Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Today in Baseball: April 22
1922 - Ken Williams of the St. Louis Browns hit three home runs against Chicago.
The .900-.100 club
When the 10-1 Marlins played the 1-9 Nationals on Sunday, it inspired loyal reader Matt McCall to wonder: Has any team with a .900 winning percentage ever played a team with a .100 winning percentage that many games deep into a season?
So he started searching. Last matchup of a .900 juggernaut versus a .100 disaster: April 29, 1892, when the 10-1 Boston Red Sox met the 1-9 St. Louis Browns -- and the Browns actually won (4-0).
Closest call in the last century: a 1980 duel between the 9-1 Reds and the 1-8 Braves. Definitely the loyal-reader note of the year.
So he started searching. Last matchup of a .900 juggernaut versus a .100 disaster: April 29, 1892, when the 10-1 Boston Red Sox met the 1-9 St. Louis Browns -- and the Browns actually won (4-0).
Closest call in the last century: a 1980 duel between the 9-1 Reds and the 1-8 Braves. Definitely the loyal-reader note of the year.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Browns on TV in 1950?
Were the Browns on television in 1950? Based on this ID card from Harry Schake in Springfield, IL, it appears they were. We will be visiting with Harry during the Browns luncheon on April 28 and will get more details.
Stay tuned.
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Stay tuned.
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Click on Photo to enlarge.
PETE GRAY BELONGS ON OVERSEAS SQUAD
From the Sporting News, 9/9/43, sent in by Dave McGregor
Although the projected overseas baseball tour presumably is designed for major leaguers only, two former stars and one active minor leaguer have been 
nominated for the trip. Bill Corum, ace sports columnist of the NY Journal-American, proposes that Babe Ruth and Dizzy Dean, former Big Time luminaries, and Pete Gray, one-armed outfielder of the Memphis Southern Assn. club, be taken along.
There is no doubt that the boys overseas would like to see the fabulous Ruth and the colorful Dean. They are not so well acquainted with Pete Gray, and indeed, it is likely that many of them may never have heard of him, for this is only his second season in Organized Ball, both with minor league teams. However,no player on the squad would attract more attention than the amazing Memphis outfielder, the greatest one-armed player of all time.
All season, Gray has been banging the ball around .300 for Memphis, hauling down flies with uncanny skill, pegging out baserunners and stealing bases with the league's best. On August 29, when he was given a "day" at Memphis, he lashed out five singles in seven trips to the plate, made a unassisted double play, slid home with a run, stole a base and handled seven chances flawlessly. It was a performance of the type that has made the Chicks, with Gray as a star attraction, the best-drawing road club of the loop.
Gray lost his right arm in accident when only 6 years old. That handicap would have seen insurmountable to most youngsters who aspired to a diamond career, but not Pete.
THE SPORTING NEWS heartily seconds the nomination of Pete Gray for a place on the touring major league squad. In the battle zones, where the fighting men have seen so many of their comrades suffer crippling wounds, what greater inspiration could be given than the sight of the Chickasha Eagle, who is triumphing over physical handicaps with skill and courage?
nominated for the trip. Bill Corum, ace sports columnist of the NY Journal-American, proposes that Babe Ruth and Dizzy Dean, former Big Time luminaries, and Pete Gray, one-armed outfielder of the Memphis Southern Assn. club, be taken along.There is no doubt that the boys overseas would like to see the fabulous Ruth and the colorful Dean. They are not so well acquainted with Pete Gray, and indeed, it is likely that many of them may never have heard of him, for this is only his second season in Organized Ball, both with minor league teams. However,no player on the squad would attract more attention than the amazing Memphis outfielder, the greatest one-armed player of all time.
All season, Gray has been banging the ball around .300 for Memphis, hauling down flies with uncanny skill, pegging out baserunners and stealing bases with the league's best. On August 29, when he was given a "day" at Memphis, he lashed out five singles in seven trips to the plate, made a unassisted double play, slid home with a run, stole a base and handled seven chances flawlessly. It was a performance of the type that has made the Chicks, with Gray as a star attraction, the best-drawing road club of the loop.
Gray lost his right arm in accident when only 6 years old. That handicap would have seen insurmountable to most youngsters who aspired to a diamond career, but not Pete.
THE SPORTING NEWS heartily seconds the nomination of Pete Gray for a place on the touring major league squad. In the battle zones, where the fighting men have seen so many of their comrades suffer crippling wounds, what greater inspiration could be given than the sight of the Chickasha Eagle, who is triumphing over physical handicaps with skill and courage?
Sunday, April 19, 2009
You can follow the Browns on a daily basis as they march to the 1944 Pennant and World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.Here is the first win of the season for the Browns on their way to capturing the American League pennant. Attached is the article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for April 19, 1944. The larger article is on the second game of the season and the smaller article in the middle of the page, "Browns Win 8th Straight Opener," is the recap of the first game of the season.
Real all about it at Baseball Fever at: http://www.baseball-fever.com/. Scroll down to find the forum for the St. L Browns and click on the daily update. You can enlarge the picture here by clicking on the photo.
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