June 20, 1934
Code:
NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
NORTHERN W L PCT GB
New York Y 46 27 .630 --
Brooklyn 38 35 .521 8
Philadelphia 38 35 .521 8
Boston 35 38 .479 11
New York G 31 42 .425 15
Pittsburgh 30 43 .411 16
MID-EAST W L PCT GB
Baltimore 47 26 .644 --
Washington 39 34 .534 8
Detroit 36 37 .493 11
Cleveland 35 38 .479 12
Cincinnati 33 40 .452 14
Milwaukee 30 43 .411 17
AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS
CONTINENTAL W L PCT GB
Chicago W 44 29 .603 --
Seattle 43 30 .589 1
Portland 42 31 .575 2
Chicago C 38 35 .521 6
St. Louis 37 36 .507 7
Kansas City 30 43 .411 14
PACIFIC W L PCT GB
Oakland 44 29 .603 --
San Francisco 38 35 .521 6
Hollywood 37 36 .507 7
San Diego 31 42 .425 13
Los Angeles 27 46 .370 17
Sacramento 27 46 .370 17
It's only June, so it might not be fair to pass judgment so quickly, but so far 1934 would not make anyone's list of the most thrilling seasons in baseball history. Three of the four divisions appear securely in the hands of their leaders, and all four of last year's playoff teams are currently on pace to repeat their titles.
Only in the American League Continental is there anything resembling a pennant fight. The White Sox lead the Seattle Rainiers by one game, and the Portland Beavers are only two games back.
The Sox boast five starting pitchers with ERAs of 3.02 or better.
Gabriel de Klerk has blossomed into an All-Star, while
Gordon Rhodes (9-2, 2.87) and hard-luck
Ray Brown (7-8, but a 2.58 ERA and 73 K) could be.
Arky Vaughan continues to rake, teaming with
Ox Eckhardt in the heart of the Pale Hose order.
Meanwhile, on the North Side, Cubs fans got a chance to recognize their soft-spoken star,
Jordan Schneider. On May 21, the massive (6'5", 236 pounds) outfielder reached the 2500-hit plateau. Schneider arrived in Chicago in a 1929 trade with Cleveland that sent pitcher
Ivan Burgos to the Tribe and that ranks among the most lopsided deals in baseball history.
Sentimental fans (at least those outside the Windy City) wouldn't mind seeing Seattle first baseman
Joe Bazeley back in the postseason. Bazeley (.334-5-42) is one of the game's finest gentlemen, and the pride of French Lick, Indiana is well-liked throughout the league. He, catcher
Dave Neal, second baseman
Jerry Standaert, and a solid pitching staff have the Rainiers playing the best ball Sicks Stadium has seen in several years.
The Beavers traded catcher
Henry Harris to the Cincinnati Reds to make room for phenom
Josh Gibson. Big Josh has yet to realize his fearsome potential (.248-7-22), while Harris is knocking the cover off the ball for the Reds. Did the Beavers part with Harris too soon? It looks like the Beavers will rise as high as
Chuck Klein will take them, at least for now.
Eastern fans might not know San Francisco shortstop
Jose Carlos as well as the stars of their own part of the country, but Carlos' name was in the headlines all over America on May 17. The 38-year-old veteran recprded the 2500th hit of his fine career that day. Carlos, a career .319 hitter, has also won three Gold Gloves, and ranks third all-time in stolen bases with 635.
Carlos' Seals remain six back of the Oaks, whose magic touch has made a winner out of journeyman twirler
Paul Hopkins (9-5) and a potent batsman out of
Bill Knickerbocker.
It doesn't look like the New York Yankees will have nearly as tough a fight on their hands this summer; they've opened up a comfortable lead on the Dodgers and the Phillies. And, yes, you saw that right...the Pittsburgh Pirates are currently in last place, with one of the worst records in baseball. The Bucs' veterans are finally beginning to show signs of age, and
Lou Gehrig and
Tony Lazzeri can't carry the club by themselves.
On the other hand, the grizzled vets down in Baltimore are proving themselves still ready, willing, and able to win ballgames. Players like
Dave McBride, Rick Mar, Riggs Stephenson, Ted Lyons, and
Mike Crawford--fellows we've been reading about since the early twenties--seem as frisky as colts with their club in first place.
Dick Barrett, who seems positively youthful at age 27, is steadily distinguishing himself as one of the league's most dependable pitchers.
