This Week in Stratball - 6/26/17

This Week in Stratball 

6/26/17

CRAWFORDS STUMBLE, THEN ROAR

With a 5-4 record, the barnstorming Pittsburgh Crawfords came home to host the Brooklyn Dodgers. Though not a formidable team, Brooklyn slapped around Sam Streeter for 7 runs in little more than 3 innings and cruised to a 9-5 win (see side note regarding Astoria-born Tony Cuccinello's contributions). The Crawfords' Bert Hunter dug a hole for himself in the next game, allowing 4 runs in the opening frame. The Craws fought back and tied the game after 5 innings, but Hunter stumbled in the 8th and the Dodgers walked away with a 6-4 win. Buzz Boyle (3-run double in the first) and Len Koenecke (solo HR in the 8th) provided the offensive spark for Brooklyn.

Buzz Boyle, Brooklyn

Len Koenecke, Dodger slugger

With a record of 5-6, Pittsburgh seemed listless. But, sparked by the bottom of their lineup and some stout pitching from Leroy Matlock, they evened their record the next day by beating Brooklyn 7-4. In that game, the bottom third of the order, including Matlock in the 9-hole, collected 7 hits and scored and drove in 2 key runs. John Henry Russell collected three of those hits and scored both of the runs.

The New York Giants, featuring Carl Hubbell, Bill Terry, and Mel Ott, then came into town. Satchel Paige committed an error in the first, leading to 3 runs. Josh Gibson responded with a 2-run HR in the bottom of the first and Oscar Charleston supplied his own 2-run bomb in the third. Paige, meanwhile, allowed just 2 hits for the rest of the game, improving his record to 4-0. Though Prince Hal Schumacher quieted Crawford bats the next day - he allowed just four hits en route to a 4-2 victory - a corner had been turned. Pittsburgh went forward to win 6 of the next 7, completing its first tour of the National League with a 13-8 record.

Some highlights of those games:

- an 11-run inning against the Giants in which Charleston doubled and tripled in the same inning.
- a 12 strikeout performance by Paige against the Phillies, running his record to 5-0.
- Judy Johnson went 5-5 with 3 doubles, leading a 14-3 shellacking of the Phillies.
- the reversal of Sam Streeter, winner of 2 straight games with fine pitching performances.
- a thrilling comeback from a 7-1 deficit against the Boston Braves, with Paige providing 9th-inning relief help in a 9-7 win.

"COOCH" REPRESENTS ASTORIA COMMUNITY

My hometown burg, Astoria, is a busy little NYC community bordered,  on the west, by the East River and framed by the Triboro (now RFK) and Hell Gate Bridges. 

The Hell Gate Bridge, looking heavenly

Though now bustling, in the early 20th century it was countryside and farmland, famously referenced in The Great Gatsby. It was THIS Astoria that gave major league baseball the Cuccinello brothers, Tony and Al.

Tony, the focus of these thoughts, became the first Astoria-born batter (I've used the great Whitey Ford - a Hall-of-Fame pitcher for the Yankees who grew up in Astoria - many times) that I've ever used in Strat-o-matic. He was a capable middle infielder who bounced around the National League during the Great Depression. He made the All-star team three times and occasionally garnered some MVP votes. Looking through the record book, it's clear that Tony, while not a star, was a valuable guy to have on your team. I had long been aware that he was from Astoria and looked forward to using his card in one of my games.

All the way from "the country"... Astoria, NYC

His debut was sensational. In the first, he singled and drove in a run. In the third, he doubled and drove in a run. In the fourth, he put the game away with a 3-run homer! In his fourth at bat, "Cooch" completed the cycle with a triple. In his first 4 at bats, he drove in 5 runs and completed one of the rarest batting feats in baseball! My hometown heart swelled. Congrats, Cooch, ya dun good ...