MLB: 1958 and Beyond...

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

I have been following this...very cool!!

What version of the game are you using? Is it hard to set up a historic year?

Baseball is my favorite sport. I belong in some leagues using Diamond Mind Baseball. I may give OOTP a try.

Hi, Jeff. Nice to see another TBCB regular taking an interest in this.

I'm using version 6.12 and Lahman's database for the players.

[Jeff1787]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Hi, Jeff. Nice to see another TBCB regular taking an interest in this.

I'm using version 6.12 and Lahman's database for the players.

I think I will give it a try. So I guess after I buy the game I just download Lahman's data base?

[Kelric]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

I think I will give it a try. So I guess after I buy the game I just download Lahman's data base?

Depends which version you buy. OOTP8 comes with the database already, OOTP 2007 and previous ones do not. Then, to get complicated, there are other 3rd party databases out there.

[kenyan_cheena]

BASEBALL WEEKLY

Monday 19 January 1959

VOLUME 25, ISSUE 3

SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY
IN SENATORS TERRITORY

Story by Jerome Hamilton,
published in the 19 January 1959 issue of BASEBALL WEEKLY

Last Thursday supporters of the Washington Senators baseball club woke to news that sounded too good to be true, but was: owner Calvin Griffith had sold the club and accepted a Major League Baseball offer to acquire one of the four expansion franchises that will join the league at the start of the 1962 season. It was an announcement that made front page news in several cities, an announcement that caught many off guard as it was so unexpected. Griffith had dug his heels in months ago, insisting that he was going to move the Senators to Minnesota in 1960. He'd been saying the same thing as little as two weeks ago.

Keen to keep the charter franchise in our nation's capital Washington-born FAA administrator Elwood Quesada had led a ten-man group in repeatedly making purchase proposals to Griffith, with little success. But it now appears that Quesada and co. have achieved their goal as Griffith sold the ballclub to the group for an undisclosed figure. The Senators may not be the most popular ballclub but the news that Griffith was no longer controlling it set off scenes of spontaneous celebrations in some parts of Washington.

"Good riddance!" said George Coleman. "He's tried hard to destroy his father's legacy, but he's failed. The team and the city will be better off without him! Just let him go and make his new team in Minnesota. We won't miss him!"

The news was also greeted positively by those on the Senators roster, with catcher Clint Courtney summing up their opinion on the issue.

"I can't tell you how relieved the boys are," said Courtney. "To know that we'll be staying here in Washington just takes a huge load off our shoulders. Guys didn't know what we were playing for at times last season, wondering if we'd no longer be here in a couple of years. Mr. Griffith instilled a lot of uncertainty and he alienated the fans, which was tough on us who were stepping out on the diamond each day. The worst part about it was that he never consulted with any of us about his plans and he sure as hell didn't give a damn about what they would do to the city. Like I said, it's just a big relief that the whole ordeal is over with."

And so today Washington baseball fans are happy as they will still have a team in the league, at least for the foreseeable future. But I believe that questions need to be asked. The most important one is why? Why did Calvin Griffith change his stance so quickly? The most obvious answer is money. It must be reiterated that the terms of the Senators sale have not been revealed. Besides Quesada, we don't even know the identities of the individuals numbered amongst the ballclub's new owners. Griffith has not commented publicly about the sale and it could be that he's been instructed not to.

But if it's a simple matter of money, there must be a huge sum involved. A sum that far exceeds the actual value of the ballclub as, being the businessman he is Griffith would not be prepared to sacrifice three years of gate receipts and go without compensation. The question is, did Quesada and his associates have the finances necessary to make such an offer to him? And if not, then where did the extra funds come from?

Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley performed a similar backflip to Griffith's back in September of '57 when it looked certain he'd be relocating his team to Los Angeles. However, his was much easier to understand as he wasn't going to go without a revenue stream for three years as a result of his actions. O'Malley also admitted that it was an external source that had led him to change his mind, while Griffith has stayed silent on the issue.

The conspiratorial section of my mind wonders if Griffith was somehow pressured into making his decision. After all, his push to move the team to Minnesota for the 1960 season would have caused huge problems for Major League Baseball if it had succeeded. Commissioner Ford Frick had been resolute on two points, the first being that no ballclubs would be relocating before the four-team expansion of '62 and the second that Washington would remain the home of at least one MLB team for "the short and long-term future". If MLB had given in to Griffith's demands, Frick's words would have been seen to be worthless and empty. But up until last week, nothing had been said by Griffith that made it sound like he was going to change his mind. So why did he?

