April 26th, 1934 - NL Player of the Week - Carl Hubbell

NL Player of the Week

“King Carl” Hubbell (HA13) pitched for the New York Giants from 1929 through 1943. He won 2 NL MVP awards and was a 9 time All Star.

In 1934 Hubbell was coming off his first MVP year (his second would be 1936). He was 21-12 with a 2.30 ERA. He led the NL in ERA and WHIP. Lifetime, Hubbell was 253-154 with an ERA of 2.98 for an almost unheard of ERA+ of 130.

Hubbell is known for his use of the screwball, which is generally thought to be the reinvention of the "fadeaway" pitch made famous by Christy Mathewson. After Mathewson retired, the pitch fell into disuse. Hubbell's use of the term "screwball" for the pitch may have caused confusion with another pitch of the same name from the 1920s, according to pitching expert and historian Rob Neyer, which was actually closer to what we now call a sinker. One possible explanation for why Hubbell's screwball was different from Mathewson's fadeaway was that the seams on the ball in the 1930s were raised, allowing for similar mechanics to produce different results. Hubbell, with his long wrists, could get an exceptional "snap" to the ball. GOI1, p. 163.

The single feat for which he is perhaps most remembered was striking out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin, all Hall of Fame hitters, in order, during the 1934 All Star game.

After retiring as a player, Hubbell became director of the Giants farm system until 1977, and then became a team scout. A "baseball man" through and through, Hubbell spent roughly 60 years with the Giants organization. According to baseball historian Bill James, during Hubbell's tenure running the Giant's scouting outfit, "the farm system was producing ballplayers like McDonald's produces hamburgers." Some of the players that emerged during Hubbell's tenure include Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, the Alou brothers, Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry.

Hubbell was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/

http://www.carlhubbell.com/

April 26th, 1934 - NL Game Summaries

Pirates Beat Cardinals with Conviction
Birkofer holds Cards to 3 in first win


St. Louis (NL) 3 8 0
Pittsburgh 8 15 2


Ralph Birkofer (pictured) got far more help than he needed to get his first win of 1934 in an 8-3 win over the Cardinals. Birkofer went the distance and right fielder Wally Roettger had 2 base hits and 2 RBI as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals bya score of 8 to 3 at Forbes Field. Pittsburgh jumped on top to stay in the 3rd inning when they tallied 2 runs on 3 hits. Pittsburgh had 15 hits for the afternoon. Birkofer(1-1), allowing 3 runs for the game, picked up the victory. Bill Hallahan(0-1) was the losing pitcher. He allowed a few too many base runners giving up 11 hits and 4 walks in 3 and 2/3 innings.

Cubs Win 6th of Year in 4-1 Victory over Reds

Veteran Root goes 7 strong in Cubs' win

Cincinnati 1 6 0

Chicago (NL) 4 8 1

The Cubbies managed to win again despite trailing much of the game with a four run 8th. Charlie Root (pictured) kept the Cubs in the game by pitching 7 strong innings. 'Charlie did everything we could ask,' said manager Chuck Grimm. 'He gave us a chance to win, and I'm just glad we didn't blow it.' Cincinnati lost it in the 8th inning when Chicago did all their damage, scoring 4 runners on 4 hits. The crucial at-bat was provided by Dolph Camilli, who, while pinch hitting, electrified Wrigley Field when he slapped a single bringing in two baserunners. Chicago totaled 8 on the afternoon. Bud Tinning(1-0) was the winner allowing no runs in 2 innings. Si Johnson(0-3)was tagged with the loss. He pitched 7 and 1/3 innings allowing 5 hits and 5 walks.

Phillies Blast Giants 10-2

Outhit champs 21-6 behind strong pitching

New York (NL) 2 6 3

Philadelphia (NL) 10 21 1

The Phillies took the second game of their series with the Giants in dramatic fashion. 'We couldn't get anyone out today,' acknowledged manager Bill Terry. Philly pitcher, Phil Collins, had no such problems. Collins tossed a complete game and Don Hurst had 2 base hits and 3 RBI as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Giants by a score of 10 to2. Philadelphia went ahead for good in the bottom of the 3rd inning as theyscored 2 runs on 2 base hits. Philadelphia bats were hot in the 6th inning, which saw them plate 5 runs on 7 hits. Philadelphia totaled 21 on theafternoon. Collins(1-1) was the winner allowing 2 runs for the game. Fred Fitzsimmons(1-2) was the loser. He was knocked around pretty good, giving up5 runs in 4 innings.

