Browns Bob Turley Developed a System to Identify Opposing Pitchers Throws

It's reported that Bob Turley helped Mickey Mantle call pitches in the 1950s. Seems that Turley, when he pitched for the St. Louis Browns earlier in the decade, figured out a way to read an opposing hurler's mannerisms to determine what pitch he was going to throw.

When Turley joined the Yankees for the 1955 season and Mantle found out about his skill, he wanted in.

They developed a system based on Turley whistling. Turley told Mickey to assume the first pitch would be a curve, but if he heard the whistle it would be a fastball. If the pitch after that was another fastball, there would be no whistle. If it were going to be a curve, Turley would whistle again. So the pattern went.

While some opposing pitchers figured out what Turley was doing, no one was ever really able to stop it. The Yankees certainly were fine with the idea: They'd put Turley in a prime stadium seat if he was on the disabled list, and would set him up in a TV studio to study new arms before New York had to face them.

According to Turley, Mantle said half of his 320 home runs from 1955-1962 — the stretch the two played together — came on called pitches.

Whether it's technically cheating is a personal debate, and it isn't the point ... it was about getting an edge. The drug method is certainly a bit more blunt (and a lot less skilled), but this is what professional athletes do.

A Look at The Life of Former Brownie, Satchel Paige

AMERICA AT LARGE: A new book celebrates the life of legendary American baseball pitcher, Leroy Paige, writes GEORGE KIMBALL

HE DEBUTED with the Cleveland Indians on July 9th, 1948, and pitched two scoreless innings in a 4-1 loss to the St Louis Browns. A week later in Philadelphia, pitching in relief of fellow Hall of Famer Bob Lemon, he recorded his first major league victory in an 8- 5, comeback win over the Athletics.

He didn't start a game until August 3rd of that year, but when he did, more than 75,000 people packed into Cleveland's Municipal Stadium for the occasion, a 3-2 win over the Athletics.

By the season's end he was 6-1 with an earned run average of 2.48, second-best in the American League. Though instrumental in helping the Indians win their first pennant in 28 years, he only pitched once as Cleveland took four of six games from the Braves to win the '48 World Series. (The Indians haven't won one since.)

You can read the rest of this great story at: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/132502491

Which Browns players were in spring training 1954 with the Baltimore Orioles?

If you recall, the St. Louis Browns were sold and moved to Baltimore to become the Orioles. The Browns players in spring training were:

Connie Berry; Billy Hunter; Don Larsen; Don Lenhardt; Les Moss; Duane Pillette; and Bob Turley