I'm surprised that these questions aren't being asked from other quarters. I really am. In the meantime, I'm going to continue to ask them myself.

It was only two weeks ago when the league announced that they'd awarded the Los Angeles expansion franchise to Las Vegas businessman Kelvin Molk. Coming on the back of that, last Thursday's news has made it an intriguing start to the year for baseball...

[kenyan_cheena]

MILWAUKEE * WISCONSIN
JOURNAL SENTINEL

Wednesday 28 January 1959

BRAVES FACE DIFFICULT SCHEDULE
TO OPEN NEW SEASON

Story by Lomas Robertson

The schedule for the 1959 Major League Baseball season was released yesterday and while they may be two-time defending World Champions our Milwaukee Braves have not been handed any favours. They'll open the season with a three-city, ten-game road trip, starting with four games against the Cubs and followed by two in Cincinnati and four in St. Louis.

"I don't really see it as a big deal myself," said Braves manager Fred Haney. "I mean, besides the fact that it would be nice to open the season at home in front of our fans, it's not a problem. We've got a thirteen-game home stand in June so that balances it out."

With the season starting on the 8th of April Braves fans will have to wait until the 19th for the team's home opener, which will be against the San Francisco Giants. Spring training is now only a couple of weeks away and Haney is confident about his ballclub's chances for the '59 season.

"Thinking back on this time last year, people said we wouldn't repeat as Champions," recalled Haney. "Some even said that '57 was a blip, an anomally. These same people, now they're saying that we caught lightning in a bottle two years in a row. I've never heard of that happening before now. They just can't admit that we have a talented team here and that we won those two World Championships because we were better than the Yankees, pure and simple. I don't know, maybe it's because the New York clubs had dominated the league for so long beforehand. What I do know is that we'll be going out there just as determined this year as during the last two. We're proud of what we've achieved and we want to keep that going, without a doubt."

The Braves' quest to win a third consecutive National League pennant and World Championship will be one of the major stories of the 1959 season, one that this writer is looking forward to covering...

[kenyan_cheena]

THE OHIO EXPRESS

Monday, 16 February, 1959

* LATE EDITION *

FORMER MVP MAYS
SIGNS WITH CLEVELAND!

Story by Grady McCallum

Fans of the Cleveland Blues baseball club were in raptures today with the news that the organisation had snared the prized signature of former National League MVP Willie Mays. The 27 year-old centrefielder agreed to a four-year contract with the Ohio outfit. Although the value of the contract has not been revealed, it's believed that Mays is now the highest-paid player in all of the Major Leagues.

Having played the first seven seasons of his career with the New York and then San Francisco Giants it was assumed early in the off-season that Mays would simply sign a new contract with the Californian club. He owns two homes in San Francisco and from all reports was very happy that the team had relocated there after the '57 season. But the Blues pursued him enthusiastically throughout January and when it became clear to Mays that the Giants were unwilling to match Cleveland's offer he made the decision to join the American League ballclub.

Without a doubt, the emotions of Giants supporters will be a complete contrast to those of Cleveland's, as they've lost one of their favourite sons and a man who, ironically, was an integral part of the team that unexpectedly swept the Blues in the 1954 World Series. It was at the Polo Grounds in game one of that series where Mays made one of the most extraordinary defensive plays in the history of the sport when, with runners on 1st and 2nd, he caught a hard hit Vic Wertz line drive over his shoulder and at the warning track to preserve an 8th inning 2-2 tie. The Giants went on to win the game in ten innings.

After the so-called "honeymoon" period that the ballclub's ownership enjoyed during their first year in California it goes without saying that the failure to re-sign Mays will be a source of disappointment and anger amongst supporters for a long time to come. The prospect of Mays being in the same lineup as home run record-breaker Rocky Colavito will be enough to make Blues fans giddy with delight and anticipation. His signing immediately makes Cleveland a legitimate challenger to the New York Yankees' American League crown.

"This is probably the most significant signing our ballclub has made in its history," said a proud Blues owner William Daley this morning. "Over the last seven years Willie Mays has proven himself to be one of the most gifted all-round players in baseball and it is with great pleasure that I announce his addition to our playing roster."

