Scott’s Chicagoland Tournament Recap: 1924 Senators come up short

Thanks to Scott Fennessy for sending this recap of his team’s performance at last weekend’s Chicagoland tournament! -Tom

So with the theme of this year’s tournament being any team pre-DH, I figured I would need two things. One, a pitching staff that could hit, and second, a team that could hit and play defense. I sacrificed power for batting average. Looking back, I focused too much on pitchers, and didn’t get enough power. I unfortunately didn’t remember to put down what years the teams I played were from, and I am too lazy to go back and find the info, so I am going to just guess.

Game 1 1928 Philadelphia A’s vs. 1924 Senators

This was a matchup I had sort of overlooked. Since the teams were from about the same time frame I felt good to go. Unfortunately I forgot that although it was the very early stages of the Ruth era, teams were already looking for their version of the Babe, and this team was a LOT better than I expected. So things keep getting more unnerving for me as the manager announces Lefty Grove will be starting for the other team, and just like that the advantage of Walter Johnson is basically wiped out.

Things looked good early as Joe Judge leads off the second with a double to left. Nemo Leibold hits an opposite field double to score the first run of the day and I am thinking I am on my way. Unfortunately he is gunned out trying to steal third, and just like that all momentum seemed to shift to the A’s. Mickey Corcoran gets a two out walk, and Jimmy Foxx rips a double to score the first run of the day for Philadelphia. Jimmy Dykes then hits a single to put runners on the corners, and “The Meal Ticket” mysteriously loses composure. His next pitch doesn’t count as the first base umpire rules a balk, bringing in the go ahead run. Don Wert then slips a single through the box and it’s a three run inning. Catcher Muddy Ruel goes to the mound and settles down his pitcher and the inning ends.

So as we head to the 8th inning, my offense comes almost to a grinding halt, and while they haven’t scored either, they have had multiple runners on in almost every inning, and it’s just a matter of time before they finally cash in. Corcoran gets a leadoff double, and promptly steals third. Foxx hits a grounder into the hold, and while Roger Peckinpaugh keeps the ball in the infield, Corcoran scores. Dykes walks and moves to second with two outs. Sammy Hale caps off the scoring with a two run homer and the A’s go on to win 6-1.

Game 2 1924 Senators vs 1930 St. Louis Cardinals

I came into this game fairly confident that I could get back to .500. I am pretty familiar with this roster and with a CZ starter on the mound I am looking to take advantage of my teams biggest strengths. Unfortunately things never went the way I planned. As in the first game I struggled to hit, and the other team was held off the board, but not until multiple runners were on base every inning. “Sunny Jim” Bottomley hits a solo shot in the second, and the redbirds take a 1-0 lead.

So I finally tie the game in the 4th inning when Sam Rice gets a leadoff single. He went to second with one out and Joe Judge hits a single to score the tying run. Unfortunately I didn’t extend the inning like I wanted, and was fortunate to see starter Fred Marberry settle in and shut down my opponent. I am starting to feel like things are where I need them as I finally get the lead on a leadoff triple by Bucky Harris, who scored on a sac fly by Goose Goslin, who has a really awesome card. Once again, I left the table hungry for more and had to settle for a one run lead heading into the bottom of the 8th.

The other manager had inserted the mother of all APBA cards, Count Puccinelli into the game a couple of innings ago, and might end up batting this inning. George Watkins gets a leadoff single, and was on second with one out. Chick Hafey hits a two run blast to take the lead. Gus Mancuso gets a single and Bottomley at the plate with the count on deck. I wasn’t going to put a runner on for Puccinelli, but had decided that if Bottomley reached base I was going to walk him no matter what. Thankfully he hits into an inning ending double play.

Judge leads off with a single, and the tying run was on base, but I couldn’t push him in and lose 3-2, and am 0-2 for the tournament.

Game 3 1922 St. Louis Browns vs 1924 Senators

So once again I play a team from an almost identical season. This time I face manager Curt Bartel, who is one of my favorite APBA managers (above right). If you are not familiar with this tournament, Curt and I have kind of had a fun little rivalry of sorts, at least as much as a tournament can allow. Curt is the first ever Chicagoland champion, and when I made it to the elimination portion of my first tournament the next year, he was waiting for me with the 56 Braves. Christy Mathewson promptly throws the first no hitter in tournament history, and I eventually go on to win the championship.

Fast forward two tourneys later and we meet each other in the same division in a home and home series the way that tournament was set up. I think we split, but I really don’t remember. The main thing was that with the game on the line, my “Blue Monday” Expos team gets what looks like an extra innings win and he gets a game winning homer in the 10th.

So now it looks like round three and we are both having a good time of it in the period before the game where we are writing down lineups. I am looking at his lineup and thinking this must have been one of the few really great years to be a Browns fan, because this team could hit. Almost every card was a threat. So in a rare turn of events today, I jump out to a 1-0 lead on a one out RBI double by Goslin, who scored Rice, who had just walked.

In the second inning when the Senators FINALLY do what I was waiting for. Roger Peckinpaugh leads off with a walk, and the floodgates open. Ossie Bluege triples to score the first run. Muddy Ruel singls to drive in the next run. Pitcher Tom Zachary, singles, and Rice gets a two RBI double with one out. The hits kept coming, and I ended up with 5 and take a 6-0 lead early. His pitcher is reduced to a D and like my team, don’t have many reserve pitchers.

I kept hammering away, and now it’s 9-0 after three. Curt was a good sport and we kept having a pretty good time in a lopsided game. He eventually got a couple runs, and I continued to get good rolls and win 12-3. I finally have my first victory of the day, and the plus 9 run differential gets me back on the positive side for the tie breakers.

