DAY 10 EOBHR#38 1906 N.L.

Game 80

Cincinnati Redlegs (4-5/5th) 4-9-2

Philadelphia Phillies (7-3/T1st) 6-12-1

Game 79

1906 Boston Braves (2-8/8th) 0-2-3

1906 Pittsburgh Pirates (6-4/T3rd) 5-14-0 

Homer Hiller Henry Hillebrand ('4-H') was a Princeton-educated lefty who pitched all but 1/3 of an inning in his real MLB career in 1905-06, then probably switching to a more lucrative career that took better advantage of his Princeton education.

Homer Hillebrand's realworld lifetime record was a solid 8-4/2.51.  In addition to the 18 games where Hillebrand pitched, the versatile Homer played in 29 games as a non-pitcher, most of those in the outfield.  His lifetime real MLB BA was .237 in 137 at bats.

In this contest, H.H.H.H. (4-H.) pitches a 2-hit shutout against the meek Bravos, though walking 4 in addition (but fanning 5 as well), over 8 innings before being lifted.  Bucco reliever Mike Lynch pitches the 9th for the save.

Meanwhile, opposing starter Brave hurler Roy Witherup withers up early, allowing 11 hits and 4 walks in his 6 innings of pitching...But scattering these bingles and free passes enough that he leaves trailing 'only' 4-0.

And despite the one-sided Bucco 5-0 victory, Pittsburgh management and players have to be at least concerned about the 15 Buccaneers who were stranded (on some desert island, never to be seen again??). 

The hardly-known winner Harry Hillebrand adds to his resume in this contest by also going an excellent 2-3/BB/R at the platter.

'Wither up!'*

*Reminds me of DEVO song 'Shrivel Up!'   

Game 78

1906 Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (6-4/3rd) 5-10-0

1906 New York Giants (3-7/7th) 3-12-0

This game starts well for the struggling Giants as ace starting P Red Ames fans the maximum six Trolley Dodgers in the 1st 2 innings, quite a feat in this primitive contact-hitting era.  Yet, Ames' magic has its limits, and the stalwart Giant hurler, whose real '06 season was shortened by a knee injury, eventually tires in the B8th. 

At the moment of the beginning of his late-game unravelling, Ames and the Jints are leading 3-2... Red having tied the game himself by ripping a 2-out score-evening single B6th to knot the game 3-3...And not only that, but Ames having as of the B6th accumulated an eye-popping 11 strikeouts to 2 walks in his mound work.

But in the B8th, sub RF Heinie Batch reaches on a slow-rolling jam-job single towards short, then Dodger 3B 'Doc' Casey bounces a seeing-eye single into left, mediocre hitting 2B Whitey (our nickname: 'Alpo-Man') Alperman  taps a weak hopper towards charging Giant SS 'Bad' Bill Dahlen, who barehands the roller... but Bad Bill's throw to 1st is a split-second late and a half-penny short (this IS 1906 after all).  Tie game, 3-3.

The Dodgers continue to exploit Ames' pitch count in the T9th...  2-hole-batting CF Billy Maloney ropes a leadoff double into the RCF gap tying the game 3-3.... Then little-used LF Patsy Donovan, in his 1st start, lines what proves to be the decisive single through the left side, and Heinie Batch takes his rare playing opportunity to loop a 2-out insurance single into LF.

Sub Heinie entered the game 1 for 6.... But with his batch of offensive baubles from this game, Batch now has 3 steals (in 3 attempts) and 3 runs in just 10 at bats in the replay!

Breaker Breaker... We gotta Batch of trouble here in the Apple 

Game 77

1906 St. Louis Cardinals (4-6/6th) 4-3-1

1906 Chicago Cubs (7-3/T1st) 8-11-0

The Cards (4-6) make the most of their 3 hits, scoring 4 runs, while the Cubs use 11 hits to score 8 runs.  So, while we can give the St. Louisians' offense a nod for their efficacy, we must also shake our head at their pitchers for providing the Cubs too many easy-to-hit offerings.

Plus the final score is misleading, given that the Cubs led 5-0 by the B2nd and led a healthy 8-1 T9th, when the Cardinals threw in most (3) of their tallies in the baseball equivalent of 'garbage time' in basketball, or BAS*KET, if you ever played that fine high-scoring NBA live-action, skilled simulation, with an actual ping pong ball serving as the basketball -- swishing through the net if you pulled the proper lever just enough...but not too much:  elsewise you might have to run down the ball maybe even into another room if you're playing in an open area on a hardwood floor!!

Slumping 5 for 32 HOF 1B great Frank Chance rips the go-ahead single T1st, then next Cub batter, slugging Cub C Johnny Kling pulls a 2-run triple down the RF line.... as from the beginning a win just doesn't seem to be in the Cards. Losing P Buster Brown sure looks like he should have stayed in the shoe business after this dust-up!  Cub starting hurler and CG winner Jack Taylor 3-hits the low-flying Cardinals, who at least are efficient, totalling 4 runs on their three base hits -- while the winners have to amass 11 safeties to safely double-up St. Louis. 

Sabermetrically-oriented Cardinals player:  'But  Skip!!  I just have a feeling our staff is going to Crack that WHIP and give the mess a slip next time!!'