Sunday, April 13, 2008

On Deck

ON DECK FOR THE GIANTS

TEAM: 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates

WHERE AND WHEN: Cottage Hill Field, Steelton, PA, 3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday

PIRATE PROBABLE STARTERS: RHP Jack Chesbro (26-6 2.17), Deacon Phillippe (20-9 2.05), Jesse Tannehill (20-6 1.95), SAm Leever (16-7 2.39)

HARRISBURG PROBABLE STARTERS: RHP Cliff Carter (5-8 5.32) in the opener, RHP Geechie Corbett (5-8 5.21) on Tuesday, LHP Willie Gisentaner (5-6 5.02) Wednesday, and RHP Chas Henry (3-4 3.34) in the finale.

PIRATE TOP HITTERS: HOFers RF Honus Wagner (.330) and LF Fred Clarke (.316); CF Ginger Beaumont (.357), 1B Kitty Bransfield (.305)

HARRISBURG TOP HITTERS: CF Oscar Charleston (.319), 1B Ben Taylor (.300), 3B John Beckwith (.285), RF Rap Dixon (.260)

NOTES: 1902 is the only year that Pittsburgh, these Pirates, and Philadelphia, Connie Mack's Athletics, both captured their respective NL and AL pennants. Unfortunately, this was the last year before the birth of the World Series.

1925 Hilldale Daisies

April 11 West End Grounds, Harrisburg
Attendance 1,919
Umpires Julip Arp, Art Fields
HILL 100 020 010 - 4 LP - Phil Cockrell
HBG 201 011 10x - 6 WP - Willie Gisentaner, Save - S. Cooper
HR - Ben Taylor (4)
Feature: Hall of Famer Ben Taylor paced the Lawmakers attack with a pair of hits, including his 4th round tripper, and a sac fly. Willie Gisentaner hurled six strong innings and Wilbur Pritchard and Sam Cooper brought it home. Rap Dixon, Oscar Charleston and John Beckwith also had two hits each as the Giants pounded 12 safeties off Phil Cockrell. The same two teams will be back in action tomorrow at the uptown grounds.


April 12 West End Grounds, Harrisburg
Attendance 1,942
Umpires Art Fields, Julip Arp
HILL 202 013 002 - 10 WP - Red Ryan
HBG 000 000 220 - 4 LP - Chas Henry
HR - none
Feature: On March 30th I played a game at a Barack Obama rally and today, April 12, I played this game at a rally for Obama. This time the candidate was not present not that he witnessed the first game but he was in the building. Red Ryan picked up the win for Hilldale but was also at one point warming up for Harrisburg. Only in fantasy or simulated baseball can that happen. Otto Briggs three hits paced the Hilldale Daisie attack. The action moves to Lancaster for tomorrow's doubleheader.
April 13 Rossmere Base Ball Park, Lancaster, PA Sunday Doubleheader
Attendance 2,561
Umpires Julip Arp, Art Fields
HIL 422 100 410 - 14 WP - Nip Winters
Hbg 000 010 030 - 4 LP - Daltie Cooper 4-7 3.92
HR - Wise Johnson (2)

Umpires Art Fields, Julip Arp
HIL 102 103 020 - 9 WP - Rube Currie
Hbg 000 001 000 - 1 LP - Ping Gardner 4-8 7.07
HR - none
Feature: The Hilldale Club, featuring Hall of Famers Biz Mackey, Judy Johnson, and Louis Santop swept this doubleheader in Lancaster. A relaxed Nip Winters won the first game despite permitting 11 baserunners. The Hilldale hitters pounded 22 hits enabling the relaxation. In the nightcap, Frank Warfield led the 16 hit attack with four safeties, George Carr and Mackey had three each. Rube Currie pitched a nifty five hitter for the victory. The losses leaft the Giants 12 games under .500 with only 42 games to play.

1986 New York Mets

April 7 West End Grounds, Harrisburg
Attendance: 1,985
Umpires: Julip Arp, Art Fields
NYM 201 001 000 000 006 - 10 WP - Roger McDowell
HBG 000 000 400 000 001 - 5 LP - Willie Fordham 2-1 7.71
HR - Kevin Mitchell
Feature: Dwight Gooden was rolling along with two hit shutout into the 8th when he weakened yielding a walk to pinchitter Jenkins and a single to Spottswood Poles. Rick Anderson failed to shut the door and the teams went to the 9th tied at 4. Four Giant relievers matched Doug Sisk and Roger McDowell in keeping the score tied. However, in the top of the 15th Willie Fordham didn't have the stuff facing 11 batters and allowing six runs to take the loss. McDowell hurled a game five innings permitting only one run for the win.

