Bill Gilbert: Houston Astros Fly High in May

June 2, 2017

Bill Gilbert was a founding member of the Larry Dierker Chapter of SABR in Houston and he remains an active member today of the Rogers Hornsby Chapter of SABR in Austin. We are grateful to publish Bill Gilbert’s ongoing analysis of the Astros on a special monthly correspondent basis to The Pecan Park Eagle during the baseball season. Today we are pleased to present Bill’s impressions of the club’s progress in May of 2017. Please feel free to consult with Bill Gilbert by e-mail or comment here on matters pertaining to the Houston Astros.

 

Astros Fly High in May

By Bill Gilbert

The Houston Astros occupied uncharted territory in May winning 22 games while losing only 7. They started the month in first place in the AL West Division, 3 games ahead of the second place Los Angeles Angels and steadily increased their lead to finish the month 11 games ahead of the second place Texas Rangers. With a record of 38-16 at the end of May, they have won 5 more games than any other major league team.

There were many highlights in May including taking 3 games out of 4 from the Rangers, Yankees and Detroit Tigers, series sweeps against Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore and Minnesota and a comeback against the Twins from an 8-2 deficit in the 8th inning for a 16-8 win . The only stumble was a 3-game sweep by Cleveland at Minute Maid Park to start a 10 game home stand. However, the Astros quickly recovered to complete the home stand by winning 6 of the remaining 7 games and finished off the month by winning their last 7 games. In the month-ending series against Minnesota, the Astros scored a team record 40 runs in the 3-game series and finished the final game with 5 hitters in the starting lineup with slugging averages of .500 or better.

Building a lead this big so early in the season is quite unusual. A lead of 11 games would be much more secure if it were at the end of July, not the end of May. Astro fans that have been around as long as I have may remember July 4, 1979 when the Astros, in search of their first playoff appearance, held an 11 ½ game lead over the Cincinnati Reds in the National League West Division. However, when it was all over, the Reds came out on top by 1 ½ games.

How did the Astros get to such a lofty position? The best answer is a consolidated team effort. No Astro players are currently leading at their position in the All-Star Game voting (although some should be). Individually, few Astro players are found among the league leaders but the team is 1st or 2nd in the majors in most offensive categories:

Houston Astros Offensive Leadership Categories in May 2017

CATEGORY STAT/# MLB RANK COMMENT
Batting Average .277 1
On Base Percentage .345 T1 Tied with Washington
Slugging Average .466 2 First In NL
On Base + Slugging .811 2 First In NL
Runs  292 1
Home Runs    82 2 Behind Tampa Bay

While the offense was slightly below expectations in April averaging 4.48 runs per game, the team more than made up for it in May with 6.21 runs per game and a .500 slugging average. The entire lineup was productive in May led by Carlos Correa (.386, .457, and .673), 7 home runs and 26 RBIs and Marwin Gonzales (.382, .461, and .737) with 7 home runs and 22 RBIs.

Another significant change in the Astros’ offense is the reduction in batters striking out. For the last several years, the Astros have been among the leaders in striking out but in 2017, only the Red Sox have struck out less than the Astros. Meanwhile, Astros pitchers lead the major leagues in striking out opposing batters.

The pitching has remained strong despite losing three members of the five man starting rotation to the disabled list in May. Two of them, Charlie Morton and Joe Musgrove are still out. Dallas Keuchel was disabled because of a sore neck but only missed one start. Keuchel and Lance McCullers give the Astros a strong top of the rotation and the Club has won 18 of the 21 games they have started.

The starters ERA of 3.52 is the best in the American League and second only to the Cardinals in the majors and the relievers ERA of 3.44 ranks 7th in MLB. However, the starting rotation is thin and needs to be reinforced with another front line starter for the long haul.

The month of June begins with a series against the Texas Rangers, just as the month of May did. This time the games are in Arlington and will be followed later in the month by a 3-game series between the two teams in Houston. The Red Sox and Yankees will also appear in Houston in June.

At this point, the Astros are being widely acclaimed as the best team in baseball for the first time in their 56 year history. Will it last? The offense should remain strong but it is not realistic to expect it to remain at the level achieved in May. The pitching is highly dependent on the continued health and success of Keuchel and McCullers. The first two months have been great for the Astros but there is a lot of baseball yet to be played.

