[Big Six]

June 15, 1938

The Oakland Oaks won what amounted to be a coin toss for the right to draft a slugging teenaged outfielder from San Diego named Ted Williams, and that's exactly what they did with the first pick in today's rookie draft. Williams, who projects as an eventual batting champion, home run champion, or both, will report directly to Oakland, where he'll play right field and bat in the heart of the lineup.

The Los Angeles Angels quickly snapped up lefthander Hal Newhouser with the second pick. Newhouser, too, looks like he'll be a great player one day, but at age 17, he'll need quite a bit of seasoning.

Dizzy Trout, another highly regarded pitcher, was chosen fourth overall by Brooklyn. The Baltimore Orioles chose a line-drive machine from Japan, 1B Tetsuharu Kawakami, at #6, right before the St. Louis Cardinals selected powerful LF Charlie Keller.

The Chicago White Sox were pleasantly surprised to see CF Barney McCosky still on the board when their turn came up at #18. And the Oaks never imagined a player as promising as 1B Mickey Vernon would still be available in the second round, so they grabbed him while they could.

[Big Six]

July 1, 1938

You can always see stars in Hollywood, but there were more than usual to be found on June 22, when the American and National League All-Stars appeared at Gilmore Field. The American Leaguers won the game, 3-2, on an eighth-inning RBI double by Sacramento 2B Joe Gordon.

Here are the rosters for the National and American League squads:

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STARS

SP  Bob Feller          NYG   12-5, 2.61, 141 K
SP  Jim Turner          WAS   12-4, 3.15
SP  Tot Presnell        NYG   11-5, 3.53
SP  George Earnshaw     NYY   11-5, 3.82
SP  Del Ellis           DET   9-5, 2.08
SP  Ed Brandt           BOS   10-6, 3.40, 77 K
RP  Hugh Casey          NYG   6-1, 4.07, 12 SV
RP  Bucky Jacobs        BKN   5-4, 2.63, 8 SV
RP  Steve Swetonic      CIN   7-3, 5.32, 3 SV
RP  Dutch Lieber        PIT   5-3, 3.02, 8 SV
RP  Merle Settlemire    CIN   2-1, 1.93, 8 SV
RP  Bob Lewis           CLE   3-4, 2.16, 5 SV

C   Bob McBryde         WAS   .337-5-39
C   Felix Guerrero      DET   .327-10-49
1B  Lou Gehrig          PIT   .330-14-38
1B  Buck Leonard        NYY   .354-23-73
1B  Hank Greenberg      MIL   .371-17-70
1B  Jim Bottomley       WAS   .351-11-60
2B  Brian Benton        NYY   .328-3-29
3B  Harlond Clift       DET   .263-13-43
SS  Joe Cronin          MIL   .314-9-55
SS  Willie Wells        WAS   .352-11-48
LF  Buzz Boyle          BOS   .320-3-26
LF  Mule Suttles        WAS   .345-17-76
CF  Mule Haas           NYG   .362-4-49
CF  Jo-Jo White         WAS   .314-0-27
RF  Bob Fothergill      WAS   .320-6-34
RF  Eddie Wilson        PHI   .362-9-47


AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STARS

SP  Carl Hubbell        HOL   14-2, 3.12
SP  Cliff Melton        SD    12-4, 2.61, 81 K
SP  Stephen Jennings    CHC   11-4, 2.98, 80 K
SP  Pat Caraway         POR   10-4, 3.24
SP  Jesse Cooke         HOL   9-5, 3.30
SP  Luis Rodriguez      CHC   9-2, 2.64
RP  Bob Adams           SF    5-3, 3.55, 7 SV
RP  Lance Thompson      SEA   4-4, 2.75, 7 SV
RP  Belve Bean          HOL   6-3, 4.35, 4 SV
RP  Jim Winford         HOL   5-2, 2.13, 8 SV
RP  Frank Gabler        SD    4-3, 1.89, 5 SV
RP  Bob Logan           SF    5-3, 4.23, 3 SV

C   Josh Gibson         POR   .374-16-61
C   Gus Mancuso         CHW   .326-8-47
1B  Jimmie Foxx         KC    .320-22-58
1B  Hal Trosky          CHC   .323-24-72
1B  Gene Hasson         STL   .395-7-27
2B  Joe Gordon          SAC   .295-15-69
3B  Buddy Lewis         SD    .330-3-32
3B  Bobby Estalella     OAK   .320-5-47
SS  Arky Vaughan        CHC   .336-11-49
SS  George Myatt        STL   .310-6-34
LF  Joe DiMaggio        SAC   .371-18-63
LF  Buzz Arlett         KC    .313-13-57
CF  Cool Papa Bell      SD    .391-1-28
CF  Earl Averill        STL   .346-10-46
RF  Chuck Klein         POR   .366-12-68
RF  Bill Nicholson      SF    .337-17-56

