Friday, April 19, 2013

Friday Biscuits vs BayBears Preview 4/19

Today the Skitz look to come back after their extra inning loss on Thursday. The Biscuits send Mateo to the hill against Hagens for Mobile in the rubber game of the series.

The Baybears and Biscuits have slugged at least five runs per game combined in each of the contests in this series - the fireworks on Friday may not be limited to after the game if they keep putting up runs in the same fashion.

This could be the best game of an excellent series!

Monty cant wait for the fireworks!

THURSDAY WRAP
For both teams it became a battle of the bullpens, the Biscuits finally blinked in the 13th. Schenk was touched up for four runs in his one inning of work, the sixth Montgomery pitcher sent to the mound on the night, and took the loss.

Romero pitched well, striking out seven while giving up three runs in five and one thirds inning. He did allow another homer, to centerfield off the bat of Garrett Weber on an offspeed pitch with two strikes. Enny was lifted when he was starting to flirt with the 90 pitch mark - thanks to michelle who noticed that!

RADIO TIME!
I got to join Aaron for the top of the fourth inning, and had a blast chatting away. Hopefully I did well enough to be asked back sometime, as I didnt get to do any play-by-play. More of a color man in the half inning I was there, I made sure I would be remembered by bringing a present to the booth - Fernando Rodney's magic plantain!
The Magic Plantain

I dont think Aaron knew what to expect after that.

Which is good, at least we were both on even footing, because I didnt know what to expect from the whole thing!

Maybe I can get a copy of the inning to post, I don't recall much of what we talked about. I do recall mentioning that I give Ozzie Timmons advice - Aaron asked what kind of advice and I went on about Timmons not making an effort for foul balls because hes a former big leaguer and doesnt have to prove anything to anybody but thats his prerogative.

I talked about Enny Romero needing to work on his secondary pitches just before giving up a homer, and inquired about the rate at which he was giving up the long ball. Personally I think its because he is learning where to throw offspeed pitches - he surrendered hits on two strike pitches that were obviously breaking balls that were left out over the plate begging to be struck. It just looked like he was trying to figure it out, and when he does make that step he will become a top notch pitcher.

I was totally more prepared than I needed to be, I was ready for BABIP on both pitchers and knew their deep scouting numbers up one side and down the other!

Instead I discussed my favorite part of going to the ballgame. "Other than the great quality baseball...." was the way I tried to let everyone know I was there to see the game! haha

I hope I didn't make a mistake with one question - I was asked about the uniform, what I thought of the new jerseys. I said I liked them all right, they were a change from the vest tops but that I really liked the patch on the cap. When Aaron described it as an "Anniversary" patch I corrected him, saying it actually should be a "commemorative" patch, since anniversary is at the completion of an event and a commemoration denotes the event itself.


 As far as I knew I didnt drop any F-bombs or swear at all, even when Enny served up the gopher ball. So already I had a better first broadcast than Ron Santo!

Rons first words on the air weren't fit to broadcast!



LUCKYS STORY pt3
1918
RETURN TO BOSTON

Things are about to change for George "Lucky" Whiteman, and for the rest of America. World War I has sapped many teams of players, but 35 year old Lucky Whiteman is too old for drafting into the service.
Whiteman's daredevil act, jumping into a barrel

At the start of the spring Toronto sells his contract to the RedSox for $750. There is speculation that Sox owner Harry Frazee and barreldiver-turned-outfielder Whiteman are friends, being both from Peoria and both about the same age.

For the first time, Lucky will spend the entire season on the big league roster. He plays 71 games, and takes in life as a major league player.

1918 Boston Red Sox - Whiteman center row, third from left
This time however, its not on a team playing out the string in seventh place. The 1918 Red Sox win twenty more games than they lose and take the American League pennant easily. It was a great team powered by hard hitting pitcher Babe Ruth.


Ruth pitched and played outfield, sharing left field patrols with Lucky Whiteman. Lucky swiped nine bases, hit .266 and drove in 28 runs.
view of Fenway left field

Mogridge served it up
Late in the summer, during the last game of the season - the second game of a labor day doubleheader during the final road trip to New York, Lucky hit his first and only big league home run. It came off of Yankees lefty George Mogridge at the Polo Grounds. It was a solo homer in the top of the second inning, and ties the game at one run each. Lucky was batting cleanup that afternoon, and rewarded skipper Ed Barrow for penciling him into the lineup.








WORLD SERIES  1918

RED SOX VS CUBS

  THE UNEXPECTED FELLOW



“I’m lucky against these left-handed pitchers. No one is figuring that I’ll do much in the Series and you know it’s the unexpected fellow who usually does the heavy work.” 
George Whiteman - Sept 1918


 When the Cubs met the Red Sox in the 1918 Fall Classic, all fans eyes were on the big pitchers on both teams.

1918 Red Sox Rotation - Jones Mays Ruth Bush





Ruth was the #3 pitcher for a Sox team that featured Carl Mays, Sad Sam Jones and Bullet Joe Bush - opposing them was Hippo Vaughn's Cubs, a team running away with the National League, winning almost two games for every loss.

Cubs starter Vaughn has won the pitching triple crown - leading the league in Wins, strikeouts and Earned Run Average.


1918 Cubs Starting Rotation - 
Tyler, Vaughn, Douglas and Hendrix
 However there was more on the minds of America that October - the President had decreed that men "work or fight" as a part of the war effort. Many felt that baseball would not be played again for some time, or that it would be severely limited by wartime travel restrictions. Already many of the top players had been drafted or signed up for service overseas.

Also, closer to home, the day the series began at Comiskey, a bomb exploded at the Chicago Federal Building. It would turn out to be a group retaliating against Judge Floyd Landis. Also known as Kenesaw Mountain Landis, he will later be appointed as baseballs first commissioner when an investigation reveals gamblers influenced games in 1919.





Game One Ticket
GAME ONE


Ruth was the surprise starting pitcher for the first game of the series on the mound for the RedSox, giving Lucky the start in the outfield.

The Bambino won 11 games and spent more time in the field as he is becoming a homerun hitter more than a pitcher, but Boston manager Barrow wanted to start the lefty Ruth vs the Cubs.



World Series 1918 - Cubs vs Red Sox


1918 World Series Game One
This is a game of firsts in many ways.
For the first time, four umpires work on the infield. Previously there had been one behind the plate, one on the infield and the other two in the outfield along the foul lines.

During the seventh inning, the band plays what will become the National Anthem, marking the first time the song is played at a baseball game.

Red Sox 3b Fred Thomas has gotten clearance to return from the military to play in the Series vs the Cubs, and when he hears the strains of the Anthem start he snaps to attention. Several of his teammates stand with their caps off beside him, and another tradition is begun.


During the game, Lucky rapped with two hits in four trips with his father in attendance, his Pops first time seeing George in a major league game. Dad traveled from Texas to see Lucky, who had a big moment with a hit over the shortstop to move a runner into scoring position - that runner would later score the games only run on a Stuffy McInnis. The Red Sox make the one run lead stand up as Ruth pitches a shutout.

Left handed pitcher George Ruth
"Everyone expects me to start with Carl," Barrow had told Ruth that morning. "Jim Vaughn is almost sure to start for the Cubs, and if he does, I want to cross them up and pitch you. Don't say anything. I want this to be a surprise." 




TOMORROW - GAME TWO!

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