Born on the 6th of May 1931 in Westfield, Alabama, Mays first played professionally in Tennessee in 1947. After spending a couple of seasons with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons the Giants signed him in 1950. Mays started out in the minors with the Trenton club in New Jersey before being called up to the majors in '51 and winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He was instrumental in the Giants' amazing feat of catching the Dodgers in the pennant race and was there in the on-deck circle when Bobby Thomson broke the heart of every Dodger fan in game three of the pennant playoff series. The Giants went on to lose the World Series to the Yankees but Giants manager Leo Durocher knew that he had a special talent on his hands in the shape of Mays.

Drafted by the United States Army, Mays would miss a large chunk of the '52 season and all of the '53 campaign although he never actually saw any combat action, despite the conflict in Korea. Returning to the Giants in 1954 Mays hit 41 home runs and won the National League batting title with a .345 average, securing it on the final day of the season. As mentioned above, the Giants won the pennant and went on to sweep the heavily favoured 111-43 Cleveland Blues in the World Series.

Mays continued to make a strong contribution to the Giants during the next four seasons, hitting a career-high 51 home runs and 127 RBI in 1955 before averaging 35 homers a season from '56 through to '58. His career numbers with the Giants are:

910 games, 3,431 AB, 1,079 H, 220 HR, 608 RBI, 641 R, 452 BB, 147 SB, .314 AVG

There's absolutely no doubt that in Willie Mays the Cleveland Blues have themselves a player who will help make them a top contender for the American League pennant in 1959. Following his progress and contributions to the ballclub during this coming campaign will be fascinating, to say the least...

[Jeff1787]

Mays no longer a Giant..."Say it ain't so!"

Mays and Colavito...wow!

[kenyan_cheena]

BASEBALL WEEKLY

Monday 9 March 1959

VOLUME 25, ISSUE 10

BIG THINGS EXPECTED
FROM ALABAMA DUO

Story by Michael Jones,
published in the 9 March 1959 issue of BASEBALL WEEKLY

With spring training now in full swing and opening day just a month away, Major League Baseball's sixteen organisations continue the task of tweaking and re-tooling their rosters ahead of the new season. The two biggest signings of the year to date have been those of Willie Mays by the Cleveland Blues and Johnny Temple by the defending Champion Milwaukee Braves, but a pair of youngsters from Alabama have also garnered a deal of attention.

Born in Mobile, 21 year-old 1st baseman Willie McCovey was signed by the New York Yankees last week, the team that - in McCovey's own words - he's supported since he first started following the sport at the age of six. The left-handed hitter was beside himself with happiness that the ballclub had shown so much interest in him, to the point where they'd made his signing a priority. According to Yankees scouts he's going to be the pick of the 1959 rookie class, his exploits last year in the Pacific Coast League leading some to say he's a future MVP in the making.

"It's really humbling to hear some of the things that Mr. Stengel has been saying about me," said McCovey. "To be signed by the Yankees is a dream I've had since I was a little boy. They're an organisation that has experienced fantastic success and I just hope that in time I'll be able to contribute to the continuation of that."

Meanwhile, McCovey's fellow Alabama native Billy Williams is set to suit up for the World Champion Braves this year after the Whistler-born outfielder was snapped up by the ballclub a couple of days after the Yankees signed McCovey. The 20 year-old is hoping to be a key ingredient in the Wisconsin organisation's quest to win a third consecutive Fall Classic.

"Being signed by the World Champions is something I never thought could have happened," he said. "The fact that I'll be starting my career on a ballclub like the Braves excites me, no doubt. I know I'm just a rookie but I'll be doing my best to break into that first team and help bring a third straight Championship to Milwaukee."

It's rare to see baseball players reach the heights of the sport in their debut seasons, but McCovey and Williams appear to be two of the most talented prospects to come along in some time. If any of this season's group of rookies can make an impact, surely they can...

[jaguar8311]

Good read so far?

That was a fluke season by Colavito, Next season he is going to choke

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by jaguar8311

Good read so far?

That was a fluke season by Colavito, Next season he is going to choke

Thanks. Whether he can back it up with another great season is one of the things I'm really looking forward to finding out.

There'll be a post about the Brooklyn Dodgers season preparations and then the season will start.