April 8 West End Grounds, Harrisburg
Attendance: 1,984
Umpires: Art Fields, Julip Arp
NYM 201 010 000 - 4 LP - Randy Nieman
HBG 001 011 11x - 5 WP - Ryan 10-7
HR - Fats Jenkins (3)
Feature: Jenkins hits game winner in bottom of 8th; Red Ryan hurls two scoreless innings for the victory.April 9 West End Grounds, Harrisburg
Attendance: 1,578
Umpires: Art Fields, Julip Arp
NYM 000 302 013 - 9 LP Bob Ojeda
HBG 009 120 11x -14 WP Cliff Carter 5-8
HR - Howard Johnson, Oscar Charleston (14), Cliff Carter (1), John Beckwith (8)

April10 West End Grounds, Harrisburg
Attendance: 1,632
Umpires: Julip Arp, Art Fields
NYM 103 101 000 - 6 WP Sid Fernandez
HBG 000 200 010 - 3 LP Geechie Corbett 5-8
HR - Hernandez
Feature: The series ended 2-2 with the Giants bats coming alive against superior Mets pitching. Gooden, Darling, Ojeda and Fernandez pitched to a composite E.R.A. of 6.17. Hopefully this hitting attack will continue. In the key third game (4/9), Cliff Carter, Giant hurler, had a better game at the plate than on the mound as he went 2 for 3, with a Grand Slam and a walk. He went the route as a pitcher but permitted 9 runs to score.

TWIB: 4/7-13

On the season, the Giants have a 47-57 .452 record which leaves them only four games over .500 for the six season run. Oscar Charleston is enjoying a banner year with a .313 average, 13 homers, and 75 ribbies. Rap Dixon is hitting .268, 9, 49 but with 18 steals and 64 runs scored.

This week the action moves to West End Grounds (4th & Seneca in uptown Harrisburg) before returning to Lancaster next Sunday for a double header. Here is the schedule

at West End Grounds
4/7-10 1986 New York Mets: Gary Carter, Dwight Gooden, Daryl Strawberry
4/11-12 1925 Hilldale Club: Biz Mackey, Judy Johnson, Louis Santop

at Rossmere Base Ball Field
4/13 1925 Hilldale Club

UPCOMING EVENT
April 26th, 3:00, the 1954-57 Harrisburg Giants will be honored at a banquet at 2020 Market Street. Tickets are $25 and can be ordered from Willie Fordham at 765-7565. There will be a nice ceremony including my presentation on Rap Dixon and all living members of this great team will be in attendance.

1916 Indianapolis ABCs

April 4
Island Park, Harrisburg (A- 2,673)
Umpires Art Fields, Julip Arp
Indy 024 002 000 - 8 LP - Frank Wickware
HBG 003 010 60x - 10 WP - Willie Fordham (2-0 6.23)
HR - none

Feature: Both lineups included Hall of Famers Oscar Charleston and Ben Taylor; that kind of shared lineup can only happen in fantasy baseball. Twice Indy's Taylor put Harrisburg's Charleston out at first and once Harrisburg's Taylor put his own self out. The ABCs jumped to the early lead 6-0 chasing Willie Gisentaner in the 3rd but the Giant's bullpen slowed the Indy train enough to permit the Giants bats to catch and pass them. The Giants scored 6 times after Carlos Washington stirring "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on his trumpet. The rally began when Taylor and John Beckwith singled to start the inning and after two outs - Bunny Downs drew a walk, and then Fats Jenkins, Spotswood Poles, Rap Dixon and Oscar Charleston stroked hits leaving the Giants up 10-8. Wilbur Pritchard held the ABCs in check in the 8th and 9th to earn the save; Willie Fordham, despite two shaky innings, picked up the win, his second of the season.

