Two Weird Ones, with the White Sox

As printed in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch "On This Date" column (page B4), the Browns were involved in two weird records on this date in baseball history. Both involved the Chicago White Sox, but separated by two decades.

On April 27, 1909, the Browns set a record for frustration by losing their third consecutive 1-0 game, all to the same team, the White Sox, at South Side Grounds. The losses were suffered April 25 by Bill Grahame, April 26 by four-time 20-game winner Jack Powell, and April 27 by future Hall of Famer, Rube Waddell. On April 27, 1930, White Sox first baseman Bud Clancy had no chances against the Browns in a nine-inning game. A team has to get 27 outs somehow. So, no chances for the first baseman means a lot of strikeouts and pop flies to the outfield (what broadcaster Mike Shannon terms cans of corn"). Not for nothing is the St. Louis Browns Historical Society's journal called Pop Flies. It is not often in baseball that the first-baseman comes off like "the Maytag repairman."

Tempting it certainly is to read a Whole Lotta Significance (to paraphrase Led Zeppelin) into the April 27, 1909 record. 1909 was a pivotal year and this setback may itself have been the pivitoal event in this pivotal year. But first a brief review of Browns history.

The Browns started their run in St. Louis in 1902 well enough. They almost took the pennant in their inaugural campaign, braced as they were by a number of "jumpers" from the National League, including two who would become Hall-of-Famers.* But the rest of the decade was spotty.

Nonetheless, owner Robert Lee Hedges stuck with the cast and crew that was "present and on roll" in 1902 ... including manager Jimmy McAleer. By 1908, McAleer's bunch had apparently righted the ship: the Browns had a .546 winning percentage, their best record since '02, giving Hedges fits in how to accommodate the crowds showing up at his door.** In the off-season, with the wind in his sails from '08, Hedges embarked on a complete rebuild of Sportsman's Park, expanding seating and fortifying it with the then-novel materials of concrete and steel.***

On April 24, the Browns completed a two-games-to-one series victory against Cleveland at League Park to climb to .500. But after the three straight 1-0 heartbreaking losses, the Browns would never climb above .500 again for '09. In fact, it would not be until 1916, after the federal court pulled the plug on the Federal League and the Browns took over the roster of the St. Louis Terriers, that the Browns would finish over .500 for a season.

After the '09 season, Hedges finally pulled the plug on inaugural manager Jimmy McAleer, whose eight-year run is topped only by St. Louisan Earl Weaver in Browns/Orioles franchise history.

The thing you can say about any 1-0 loss is its demoralizing for a team. The losers during this three game series were in order, Grahame, Powell and Waddell.

Bill Grahame was no standout. The next year, Grahame would have an 0-8 record in nine games pitched and would be sent back to the minors never to return. But with aces Powell, a former 20-game winner, and Waddell, a future Hall of Famer going to the hill and pitching that well, you expect to win.

Did losing those three games demoralize the Browns for the rest of the season? We cannot interview any of the participants so we will have to only speculate.





* Had jumping not been banned by the National Agreement, query whether Curt Flood's challenge of the reserve clause would have even been necessary.

**Sporting News, April 30, 1908 page 4, column 4

*** Technically the first concrete and steel stadium, though Philadelphia's Shibe Park

WADDELL PAYS FOR SELF IN ONE CONTEST

20,000 Philadelphia Fans Cheer Rube As He Beats His Old Team Mates

BY JAMES CRUSINBERRY

PHILADELPHIA – All hats off to Rube Waddell today. He turned a trick on dear old Philadelphia that no other ball player in the world could do. He beat the home team and was cheered by 20,000 of the most loyal fans in the world.

Click on Photo to Enlarge

It was the first time in history that Philadelphia has rooted for the visiting team - the St. Louis Browns

The remarkable part of the performance was that every man, woman and child in that immense throng was for Rube Waddell. They were willing to sacrifice victory for their team in a championship game just to see their pitcher of former years win the contract. It was Rube’s day from start to finish.

All loyalty to the Athletics was tossed to the wind when Rube Waddell, now with the Browns, was doing the pitching. The great crowd yelled with delight as Rube cut the ball over the played and fanned out the idolized hitters of the home team and the crowd cheered further when the Browns opened up a batting rally in the seventh inning.

20,000 Paid to See Rube

Rube paid for himself in one game. All by himself he drew a crowd of 20,000 persons when it is doubtful 4,000 would have attended under ordinary conditions. At least two factories closed their doors at 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon to allow the workmen to attend the game. Business down town was almost suspended. It was not to see the Browns and Athletics play ball that the people thronged the grounds. It was to see Rube pitch once more.

 

The game drew more than 20,000 fans, a remarkable total for the time. Without Rube, the Athletics experienced a 27 percent decrease in home attendance from 1907 to 1908 while the Browns enjoyed 48 percent increase in home attendance.

NAIL ON THE LID! RUBE WADDELL IS COMING

February 15, 1908

Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette

 

NAIL ON THE LID! RUBE WADDELL IS COMING

Scheduled to Reach French Lick This Week

 

            His Rubelets Waddell, far famed as a left-handed pitcher, is due to arrive at French Lick the latter part of this week to begin training for the 1908 season.  Rube is now the property of the St. Louis American league club, having been bought from the Philadelphia Americans last week. His first action when apprised of the deal was to wire President Hedges, of the St. Louis club, from Mobile, Ala., for $100. What he got was a railroad ticket and a coupon for a berth, with an order to a report immediately in St. Louis.

 

            Hedges never even thought of standing for the touch. Imagine Rube in Mobile with $100 in his clothes.  He probably would give an automobile parade through Main street. Rube and Jack Powell, of the St. Louis staff, will be shipped to French Lick one week ahead of the other members of the team.

 

            Hedges smiled and was pleased when he received Waddell’s telegram asking for money.  He knew Rube had not changed and he wants him just as he was when he was with the Athletics.  He hopes that there also will be no change in his ability and that he can win a couple of pennants for St. Louis as he did for Philadelphia.

This day in baseball: July 29

July 29, 1908: Rube Waddell struck out 16 as the St. Louis Browns beat the Philadelphia A’s 5-4.

July 29, 1911: Joe Wood of the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Browns with a 5-0 no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader. Wood fanned 12 and allowed three baserunners on two walks and a hit batsman.