Game 4 1969 New York Mets vs 1924 Senators

So I face my first team from a more modern time and was a little nervous as I had a CZ starting, and was not sure what to expect. I was facing a manager who was new to me. I don’t remember his name, but he was a good guy, and very knowledgeable about my team. He sends Don Cardwell to the mound. I didn’t even know he was on that team. I am really uncomfortable throughout this game. I scored one run in the first on a Sam Rice single, and watched as my starter, George Mogridge kept walking batters, but also kept getting saved by my defense, who turned three double plays in this game. As in my other games I kept letting a LOT of runners reach, but thankfully kept the Mets from scoring, and watch nervously as my starter advances to an A. I go to the mound with a 3-0 lead in the 9th to watch as Art Shamsky spoils my shutout with a solo homer with one out in the 9th, but I hold on for the win. I am back at .500 for the day.

Game 5 1924 Senators vs 1953 New York Yankees

Back to the top of the rotation, and not a moment too soon. The Bronx Bombers and a very potent lineup await. Combined with Eddie Lopat on the hill and I am just hoping that Walter Johnson can do better than last time out. So this game sees a bit of a different issue than my previous games. This time I am stranding a lot of runners, but thankfully I am not getting killed as Hank Bauer gets a one out triple, and they load the bases and only score one run.

Things got even worse for me as Joe Judge, who was one of my few consistent hitters was out stealing second and decided to try and discuss with the umpire. All he got for his efforts was “That’s it!, you’re OUT OUT OUT!!!”. I had to use reserve Mule Shirley. This resulted in a much worse hitter and dropped me from fielding one to two late in the game. We reach the 9th inning and I am down 1-0. Johnson, a very good hitting pitcher was due to leadoff, but I cannot take chances. I bring in Earl McNeely, who promptly hits a triple. Although I had to settle for a sac fly and only one run, I got the tie. Unfortunately I had to go to extra innings, and a C reliever.

Thankfully he got a 1-2-3 10th, and in the top of 11th I send 7 batters to the plate, but still only score 2. Luckily it was enough, although Mickey Mantle was busy being Mickey Mantle, and popped a solo homer, and the Senators win 3-2 in 11. I am suddenly 3-2 after a slow start.

Game 6 1924 Senators vs 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers

So we come back from lunch and I have recharged and am ready for another go. I don’t like the look of this matchup, but my starter was pretty decent last time out. Neither team did much early, and the only rally I had came to a crashing end as I hit into a triple play in the 4th. Thankfully I take advantage of a bit of wildness by Sam “The Barber” Maglie and get a two out RBI single by Peckinpaugh in the 6th. It turned out to be the only run of the game as the Senators win 1-0. I am suddenly 4-2. While I am in the hunt, the run differential is very much against me, and there was a team with only one loss, so I had to keep winning to even think about the next round.

Game 7 1924 Senators vs 1939 New York Yankees

This turned out to be a game that probably put the last nail in the elimination round coffin. Nemo Leibold gets a sac fly and I score 1 run in the first inning, only to watch as Charlie Keller and Joe Gordon hit homers and I am suddenly down 4-1 after one inning. The lead expanded in the 4th to 5-1 on an RBI single by Keller, who eventually finished the day going 3-4 and only needed a triple for the cycle. I came out of nowhere in the 7th and score 4 in the 8th on a couple of walks and a string of singles to tie the game, but Frank Crosetti gets a two out RBI double in the bottom of the 8th and I am reduced to basically playing for the sake of playing as other contending teams have most of the tiebreakers against me clinched.

Game 8 1930 Cincinnati Reds vs 1924 Senators

So my only remaining goal with 2 games left is to try and go home with a winning record. On paper this was an evenly matched up game, and it played out that way for the early going. I had a 2-0 lead when Harry Craft hit a solo homer in the 7th. Suddenly my defense opened up the doors for a big inning by Cincy, and I trail 7-2 in the bottom of the 9th. I got a couple of walks, and Bucky Harris gets a two out RBI single to put the tying run at the plate to basically cap off the rally, but Sam Rice flies out to end the game and I go back to .500 after a tough 7-5 defeat.

Game 9 1964 Chicago White Sox vs 1924 Senators

I knew that nothing mattered about this game because I was already eliminated, but this was the White Sox, and I am a Cub fan. NO WAY AM I GOING HOME UNDER .500 BECAUSE OF THE WHITE SOX! I was strangely calm during this one. Once again my fielding one rating didn’t help as they scored two unearned runs in the first inning. I tied it up on a two run double by Goslin, who really let me down for the day overall. I picked up another run on a sac fly by Leibold in the 3rd inning, and left the rest in the capable arm of Walter Johnson, who cruised the rest of the way and I get the much desired win and finished 5-4 for the day.

Overview

Here are the final Stats of the Washington Senators at Chicagoland tourney.

For a team that was supposed to hit well, I ended up with a very disappointing result. Sam Rice was team MVP, hitting .306 for the day, but was really the only weapon for the regulars.

Well, I wanted pitchers who could hit, and that’s exactly what I got. Johnson hit .222, Marberry hit .333, Mogridge hit .200 and Zachary had probably the best day of all, hitting .571 with 5 RBI in just two games.

Pitching was overall very good, but my numbers got artificially inflated because of 3 bad innings in 9 games. Johnson’s ERA was 2.25, and Marberry was 3.71, but unfortunately I just didn’t have enough pop to punch some big numbers on the board.