Bill Gilbert

billcgilbert@sbcglobal.net

6/2/17

____________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Take Me Out To the ‘Stros Game

June 1, 2017

A familiar scene in 2017. As is the quiet, but forceful presence of Manager A. J. Hinch (#14) and the even less visible personal presence in the long time work of General Manager Jeff Luhnow and the decision-making of owner Jim Crane that is making “2017” a season to remember for Astros Nation, regardless of how it concludes. Over the normal season of play in our personal lives, how many of us get to put 70% of everything we do in the “W” column by the time our last sunrise dawns upon us? The 2017 Astros don’t have to win ’em all. They just need to win that last best 4 games of 7 series that’s always played between the two pennant winners of the American and National Leagues to add “supremely happy” as the star at the top of our 2017 Houston Astros baseball memories tree.

Take Me Out To the ‘Stros Game *

By Bill McCurdy

  • Our humble version of the 2017 version of  “Take Me Out To the ‘Stros Game” – as experienced by those of us Astros fans, especially, who have been waiting for this moment since April 10, 1962, but also embraced in delirium delight by Houston MLB fans of all ages.

VERSE I

Katy Casey – was Astros mad.
Had the fever – and had it bad;
Just to root – for the Houston crew,
Ev’ry name – Katy knew.
On a Saturday – her young beau
Called to see – if she’d like – to go,
To see a show – but Miss Katy said,
“No, I’ll tell you what you can do.”

CHORUS (To the Melody of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”):

“Take me out – to the ball game,
Take me out – with the crowd.
Buy me some nachos – and junction jacks,
I don’t care if I’m – trapped on the tracks,
Let me root – root – root – for the Astros,
If they – don’t win – it’s a shame,
When it’s one – two – three strikes – they’re out,
At the old – ball – game.”

VERSE II

Katy Casey – saw all the games,
Knew – the players by – their first names;
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along – good and strong.
When the score was just – two to two,
Katy Casey – knew what – to do,
Just – to cheer up the boys – she knew,
She made the gang sing – this song:

CHORUS (To the Melody of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”):

“Let’s all SHOUT – praise LOUD – for our – Jose,
And then ROAR – young George – at ‘em – too.
REMEMBER two Carlos guys – AS you cheer,
Ask Marwin Marvel to – SWAT – you – a – beer,
DON’T forget – to TRUST – Tiger – Alex,
As Yuli – and other bats BREW,
For it’s ONE – TWO – THREE strikes – foes FALL,
To the Dal-las – K – CREW! – BOO! HOO!”

____________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

The Rallybird of Minute Maid Park

May 30, 2017

Once Upon a Time, on the Saturday night prior to Memorial Day, a brave little grackle named Rallybird decided to have dinner in downtown Houston. The spunky small bird was fearless. Naturally, with the roof open at Minute Maid Park, the creepy, crawly delicacies of a big league game active infield quickly became Ral’s first pick as the best place he could go to peck away the night.

It didn’t take long for Rallybird to both assert his casual “don’t bother me none” attitude as he calmly strolled under the arch of 90 MPH pitches and 105 MPH batted balls as he also dined on the nourishment he pulled dragging from the lush green grass. And, as the Astros scored a cushion run to pad their lead to 5-2, shouts of “Go Rallybird” seemed even to have emboldened the little guy to expose more of his own fan bias for the Astros over the Orioles. – We all could see the risk that Ral was taking. – One hard body slam from a a batted or pitched ball and it was going to be “Bye Bye Birdie” on the spot.

Rallybird turned out to be an Astros on-the-field bench jockey: “Hey! Orioles pitcher! Are you any kin to that soccer ball in the old Tom Hanks plane crash survivor movie? …. “Hey! Orioles pitcher! Do you ever feel like you’re losing control of the ball just as you get to the release point?”

“Hey, Dumbo Bird! – I’m going to throw my chewing gum at you! VAMANOS!” …. That’s what Orioles infielder Manny Machado (right) seems to have been saying as he actually did throw his chewing gum at Rallybird. (Rallybird never flinched. After briefly glancing at Machado, Ral simply went back to checking out the grass near 3rd base.

Rallybird Responds to Manny Machado’s gum toss with a serious question: “Does this mean that you’d like a little grackle mayonnaise shipment delivered to both your driver’s side windshield and your car’s front door handle as soon as you get back to Baltimore? I have friends back east that can make that happen anytime I give them the word.”