***

102 April 5
Island Park, Harrisburg (A-2,413)
Umpires: Art Fields, Julip Arp
Indy 023 100 330 - 12 WP - Jim Jeffries
HBG 106 000 001 - 8 LP - Red Ryan 9-7 4.20
HR - Russell Powell, Fats Jenkins (2)

#103-104 April 6
Rossmere Base Ball Park, Lancaster (A-2,698)
Umpires: Julip Arp, Art Fields
Indy 100 021 100 - 5 WP - Dizzy Dismukes
HBG 000 000 000 - 0 LP - Daltie Cooper 4-6 3.43
HR - none

Umpires: Art Fields, Julip Arp
Indy 420 310 040 - 14 WP - Steel Arm Johnny Taylor
HBG 101 023 500 - 12 LP - Miles Lucas 6-4 4.79
HR - Rap Dixon (9), Oscar Charleston (13)

Feature: The Indianapolis ABCs, after losing the opener, captured three straight and made a run on the Hoverter-Reed but in the end fell short. Their best performance was Dizzy Dismukes shutout. He yielded doubles to Oscar Charleston and Spottswood Poles and nothing else. Given the fact that Giant bats were hot, scoring 10 runs per game against the other ABC hurler, Dismukes performance stood out even more. Oscar Charleston, appearing in both lineups, demonstrated his Hall of Fame skills, by pounding 15 hits in 35 trips for a .429 batting average, four doubles, a triple, and a homer for a .686 slugging percentage, drawing 7 walks and being hit by one pitch for a .535 on base percentage and a spectacular 1.221 OPS! Ben Taylor, also playing for both teams, acquitted himself well going 11 for 31 (.355 AVG), with all singles (.355 SLG), and a walk (.375 OBP) and a 0.73 OPS. Ol' Ben also stole a base.

1984 Detroit Tigers

through games of March 30th the Harrisburg Giants had a record of 45-51 .469 ... the next opponent on the schedule was the 1984 Detroit Tigers (104-58 .642), managed by Sparky Anderson, which not only won the AL pennant and later the World Series but never trailed all year as they took first place on opening day and never trailed. Earlier this week they visited Island Park in Harrisburg; here is a summary of those games:

March 31
Attendance 2,421
Umpires Julip Arp, Art Fields
Det 010 001 013 - 6 WP - Milt Wilcox
Hbg 012 020 000 - 5 LP - Miles Lucas (6-3 4.28)
HR - none

April 1
Attendance 2,561
Umpires Art Fields, Julip Arp
Det 044 010 110 - 11 WP - Juan Berenguer
Hbg 220 003 000 - 7 LP - Ping Gardner (4-7 6.46)
HR - Lou Whittaker, Kirk Gibson

April 2
Attendance 2,389
Umpires Julip Arp, Art Fields
Det 130 220 200 - 10 WP - Dan Petry
Hbg 040 021 000 - 7 LP - Daltie Cooper (4-5 3.44)
HR - Kirk Gibson, Larry Herndon, Edgar Wesley (4), Ruppert Jones

April 3
Attendance 2,509
Umpires Art Fields, Julip Arp
Det 000 000 000 - 0 LP - Jack Morris
Hbg 000 100 000 - 1 WP - Geechie Corbett (5-7 5.20)
HR - none

NOTES: For the second straight series the Giants escaped a sweep with a well pitched game in the finale. Chas Henry was the hero last time with a 3-2 win over the Saint Louis Stars; this time it was Geechie Corbett who limited the Tigers to three hits while walking five and permitting no runs. He was matched, almost, by Tiger ace Jack Morris who allowed only two hits. The only run came in the bottom of the 4th, when Rap Dixon led off with a walk and moved to 2nd on a ground out. Then Harrisburg's Hall of Fame first baseman - Ben Taylor - singled sharply to right to score Dixon. Corbett took care of his business the rest of the way. The loss stymied the hopes of the Tigers to make the Hoverter-Reed Cup Round Robin at the end of the season.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

This Week in Baseball

Mar 31-April 3 - action returns to Island Park in Harrisburg with the Detroit Tigers of 1984 invading the island to take on the Giants. Here are the expected pitching matchups:
March 31 Milt Wilcox v Cliff Carter
April 1 Juan Berenguer v Ping Gardner
April 2 Dan Petry v Daltie Cooper
April 3 Jack Morris v Geechie Corbett

Then it is the Indianapolis ABCs coming to town for single games on the island on Friday and Saturday followed by the traditional Sunday doubleheader at Lancaster's Rossmere Base Ball Park. The ABCs have yet to announce their rotation but the Giants are prepared to throw
Willie Gisentaner and Chas Henry in the Capital City followed by Carter & Gardner in the Red Rose City doubleheader on the 6th.