The Senators, eight games back of their rivals to the north, had a Day last week for their hard-hitting outfielder,
Mule Suttles. The event was occasioned by Suttles' feat in May, when he became the first player in major league history to hit 400 home runs in his career. The Mule hammered #399 and #400 to power the Nats to a 12-5 victory over the Tigers in Detroit. The Tigers' outstanding fireman,
Pat Richardson, allowed Suttles' historic homer.
For the second straight year, most experts believed the June draft class was among the weaker ones in history. The K.C. Athletics surprised many by choosing righthander
Gene Schott with the first overall pick. The Milwaukee Braves, drafting second, were thrilled to grab
Claude Passeau, whom they thought was the best player in the class, by far.
Outfielder
Ival Goodman was the first position player chosen; he went to the Seals at #8. San Diego is pleased with their selection, infielder
Buddy Lewis, whom they thought would never be available when their turn came up at #10.
The final player chosen in the first round was
Wedo "Southern" Martini, a righthanded pitcher who is now the property of the Chicago White Sox.
The game's brightest stars of 1934 will take the field at Portland's Vaughn Street Stadium for today's All-Star Game. Here are the rosters for the National and American League All-Star teams:
Code:
NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STARS
SP Bill Swift NYY 10-3, 1.93
SP Ted Lyons BAL 10-3, 2.65
SP Emilio Alba NYG 9-2, 2.48
SP Jack Sutherland WAS 8-0, 2.53
SP Satchel Paige BOS 10-5, 3.12, 85 K
SP Dick Barrett BAL 10-3, 2.59
RP Mike MacMoran BKN 5-5, 3.32, 9 SV
RP Merle Settlemire CIN 4-4, 2.37, 6 SV
RP Don Brennan BAL 4-3, 2.00, 7 SV
RP Steve Swetonic CIN 4-1, 3.61, 6 SV
RP Jim Winford NYY 3-1, 2.73, 4 SV
RP Milt Shoffner NYY 3-3, 2.89, 6 SV
C Henry Harris CIN .366-1-24
C Jimmie Wilson PHI .298-2-27
1B Lou Gehrig PIT .309-16-48
1B Buck Leonard NYY .356-26-70
1B Jim Bottomley WAS .373-13-55
1B Zeke Bonura BKN .310-13-52
1B Hank Greenberg MIL .340-11-37
2B Tony Lazzeri PIT .323-7-49
3B Les Bell NYG .307-7-38
SS Joe Cronin MIL .318-13-50
LF Buzz Boyle BOS .361-6-38
LF Joe Medwick BKN .337-12-46
CF Jo-Jo White WAS .378-3-27
CF Al Simmons NYY .339-12-60
RF Mel Ott BKN .309-24-59
RF Ripper Collins CLE .305-13-62
RF Paul Waner DET .368-3-40
AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STARS
SP Gabriel de Klerk CHW 8-3, 2.05
SP Syl Johnson CHC 11-3, 2.70
SP Palmer Foley SF 10-4, 3.64
SP Ricardo Morales SEA 10-5, 3.14, 76 K
SP Ed Walsh OAK 7-5, 2.22
SP Carl Hubbell HOL 10-3, 3.36, 61 K
RP Ken Smith OAK 7-4, 2.89, 8 SV
RP Jud McLaughlin POR 4-3, 2.89, 11 SV
RP Brennan Thomas SEA 2-2, 2.03, 10 SV
RP Carlos Moore SAC 3-5, 1.69, 7 SV
RP Lance Thompson SEA 3-2, 1.90, 9 SV
RP Luis Rodriguez CHC 4-1, 3.69, 7 SV
C Roberto Reyes OAK .333-5-44
C Dave Neal SEA .341-4-29
1B Jimmie Foxx KC .309-25-53
1B Gus Suhr CHC .271-14-53
2B Jerry Standaert SEA .357-5-39
3B Rick Mann KC .338-3-28
3B Joe Stripp SAC .321-2-32
3B Harry Rice STL .296-2-38
SS Arky Vaughan CHW .389-6-51
SS Bill Knickerbocker OAK .364-0-40
SS Ed Montague LA .293-2-34
LF Wally Berger STL .307-17-56
LF Heinie Manush OAK .332-2-37
CF Earl Averill STL .287-9-39
CF Cool Papa Bell SD .322-1-43
CF Frank Demaree SF .327-7-48
RF Chuck Klein POR .346-19-67
Fans on the Eastern seaboard should keep their ears open for the ovation Beavers fans give
Chuck Klein when he's introduced this afternoon. Rooters who live farther west are advised to use ear protection.