Thats Why They Are Biscuits, Snellzilla Future, AllStar Goat

After holding their own against a couple of the leagues tougher teams, the Montgomery road trip to Pensacola has been no fun at all. The Biscuits show their propensity to play badly against bad teams and may have a tough time avoiding being swept.

The good part of a bad road trip is that it comes to an end, and this one is no different. The Biscuits will head home for a day off and a fresh start against the next visitor to The Oven - the Tennessee Smokies.

SNELLZILLA THE FUTURE

Blake Snell made a nice appearance in the Futures Game, wearing his pants long and tossing a clean inning.

I will look forward to seeing him back at home in a Biscuits uniform, but he did a great job in Cincinnati.

 
Its been too long since we had a history installment, so jump in and enjoy!

HISTORY LESSON:
ALL STAR GOAT

 Blog favorite, Roy "Goat" Walker, is the chosen starter for the AllStar game, played this week in 1942.

Back then the team that had the best win-loss record on July 1st hosted the All Star Game. The rest of the league pieced an All Star team together and faced the host cities team, head to head!

In 1942 the Montgomery Rebels were that host team and its pitching ace, Goat Walker, was the obvious choice to take the hill against the Southeastern league AllStars as chosen by the fans.

Goat was a 20 game winner in 1940 for the Rebels and was one of the top hurlers in the league.

The article says "20-year-old veteran" but its a misprint. It should read "20 year veteran", as Walker is probably 38 years old on his second tour with Montgomery. Walker debuted with the Montgomery Lions in the 1920s, then went on to knuckleball his way through city leagues and industrial teams.

More than good enough for pro teams, Goat is one of the many who chose to play for just as much or more money in smaller leagues not affiliated or considered "professional" baseball. In an era before free agency, playing for this type of team allowed a player to make good money playing baseball all summer, a steady job with the employer in the offseason, less travel and lots more freedom to chose where he wanted to play.

However, as the country gears up for war, many younger players are unavailable for baseball and teams turn to the local and industrial leagues. It is this situation that opens the door for Roy "Goat" Walker to make a dramatic and successful comeback with Montgomery, including this All Star selection.

Goat Walker

After winning 63 games for Montgomery in the four seasons of 1927 thru 1930, Walkers return is just as good. Goat wins EXACTLY 63 more games in three years from 1940-'42!

Walker is twice a 20 game winner in his second go round in the Montgomery rotation until ate the ripe age of 38 when he is dealt to Memphis. The Goat keeps tossing the knuckleballs until the age of 45 when he makes yet another comeback, this time for Selma, appearing in over 120 innings over 23 games.

JOE ALLLSTAR MAKES BAREHAND CATCH

The average Joe who made the barehand catch in centerfield at Cramton Bowl impressed not only the fans in attendance, but obviously the Montgomery front office as well. After WW2 ends Cavosie plays three seasons for the Rebels, even managing them for a short time in 1946.

FERGIE

Bob Ferguson

The losing pitcher was Montgomery's Bob Ferguson. Sadly, Ferguson passed away in Wetumpka about seven years ago, he would have been a great source of info on the Montgomery team. Ferguson, who made the big leagues in nine games with Cincinatti, appears for the Rebels in five seasons during the 1940s. He also played for the Barons and
other Alabama-area teams.