Also, I've decided to start accepting community created fictional players starting with the 1960 season. When the time is right I'll create a sign-up thread for anyone who's interested. I'm posting this dynasty at the TSW boards too so this dynasty could be the first one to feature players from two different message boards.

[kenyan_cheena]

The New York Age

WEDNESDAY, 25 MARCH, 1959

DODGERS ENTHUSIASTIC
ABOUT COMING SEASON

Story by Louis Greenberg

From nearly every angle the 1958 Major League Baseball season was a disappointing one for the Brooklyn Dodgers. After winning a World Championship and six National League pennants (and contending for several others) during the previous thirteen years they fell to their worst performance since 1944, compiling a 68-86 record that saw them finish in 6th place. Of course, the tumultuous nature of the off-season leading into last year's campaign and the affect it had on the organisation must be taken into account, but even allowing for it the Dodgers underachieved. Veteran centrefielder Duke Snider agreed with that assessment when I spoke to him recently.

"I think we played through last year like we were half asleep," Snider said. "We had our bags packed for L.A. and then all of a sudden O'Malley decided that we're staying in New York. I remember for me it felt like a death row pardon, even though I was born in Los Angeles. It was a big deal for a lot of us, probably bigger than we let on. The Manhattan thing, playing at the Polo Grounds, that didn't sit well with some of the guys although they all knew it was, what do they call it? "A necessary evil". We all knew it was needed to keep this team in Brooklyn but we never really adjusted to it. So I guess it'll go down as a lost season for us. But I'd like to think the sacrifice will be worth it."

Snider is excited about returning to Ebbets Field this year and spoke about how great the place looks after the renovations that were made over the course of these past eighteen months. He confirmed that the stadium's seating capacity has been increased by 2,500 to 34,500 and hoped that every one of those extra seats will be filled on a regular basis.

"Brooklyn almost had something that is part of it's spirit and soul taken away from it," said Snider. "It was really close to becoming a reality and I would hope that the fans come out in abundance for every home game, just to show how much this team really means to them."

One thing that was very difficult for the playing staff to endure was sitting back and watching as the Milwaukee Braves achieved a task they were unable to: defeating the Yankees in consecutive Fall Classics. Snider revealed how they were glad to see the Yankees lose, but the fact that it was the Braves that were victorious on both occasions cut deep.

"They pulled off in just two attempts what we couldn't in seven," Snider lamented. "I was as happy as the next guy to see the Yankees fail but I'll admit it was hard to see another team besides us do it to them."

While the playing staff are confident of a return to their glory days in '59, some observers are not so optimistic. The three men who have been a constant on the roster for the past twelve years, Snider, 1st baseman Gil Hodges and rightfielder Carl Furillo are all on the negative side of thirty years old: way over in the case of Hodges (35) and Furillo (37). Those backing the Dodgers for a great season will point out that Snider batted .327 last year while failing to recognise that the 84 RBI he recorded was his lowest output in that category since 1948 and that the 27 home runs he hit broke a streak of five consecutive 40+ seasons. They haven't made any big signings of note during the off-season, which has everything to do with owner Walter O'Malley's determination to keep the ballclub financially secure in the immediate future.

"I have a good feeling about this team," said Snider, dismissing those criticisms. "We've got a nice mix of experience and youth, a really balanced roster that I think will surprise some people."

Whatever the new season has in store for the Dodgers, it goes without saying that it will be great to see them back at Ebbets. With all the movements ballclubs have made in recent years it's great to know that Ebbets and the Dodgers are still a couple and will be for many years to come...

[kenyan_cheena]

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

FRIDAY, 9 APRIL, 1959

CUBS EDGE BRAVES
IN SEASON OPENER

Story by Brian Davison

A 9th inning rally allowed the Chicago Cubs to steal a 3-2 victory at Wrigley Field yesterday afternoon against defending National League and World Series Champions the Milwaukee Braves. It was a tense opening day clash between the two regional rivals played in front of an excited, near capacity crowd of 38,383. Cubs centrefielder Bobby Thomson was named Player of the Game thanks to a 4-for-4, 1 RBI afternoon.

