run and 4 hits in 2 innings. 'It wasn't my best outing, but I'll take the win' Benton said.

April 24th, 1934 - NL Game Summaries

Dodger Bats Pummel Braves Pitching
"Boom-Boom" Tames Braves Hitting in Solid Outing

Brooklyn 8 13 1

Boston (NL) 1 4 3

Sam Leslie (pictured) had 3 base hits and 4 RBI and "Boom-Boom" Beck tossed a complete game at Braves Field as the Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Boston Braves 8 to1. Boston was unable to recover after Brooklyn went ahead in the top of the 3rd inning as they scored 2 runs on 2 base hits. That was all Beck (1-0) needed. Brooklyn had a total of 13 hits for the game. Fred Frankhouse(1-1) was the losing pitcher. He allowed a few too manybaserunners giving up 9 hits and 5 walks in 6 and 2/3 innings.

Cubs Nick Reds to Stay Atop NL

Cubbies outlast Reds for 3-2 win in Wrigley opener

Cincinnati 2 9 1

Chicago (NL) 3 9 0

Chicago won the game with a run in the bottom of the 8th inning. After two were out Babe Herman (pictured) laced a one-base hit. Tuck Stainback came to the plate and tripled scoring the run. Cincinnati threatened in the 9th but their rally came up short. The victory went to Bush (2-0) who went the distance allowing 2 runs. JoeShaute (0-1) ended up with the loss in relief. He gave up 1 run and 2 hits in 2 innings. Manager Bob O'Farrell was subdued when questioned after the game, 'This one coulda gone either way. I was proud of how the guys hung in there and didn't give up, but we gotta learn how to win games like these," said O'Farrell. O'Farrell was 0 for 2 himself, and sat in favor of a pinch hitter in the 7th inning.

Phillies Win Home Opener in Dramatic Struggle with Giants

Luque Walks in Winning Run as Philly Fans Erupt

New York (NL) 4 10 2

Philadelphia 5 17 1

The Phillies hung with the Giants most of the afternoon before taking a 4-3 lead in the 8th. With two outs in the 9th, and no one aboard, Giants left fielder Jo-Jo Moore lifted one into the left field stands to tie it at 4-4. The Phillies did not fold, however. After 3 singles in the bottom of the tenth, Marty Hopkins worked the count, drawing a walk on a slow curve that just did fail to catch the corner of the plate. The Phillies fans streamed onto the field to celebrate their home opener victory over the reigning World Champion New Yorkers.

Pirates Prevail in Extra Innings Over Dejected Cards

Daffy Dean can't shut the door on Bucs

St. Louis (NL) 4 10 0

Pittsburgh 5 10 1

4,863 fans watched the exciting home opener at Forbes Field. The Pittsburgh Pirate stopped the St. Louis Cardinals by the slimmest of margins, 5 to 4. With a one run lead going into the bottom of the 9th, Redbirds manager Frankie Frisch handed the ball to Paul Dean to get the final three outs. Instead, Pittsburgh managed to tie the game in the ninth. Pittsburgh came out on top in the 10thinning. Fred Lindstrom tripled. Arky Vaughan next to the plate and he slapped a single giving Pittsburgh the victory in the 10th for their 4th win of the season, tying them for second with Boston, only a game behind the league leading Cubs. Both teams totaled 10 on the afternoon. Leon Chagnon (1-0) was the winner allowing no runs in 1 inning. Paul Dean (1-1) absorbed the loss in relief. He gave up 3 hits and 1 walk in 1/3 of an inning.

April 24th, 1934 - AL Game Summaries

White Sox Spoil Tigers Opener 13-6
Bonura grand slam blows game open in 4th

Chicago (AL) 13 19 2
Detroit (AL) 6 12 4

The Chicago White Sox hit the ball around all corners, and over the fence at Navin Field, spoiling the Detroit Tigers 1934 home opener. Tigers starter Firpo Marberry was tagged for 12 runs before being removed by manager Mickey Cochrane in the 4th. Although reliver Vic Frazier held the Sox for most of the remainder, the visitors already had all the runs they needed.

Zeke Bonura (pictured) had a big day at the plate. He ripped a base-knock scoring a runin the 2nd inning and launched a Grand Slam homerun (his 1st of the season) in the 4th inning. Chicago had 19 hits for the afternoon while Detroit had 12. The victory was credited to Joe Heving(1-0) who went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs. Phil Gallivan gained credit for his 1st save. Firpo Marberry(1-1) was tagged with the loss. He was touched for 12 hits and 3 walks in 3 and 1/3 innings.