Wilson Homers Twice to Lift Brooklyn in 12-2 Win

Six run 5th seals deal in Dodgers victory

Brooklyn 12 12 0

Boston (NL) 2 7 3

Hack Wilson (pictured) cracked 2 home runs and had 7 RBIs at Braves Field as the Brooklyn Dodgers, running on all cylinders, ripped the Boston Braves by a large 12 to 2 margin. Wilson provided much of the offense. He smacked a three-run homer in the 1st inning, delivered a one-base hit resulting in a run in the 5th inning, laced a base-hit in the 6th inning and belted a three-run homer (his 3rd of the season) in the 8th inning. Brooklyn had 12 hits overall, while Boston had 7. Dutch Leonard (1-0) went 7 and 2/3 innings allowing 2 runs for the win. Tom Zachary (0-1) took the loss. He was not very effective, surrendering 6 runs in 4 and 1/3 innings. 'I've spent a lot of time in the cage and made some adjustments and they've paid off,' Wilson said. 'I just take the same approach up there. I don't overanalyze it. I go up there, see the ball and try to put a good swing on it.'

April 26th, 1934 - AL Game Summaries

Detroit Breaks Losing Streak, 9-2
But Tigers' pitching makes Cochrane happiest

Chicago (AL) 2 5 3
Detroit 9 11 1

Pitching and hitting finally came together for the Tigers as Detroit broke its three game losing streak by lighting up the White Sox 9-2 in the final game of their series. The win was the Tigers's first in front of a home town crowd. Although first baseman Hank Greenberg had two doubles, manager Mickey Cochrane awarded the game ball to pitcher Vic Sorrell, who gave up only two runs, neither earned, in a complete game start. 'If we can hold 'em to 4, I think we can win just about any time,' said Cochrane. 'Tonight, Vic did us 2 better.'

The White Sox runs came about only as the result of one of the rarest of sights - an error by Tigers second baseman Charlie Gehnringer. 'I think I'll hit some extra balls to Charlie during our next fielding practice,' joked Tigers first baseman Hank Greenberg, whose own fielding has been compared to an elephant trying to pick up marbles with its toes. 'He's hitting something like .500,' observed third baseban Marv Owen. 'Believe me. No one's blaming him for our slow start.' Cochrane said that getting more consistency from their starting rotation was the Tigers' earliest challenge of the season.

Sorrell has previously struggled before today's strong outing, while Tiger starter Firpo Marberry threw a great opening day in Chicago, only to be bombed by the same team in his next outing.

Sox Win Sixth Straight With 5-2 Win Weiland stars on mound and plate

Boston (AL) 5 7 1

Washington 2 6 1

Boston bats took 7 innings to get hot, but it was still in time to win a sixth straight game for the Red Sox, 5-2. After Solters and Ferrell singled, Boston pitcher Bob (pictured) Weiland hit a triple to give Boston a 2-1 lead. Weiland then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Bishop. A two run homer by Johnson, who had earlier hit a triple, gave Boston some insurance in the 8th. Weiland also pitched a strong game, only allowing six hits and 2 walks in 7 2/3 innings.

Herb Pennock made another relief appearance and again validated the Red Sox acquisition of him with a brilliant 1 2/3 inning in which he yielded only a single hit to earn his first save. Washington's runs were contributed mostly as the result of the hitting of Heine Manush and manager - shortstop joe Cronin. Manush hit a triple and scored on Cronin's sacrfice grounder to score Manush in the 6th. In the 8th, after Burke walked, Manush moved him to third with a single to right and then Cronin drove Burke in with another single to right.

Yankees Shut Down A's 5-2

Allen tames A's as New York takes series

Philadelphia (AL) 2 6 4

New York (AL) 5 8 0

The Yankees won the rubber game in a tightly played three game series with the A's, 5-2. Although Jimmie Foxx hit his 5th HR of the season, it was one of the few hitting highlights for them as Yankee pitcher Johnny Allen held them to two runs on only 6 hits as he went the distance. Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig continued his hot bat with three hits in four at bats, raising his batting average to .382. The Babe hit his fourth double of the year.

Of some concern to Yankee skipper John McGraw is his struggling shortstop and leadoff hitter, Frank Crosetti. Crosetti went 0 for 4, and is only hitting .063 so far this year. A's manager Connie Mack expressed his concern over the A's fielding. The A's committed four errors (two by catcher Frankie Hayes alone), which cost them two unearned runs. "It'll be a long season if we can't execute the fundamentals, like fielding the ball cleanly," observed the 'tall tactician' as Mack has come to be known.

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.