After a scoreless opening two innings the Braves took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 3rd on Eddie Mathews' one-out two-run home run over the fence in leftfield, Wes Covington scoring after being walked by Cubs starter Bob Anderson in the previous at-bat. Chicago cut that lead in half when Anderson knocked in 2nd baseman Bobby Adams with a single in the bottom of the 4th. That's how the score stayed until the 9th, where the Cubs got their act together just in time to send their fans home happy.

It started with pinchitter Gene Stephens doubling to lead off before Braves shortstop Johnny Logan's wild throw allowed Gene Oliver to reach safely after what looked to be a harmless grounder. After Walt Dropo struck out, Bobby Thomson's single scored Stephens to tie it at 2-2 before, swinging at the first pitch he saw, leftfielder Harry Anderson won it with a single between 1st and 2nd that brought Oliver home. Braves reliever Jack Fisher took the loss, giving up both the tieing and winning run after starter Joey Jay had pitched 7.1 innings, struck out four and allowed seven hits.

While Thomson's batting heroics were the standout, the Cubs bullpen did a great job with John Briggs and Don Elston combining to keep the Braves to a single hit in 4.2 innings after Anderson was relieved in the 5th. Milwaukee's stars Hank Aaron and Joe Adcock were kept quiet, batting a combined 1-for-6 while their top off-season signing Johnny Temple was 0-for-4, grounding out twice and flying out twice.

It was a nice way for the Cubs to start a season in which they're determined to go one better than '58 where they finished tied for 2nd, seven games back from the Braves. Chicago's manager Bob Scheffing spoke on the significance of the game afterwards.

"It may just be the first step of a marathon, but it was a good first step," he said. "It's a long season but we have to take every opportunity against those guys because they're the standard right now. We're chasing what they've got and we were closer to getting it last year than we've been for a long time. Everyone on this ballclub knows we can improve on that and today was the perfect start for us."

[kenyan_cheena]

THE OHIO EXPRESS

Monday, 12 April, 1959

MAYS AND COLAVITO RUN RIOT
IN SLAUGHTER OF ORIOLES

Story by Grady McCallum

Ever since that February day when the Cleveland Blues announced the signing of Willie Mays followers of the sport and supporters of the ballclub alike have been waiting to see what the former National League MVP would be able to produce in the same batting lineup as home run king Rocky Colavito. Mays' signing was understandably looked upon as a move that made the Blues a real contender for the American League pennant and was a clear sign to the defending champion New York Yankees that the Ohio organisation was serious about challenging their decade-long supremacy.

Yes, the anticipation has been high for these past couple of months and as it's turned out, it only took four games for Mays and Colavito to deliver. In yesterday's final game of Cleveland's season-opening series in Baltimore the two combined to bat 7-for-10, score six runs, knock in ten and hit three home runs in a 17-8 massacre. The Blues secured at least a series split when they won the opening two games, both by a 3-2 scoreline before the Orioles took game three 2-1 on Saturday. But yesterday afternoon the home team were unable to contain Cleveland's lineup, Colavito starting things off with a two-out two-run homer in the top of the 1st after Mays had singled to left. The Blues led 3-2 going into the 5th where the single-season home run record holder was at it again, clearing the fences for a second time and, as on the first occasion, scoring Mays.

Cleveland blew the game open in the 6th when Bobby Avila hit a two-RBI double to make it 7-2. Two batters later it was 9-2, Chico Carrasquel singling before Mays homered to deep centrefield. The Blues were up 10-3 at the end of the 8th inning and put the result beyond doubt when they piled on seven more runs, the highlight a three-run home run by pinchhitter Roger Maris. Baltimore brought a measure of respectability to the final result when they scored five in the bottom of the inning.

Mays and Colavito were backed up by Avila (3-for-5, 4 R, 2 RBI), Carrasquel (2-for-5, 2 R) and 3rd baseman Billy Harrell (4-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI) in a great all-round performance. The team finished just one hit shy of twenty, batting 19-for-47 (.404).

And so the Blues have started the season with a 3-1 series win, Mays batting a fantastic .588 (10-for-17), hitting a home run and six RBI. Colavito's numbers were also impressive: .308 with three homers and seven RBI. Blues manager Joe Gordon said it was a nice change to get a blowout victory but insisted he was happier with the team's opening two victories on Thursday and Friday.

"Any time you can get wins over O'Dell and Lehman on their own turf is a good one," he said, in reference to the top two men in Baltimore's rotation. "I was already satisfied after those two wins so today is just icing on the cake."

Orioles starter Jack Harshman picked up the loss, giving up nine hits and six earned runs in 5.2 innings of work while 22 year-old Blues righthander Gary Bell recorded the win for Cleveland. He pitched seven innings, also allowing nine hits but only conceeding three earned runs while striking out four batters on 106 pitches.

Cleveland will remain on the road for the next week, visiting Boston where they'll play a pair of games against the Red Sox before returning to the DC region for a quartet of outings against the Senators. Next Monday sees their first home game and first action against the New York Yankees for the season and Cleveland Stadium will no doubt be packed out for that...

[kenyan_cheena]

THE OHIO EXPRESS

Monday, 19 April, 1959

* LATE EDITION *

MINOSO SMASHES 7 RBI
IN BLUES HOME OPENER

Story by Grady McCallum

It was a game that was being promoted with the headline "Mays vs Mantle", the first ever regular season meeting between two of Major League Baseball's biggest stars and without a doubt one of the most anticipated April games in the sport's history. Cleveland threw down the gauntlet with the signing of former National League MVP Mays back in February and this afternoon they hosted the New York Yankees in their home opener. But someone forgot to give a copy of the script to Cuban-born Blues leftfielder Minnie Minoso. The 33 year-old veteran became the main event with a breathtaking performance at the plate, batting 3-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBI as Cleveland routed the Bronx Bombers, 15-2.

Having started their season with a 3-1 series win in Baltimore the Blues had struggled during the week since, winning only two of six in visits to Boston and Washington to come home with a 5-5 record. The Yankees arrived in Cleveland at 6-4, having won five of their last six games. The build up to the opening pitch was thick with excitement, the crowd of just over 49,000 on the edge of their seats in expectation of what was to come.

It didn't take long for their Blues to trouble the scoreboard as Minoso hit his first home run in the bottom of the 1st, a two-out three-run shot. They made the most of that final out again in the 2nd when Colavito hit a two-out two-RBI double as part of a four-run frame that made it 7-0 going into the 3rd. The Yankees pulled one back in the top of the 4th but Cleveland exploded in the bottom of the inning. Bobby Avila hit a leadoff homer, knocking Yankees starter Whitey Ford out of the game. A Willie Mays single two batters later was followed by a Colavito walk and Minoso's second home run of the afternoon, the three-run shot making it 11-1.

Things calmed down considerably during the next three innings before the Blues added another four runs in the 8th, a trio of hits by Doby, Moran (a double) and Avila (a triple) accounting for the first two. Mays then had his third single of the afternoon, Colavito also reaching before Minoso brought them both home with a single into right field. When the game ended ten minutes later the crowd stood as one in ovation of their beloved Blues.

As was the case in their decimation of Baltimore back on the 11th, Cleveland found offense from everywhere as the stats listed below show:

Bobby Avila: 2-for-4, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Chico Carrasquel: 2-for-4, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 RBI
Willie Mays: 3-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 RBI
Rocky Colavito: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 RBI
Minnie Minoso: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI

"Yeah, it was spectacular," said a smiling Rocky Colavito. "But it's only one win. We'll have to back this up tomorrow, and the day after that and the day after that. We're only 6-5, which ain't great. The Tigers won their ninth game this afternoon so we don't have anything to crow about, really."

In the clash of Mays and Mantle it was the Cleveland slugger who was a clear winner as Mantle had a 1-for-4 afternoon. Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford has made a less than spectacular start to the season, going 0-2 in three starts with an ERA of 7.11. Meanwhile, Blues starter Don Mossi recorded his first win and is 1-2 with an ERA of 4.15...

[kenyan_cheena]

The New York Age

TUESDAY, 20 APRIL, 1959

DODGERS CATCHER ROSEBORO
CONTINUES GREAT START

Story by Louis Greenberg

Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Johnny Roseboro was named the National League's Player of the Week yesterday, taking out the honor for the second time in a row as he maintained his fantastic start to the season. The Dodgers were only 4-6 through the opening week and a half but Roseboro made a huge contribution in a pair of recent wins over the ballclub's arch rivals the San Francisco Giants. After losing the first of a four-game series at Candlestick Brooklyn rebounded to win the next three, Roseboro batting 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Friday's 8-7 extra innings win and 3-for-4 with two homers and four more RBI in a 12-3 blowout on Sunday. He was named Player of the Game in both outings and batted .581 with five home runs and 18 RBI in Brooklyn's first ten games.