Browns Win First Game in Home Opener
Home team's well timed extra base hits seal first loss for Tribe

Cleveland 2 6 1
St. Louis (AL) 3 7 2

Right fielder Bruce Campbell (pictured) connected with a 'big fly' as the St. Louis Browns beat the Cleveland Indians by a score of 3 to 2. St. Louis scored the deciding run in the bottom of the 8th inning. Campbell smashed a bases-empty 'big-fly' (his 1st of the season). St. Louis had 7 hits for the afternoon. Bump Hadley(1-1) got credit for the victory, pitching 8 and 1/3 innings and allowing 2 runs. Hadley got help from Dick Coffman who earned his 1st save. Oral Hildebrand(1-1) was given the loss. He surrendered 3 runs and 7 hits in 8 innings.



Red Sox Continue to Role for 5 Straight
Sox Relievers Preserve 3-2 victory

Boston (AL) 3 9 0
Washington 2 8 0

The Boston Red Sox edged the Washington Nationals at Griffith Stadium by the score of 3 to 2. Sox Center Fielder Carl Reynolds (pictured) had three hits and knocked in two RBIs in a tight ball game. Sox pitcher Johnny Welch (2-0) pitched a fine game. He was reached for 7 hits and 4 walks in 7 and 2/3 innings. Washington had a chance in both the 8th and 9th but they came up short. Fritz Ostermueller earned his 1st save. Lefty Stewart (0-2) absorbed the loss. He pitched 9 innings giving up 9 hits and 1 walk.


Yanks Win Opener with Big Blasts
Aging Ruth shows old magic

Philadelphia (AL) 1 5 1
New York (AL) 4 5 1

New York relied upon the magic of its superstars in their home opening win. Despite being held to only 5 hits, the Yankees made all of them count as Babe Ruth went 3 for 3, including a double and a home run that just cleared the fence in right field. Lou Gehrig followed a few innings later with a massive blast to right center that nearly left the ball park. Combined with the strong pitching of Red Ruffing, the Yankees delighted the home town fans with the magic Yankee Stadium saw so much of in the late 1920s. Ruffing (2-0) tossed a complete game, allowing 1 run. Johnny Marcum (1-2) was charged with the loss. He surrendered 4 hits and 2 walks in 7 innings.

April 23rd, 1934 - AL Player of the Week

AL Player of the Week: Earl Averill
Ed note: every so often, we'll feature profiles of the leading ball players of the 1930s.

“I thank the good Lord he wasn't twins. One more like him would probably have kept me out of the Hall of Fame.”
-Lefty Gomez

Earl Averill (HA14) was an outfielder with the Cleveland Indians from 1929-1939. He was traded to Detroit in the middle of the 1939 season, and played in Boston (NL) briefly in 1941 before retiring. Averill is notable for his relatively late start in major league baseball (at the ripe age of 27). Prior to joining the San Francisco Seals, his first professional team, in 1926 Averill was a florist.

Averill was an early objector to the contract system baseball operated at the time. When Averill found that he had been "sold" by the Seals to the Indians for $50,000, he asked his manager whether he got a cut. When told he didn't, Averill replied that he would simply go back home. The Seals, who stood to lose $50,000 if Averill failed to report, tried to convince him that he was not entitled to a share. Interestingly, one of Averill's supporters was Commission Landis, who believed players should get a cut of their contract's sale price. In the end, Averill accepted a $5,000 bonus and agreed to report.

Averill is among the all-time great Indians. A lefty, he played in the first six All-Star games (starting in center for the first five), and could hit for both average and power. In his thirteen big league seasons, Averill batted over .300 eight times, scored 100+ runs nine times, and hit 100+ RBIs five times. He led the American League in hits in 1936 (232) and triples (15). He had ten or more triples eight times and thirty or more doubles nine times

Averill was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975. He still shares the American League record for most RBIs in a double header (11) with Boog Powell and Jim Tabor.