Follow the arrow and you will see the feint figure 0f Rallybird. He’s now coaching 3rd base for the Astros after the Machado gum and grackle mayo stand-down.

Because of his diminutive size, 3rd base coach Rallybird at one point had to move into an usual position just to make sure his “increase your lead” sign was picked up by 2nd base runner, Jose Altuve. Altuve later smiled about the sign he was given: “I thought the pointed bird step and beak toward 3rd base was pretty crafty stuff. If he had put his head down and left the foot still extended toward 3rd, that would have been the green light signal to go for it.”

By the time the game ended in another joyous victory for the exciting 2017 Houston Astros, little Rallybird was long gone from the scene – without a parting ovation for his proud and sturdy presence and his formidably courageous direct contribution to the diminution of “worm burner candidates” at Minute Maid Park. We shall never forget how he stood up to Manny Muchado of the Baltimore Orioles and his bubble gum blow off attempt – and how Astro fans booed the Oriole slugger for his insensitive and bullish attempt to chase little Rallybird away from the dinner table.

Come back and see us again sometime, Ral! And, by the way, you didn’t happen to stowaway with the Astros for their Marvel Comics win over the Minnesota Twins this Memorial Day, did you?

Astros Rallybird
Minute Maid Park
A Saturday Superhero
Saturday, May 27, 2017
“Sometimes Once is Forever.”

Hello, Birdie
No need to miss us so;
Hello, Birdie,
There’s no need to go!

You brought sunshine,
It followed you this way;
No tears, Birdie,
Come on home to stay.

____________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Happy Memorial Day, 2017

May 28, 2017

To My Own Uncle Carroll
In Honor of All Who Served!
Major Carroll Houston Teas
Pilot / Pacific Theater
UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORP
1941-1945
Happy Memorial Day, 2017!

 

My Uncle Carroll served the entire Pacific Theater as the pilot of a South Pacific inter-island supply plane. He finally came home paralyzed for life from a strain of polio that he contracted while stationed in New Guinea. He died in 1964 from complications of the original disease, but he will never fade from our loving memory of his healing presence in our lives. Thanks to all of you for your great military service to America on this Memorial Day 2017! Our beautiful nation and its freedoms could not last for long without you!

 

 

___________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Memorial Day 1956 Movie Thoughts

May 28, 2017

Paul Newman
‘The Rack”
1952

In the 1956 poorly named movie, “The Rack”, a young Paul Newman plays a US Army Captain returning from Korea as both a Silver Star winner and an accused collaborator with the enemy during his finishing stay in a concentration camp. From the way it struck me from a first viewing on TCM this Memorial Day Saturday, something like “Heroic Demise” really might’ve worked better.

The movie struck a chord with Memorial Day, but it also landed upon a major theme of pain that people have been bringing to my office in spades for close to fifty years:

We’re talking here about the pain of some unresolved regret a person may have been carrying with them for much of their lives for a critical choice they made years earlier about career, marriage, family, finance, friendship, or whatever.

At the end of the movie, Newman is found guilty of helping the Chinese captors and has accepted responsibility for his failure to overcome personal selfishness. I have taken the liberty of expanding his mostly soldier-context parting speech and taken it further than he did in his efforts to show how the lesson applies to all of us:

Here are what Newman’s writers and I came up with together:

“Everyone has a moment in life in which they have to choose. If he or she chooses right, it is then a moment of magnificence. If he or she chooses wrong, then it is a moment of regret that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

 “I wish that everyone could feel as I do now. Because if they did, they would then know what it feels like to be a man who sold himself short – and who lost that personal moment of magnificence forever.

 “I pray to God that others shall recognize their own moment of magnificence when it is the next opportunity resting before them – and choose well. The penalty for not doing so – because of whatever selfish motivation gets in the way at the time – is the implantation of an irresolvable state of regret in the tar pits of the mind of – something or someone – that is forever now missing from your life.”

Based upon Paul Newman’s character in the movie ‘The Rack’.

 __________

 I would never suggest that all regret is resolvable. In the movie, in fact, Newman’s character quickly does away with any defense based upon the idea that his Chinese Communist characters had mind-washed him into it. He did it because he had missed the opportunity to make the magnificent decision to stand up to them. His regret would be forever. His years of incarceration at home would be justified, but even those would never make up for what he had lost in the process.