• It's been a very good year for veteran sluggers. Another player who fits that description well, Washington outfielder Mule Suttles, hit .407 with eight homers and 39 RBI during June to capture the National League Player of the Month Award. Suttles, among the league's most popular players, is the all-time leader in home runs with 546. Two more RBI will give him an even 2000 for his career; he's the all-time leader in this category, too.
  
  
• Portland catcher Josh Gibson wore out American League pitchers during June, hitting .482 with nine homers. With numbers like those, it's not surprising he was named the league's Batter of the Month.
  
  
• Gibson's Beavers find themselves seven games behind the Chicago Cubs in the Continental Division race, and the stellar pitching of Cubbies righthander Stephen Jennings is a big reason why. Jennings went 4-1 in June, with a 2.58 ERA, and won the American League Pitcher of the Month prize.
  
  
• For the first time in history, a relief pitcher has won his league's Pitcher of the Month Award. Ed Heusser of the Philadelphia Phillies took the mound 14 times during June, posting a perfect 4-0 record and logging two saves. Heusser, who has been creatively dubbed "The Wild Elk of the Wasatch," has been a Phillies bullpen stalwart for the past four years.
  
  
• The Oakland Oaks are thrilled with the play of young Ted Willams. Still a month shy of his twentieth birthday, Ted has smacked 25 hits in his first 13 major league games, good for a .482 batting average. He's also walked nine times and scored nine runs.

[Big Six]

August 1, 1938

• It had been almost two years since a big league pitcher threw a no-hitter, but Milwaukee righthander Cy Blanton changed that on July 7. He dazzled the Detroit Tigers at County Stadium, walking two and striking out three and cruising to an 8-0 victory. Blanton's no-no was the first of four consecutive victories, a streak that evened his season record at 9-9. His ERA is a fine 3.34.
  
  
• Cool Papa Bell of the San Diego Padres suffered a broken foot on July 2 that might cost him and his teammates dearly--in more than one way. Bell could miss up to three months and, at best, will be out of action until early September. The Padres currently lead the AL Pacific Division by six games; can they hold on without their star centerfielder?
  
  Moreover, Bell is hitting an even .400, with 136 hits in 340 at-bats. It's unlikely he'll be able to amass enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, and if he managed to hold on to his .400 average, would his feat be discounted because he didn't play a full season?
  
  
• The New York Giants are firmly in command of the NL Northern Division race, with a 16-game lead over the crosstown Yankees. The Giants traded for two veterans this month in an attempt to add some savvy to their young roster. From Oakland, they acquired 37-year-old outfielder Heinie Manush, and they picked up 42-year-old reliever Mike MacMoran from Brooklyn. In both cases, they traded away seldom-used reserves.
  
  
• Another veteran reliever changed teams at the trading deadline. The Milwaukee Braves swapped veteran third baseman Jesus Lopez for Seattle's Lance Thompson. Thompson, a six-time American League All-Star with the Rainiers, will take over as the Braves' closer as they attempt to run down the division-leading Senators and Tigers.
  
  
• The Braves' Hank Greenberg enjoyed another great month in July. He hit .381-6-32, scoring 27 runs, and earned the NL Batter of the Month Award. Greenberg is leading the National League with a .367 batting average, and he's driven in 104 runs in 106 games.
  
  
• The Portland Beavers are making a move toward the top of the Continental Division standings. The Beavs went 20-9 during July, and now stand only two games back of the White Sox. Josh Gibson continues to lead the potent Portland attack; his .394-11-37 line earned him the American League Batter of the Month prize for the second month in a row. Josh raised his average to .389, and his 28 home runs and 99 RBI also place him among the league leaders.
  
  
• Several sluggers are putting up huge numbers this season. Hal Trosky of the Cubs has 32 homers, with Jimmie Foxx right behind him at 30. Washington's Mule Suttles has driven in 114 runs, while three other batsmen have more than 100 (Hank Greenberg, 104; Chuck Klein and Buck Leonard, 103 apiece).
  
