The APBA Blog

by Scott Fennessy

New York, NY
7/11/1905

The Cubs travel to New York, and begin a critical series against the Giants. This has become a heated rivalry, but the G-Men have become nearly unstoppable, and the Cubs have had a rash of injuries and suddenly their pitching has faltered. When the subject of injuries to the Cubs came up Giants manager John McGraw wanted to hear none of that; noting that MVP candidate Mike Bowerman has missed plenty of time and that Art Devlin has left many games early with nagging injuries and that even reserves Bill Clarke and Theo O’Neal (returning today) have missed significant time. The Cubs have the edge in pitching today as Ed Reulbach faces George Wiltse in what both managers described as “the mood setter”.

The Cubs get off get a one out double by the hot hitting Johnny Evers who now has a 3 game hit streak since coming back from the DL, but he is stranded at third as Wiltse shuts the Cubs down. The Giants are shut down as well and perhaps the mighty Giants will finally run into a bump in the road. The bruins come up empty in the second and the Giants begin to do what they do best and begin to pepper away. George Browne who is having an awesome year gets a one out single to center and steals second easily. Light hitting Sammy Strang singles him home and moves into second on Joe Tinker’s relay. This was big as on the next pitch to Bill Dahlen, it’s a slow roller that Frank Chance has to come in for and throw to Reulbach covering first and he is OUT!. But Reulbach is hurt! Ed has only been back for about 2 weeks for an injury to the same leg he is holding right now. Reulbach is helped off the field and unfortunately it is another heavy blow to the Cubs as he will miss 13 games, meaning another 4-5 starts with a bullpen that has been struggling already and now must put yet another into the rotation.

I said they had the depth to survive this, but I am beginning to wonder now. “Big Jeff” Pfeffer comes in to finish the inning with no further damage. Wiltse continues to roll, and now the Giants are closing for the kill. Pfeffer gets the first two outs with ease, but like so many pitchers lately have found they can strike at any time and they do again. Mike Donlin who has been absolutely the best hitter in baseball the last 2 weeks rips a single to left. McGraw sends him on the first pitch and Donlin waddles towards second as Dan McGann (photo above) slips one into the hole on the right side and runners are on the corners. McGann, who as a first baseman goes has good speed, and with hitters like Donlin, Browne and Bowerman around goes rather unnoticed on this club and sort of reminds me of Mark Grace steals second just under the tag. This opens first base and George Brown shocks the baseball world with a base loading walk. Browne has to work VERY hard to draw a base on balls (even having a 13 at 13) and it is just his 6th walk in 265 plate appearances. Strang comes through with a two run single and runners are on second and third as he takes second on the throw. Dahlen then repeats the process and the game has been broken wide open. Pfeffer finally retires Roger Bresnahan to finally end the inning, but this is now a 5-0 lead for the home team.

Neither pitchers allow any more offense until the Cubs finally waken in the 7th. Frank Schulte gets a single and steals second and moves to third with two out. Wiltse then bounces one in front of Bresnahan and this one bounces all the way to the Giants dugout. Schulte scores and finally they are on the board. Kling flies out and the inning ends.

This only fires up the Giant machine in their half as McGann gets his second hit of the day and then steals second again. Still on second with two out Strang singles scoring him, and moves to second on the throw. Eerily similar to the 3rd inning Dahlen gets an exact replica of Strangs hit and Sammy scores as the Cubs now trail 7-1. Chance has seen enough and Lundgren comes in to finish the frame. He does this, but not until walking two more men to put a big opportunity that somehow gets missed. The Giants get another scoreless inning from Wiltse and in the 8th try to really rub it in. Donlin gets another hit and McGann gets his third hit of the day and steals his third base as well. Browne strikes out and with two out Sammy Strang hits a blast deep down the line in right, Schulte is on his horse, and as he nears the corner makes a terrific diving grab in the corner to make the catch. Had he missed Strang would have had at least a triple, and maybe an inside the park homer.

The Cubs take one last shot at this in the ninth as Chance and Slagle get back to back doubles to put another run on the board, but it is not nearly enough as the Giants win 7-2.

This was a typical NY Giant game. Pitching and hitting did it all. The Cubs never had a chance. There is a definite pall in the Cub locker room as they learn about Reulbach going on the shelf again. This season is rapidly slipping away from them and they are now also looking over their shoulders as Pittsburg is rapidly closing on them!

In other news from Boston today congratulations to Tully Sparks of the Philadelphia Phillies as he collects his first career no hitter. The second for the Phillies this year, joining Bill Duggleby. The Phillies join the Cubs and White Sox as teams with more than one pitcher with a no hitter. Vic Willis of the 1901 Dodgers remains the only pitcher with 2 no hitters, and both against the Reds in a two week span. However for Tully he reigns supreme as his was my first ever PERFECT GAME. This was no gimmie though as Irv Young gave as good as he got allowing just one run on 3 hits himself. This was my 8th no hitter of the season. (kind of easy when there are this many A pitchers around)

Giants 49 14 .778
Cubs 44 20 .688

[photo credit]

by Scott Fennessy

Chicago, IL
7/7/13

The Cubs and Pirates meet this afternoon in Game 2 of this double header. The Cubs have won two of the first three games, including a very tight early game today that cost them Jake Weimer’s services for 3 starts. Deacon Phillippe for the Pirates is a certified ace and very tough to beat against Ed Reulbach, who has had mixed results since coming off the DL himself.