April 23rd, 1934 - AL Standings and Leaders

Strat-O-Matic Report (brought to you by the Coca Cola Company)

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NEWSPAPER STYLE RECAP FOR 1934 American League                 Date: 4/23/1934































 































TEAM     WON LOST   BATTING AVERAGE     HOME RUNS           RUNS BATTED IN































1934 CLA   4   0    J.Vosmik  CLA .765  E.Averill CLA    3  P.Higgins PHA   11































1934 BOA   4   2    C.Gehring DEA .563  J.Foxx    PHA    3  C.Reynold BOA    9































1934 WAA   4   3    L.Appling CHA .533  L.Gehrig  NYA    2  J.Foxx    PHA    8































1934 DEA   2   2    B.Rogell  DEA .529  OTHERS TIED W    1  J.Kuhel   WAA    8































1934 CHA   2   2    E.Averill CLA .500                      OTHERS TIED W    7































1934 PHA   3   3































1934 NYA   1   4    WINS                SAVES               ERA































1934 SLA   0   4    E.Whitehi WAA    2  T.Lyons   CHA    1  D.Coffman SLA 0.00































                    OTHERS TIED W    1  W.Hudlin  CLA    1  M.Pearson CLA 0.00































                                        B.Dietric PHA    1  R.Walberg BOA 0.00































                                        B.Kline   PHA    1  R.Ruffing NYA 1.00































                                                            G.Earnsha CHA 1.00































 































                    CUR HIT STREAK      STOLEN BASES        STRIKEOUTS































                    J.Cronin  WAA    7  E.Combs   NYA    2  M.Pearson CLA    9































                    M.Berg    WAA    7  OTHERS TIED W    1  L.Gomez   NYA    8































                    B.Werber  BOA    6                      M.Weaver  WAA    8































                    OTHERS TIED W    5                      M.Harder  CLA    7































                                                            OTHERS TIED W    6































 































YESTERDAY'S GAMES   TODAY'S SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE STARTERS































NYA  2  at  BOA  7































SLA  1  at  CHA  4































WAA  9  at  PHA  5































 































YESTERDAY'S BEST PERFORMANCES































BATTER         TM OPP AB  R  H RB BB Ks HR SB































A.Simmons     CHA SLA  2  1  1  2  2  0  0  0































B.Ruth        NYA BOA  1  0  1  0  4  0  0  0































B.Myer        WAA PHA  3  1  2  1  2  1  0  0































J.Cronin      WAA PHA  4  3  2  1  1  0  0  0































L.Appling     CHA SLA  3  0  2  2  1  0  0  0































 































PITCHER        TM OPP  INN  H  R ER BB Ks HR WLS































G.Earnshaw    CHA SLA  9.0  7  1  1  2  5  0 W  































L.Gomez       NYA BOA  6.0  6  5  1  2  8  0  L 































B.Kline       PHA WAA  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  0    































J.Russell     WAA PHA  1.2  1  0  0  0  2  0    































 































WHO'S HOT - BEST IN LAST 10 DAYS































BATTER         TM  AVG AB  H RB BB HR  PITCHER        TM IP  H ER BB Ks HR WLS































J.Foxx        PHA .412 17  7  8  6  3  M.Pearson     CLA  9  4  0  1  9  0 100































E.Averill     CLA .500 18  9  6  2  3  H.Pennock     BOA  4  2  0  0  3  0 000































C.Gehringer   DEA .563 16  9  5  4  1  R.Walberg     BOA  9  8  0  1  0  0 100































J.Vosmik      CLA .765 17 13  4  2  1  E.Whitehill   WAA 18 17  6  6  5  1 200































P.Higgins     PHA .429 21  9 11  2  1  G.Earnshaw    CHA  9  7  1  2  5  0 100































 































WHO'S NOT - WORST IN LAST 10 DAYS































BATTER         TM  AVG AB  H RB BB HR  PITCHER        TM IP  H ER BB Ks HR WLS































H.Clift       SLA .091 11  1  0  1  0  E.Wells       SLA  6 11  9  5  3  0 020































J.Chamberlain CHA .200 15  3  0  0  0  R.Prim        WAA  4 11  8  4  1  0 010































F.Doljack     DEA .143 14  2  0  1  0  D.Macfayden   NYA  5  9  8  3  1  0 010































O.Melillo     SLA .188 16  3  1  0  0  R.Mahaffey    PHA  9 13 11  8  2  0 010































M.Haas        CHA .077 13  1  0  3  0  G.Blaeholder  SLA  6 12  6  3  0  0 010































 































INJURY REPORT































No injuries to report

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