In many instances, however, we do have the power to rid ourselves of much garbage about the past if we are both willing to take as much responsibility for our own actions – and if we are willing to make amends for any harm we may have created by something we did – or failed to do – a very long time ago.

We are all human. And none of us are perfect. But try hard to remember too: (1) We cannot be guaranteed forgiveness by others; we only control our ability to seek it, when to do so, will not simply hurt others or make things worse; and (2) We have to be equally capable of holding ourselves accountable as we are about forgiving ourselves in the name of human frailty. Otherwise, all’s a waste of time and energy.

__________

 Happy Memorial Day Weekend

To All the Military Men and Women

Who Serve Our Beautiful USA!

__________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

An Imaginary Baseball Theme Horse Race Musical

May 26, 2017

“….and down the stretch they come!!!”

 

Once Upon a Fictional Eve, in a variation of our own three-dimensional Houston, a place known in its own warp-of-time setting as Houstonia is preparing for its own true version of the fourth great American horse race – The Houstonia Baseball Memorial at Crawford Avenue Downs. Each first June Saturday, The Houstonia Baseball Memorial features the best eight horses in the world with names that wreak of great baseball history. This year, at 3:00 PM on Saturday, June 3, 2017, the field will include these great ones:

 #1/8 Great Balls of Four

Owner: Bill Veeck of St. Louis, MO

Trainer: Zach Taylor

Jockey: Eddie Gaedel

Notes: Short on experience. Short period.

Morning Line: 25-1

 

#3 Sultan of Swat

Owner: Jacob Ruppert of New York, NY

Trainer: Ed Barrow

Jockey: Miller Huggins

Notes: Responds poorly to swats.

Morning Line: 3-1

 

#5 Five Not So Easy Pieces

Owner: Joe DiMaggio

Trainers: Baseball, Life, Marilyn Monroe,

Fan Adulation, and His Own Exalted Ego

Jockey: Joe DiMaggio

Notes: Greatest living player in his own mind.

Morning Line: 75-1

 

#10 Cuba Carrot Cap Cool

Owner: The Houston Astros

Trainer: A.J. Hinch

Jockey: Yuli Gurriel

Notes: Wearing cap, he’s age 33. Without cap, he’s 13.

Morning Line: 15-1

 

#13 Sacrifice Fly

Owner: Jeff Goldblum of Sleepy Hollow, NY

Trainer: Washington Irving

Jockey: Ichabod Crane

Notes: Often loses head; gives up too much.

Morning Line: 70-1

 

#24 Toy Cannon

Owner: Jimmy Wynn of Rosharon, TX

Trainer: Jimmy Wynn

Jockey: Jimmy Wynn

Notes: Exploding from the gate, the rest is fate.

Morning Line: 2-1

 

#29 Human Rain Delay

Owner: Mike Hargrove of Perryton, TX

Trainer: Mike Hargrove

Jockey: Mike Hargrove

Notes: Time, Ump. Gotta scratch.

Morning Line: 5-9

 

#33 The Great Scott

Owner: Drayton McLane of Temple, TX

Trainer: Roger Craig

Jockey: Mike Scott

Notes: The horse that split-fingered the world.

Morning Line: 3-5

Fortunately, we were able to retain three of the musical race touts at Sam Houston Race Track to rap a little “Fugue for the Tinhorns” recommendation for whom we should pick in this race for the ages.

If you know the music from “Guys and Dolls”, you will also know exactly how each of their picks sounds as a sung and sold chorus on the favorites of these three characters of the sub-culture.

We’ll let the boys serenade you from here as we hurry as best we can for our nightly reality check in time at the OK Corral Hotel.

Where’s that place, you ask? Why it’s down at the end of Lonely Street in Houstonia – very near the track – and the only place we ever stay whenever we choose to warp over to our beautiful sister city for events like the big June 3rd race.

We’ll leave things at that for now and turn things over to the boys that want to sing you into picking the big race winner. We’ll catch you down the road.

Some other time. Some other road.

“Fugue for the Tinhorns”

 NICELY-NICELY:

I got the horse right here
He says it’s “Cannon” clear
And he’s a guy that says if the weather’s clear
Can do, can do, this guy says the “Toy” can do
If he says the horse can do, can do, can do.

 BENNY:

I’m pickin’ “29”, ’cause on the morning line
A guy has got him figured at five to nine
Has chance, has chance, this guy says the horse has chance
if he says the horse has chance, has chance, has chance.