The Pirates put the pressure from the very first pitch, which Ginger Beaumont rips down the left field line. Jimmy Slagle is over and retrieves it near the corner and a good throw to Evers at short holds Beaumont at second with his 7th double of the year. He has had a great year so far hitting .317. Tom Leach then works a walk and trouble is quickly coming with Honus Wagner at the plate; he rips a solid one hopper at Tinker, over to Evers at short, leaping over Leach with a strong throw to Chance at first for the double play. Not exactly like the poem, but the same results anyway, but Beaumont does take third. Fred Clarke now at the plate and he is having terrific year too, as well as being the most clutch hitter lately, and he delivers again taking a curveball into right field for an RBI single as the rally continues. Dave Brain who had been struggling earlier is starting to show some real pop a the plate lately hits one to deep right center and Maloney and Schulte chase it to the wall, Clarke is going to score from first base and Brain is headed towards third, but Tinkers relay throw is on the money and Brain safely retreats to second with his 8th double of the year. Bill Clancey flies to left and the inning is over 2-0 Pirates. The Cubs waste a lead off double by Maloney and a walk by Schulte with no runs scoring.

The Pirates don’t score in the second, but the Cubs close the gap in their half as Tinker hits a blooper just over Brain’s head into left, and with the hit and run on Slagle puts one through the vacated hole at second and runners are now on the corners with nobody out. Jim Casey hits a slow rolling grounder, and Wagner makes the bare handed grab and throw in one fluid motion and gets Casey at first for the out, but Tinker scores and Slagle moves to third. Billy Maloney draws a two out walk, but Evers is retired to end the threat, but the score is now 2-1 Pirates leading.

Then as usually happens when two great pitchers meet up hitting stops for a bit, and this was no different. The Pirates get a walk by Brain in the 4th, and Phillippe retires 10 straight batters as the bucs come to the plate in the 6th. Wagner leads off with a walk and steals second well ahead of Johnny Kling’s throw. Brain hits a fly to deep right field, Frank Schulte makes the catch, but has no play at home and throws it in to Tinker as the Pirates extend the lead to 3-1. Claude Ritchey draws a tough two out walk but is stranded at first. The Cubs then try to get back in this as Schulte sends a grounder that is just between Wagner and Brain and is sent on the first pitch to Frank Chance. Chance hits one to center and Beaumont makes the play but runners are on the corners with nobody out, and the hit and run on again. Clarke catches a break as Schulte stumbles on his way home and is out after a rundown, with Chance moving to second. Kling then strikes out and Tinker hits a rocket down the first base line for extra bases, but wait! Ritchey makes a great diving stop and just beats Joe to first to end the inning.

The Pirates continue to chip away at Reulbach as Beaumont gets his second hit of the day with a single to left and then steals second just ahead of Tinkers tag as Kling had made a great throw. Leach then gets his second walk of the afternoon as Reulbach is starting to show signs of fatigue. Wagner then hits a pop up that Chance makes a play on in foul territory holding both runners, but Clarke comes through again, a single to right and Beaumont scores easily, but Brain flies to Slagle in left to end the inning, but the Pirates now have a 4-1 lead in the 7th inning and it does not look good right now. The Cubs finally get to Phillippe in their half of the inning though as Slagle gets another hit, his second of the day and moves to third on Casey’s single to center. Reulbach tries to lay the bunt down and is not able to do the job, and with one out runners are still on the corners. Maloney then hits a deep fly to left center, Leach is there but is not in good position to throw, as Slagle scores and Casey moves into second. Johnny Evers then hits one up the box scoring Casey and suddenly the Cubs have cut the lead to 1 but Schulte cannot deliver and the inning is over, with the Pirates leading 4-3.

As the Cubs take the field Chance lingers near the mound and asks Reulbach if he wants to continue the game. He knows already what the answer is, and the mind game works as Reulbach is suddenly fired up and mows the buccos in order, and the Cubs come to hit in the bottom of the 8th. Chance gets a fastball right in his sweet spot and rips this one high and deep to right, Clarke is giving chase and it hits the top of the wall, Clarke makes a good throw but Chance is in with a stand up double. Kling goes down easily with his third strike out of the day. Congrats Johnny, here’s your golden sombrero. Perhaps he needs a day off as he is struggling a bit. Tinker then draws a walk and runners are on first and second. Slagle cannot lay the bund down and eventually strikes out and Jim Casey who has had one of the best turnarounds I have seen in a long time rips a double into left center. Leach gets to the ball and the throw to Wagner, the relay home for the trailing Tinker, and he slides in just under Pietz’s tag and is safe!! Cubs take the lead with a furious late inning rally. Reulbach strikes out to end the inning and Phillippe does strike out the side, but not before melting down over two innings.

Reulbach gets a perfect 9th inning for the win and the Cubs sweep the double header. They still trail the Giants by 5 ½ games but are trying to close the gap. Phillippe was solid early but collapsed at the end and perhaps Clarke should have gone to the pen, but with nobody better he stuck with his ace and unfortunately came up short. For the Cubs Chance, Slagle and Casey each had 3 games and Casey is now up to a 6 game hit streak

Giants 48 14 .774
Cubs 44 17 .721

[photo credit]