Friday the 13th

 The 13th

The unlucky numbered friday brings images of curses, black cats and bad occurrences happening without reason. In fact, most bad luck is self made, a fact not lost on irony as concerns the Biscuits team, who already have just four wins against seven losses in the month of June.

Not all black cats are bad luck!

 We did take the second game against the Barons, even though we are just playing out the first half string. The next team we host is Mobile, after the SL Allstar Break.

Perhaps on the next homestand we can get Brady Williams or RC Lichtenstein to shed some light on the recent roster moves. Of course, there may be more moves before we get the chance!

 

 THIS WEEKS HISTORY LESSON

JUNE 8, 1942
CHEATHAM THE REBEL TIGER

The Montgomery Rebels added to the drawing power of the club by signing Auburn Tiger Lloyd Cheatham.

He would hit .324 in 30 games for Montgomery and later would play four seasons of pro football for New York and St.Louis in the 1940s.





JUNE 11, 1937 
PISTOL PETE PLAYS FIRST GAME... IN ALABAMA

Pete Reiser appears for Union Springs in a game vs Pensacola, going O-4 with an error at third base.

Reiser, aged fifteen at the time, later claimed never to have appeared in a game for Union Springs, but the box score indicates a forgettable game did happen.

DRIVERS LICENSE?
The Cardinals employed him as a chauffeur for scout Charlie Barrett after Reiser sneaked into a Cardinals tryout and impressed the team. Cards brass, who knew he was too young to sign, hired him to keep him loyal until he was of age. It was on his trip through the South with Barrett that Reiser wound up on the field at Pensacola.

Pete was later among a group of minor leaguers deemed free agents by Commissioner Landis, he wound up in the Dodgers chain. The Dodgers ownership had promised to sign Reiser and deal him back to the Cards, but Reiser was so impressive in spring training that the Brooklyn manager refused to part with the speedy, powerhitting lefty.


Pistol Pete is an AllStar Of/3B in the National League, mostly for Brooklyn from 1940-52. As a rookie he impressed manager Leo Durocher and later made an impression on the outfield wall in St.Louis and up to a dozen other fences in the National League.


INJURIES TAKE TOLL

Reiser learns the outfield wall is undefeated

Pete Reiser was carried off the field on a stretcher 11 times, he was conscious for six of them. Head injuries, shoulder injuries, broken arms and ankles, to say that Pete was injury prone is an understatement and it ended his playing career at age 30.

After baseball Reiser scouted and coached. He helped Maury Wills develop his base-stealing skills into an artform. After breaking Ty Cobbs stolen base record, Wills credited Pete Reiser as his baserunning mentor.


JUNE 13 1956

The Montgomery Rebels move to Knoxville.

A midseason shift is rare, but it did happen to Montgomery fans. Fortunately we dont go without baseball long, the Arkansas Travelers are brought in to replace the Rebels in just a few weeks.

Its a very unusual situation that will warrant its own blog post when we can dedicate more space to the circumstances!



JUNE 15 1907 
MOXEY'S DOUBLE-SHUTOUT DAY

New Orleans pitcher Moxey Manuel pitches both games of a doubleheader vs Bham, winning both games 1-0 with a two hit shutout and a six hit shutout.

'06 Pelicans, Moxey top row, second from left

Not Montgomery-related, but Wow, TWO shutouts in ONE day? Impressive!

Mark "Moxey" Manuel is said to be ambidextrous, perhaps he pitched one game lefthanded and one game righthanded, but that isnt known. He would earn a trip to the big leagues with the White Sox in 1908 for his fine work with New Orleans.