RUSTY CHARLIE:

My good friend, Epitaph, touts Scott by more than half
According to this here in the Telegraph
“Big Threat” – “Big Threat”
This guy calls “Great Scott” – “Big Threat”
If he calls the horse “Big Threat”,
Big Threat, Big Threat.

ALL:

Toy Cannon! …. Human Rain Delay! …. Great Scott!

We got your winning HORSE …. RIGHT …. HERE!!!

____________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Time to Celebrate Astros’ Carrot Top

May 25, 2017

Two Smiling Carrot Tops
ROOTS TV Broadcasters
Todd Kalas and Mike Stanton

Tomorrow night, Friday, May 26, 2017, the Houston Astros will celebrate the next unusual hairstyle on their roster when they pass out 10,000 of these “Yuli” Gurriel rally caps to fans attending the first game of the weekend Baltimore Orioles series at Minute Maid Park. ROOTS TV game caller Todd Kalas and analyst Mike Stanton rolled out the models pictured here Wednesday night, whetting the appetites of those fans who just can’t wait to add an attractive alternative to their “Keuchel’s Korner” black beard hangers – although, we assume that some radically inclined fans may now choose to wear both on nights when Dallas Keuchel pitches and Yuli Gurriel plays first base.

Perhaps, the Astros will consider renaming a small fan section near the first base side in honor of dear Yuli. They could call it “The Carrot Patch” – giving power to this haircut’s ability to transform the wearer into something that resembles a a bi-pedaling human carrot. It’s the orange hair and the orange reflection on the face that seals the deal on this special carrot stalker look. Gurriel does it really well.

“Glad to have you with me tonight, Mike!” ~ Todd Kalas

The style also possesses a definite “Fountain of Youth” quality to it. – With his cap in place, Yuri Gurriel looks like the mature, nearly 33-year old guy he actually is. Let him knock a homer, or some other kind of walk-off Astros victory hit, and the cap goes rolling away under the congratulatory body slaps from euphoric teammates.

And Yuri Gurriel goes instantly from his first image as a capped serious-looking early 30s guy into a giggling, blushing 13-year old teen in a flat-out nanosecond – and one who just seems to be looking for a quiet, private place to relax in the worst of all possible places – the TV-covered bench of a winning MLB club.

The carrot topped hair does its aging magic every time.

“Are you sure this isn’t why Blummer couldn’t be here?” ~ Mike Stanton

Once the Astros get involved in using a player’s hair-style in their gate promotion plans, we imagine that the club would be more than a little disappointed if Yuri Gurriel showed up for work tomorrow with a brand new burr haircut.

____________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

 

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Memories of Pitcher Milt Gaston

May 24, 2017

Milt Gaston
MLB Pitcher
1924-1934

 

Right handed pitcher Milt Gaston was a pretty big guy for his early 20th century time. At 6’1″ and 190 lbs, Gaston won 97 and lost 164, posting a career ERA of 4.55 in American League play over 11 seasons of MLB play (1924-1934). Although he broke in with the New York Yankees (1924), Milt spent most of his career in less hopeful places, pitching for the St. Louis Browns (1925-27), the Washington Senators (1928), the Boston Red Sox (1929-31), and the Chicago White Sox (1932-34).

Gaston’s best year was 1925, when he went 15-14 with a 4.41 ERA in his first season for the Browns, but he would never play for any team that gave him much hope for anything better than a mediocre mark with either a middle of the pack or fallen flat competitive club. Still, he gave it his best. In 193o at Boston, Milt Gaston went 13-20 with a 3.94 ERA, proving himself worthy as one of the answers to a question that Houston pitcher Turk Farrell would raise about himself some 30 odd years later: “Do you realize how good I had to be to lose 20 games in one season?”

Milt Gaston also had some “old” genes in him too. He reached his 100th birthday on January 27, 1996 – and didn’t pass away for another 3 months on April 26, 1996.

As an old Browns fan, I had dropped Milt Gaston a birthday card at his Massachusetts rest home residence in Barnstable in late January 1996. I had not heard anything from Milt as a result, but that’s OK. I do not recall asking for anything. Then, one day, shortly after his late April 1996 death, I received a rather clumpy-shaped envelope in the mail. My name was hand-scribbled all over it. I wondered how the post office had processed it accurately to even get it to my house.

