Sweatin’ out the hits
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Retelling the 1920 Indians story
Every working parent knows this experience and can expect absolutely no consolation.
It’s hot. So hot no air conditioning or rationalizing about humidity can bring relief. Your clothes are wet in a variety of embarrassing places. The traffic was utterly without mercy. You open the door hoping your home has a cool dark place with a cooler and darker beer.
But there behind the door are the bright faces of children who have been bored to tears because you weren’t around all day to entertain them. Behind them is a spouse who considers you an all-too-late relief pitcher after a par boiled. You love it all, but your work is not done.
This is how I suggest you relate to the Cleveland Indians of July 1920, particularly Jim Bagby. They were looking forward to returning home after visiting cool places like Philadelphia and Boston.
The eager faces waiting for them were fans who had led themselves to believe Cleveland had a championship to win.
“The ball club returns to its own stamping ground Sunday to meet the Chicago White Sox, figured by some followers of the national pastime as the aggregation which must be beaten by the pennant winners,” according to a painfully cheerful story in the Plain Dealer. “Because of this way of figuring, if things baseball can be figured, and because the White Sox gave the Yankees such a battle in New York, Cleveland fans look for a struggle here Sunday.”
Was there a verb in that sentence?
“…And because they want to see a struggle, they gobbled up all the reserved seats for Sunday shortly after the sale had opened. ‘All Sunday seats sold’ reads the sign in Pyle & Allen’s downtown ticket office.”
Yes, the town was upbeat eager for some midsummer fun and postseason miracles.
The perspiring ballplayers probably saw none of this as they steamed along.
THURSDAY, July 15. Indians 5, Philadelphia 1 — A 59 minute appetizer with Jim Bagby pitching a complete game. The Indians pitcher was barely mentioned in the report but the A’s guy, Slim Harriss, was noted in a classic, fourth-grade child’s style:
“He threw the ball time and again and was able to hit a bat nearly every time. Before his perspiring teammates had retired the side, the Clevelanders had four more runs across and they called it a day.”
Wrong. Harriss only pitched two innings but the other teams carried on for a legally sufficient six innings.
FRIDAY. Athletics 5. Indians 4. The Tribe took a 4–3 lead to the bottom of the ninth and it would be tempting to say they ran out of gas but history shows they had plenty more resources to exhaust.
“After one was down, Dykes singled and Walker walked. When two balls had been called on Welch, Uhle was removed and old Jim Bagby, who worked yesterday, took his place. Jim finished the job started by George and walked Welch.
“Here is where some hard luck roasted the wigwam, for it looked as if Umpire Nallin missed a perfect third strike on Dugan. Bagby protested loudly and long but to no avail. Then he grooved one, Joe socked it to left for a single and two runs came in. That was the end of an imperfect day.”
“Perspiring” on Thursday, “roasted” on Friday. On to Boston for a game rescheduled from May 11 when it likely was a bit cooler.
SATURDAY. Indians 5, Red Sox 2, Indians 5, Red Sox 2. The Indians win two by identical scores and thanks to complete games by Ray Caldwell and Guy Morton the services of Bagby were not required.
SUNDAY. Following the original labor law, the Bible, no baseball was played on this day.
MONDAY: Indians 10, Red Sox 6. Back to work, Bagby.
Apparently, no one bothered to post Boston weather data on the Internet back in 1920 but let’s imagine there was something of a cooling effect by the Bay.
“Stanley Coveleskie breezed along until the seventh when singles by Walters and Bush, a walk to Foster and Menosky’s double caused his withdrawal. Then Jim Bagby stepped in and was the master until the close.”
Yeah, that’s a start and two relief appearances in five days.
But wait! There’s more! He finished the first game and started the second.
Red Sox 5, Indians 4: The righthander might be tiring.
“Bagby was not effective and managed to retain the advantage until the ninth mainly because his playmates were hustling behind him. Pennock was also pummeled vigorously, but seemed to be a little tighter in the pinches.”
At this point the Indians have played six games in five days and Bagby pitched in four of them.
TUESDAY. Indians 9, Red Sox 8 — The teams managed 29 hits and 17 runs, so Bagby was needed again.
“There must have been a few more gray hairs in Speaker’s thatch when he loped across the field for the welcome shower. His pitchers did not behave nicely, or else they ran into the Sox on one of those afternoons when all pitchers look alike. Morton eased along for a while on a comfortable lead, which soon began to dwindle and he was yanked in the sixth after two runs were in by means of four bingles. Niehaus fanned Karr and closed the sixth, but when Hooper opened the seventh with a double, Niehaus got the gate and Uhle hopped into the arena where he remained until the start of the eighth when he hit McNally. Then Bagby was called in and he managed to weather the tempest.
In this stretch, Bagby had two starts and three relief appearances in five days. That’s 21 and a third innings with 34 hits, six runs and five walks. Two wins and two blown saves.
On to New York and the bright faces of Cleveland fans and the boss.
“Scores of Clevelanders, who refuse to be denied the “little World Series” have gone to New York for this crooshial (sic) set of contests. James C. Dunn, president of the club, accompanied by Mrs. Dunn, left Chicago yesterday for the Conflicts.”
With this came the heart-warming news that Dunn was cashing in on their success once they get home.
“Cleveland fans will be given the chance to compare the abilities of the world’s champions and the Ohio contenders next Monday. For then the Indians play the Cincinnati Reds here. It should furnish a good contest if the managers insert their regular line-ups for the fans who are looking for a world series between these clubs this fall.”
Playing it again
The raid didn’t fall and Bagby finished what he started in this Strat-O-Matic recreation of the July 15 game.
As in real life these Indians are neck and neck with the Yankees for the American League pennant.
With this win, the Indians are 52–28, a .650 winning percentage. Surprisingly, they are only 10–10 in one run games and 1–1 in extra inning games. They score an average of 7.21 runs a game and allow 4.91.
This was a tight one all the way through and a little luck might have helped the A’s pull it out. They missed what might have been a two-run single late in the game when they rolled a 19 on a 1–17 chance.
I hope to have a Netplay game each week, so if you are a Strat-O-Matic player, let me know you would like to play. DavidAScott@gmail.com
Previous blog posts:
The Spitter Starts Sliding Out of Baseball
It Happens Every Spring — in Cleveland Anyway
Cleveland Fans Party — Tribe Style
Throwing it around in the old days
Bagby Flashes but Soon will Fade
Dave Scott was a newspaper writer and editor for 40 years. He is a lifelong baseball fan and a member of the Society for American Baseball Research for decades, although SABR records might indicate I skipped my dues on occasion! DavidAScott@gmail.com I owe a great debt to the Cleveland Public Library for its excellent resources.
I make no money from this blog. Please consider sharing it on your social media. New editions come every Wednesday. Let me know if you want an email notice when it is posted.
The following have helped me tremendously with editing, error correction and technical advice:
David Bodemer
Ken Krsolovic
Joe Shaw
Vince Guerrieri
Thanks to all of you!