  
• The Beavers also boast the American League's top pitcher for July. Pat Caraway, one of the league's most underrated stars, went 6-0 with a 2.63 ERA and won the Pitcher of the Month prize. Caraway has a 16-4 record this year, and only Hollywood's Carl Hubbell (18-4) has won more times.
  
  
• Brian Whaley of the New York Yankees won all five of his starts, posting a miniscule 0.95 ERA during July. Not surprisingly Whaley, a 13-game winner for the season, was named the NL Pitcher of the Month.
  
  
• With a batting average of .414, an OBP of .511, and 10 homers in his first 39 big league games, Oakland rookie Ted Williams has emerged as one of the league's most dangerous hitters. "He's already one of the five best players in baseball," said an opposing manager.

[Big Six]

September 1, 1938

• For the third time this season, a player has entered the ranks of the immortals by making his 3000th career base hit. This time it was catcher Henry Harris, who spent the first 14 years of his career with the Portland Beavers before moving to the Cincinnati Reds in a 1934 trade.
  
  Harris, 39, reached his magic milestone on August 7, when he singled against Detroit's John Jackson. A career .325 hitter, Harris reached 3000 hits in hthe 2397th game of his big league career. The Tigers won the game, 7-3.
  
  
• All four division leaders have sizable advantages over their closest pursuers. The Washington Senators have the smallest lead, a five-game advantage over the Detroit Tigers in the NL Mid-East. The San Diego Padres, with an 85-52 record that's the best in baseball, lead the Hollywood Stars by six lengths in the AL Pacific. The other American League front-runner, the Chicago Cubs, are seven games up on the Portland Beavers. And the New York Giants lead a pack of three teams, including the Red Sox, Phillies, and Yankees, by 15 full games.
  
  
• Harlond Clift's red-hot August raised his batting average over .300. He hit .406 last month, with six homers and 22 RBI, and won the National League Player of the Month.
  
  
• Kansas City's Jimmie Foxx took home another BOM prize, winning the American League award for August on the strength of a .380-7-31 month. Foxx has 37 home runs and 109 RBI this year; he's hit at least 30 homers in each of the past nine seasons.
  
  
• Bob Feller won't turn 20 until November, but he's already one of the most skilled pitchers in baseball. The Giants' righthander went 4-0 in six August starts, pitching to a 1.97 ERA. His 59 strikeouts in 53 innings gave him a total of 257 for the year and a new single-season record, surpassing Dizzy Dean's old standard by one.
  
  
  
• Since his trade from the Yankees to the Solons, Bill Swift has met with mixed success. He enjoyed an excellent month in August-- 5-1, 1.13-- and won the AL Pitcher of the Month Award. For the year, Bill's record now stands at 17-12, his ERA at 2.90.

[ifspuds]

What happened to the Beavers this year? Have they lost some important pieces, or is it just a down year?

[NYY #23]

With 3 new entries in the 3000 hit club how many total do you have now?

The Giants are just dominating the NL lately it seems. Based on a comment you made about their young roster it looks like things will be tough for the Yankees over the next few years. If it wasn't for Buck Leonard we'd really be in trouble.

[TribeFanInNC]

Originally Posted by Big Six

September 1, 1938

• For the third time this season, a player has entered the ranks of the immortals by making his 3000th career base hit. This time it was catcher Henry Harris, who spent the first 14 years of his career with the Portland Beavers before moving to the Cincinnati Reds in a 1934 trade.
  
  Harris, 39, reached his magic milestone on August 7, when he singled against Detroit's John Jackson. A career .325 hitter, Harris reached 3000 hits in the 2397th game of his big league career. The Tigers won the game, 7-3.

Wow, a catcher with 3000 hits! I missed that the first time through. Was he always a catcher?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

What happened to the Beavers this year? Have they lost some important pieces, or is it just a down year?

The Beavers are 76-61, which gives them the seventh-best record in the major leagues. The Cubs have played very well, which might give the impression the Beavers have not. Portland won't win 100 games this year, but they're still a very good ballclub.

Josh Gibson (.380-34-119) is having a huge, huge year. Chuck Klein is, well, Chuck Klein (.369-24-126). Roy Weatherly isn't hitting .370 this year, but he's still a very tough out (.325-9-99). Ray Dandridge is hitting .305 with a .405 OBP, which is almost exactly where his OBP was last year.

