OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

kenyan_cheena · 08-12-2008, 03:18 AM

***

Thursday, 23 September, 1959

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
1959 REGULAR SEASON

Cleveland Blues
(91-59)

@

Detroit Tigers
(89-61)

Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

***

The Detroit Tigers play host to their Lake Erie rivals the Cleveland Blues this afternoon in what will be the final regular season meeting between the two ballclubs, save for them ending up finishing tied for 1st place in the league. They've contested an extraordinary pennant race this season, with the last four weeks in particular filled with drama and excitement. After the Blues appeared to break it open by jumping out to a four-game lead early in September Detroit has clawed their way back and pulled within a single game of Cleveland's lead following Tuesday's victory in the second matchup of this four-game series. But the Blues pushed that lead back out to two games with a 4-1 win yesterday.

If Cleveland are victorious this afternoon they'll be three games ahead with three remaining in the season and would need no more than a win for themselves or a loss from the Tigers over those final three games to claim the American League pennant. Detroit's cause was given a fantastic boost earlier today when it was announced that Blues rightfielder and the AL's leading home run hitter Rocky Colavito would not be suiting up for the game, having suffered an undisclosed injury in yesterday's clash. His place in the lineup will be taken by Roger Maris. 1958 American League Rookie of the Year Milt Pappas starts the game for the Tigers while Cleveland will go with Don Mossi, making it a duel between two of MLB's most talented young hurlers and a rematch of their clash from September 15, which Pappas prevailed in...

(Following are selected excerpts from the broadcast of the game on Detroit radio station WWJ Newsradio 950)

TOP OF THE 1ST - CLEVELAND BLUES

* ...and no doubt it will be interesting to see if the Tigers can take advantage of his absence. Well, they're just about ready to go now and Minnie Minoso steps into the batter's box for the Blues. Pappas with the wind up, the pitch, and it's down and away for ball one...

...count is 2-1 now and Minoso swings on the pitch, a weak grounder to Bolling at 2nd and that's one down for Cleveland here in the 1st.

* ...Ward ahead in the count 3-1 now. Pappas waits for the signal and delivers ... and there's ball four, just inside the plate. Preston Ward jogs down the line to 1st and the Blues have a man on with one out.

* ...and one can only speculate if the Tigers would be so close if Mays had been available for the whole season. The 1-2 pitch from Pappas and a base hit. My, Mays smoked that one down the left field line and he turns the corner at speed. Ward is safe at 3rd and Mays is at 2nd standing up. He really connected nicely on that pitch.

* ...Nixon grounds it weakly to shortstop and Ward went with the pitch! Martin fires it over to 1st and gets the out but the Blues have scored a run here in the 1st. I think if he'd hit it cleanly Martin might have had a chance to gun down Ward on that play but he got a great jump from 3rd. Mays still at 2nd and there's two down now as Maris approaches the plate...

* ...and one has to wonder what the Blues will do with the two of them this off-season. Pappas with the 2-0 pitch and Maris grounds it to Bolling and the inning is over. But a good start there for the Blues and they lead 1-0 midway through the 1st...

BOTTOM OF THE 1ST - DETROIT TIGERS

* ...Maxwell swings on the 1-1 pitch and that one's deep to right-centre, Maris tracks it down and makes the catch near the warning track and that's the first out of the inning for the Tigers.

* ...Bolling's swinging at the first pitch he sees and that's a base hit for the Tigers! The crowd goes wild and Bolling stops a few steps between 1st and 2nd, Minoso fielding the ball in left.

* ...Mossi with the pitch now and Kaline hits a sharp grounder to Ward at 1st. The throw to 2nd gets Bolling but they can't turn the double play! That's two down for Detroit with Kaline at 1st.

* ...and in my estimate he has a good chance of being named MVP, regardless of who represents the American League in the World Series. Boyer swings at the 1-0 pitch and that's a shallow shot to centrefield. Mays camps under it and makes the catch, ending the inning.

----------
END OF THE 1ST - CLEVELAND BLUES 1, DETROIT TIGERS 0
----------

TOP OF THE 2ND - CLEVELAND BLUES

* ...Avila swings and cracks it to the gap in left-centre! He got all of that one! Maxwell tracks it down but Avila is easily safe at 2nd and the Blues have their leadoff man on base. That's their second hit and second double of the game after Mays smacked one in the 1st.

* ...Carrasquel with the weak grounder to short and once again the Blues sent the runner! Chico is out at 1st but he moved Avila over to 3rd and the Blues are in a good pisition to score again.

* ...2-1 on Harrell now, and the 3rd baseman swings at the pitch and grounds it straight to 1st. Wertz steps on the bag but Avila crosses home plate and the Blues are now ahead 2-0! The crowd doesn't like it and they're letting their feelings be known. Apparently we've got almost 50,000 of them here this afternoon and it certainly sounds like it.

* ...and the Blues pitcher connects, a flyball to right and that ends the inning. Mossi flies out but another effective frame for the Blues as they score another run.

BOTTOM OF THE 2ND - DETROIT TIGERS

* ...and Harrell dives and comes up with it! He's up and guns Kuenn out at 1st! My, what a great play by the Cleveland 3rd baseman! One out for the Tigers here in the 2nd.

* ...the 1-2 count and Mossi strikes him out! Wertz goes down swinging in his first at-bat.

* ...Martin with a blooper to right on the 1-1 pitch. Maris makes the catch and the Tigers go down in order in the 2nd.

----------
END OF THE 2ND - CLEVELAND BLUES 2, DETROIT TIGERS 0
----------

(to be continued)

08-12-2008, 03:18 AM	#262 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,684	***** Thursday, 23 September, 1959 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 1959 REGULAR SEASON Cleveland Blues (91-59) @ Detroit Tigers (89-61) Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan ***** The Detroit Tigers play host to their Lake Erie rivals the Cleveland Blues this afternoon in what will be the final regular season meeting between the two ballclubs, save for them ending up finishing tied for 1st place in the league. They've contested an extraordinary pennant race this season, with the last four weeks in particular filled with drama and excitement. After the Blues appeared to break it open by jumping out to a four-game lead early in September Detroit has clawed their way back and pulled within a single game of Cleveland's lead following Tuesday's victory in the second matchup of this four-game series. But the Blues pushed that lead back out to two games with a 4-1 win yesterday. If Cleveland are victorious this afternoon they'll be three games ahead with three remaining in the season and would need no more than a win for themselves or a loss from the Tigers over those final three games to claim the American League pennant. Detroit's cause was given a fantastic boost earlier today when it was announced that Blues rightfielder and the AL's leading home run hitter Rocky Colavito would not be suiting up for the game, having suffered an undisclosed injury in yesterday's clash. His place in the lineup will be taken by Roger Maris. 1958 American League Rookie of the Year Milt Pappas starts the game for the Tigers while Cleveland will go with Don Mossi, making it a duel between two of MLB's most talented young hurlers and a rematch of their clash from September 15, which Pappas prevailed in... (Following are selected excerpts from the broadcast of the game on Detroit radio station WWJ Newsradio 950) TOP OF THE 1ST - CLEVELAND BLUES * ...and no doubt it will be interesting to see if the Tigers can take advantage of his absence. Well, they're just about ready to go now and Minnie Minoso steps into the batter's box for the Blues. Pappas with the wind up, the pitch, and it's down and away for ball one... ...count is 2-1 now and Minoso swings on the pitch, a weak grounder to Bolling at 2nd and that's one down for Cleveland here in the 1st. * ...Ward ahead in the count 3-1 now. Pappas waits for the signal and delivers ... and there's ball four, just inside the plate. Preston Ward jogs down the line to 1st and the Blues have a man on with one out. * ...and one can only speculate if the Tigers would be so close if Mays had been available for the whole season. The 1-2 pitch from Pappas and a base hit. My, Mays smoked that one down the left field line and he turns the corner at speed. Ward is safe at 3rd and Mays is at 2nd standing up. He really connected nicely on that pitch. * ...Nixon grounds it weakly to shortstop and Ward went with the pitch! Martin fires it over to 1st and gets the out but the Blues have scored a run here in the 1st. I think if he'd hit it cleanly Martin might have had a chance to gun down Ward on that play but he got a great jump from 3rd. Mays still at 2nd and there's two down now as Maris approaches the plate... * ...and one has to wonder what the Blues will do with the two of them this off-season. Pappas with the 2-0 pitch and Maris grounds it to Bolling and the inning is over. But a good start there for the Blues and they lead 1-0 midway through the 1st... BOTTOM OF THE 1ST - DETROIT TIGERS * ...Maxwell swings on the 1-1 pitch and that one's deep to right-centre, Maris tracks it down and makes the catch near the warning track and that's the first out of the inning for the Tigers. * ...Bolling's swinging at the first pitch he sees and that's a base hit for the Tigers! The crowd goes wild and Bolling stops a few steps between 1st and 2nd, Minoso fielding the ball in left. * ...Mossi with the pitch now and Kaline hits a sharp grounder to Ward at 1st. The throw to 2nd gets Bolling but they can't turn the double play! That's two down for Detroit with Kaline at 1st. * ...and in my estimate he has a good chance of being named MVP, regardless of who represents the American League in the World Series. Boyer swings at the 1-0 pitch and that's a shallow shot to centrefield. Mays camps under it and makes the catch, ending the inning. ---------- END OF THE 1ST - CLEVELAND BLUES 1, DETROIT TIGERS 0 ---------- TOP OF THE 2ND - CLEVELAND BLUES * ...Avila swings and cracks it to the gap in left-centre! He got all of that one! Maxwell tracks it down but Avila is easily safe at 2nd and the Blues have their leadoff man on base. That's their second hit and second double of the game after Mays smacked one in the 1st. * ...Carrasquel with the weak grounder to short and once again the Blues sent the runner! Chico is out at 1st but he moved Avila over to 3rd and the Blues are in a good pisition to score again. * ...2-1 on Harrell now, and the 3rd baseman swings at the pitch and grounds it straight to 1st. Wertz steps on the bag but Avila crosses home plate and the Blues are now ahead 2-0! The crowd doesn't like it and they're letting their feelings be known. Apparently we've got almost 50,000 of them here this afternoon and it certainly sounds like it. * ...and the Blues pitcher connects, a flyball to right and that ends the inning. Mossi flies out but another effective frame for the Blues as they score another run. BOTTOM OF THE 2ND - DETROIT TIGERS * ...and Harrell dives and comes up with it! He's up and guns Kuenn out at 1st! My, what a great play by the Cleveland 3rd baseman! One out for the Tigers here in the 2nd. * ...the 1-2 count and Mossi strikes him out! Wertz goes down swinging in his first at-bat. * ...Martin with a blooper to right on the 1-1 pitch. Maris makes the catch and the Tigers go down in order in the 2nd. ---------- *END OF THE 2ND - CLEVELAND BLUES 2, DETROIT TIGERS 0* ---------- (to be continued) __________________ MLB: 1958 and Beyond... The Greatest Prize in Sports Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 08-12-2008 at 03:20 AM.