"I guess it's nice to get recognised," said the shy 25 year-old, who is in his third year with the Dodgers. "Personally, I was happier that we won that series out in San Francisco. Beating those guys in their own backyard, that's always going to be a highlight for us and it helped get us going. We need to back that up with some solid play on this homestand."

Indeed, Roseboro was presented with the Player of the Week award before yesterday's home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which the Dodgers won 8-5 to improve to 5-6 in front of 32,773 fans at Ebbets. They'll be up against the Pirates again today before starting an important four-game showdown against the World Champion Milwaukee Braves on Thursday...

[Jeff1787]

Looks like Cleveland is gunna have a bunch of big games during the year!!

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by Jeff1787

Looks like Cleveland is gunna have a bunch of big games during the year!!

I was a bit hesitant to write up both of those Cleveland games but I thought that it was necessary in the context of the story. The first one showed Mays and Colavito wreaking havoc in tandem while the second one was, as stated, the first regular season matchup of Mays and Mantle. I'm certain that if it had ever happened in real life it would have garnered a lot of coverage.

I've only simmed the first month of the season so far so I don't know yet how well the Blues will go but I'm really hoping that we get a Blues-Yankees pennant race. It will bring about some great storylines and would be very exciting.

Once again, Jeff, thanks for taking such an interest in this. It's great to know you're enjoying it.

[kenyan_cheena]

THE MICHIGAN HERALD

Thursday 22 April 1959

TIGERS WIN 7TH STRAIGHT,
IMPROVE TO 11-2

Story by Michael Fredricks

The Detroit Tigers continued their impressive start to the season yesterday, defeating the Boston Red Sox 4-1 in ten innings to complete a three-game sweep at Fenway, win their seventh game in a row and improve to a Major League-best 11-2. It was a two-out three-run home run by Tigers rightfielder Al Kaline in the 10th inning off reliever Leo Kiely that sealed the victory after what had been a classic pitcher's duel between two of the American League's best hurlers. Detroit's 27 year-old starter Jim Bunning went nine innings, allowing six hits, one earned run and striking out six on 95 pitches while Red Sox All-Star Tom Brewer was relieved in the 8th after giving up six hits and throwing 138 pitches.

Without a doubt, Detroit's great opening has been one of the surprises of the season so far and while he was 0-for-3 yesterday, 1st baseman Gail Harris has made a substantial contribution to their success. The 27 year-old was named the American League's Player of the Week back on Monday after batting .526 with two home runs and seven RBI. On the season he's currently hitting .375 with three homers and 16 RBIs. 3rd baseman Ken Boyer has also stood out with a batting average of .349, five home runs, 11 RBI and 17 runs scored. He preceeded Harris as the AL PotW back on the 12th of April.

However, the area where the Tigers' strength really lies is their pitching. In four starts Bunning is 2-1 with an ERA of 3.38 while lefthander Billy Hoeft has an ERA of 2.31 through three appearances. They've also received great service from the bullpen, in particular from middle relievers Don Lee and Bob Buhl.

"We're not getting too excited about it," said veteran leftfielder Charlie Maxwell. "We were at home for the first ten games so we'd be disappointed if we were further back than we are. The season's only five minutes old so we're going to have to keep on playing consistent ball to stay out in front. A four-game lead means nothing at this stage."

Maxwell may be happy to temper his team's achievements but he surely can't deny that an 11-2 Tigers start was unexpected by most. It's exciting for the team, it's supporters and the city of Detroit and hopefully they'll maintain their position on top of the American League as the season progresses...

American League standings
as at end of play, 21 April 1959

1ST: DETROIT TIGERS 11-2
2nd: Cleveland Blues 7-6 (4.0 G.B.)
2nd: New York Yankees 7-6 (4.0 G.B.)
2nd: Washington Senators 7-6 (4.0 G.B.)
5th: Chicago White Sox 5-7 (5.5 G.B.)
5th: Kansas City Athletics 5-7 (5.5 G.B.)
7th: Boston Red Sox 5-8 (6.0 G.B.)
8th: Baltimore Orioles 4-9 (7.0 G.B.)