The Beavers' pitching staff hasn't been quite as effective as it has in the past few seasons. The Beavs traded Chris McPhee to the White Sox for pitcher Gabriel de Klerk, and replaced McPhee in center field with 21-year-old Max West. West has been OK, but de Klerk has struggled (8-15, 4.43). Homer Blankenship has a 6-15 record and an ERA over 5.00. Paul Baker's ERA is nearly a run higher than it was in 1937, and Steve Larkin, who won 20 games last year, didn't even make the Beavers roster out of spring training.

Pedro Alba is a terrific pitching prospect, but he's only 18 and might need a few more years to develop into a regular big league starter. So, unless the Portland staff recovers some of its old magic, the Beavers' glory days might be over.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

With 3 new entries in the 3000 hit club how many total do you have now?

The Giants are just dominating the NL lately it seems. Based on a comment you made about their young roster it looks like things will be tough for the Yankees over the next few years. If it wasn't for Buck Leonard we'd really be in trouble.

There are currently eight players with more than 3000 career hits. Four are active, and four have retired:

NAME             YEARS          HITS
Mike Dickey      1920-1935      3413
Oscar Eckhardt   1920-present   3399
Joe Bazeley      1920-1936      3321
Bob Fothergill   1922-present   3137
Judy Johnson     1921-present   3127
Jigger Statz     1920-1937      3043
Henry Harris     1920-present   3015
Wilton Schmitt   1920-1936      3014

Eckhardt, who is starting to slow down some at age 36, will probably still pass Dickey and become the all-time hits leader, perhaps by the end of the season. The Ox has a .274 average this year, with 110 hits in 127 games, and the White Sox have 17 games left to play.

Ken Rich retired in 1936 with 2987 career hits. Rick Mann, a 39-year-old third baseman who spent most of his career with the A's and is now an Oriole, has 2978.

Mule Suttles, who is still raking at age 37, stands at 2974, and will almost certainly become the first player in history with at least 500 home runs and at least 3000 hits. Lou Gehrig, with 2818 hits to his credit, could join him as early as next season.

The Giants were lousy for a long time, and when a team keeps finishing with crummy records, it has the chance to draft good players. Bob Feller, with 19 wins at age 19, is the best example of the Giants' skillful use of the draft, but other young stars like pitcher Valentyn Santos (13-7, age 24), and slick-fielding catcher Mickey Owen (.257, age 22) are also playing key roles in the Giants' success.

The Yankees, however, are far from a collection of broken-down geezers. At 36, Al Simmons is clearly not the monster he once was, and as good as George Earnshaw (16-10, 3.58) has been, he's still 38 years old. However, Leonard is 30 years old, and is in his prime. The team's most talented pitcher, Brian Whaley, is the same age, and #2 starter Bill Dietrich is 28.

Shortstop Jesus Lopez, whom the Yanks acquired in the Bill Swift trade, is 27. Outfielder Joe Marty (.318-15-75) is only 25, and Rudy York (.297-5-55), who can catch and play first base, is the same age. York's power has yet to develop, but the potential is there.

If the Yankees can acquire a couple of good, young pitchers, they could position themselves to make a run at a few more division titles.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by TribeFanInNC

Wow, a catcher with 3000 hits! I missed that the first time through. Was he always a catcher?

Henry Harris was the Portland Beavers' second-round pick in this association's inaugural draft in 1920, the 37th player chosen overall. His primary position has always been catcher; however, he's occasionally played first base in an attempt to keep his bat in the lineup.

In the mid-1920s, the Beavers had Melvin McFetridge, a tremendous defensive catcher with a strong arm and some pop in his bat. Harris played about 50 games a year at first for a couple of seasons; in fact, the Beavers would probably have been better off making him their full-time first baseman. They traded McFetridge to the Pirates in 1927, so Henry went back to catching 120-130 games a year.

McFetridge, incidentally, hit 227 homers during his career, and drove in over 100 runs four times for the Pirates. The player the Beavers got for him, pitcher Kenny Woolley, went 34-42 for Portland and never posted an ERA lower than 5.00.

The Beavers also shifted Harris to first base to make room for a young catcher named Josh Gibson. You might remember when Harris was traded to the Reds, in 1934. The Beavers got Mike Christensen, a .300-hitting first baseman, in return.

Harris is one of a group of four or five catchers who have been truly outstanding hitters. Tim Stephens hit .332 over a 14-year career, mostly with the Oaks. Mickey Cochrane of the Cardinals is still going strong at age 35. Gibson, of course, is perhaps the most dangerous hitter in baseball. And young Bob McBryde of the Senators has hit well over .300 in each of his first four big league seasons.