In addition to this exciting action, the 2008 edition of the Harrisburg Senators open up their season with the following events:
April 1 Open Workout Session with free hot dogs
April 2 Annual Welcome the Senators Banquet at the Hilton
April 3 Opening Night v Akron Aeros (I intend on attending)
April 4 v Akron Aeros (ditto)
April 5 v Akron Aeros
April 6 v Akron Aeros
April 26 Harrisburg Giants Banquet at 2020 Market Street
June 30 12th annual Harrisburg Senators Negro League Commemorative Night

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Devil

Willie Wells collected 9 hits including a home run to lead the Saint Louis Stars to a three games to one triumph over the slumping Harrisburg Giants (45-51 .469). Cool Papa Bell delivered five hits, and a couple of steals. Mule Suttles had four hits, three of them long. All told those three Hall of Famers collected 18 hits in 50 at bats for a .360 average. Harrisburg's Hall of Famer - Oscar Charleston - went five for 13 (.385) in his own right including stepping up big in game seven knocking in two and magnificently handling the pitching staff as the Giants eked out a 3-2 win to avoid the sweep.

at Cottage Hill Field, Steelton, PA
March 28
Attendance - 2295
Umpires - Art Fields, Julip Arp
StL 001 111 110 - 6 WP - Leroy Matlock
Hbg 000 001 200 - 3 LP - Daltie Cooper (4-4 3.08)
HR - none

March 29
Attendance - 2303
Umpires - Julip Arp, Art Fields
St L 100 102 000 - 4 WP - Ted Trent
Hbg 100 000 001 - 2 LP - Geechie Corbett (4-7 5.73)
HR - A.D. Creacy

at Rossmere Base Ball Park, Lancaster, PA
March 30
Attendance - 2,781 (236,328 ytd, 84 dates)
Umpires - Art Fields, Julip Arp
StL 205 001 000 - 8 WP - Ted Radcliffe
Hbg 000 000 000 - 0 LP - Willie Gisentaner (4-6 4.88)
HR- J.H. Russell, Mule Suttles,

Umpires - Julip Arp, Art Fields
StL 000 001 001 - 2 LP - Logan Hensley
Hbg 101 001 00x - 3 WP - Chas Henry (3-3 2.73) Save - Sam Cooper
HR - Frog Redus, John Beckwith (7), Willie Wells

NOTE: Double Duty Radcliffe threw a two hit shutout in the first game of the Sunday doubleheader and caught game two; however at the plate he went O for 9 and stranded 11 baserunners. Chas Henry, Pepe Lucas, and Sam Cooper put together a stellar game scattering 11 hits and a pair of walks but yielding only two solo home runs.

Catching Up

Since the last post, the Giants bats have completely fallen on hard times and the pitching has fallen off a bit also. Accordingly the Giants find themselves with a 44-48 record with 14 series remaining before the Hoverter-Redd Cup Round Robin.

The most recent series saw the Jints taking on the "We Are Family" Pirates from 1979 in a four game set at Steelton's Cottage Hill Field.

March 24
Attendance - 2325
Umpires - Julip Arp, Art Fields
Pgh 010 001 000 - 2 LP - John Candelaria
Hbg 001 010 10x - 3 WP - Lefty Lucas 6-2 3.89
HR - none

March 25
Attendance - 2,116
Umpires - Fields, Arp
Pgh 530 700 001 - 16 WP - Bert Blyleven Save - Jim Bibby
Hbg 000 010 000 - 1 LP - Ping Gardner 4-6 5.87
HR - none

March 26
Attendance - 1,972
Umpires - Arp, Fields
Pgh 300 000 000 - 3 WP - Bruce Kison
Hbg 000 000 000 - 0 LP - Cliff Carter 4-8 5.36
HR - Dave Parker, John Milner

Match 27
Attendance - 1,678
Umpires - Fields, Arp
Pgh 031 000 000 - 4 LP - Don Robinson
Hbg 404 001 00x - 9 WP - Sam Cooper 3-5 4.37
HR - Oscar Charleston (12), William Owens (2), Bill Madlock

The Giants came back behind a sterling, seven inning, 4 hit, no run, relief performance by Sam Cooper to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the last game of a four game series to earn a split. Oscar Charleston paced the attack going 2 for 4, with a walk, double and a round tripper, scoring three and knocking in two. Pitcher Cooper also had an RBI single.

SEASON TO DATE LEADERS
Avg Oscar Charleston, .304
HR Oscar Charleston, 12
RBI Oscar Charleston, 65
W-L Red Ryan, 9-6
E.R.A. Daltie Cooper 2.92

The Giants have won 44, lost 48; are scoring a paltry 4.16 RPG while allowing 5.05 RPG. Next team in will be the Saint Louis Stars featuring Cool Papa Bel, Willie Wells, and Mule Suttles.