When I opened it, I found a folded over 5×7 inch photo of Milt Gaston in a Browns uniform. Milt, or someone helping him, had sent it to me with no further message. But that was OK. Milt had signed the photo in the same handwriting I recognized from the envelope. The Gaston photo now rests in safe deposit with anything else of sentimental or material value that belongs to me.

The following Baseball Almanac.com box score is included as a tribute to Milt Gaston.

On September 11, 1927, the St. Louis Browns entered their final 1927 game against the great New York Yankees of Ruth and Gehrig at Yankee Stadium, trailing 21-0 in the 1927 season series. Milt Gaston was taking the mound against future Hall of Fame lefty Herb Pennock.

Here’s the box score version of how the game played out. Babe Ruth nailed his 50th home run off Gaston on that day – and 19 days later – he would crunch his season record 60th homer off Tom Zachary of the Washington Senators – but this earlier September day, small as it now seems, would belong to the hope-starved Browns and star pitcher Milt Gaston.

“You gotta have hope! – Mustn’t sit around and mope! – Nothing’s half as bad as it may appear! – Wait til next year! – And hope!”

Those words match the St. Louis Browns as well as they do their Washington Senator designated losers in “Damn Yankees!” And that shall always be so!

Baseball Almanac: St. Louis Browns 6, New York Yankees 2
St. Louis Browns ab   r   h rbi
O’Rourke 3b 3 1 2 2
Rice rf 5 1 1 0
Sisler 1b 5 0 3 2
Williams lf 5 0 3 1
Miller cf 5 0 0 0
Schang c 2 2 1 0
Melillo 2b 4 1 1 0
Gerber ss 4 0 0 1
Gaston p 4 1 0 0
Totals 37 6 11 6
New York Yankees ab   r   h rbi
Combs cf 3 0 1 0
Koenig ss 3 0 0 0
  Gazella ss 1 0 0 0
Ruth rf 4 1 1 1
Gehrig 1b 4 0 1 0
Meusel lf 3 1 0 0
Lazzeri 2b 4 0 0 0
Dugan 3b 3 0 2 1
Bengough c 3 0 0 0
Pennock p 1 0 0 0
  Shawkey p 1 0 0 0
  Durst ph 1 0 0 0
  Pipgras p 0 0 0 0
Totals 31 2 5 2
St. Louis 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 1 – 6 11 1
New York 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 – 2 5 1
  St. Louis Browns IP H R ER BB SO
Gaston  W(12-15) 9.0 5 2 2 2 6
Totals
9.0
5
2
2
2
6
  New York Yankees IP H R ER BB SO
Pennock  L(15-8) 3.2 8 5 5 4 1
  Shawkey 4.1 2 0 0 3 5
  Pipgras 1.0 1 1 1 1 2
Totals
9.0
11
6
6
8
8

E–O’Rourke (21), Lazzeri (24).  DP–St. Louis 1. Gaston-Gerber-Sisler.  PB–Schang (7).  2B–St. Louis O’Rourke (22); Melillo (18).  3B–St. Louis Sisler (8).  HR–New York Ruth (50,4th inning off Gaston 0 on).  Team LOB–12.  Team–4.  SB–Williams (8).  U–Brick Owens, Roy Van Graflan, Tommy Connolly.  T–2:15.  A–35,000.
Baseball Almanac Box Score | Printer Friendly Box Scores

____________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Even the ’27 Yankees Got Swept

May 23, 2017

“The Midnight Special is now departing from Boston for St. Louis at 6:55 PM, Sunday. Estimated Time of Arrival in St. Louis is 10:55 AM Monday. ALL ABOARD!”

 

This is major league baseball. The rules of the long season apply. And that means any kind of streaky win/loss pattern is possible – including ones in which better teams get swept by lesser light clubs, etc.

When the Astros returned from this last short roaring success trip to New York and Tampa Bay, they came home with a 6-1 mark and an MLB-best 29-12 record to show for it. Of course, that rush of momentum quickly got stalled by the visiting Cleveland Indians, who out-pitched, out-hit, out-played, and out-lucked our Houston Home Boys for a three-game series sweep.