[Big Six]

September 19, 1938

NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS

NORTHERN        W   L    PCT  GB
New York G      94  60  .610  --
Boston          77  77  .500  17
Philadelphia    76  78  .494  18
New York Y      75  79  .487  19
Pittsburgh      72  82  .468  22
Brooklyn        68  86  .442  26

MID-EAST        W   L    PCT  GB
Washington      94  60  .610  --
Detroit         89  65  .578   5
Milwaukee       83  71  .539  11
Cincinnati      73  81  .474  21
Baltimore       72  82  .468  22
Cleveland       51 103  .331  43


AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS

CONTINENTAL     W   L    PCT  GB
Chicago C       91  63  .591  --
Portland        88  66  .571   3
Kansas City     74  80  .481  17
St. Louis       74  80  .481  17
Chicago W       66  88  .429  25
Seattle         65  89  .422  26

PACIFIC         W   L    PCT  GB
San Diego       91  63  .591  --
Sacramento      86  68  .558   5
Hollywood       85  69  .552   6
San Francisco   80  74  .519  11
Oakland         69  85  .448  22
Los Angeles     55  99  .357  36

• The Portland Beavers gave it their best shot, but in the end they didn't have quite enough to snatch the AL Continental Division title away from the Chicago Cubs, who staggered across the finish line three lengths ahead.
  
  The Beavers, attempting to win their fifth consecutive division championship, went 12-5 in September. Meanwhile, the listless Cubs slid to a sub-.500 pace, dropping nine of their last 17 decisions. Nevertheless, the Cubbies will advance to postseason play for only the second time in their history. In 1930, the Cubs won it all, and their fans hope history will repeat itself this fall.
  
  
• Oddly enough, the division champions in each league finished with identical records. The Cubs and the other American League champ, the San Diego Padres, both ended up with 91-63 records. The National League winners, the New York Giants and the Washington Senators, tied for the best record in the big leagues at 94-60.
  
  
• The frontrunner for the National League Pitcher of the Year Award has to be the Giants' superb young ace, Bob Feller. His 22 wins, 2.38 ERA, and 278 strikeouts gave him a pitcher's Triple Crown. Hollywood's Carl Hubbell, the AL leader in victories, matched Bob's total. Feller's strikeout total is a new major league record.
  
  
• For the second time, the National League batting champion is Milwaukee's Hank Greenberg. The big first baseman hit .359 this year; his .375 mark led the league in 1936. Greenberg added 32 homers, 132 RBI, and 47 doubles; he slugged a hearty .619.
  
  
• The AL batting king is Portland catcher Josh Gibson, whose .383/.498/.706 line is one of the best in major league history. Only Gibson, Buck Leonard, Wally Berger, Al Simmons, and Gibson's teammate Chuck Klein have ever slugged .700 in a season; Leonard and Klein have done so twice.
  
  
• The Cubs' Hal Trosky outhomered Leonard, 44-43, to win the major league home run title. Other frequent fencebusters included Jimmie Foxx and Gibson, who went deep 39 times apiece.
  
  
• Mule Suttles of the Senators drove in 150 runs to lead all big league hitters. The Mule holds the single-season RBI record of 194, set in 1932, and his career total of 2130 RBI is almost 200 greater than that of Lou Gehrig, his closest competitor for the all-time lead . Suttles has driven in at least 104 runs in each of his 15 full major league seasons.
  
  
• Chuck Klein led the American League with 146 RBI, and finished second to the man who usually precedes him in the Portland batting order in the batting race. He batted .370 to Josh Gibson's .383.
  
  
• San Diego's Cool Papa Bell was batting an even .400 when he got hurt in early July. He returned to the Padres lineup on September 16, and over the course of the last three games of the season, he went 3-15, dropping his average to .392.
  
  
• Cool Papa's injury probably cost him the major league stolen base title, too. The Yankees' Jesus Lopez stole 82 bases to Cool Papa's 60. His Coolness still won his eighth AL title, edging Oakland's Gualtierno Costagna by two bags. And, with ten more career steals, Bell will reach 1000 for his career. He's the all-time leader in steals; Frank Jenkins retired with 968 to his credit, and nobody else has stolen more than 657.

[Big Six]

September 25, 1938

With three last-inning victories, some outstanding hitting performances, and a no-hitter to boot, the 1938 League Championship Series offered baseball fans plenty of thrills.

The Washington Senators and San Diego Padres each won their series in five games, and will advance to the World Series.

The Senators won Game One, 6-5, when 3B Billy Sullivan singled home Willie Wells in the bottom of the ninth. Sullivan had five hits in the game, all singles.

The Giants duplicated this feat in Game Three, as Mule Haas whacked a ninth-inning double to score Luke Appling and complete a 6-5 victory.

Otherwise, the Senators' hitting feats brought back memories of the "Capital Punishers," as their sluggers wore out Giants pitching. Young Bob Feller, who was so dominant during the regular season, was roughed up by the Nats during the postseason and lost two games.

C Bob McBryde (.400) and OF Bob Fothergill (.455) excelled at bat for the Senators, but the National League champs' most valuable hitter was Charlie Gehringer, who batted .524 with a homer and eight RBI.

The Padres' Roy Weir made history in Game Three of the ALCS, when he fired a no-hitter against the Cubs and won 5-0. Weir's teammate, Cliff Melton, won two games, including a dramatic deciding Game Five in which the Padres scored twice in the top of the 10th inning. The Cubs, with their season down to three outs, rallied to score a run, but Padres closer Frank Gabler stranded the Cubs' Ace Parker on second to save Melton's victory.

3B Buddy Lewis hit .429 and homered twice for the victorious San Diegans, and first baseman Jack Cummings hit .450.

[Big Six]

This dynasty will be back soon, too. When I've had time for simulation games, I've been playing a lot of football, basketball, and hockey lately. I never stay away from OOTP too long, however.

[Big Six]

October 5, 1938

The San Diego Padres are on top of the baseball world after winning an action-packed World Series from the Washington Senators in six games.

The Series began in dramatic fashion, as Washington won Game One, 3-2, on a two-run pinch homer by Jimmy Ripple off shaky Padres closer Jed Carter. The "Capital Punishers" pleased the home folks in Game Two as well, roughing up Padres pitchers in an 11-2 romp.

San Diego ace Cliff Melton took the mound in Game Three, and he pitched a five-hit, one-run masterpiece. A home run by Buddy Lewis gave the Pads their winning margin in a 3-1 victory.

Game Four was a slugfest, won 9-7 by the Padres to even the Series at two games apiece. Washington LF Mule Suttles hit one of the longest home runs ever seen in San Diego, the 567th of his career (counting eight in post-season play).

The Senators bounced back in Game Five, winning 8-6. Dizzy Dean, who won 13 regular-season games as a starter, made his debut as a closer and pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn a save.

San Diego faced a must-win situation as the Series moved back to Washington. Once again, Cliff Melton was up to the challenge. He added to his reputation as one of the best big-game pitchers in baseball, beating the Senators 3-1. Melton's victory gave him an 8-1 record and a 1.46 ERA in nine post-season starts.

Game Seven will go down in baseball history as one of the most exciting Series games ever. Through eleven innings, the Padres and Senators battled to a 2-2 tie. Mark Marshall took the mound for Washington in the top of the 12th and coaxed a fly ball out of San Diego's Eddie Silber. Senators right fielder Smead Jolley, not known for his defensive prowess, allowed the ball to glance off his glove, and Silber reached first safely on the error.

Cool Papa Bell was up next, and he laid down a bunt. Marshall fielded the ball and fired to first, but the lightning-fast Bell beat the throw; Silber slid safely into second. A line out and a walk loaded the bases for Buddy Lewis. The Padres' young star etched his name into World Series lore by smacking a fly ball that was deep enough to allow Silber to tag up and score the Series-winning run.

Melton, who won four games without a loss during the postseason, and Lewis, who hit .380 with three homers and 11 RBI in 12 LCS and World Series games, were the biggest heroes of the Padres' drive to the World Championship.

[Big Six]

October 20, 1938

NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS

NORTHERN         W   L   PCT  GB
New York G      94  60  .610  --
Boston          77  77  .500  17
Philadelphia    76  78  .494  18
New York Y      75  79  .487  19
Pittsburgh      72  82  .468  22
Brooklyn        68  86  .442  26

MID-EAST        W   L    PCT  GB
Washington      94  60  .610  --
Detroit         89  65  .578   5
Milwaukee       83  71  .539  11
Cincinnati      73  81  .474  21
Baltimore       72  82  .468  22
Cleveland       51 103  .331  43


AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS

CONTINENTAL     W   L    PCT  GB
Chicago C       91  63  .591  --
Portland        88  66  .571   3
Kansas City     74  80  .481  17
St. Louis       74  80  .481  17
Chicago W       66  88  .429  25
Seattle         65  89  .422  26

PACIFIC         W   L    PCT  GB
San Diego       91  63  .591  --
Sacramento      86  68  .558   5
Hollywood       85  69  .552   6
San Francisco   80  74  .519  11
Oakland         69  85  .448  22
Los Angeles     55  99  .357  36

• It must be tough to be a Los Angeles Angels fan right now. The Halos haven't had a winning record since 1929, and they've lost 93, 91, 99, and 99 games in the last four seasons.
  
  
• On the other hand, fans of the Portland Beavers always seem to have lots to cheer about, even when their beloved Beavers don't win the pennant. Catcher Josh Gibson (.383-39-135) won his second consecutive American League Outstanding Hitter Award. Josh also posted a .498 OBP, slugged .706, and recorded a 1.204 OPS, the second-highest single season mark ever behind the 1.230 recorded by teammate Chuck Klein in '30.
  
  
• Beavers pitcher Pat Caraway has won at least 20 games in each of the last five seasons. This year, his 21-7 record and 3.11 ERA won him the AL Outstanding Pitcher award, his second in three seasons.
  
  
• Yankees slugger Buck Leonard probably has a special shelf in his den for his Most Outstanding Batter trophies. Buck won his fifth MOB this year, putting up a .336-43-144 line. He recorded his 300th career home run, his 1000th career run scored, and his 1000th career RBI in 1938, all before his 31st birthday (September 8).
  
  
• The Big Apple monopolized the two top individual awards in the National League this season. Giants righthander Bob Feller (22-7, 2.38, 278 strikeouts in 277 innings) won the Outstanding Pitcher award. At age 19, Feller is the youngest player in major league history to win an OPA or OBA.
  
  
• Oddly enough, Rapid Robert is six years younger than the NL's Rookie of the Year. Second baseman Pete Coscarat of the Cincinnati Reds batted .280 with seven homers and 65 RBI, and took home the rookie prize.
  
  
• American League voters chose a player who turned in an entire season's worth of star-quality work over one who was magnificent over a half-season. San Francisco Seals outfielder Bill Nicholson, 23, hit .326 with 31 homers and 115 RBI, and won the award over Oakland's dynamic Ted Williams, who posted a .380/.485/.675 line with 22 homers, 55 RBI, and 83 runs scored in 80 games. Williams celebrated his 20th birthday in late August.

[Big Six]

January 1, 1939

Let's meet the top players, pitchers, and prospects in baseball as the New Year begins.

NO  PLAYER              TEAM AGE POS   LY   AVG  HR  RBI
 1  Josh Gibson          POR  26  C     1  .383  39  135
 2  Ted Williams         OAK  20  LF   NR  .380  22   55  
 3  Joe DiMaggio         SAC  24  LF    4  .331  33  109  
 4  Buck Leonard         NYY  31  1B    2  .336  43  144
 5  Bob McBryde          WAS  26  C     5  .330  17   92
 6  Harlond Clift        DET  26  3B    3  .303  27  100
 7  Jimmie Foxx          KC   31  1B    8  .302  39  122
 8  Arky Vaughan         CHW  26  SS   12  .358  18   95
 9  Dave LaPointe        HOL  25  CF    7  .348  11   98
10  Joe Gordon           SAC  23  2B   NR  .287  32  118
11  Hank Greenberg       MIL  28  1B   13  .359  32  132
12  Earl Averill         STL  36  CF   10  .329  19   93
13  Charlie Keller       STL  22  RF   NR  .292  11   56
14  Johnny Mize          DET  25  1B    9  .330  32  131
15  Lou Gehrig           PIT  35  1B    6  .327  29   95
16  Chuck Klein          POR  34  RF   11  .370  30  146
17  Ray Dandridge        POR  25  3B   15  .307   4   55
18  Mule Suttles         WAS  37  LF   16  .317  33  150
19  Willie Wells         WAS  30  SS   NR  .316  20  103
20  Buzz Boyle           BOS  30  LF   19  .310   9   66

• Some younger stars are moving toward the top of this list, while some veterans who have occupied the top spots for years, players like Chuck Klein and Lou Gehrig, are beginning to slide. Gehrig's lower ranking is more explainable than Klein's; Chuck's 1938 season wasn't much different from his best years ever.
  
  
• One notable absence from this list: Chicago Cubs 1B Hal Trosky (.315-44-129).

NO  PITCHER             TEAM AGE   LY   W-L    ERA   K
 1  Satchel Paige        BOS  32    1  12-16  3.25  209
 2  Gene Schott          KC   25    3  16-11  3.65  122
 3  Tommy Bridges        PHI  32    2  10-11  3.86  166
 4  Ray Brown            CHW  30    5   8-15  3.23  153
 5  Whit Wyatt           SF   31    6   13-9  3.37  121
 6  Bob Feller           NYG  20    7   22-7  2.38  278
 7  Cliff Melton         SD   26    4  18-11  3.00  150
 8  Valentyn Santos      NYG  24   NR   15-9  3.95  134
 9  Dutch Leonard        SD   29    9  12-11  3.93   67
10  Ed Brandt            BOS  33    8   21-9  3.24  157
11  Spud Chandler        LA   31   10  15-16  3.98  126
12  Johnny Allen         SEA  34   11  14-15  3.66  196
13  Stephen Jennings     CHC  27   12  16-10  3.17  138
14  Bill Swift           SAC  30   15  18-14  2.88   66
15  Grady Price          CHC  32   NR   18-9  3.94  129
16  Fred Barnes          SAC  30   14   14-7  3.08  122
17  Mace Brown           PHI  29   NR  11-11  4.39   85
18  Junior Thompson      KC   21   NR   10-8  3.88  105
19  Enrique Hernandez    PHI  28   13   8-15  4.42  138
20  Ricardo Morales      SEA  32   20  14-14  3.94  106

This list, frankly, amazes me.

• Carl Hubbell went 22-7 with a 4.09 ERA. Sure, that ERA is high, but there are several pitchers with comparable figures, and only one of them had a winning record. I think Carl's one of the 20 best pitchers in the league.
  
  
• If it's ERA you're looking for, why not choose Detroit's Del Ellis? He finished the season with a 2.43 ERA in 230 innings, and went 15-9. How does that not qualify him for this list?
  
  
• Jim Turner of the Senators went 20-12 with a 3.24 ERA in 1938. He was on this list a year ago. Does a season like Jim had in 1938 truly justify moving him off the list for 1939?
  
  
• And then there's the case of Pat Caraway, who hasn't been on this list in years. Over the past five years, he's gone 107-38, won two AL Most Outstanding Pitcher Awards, and recorded ERAs of 3.10, 2.81, 2.98, 3.68, and 3.11. Yeah, he pitches for Portland, and my grandmother would probably win ten games a year for the Beavers. She wouldn't post WHIPs and ERAs like Pat does, however.

I'm supposing this list is based more on ratings than it is on performance. Trust me; guys like Caraway and Ellis are every bit as highly rated as many of the pitchers on the list.

Anyway, I'm through ranting now. Here are the ten best prospects in the game:

NO  PROSPECT            TEAM  AGE POS
 1  Ted Williams         OAK  20  LF
 2  Bobby Doerr          BOS  20  2B
 3  Hal Newhouser        LA   17  P
 4  Lou Boudreau         STL  21  SS
 5  Barney McCosky       CHW  21  CF
 6  Pedro Alba           POR  19  P
 7  Junior Thompson      KC   21  P
 8  Frankie Kelleher     BKN  22  LF
 9  Leon Day             KC   20  P
10  Jack Kramer          CLE  20  P

You've already seen what kind of half-season Teddy Ballgame had for the Oaks. Doerr hit .332 with a .396 OBP, six homers and 66 RBI in 97 games for the Red Sox this year. Newhouser won only five of 14 starts for AA Scranton-Wilkes Barre, but he posted a 1.98 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. Boudreau began the year at AA Omaha and moved up to AAA Rochester; he hit over .300 at both levels and fielded magnificently.

McCosky demonstrated the ability to get on base (.323, .389 OBP) and make things happen with his speed (17 steals) in 68 games for the Pale Hose. Alba won 14 games, dividing his year between Class AA and Class AAA. He still needs to refine his control, but he's very young. Thompson, the Athletics' first round pick in June, burst onto the scene in a hurry. He and Day give the A's two of the best young arms in the game. Day abused Class A hitters, going 18-2 with a 1.98 ERA and whiffing 228 hitters in 191 innings. Kelleher continues to rake as he moves up the ladder; he hit .344-6-66 for AAA Montreal. Kramer looked good at AA Tulsa, pitching to a 2.18 ERA.

[ifspuds]

Caraway will get his revenge when he comes up for Hall of Fame induction!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Caraway will get his revenge when he comes up for Hall of Fame induction!

And speaking of the Hall of Fame, I just posted an update for all you HoF voters. The Hall is about to open, and you'll be making your first choices within a few days!!