Don’t feel so bad, Astros! Even the ’27 New York Yankees (110-44) got swept – and, like the 2017 Astros just experienced, it too came at the hands of the 1927 version of those still rascally and warpathing 2017 Cleveland Indians.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/schedule.php?y=1927&t=NYA

The ’27 Indians sweep of the ’27 Yankees occurred in 3 single games played in Cleveland on 3 contiguous days, August 20-22, 1927. The Yankees also had lost their last game in Chicago to the White Sox on the previous day, August 19th. And, remember, this was 1927. The Yankees had to take a long train ride from Chicago to Cleveland right after the game in order to get there in time to start a new series on the road the next afternoon. Plus, it was late August. All teams were tired, but Cleveland had played at home against the A’s on August 19th and had the chance to sleep in their own beds that night that the Yankees were riding the rails to get there on time for the following day’s series opener.

Oh, yeah. The Yankees ended their Cleveland sweep loss series by traveling to Detroit for a sweep of their own – followed by another sweep at St. Louis over the Browns. The ’27 Yankees never got too far away from their Murderers’ Row identity.

Earlier in the season, the Yankees did not come close to what first looks like a 3-game sweep loss on the linked chart. In a series at Yankee Stadium, which started with 3 games played from June 25-26, the Yankees lost all three – the first 2 being a doubleheader played on June 25 and the third being the first game of a double-header, played on June 26. (Keep reading the list.) The Yankees then snapped and won the 2nd game of the DH on June 26 and two single games against the A’s that followed on June 27 and June 28. It was along six game stand that the two teams split at 3-3 – and almost certainly was one of those long series that got built into a travel schedule that had to rely upon rail travel as both an economy and time management factor.

If you read much baseball history about that era, you already are aware of the many times that clubs from the east arrived in St. Louis just in time to dress on the train and go straight to Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis for games against the Browns and Cardinals.

At least, the night train riders of big league baseball in the 1920s didn’t have to lose sleep over concern for any bombs exploding in the dark space above the clickety-clack while they rested.

____________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

 

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

A Closer Look at the Save Rule in Sunday’s Game

May 22, 2017

Zach McAllister didn’t even get credit Sunday for saving the Astros from the fire works expense of a victory celebration.

 

The Rules Scoring Supposition for Save Awards

Under certain defined conditions, relief pitchers may earn a Save (Sv) credit for coming into a game and protecting a lead that is never yielded prior to the recording of the last out in the game.

These three conditions are all based upon the premise that the qualifying pitcher never yields the lead, even to a tie score status, and that he qualifies for the Sv award as follows:

(1) The pitcher enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning; or,

(2) The pitcher enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at bat or on deck; or,

(3) The pitcher pitches for at least three innings.

Affirmation for the Save Rules Correctness from the Box Score of the 5/21/17 Cleveland@Houston Game Linked Below:

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/indians-vs-astros/2017/05/21/490751?partnerId=LR_box#game_tab=box,game_state=final,game=490751

Our Conclusion

It is our conclusion that the official scorer acted correctly in awarding no Sv to Indians relief pitcher Zach McAllister. He entered the game and pitched the 9th and final inning, but the score was 8-3, Cleveland, when his work started and 0nly 8-6, Cleveland, when the game ended. McAllister had yielded 3 earned runs on two home runs in the 9th, but he did not qualify for a Sv credit by any of the three conditions that are currently in place.

What brought this request to mind was the comment I heard Astros TV voice Todd Kalas make after Alex Bregman hit the second of two consecutive home runs off McAllister. “It is now a save situation with the tying run on deck,” Kalas noted, with no further reference. And we don’t mean to take it out on Todd Kalas. We probably would have made the same kind of mistake many times over in the bright sunshine of his big league audience world – and maybe over the same rule.

In fact, what really sent me running to Google the save award rules noted above was my own state of uncertainty about them. I first thought, “maybe Todd’s right. Maybe some pitchers are getting saves awarded for games that did slap them back into their fields of eligibility by big scores that slipped the margins of victory down to close scores in the late goings.

I was all so ready to tear into the rules makers for leaving another hole in the boat of pitching credit stats when I looked more closely today – and I now think I saw a place where the rules writers got it right.

Unless a pitcher has been in the game for three innings, he can’t shave a bunch of runs off a big lead in order to qualify for a save. The credit is tied to both what a pitcher does – and how long he’s been in the game. And any “closer” today is still worth his salt in save credits if he can come into a game in the 9th with a one-run lead and hold it for a victory.

It also makes me wonder. – Are there some official scorekeepers out there who might have given McAllister a save today for what he did in the 9th at Minute Maid Park?

____________________


Bill McCurdy

Publisher, Editor, Writer

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

Tags:
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »