“Whether or not his team succeeds in beating out the Yankees for the pennant, Sherman Lollar never will make American League followers forget Yogi Berra. But it’s time that he emerged from Berra’s shadow. There’s room in the spotlight for both of them.” Perhaps “Red” Gleason’s 1957 words in the 1957 Saturday Evening Post were a premonition?
The 1959 New York Yankees finished in third place in the American League with an uncharacteristic record of 79-75, 15-games behind the Chicago White Sox, who finished 94-60. It was maybe the only time that Sherm Lollar stood on a higher pedestal than Yogi Berra, even though Yogi was only 5’7″ while Sherm was 6’1″. Yogi played in 131-games that season and averaged .284 with 19 home runs and 69 RBIs. Sherm, on the other hand, hit .265 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs, and another Gold Glove. Was the tide starting to turn?
His pitching staff had the lowest ERA in the league at 3.29 with 761 strike outs. Early Wynn won the Cy Young Award. Al Lopez was the Associated Press AL Manager of the Year. Everything went right for the White Sox that year except the outcome of the World Series. At least, Berra didn’t take that from him.
“His pitchers believe in him, Southpaw Jack Harshman who is Lollar’s roommate on the road says, ‘Sherm is a very intelligent catcher. I very rarely shake him off. It’s very important to have a catcher that understands what you are trying to do out there on the mound.’ Dick Donavan, another of the Sox hurling stars says, ‘I’d call Sherman the best catcher I’ve ever pitched to.’ Donavan was there for the 1959 World Series, after winning 9 regular season games but losing ten. Jack Harshman joined Paul Richards in Baltimore in 1958. Their comments were also borrowed from the 1957 Saturday Evening Post article by “Red” Gleason.
Sherm Lollar is mentioned in another The Sporting News article dated September 9, 1959, following the World Series loss to the Dodgers. The author is Bob Burnes under multiple headlines, “Blanket Finish for A.L. in MVP Voting: Morning Line on High-Noon Nominees: ChiSox Have 4 in Running for Top Prize; Cunningham, Banks Leaders in N.L. Race.” They add one more headline as the story continues on Page 6: “ChiSox, Tribe Heroes Offer Real Puzzle to MVP Voters.” As we all supposedly know, the Pennant winner doesn’t necessarily get the prize, so the three Cleveland players, Woodie Held, Rocky Colavito, and Tito Francona are decidedly in the mix, along with other deserving stars.
Lollar’s facial illustration is featured on the cover along with the other 11 finalists for the MVP Award. Three other White Sox candidates are in the running, including Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, and Early Wynn.
“The White Sox, leading the league, have no one to match any of (the candidates) in fire power. Chicago is last in both leagues in home runs.”
Lollar Clutch Crasher
They do have Sherm Lollar, finally coming into his own. He has hit 20 homers, five of them coming in clutch situations in the last two weeks. Regarded as one of the great receivers, Lollar has branched out, playing first base at times, so that John Romano could be used back of the plate to get more power in the lineup.”
Yogi Berra has won the A.L. MVP Award three times, 1951, 1954, and 1955, but he’s not on the ballet for 1959, while Sherm Lollar is at least being considered. Knowing Lollar’s humble nature, he would probably prefer that one of his teammates take the spotlight.
And the winner is….Nellie Fox, adding to the White Sox dominance of major awards this year! As a bonus, Ernie Banks, for the second year in a row, took the N.L. prize – a Windy City sweep in 1959!
To wrap-up the treasure booty from this unforgettable season, the November 18, 1959, issue of The Sporting News, in an article by Oscar Kahan, named Sherm Lollar as a Gold Glove winner, for the third straight year. Teammates Nellie Fox and Luis Aparicio accepted their trophies for second base and shortstop, while once again no Yogi Berra, who has never won the award.
“In addition to Kaline, this also was the third year of fielding supremacy at their positions for Malzone, Lollar, and Shantz, while Power, Fox, Aparicio, and Minoso were winners for the second time.”
“Lollar, continuing his domination of the league’s catchers, won mask-and-mitt honors with 69 votes to 46 for Sammy White of the Red Sox, 31 for Gus Triandos of the Orioles, and 25 for Yogi Berra of the Yankees. It is interesting to note that Berra led the league’s receivers in fielding in all three years of the Golden Glove Awards, yet failed to best out Lollar for the trophies.”
“Steady Sherm handled fewer putouts and assists than Berra the past season and also made more errors, but the loop’s players voted him the top honor in obvious recognition of his leadership behind the plate for Chicago’s pennant winners.”
About the Authors:
“Robert Liston “The Benchwarmer” Burnes was a sportswriter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat for over 50 years. After attending St. Louis University, he started writing for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in 1936, then became sports editor in 1943, a position he held until the newspaper closed in 1986. During this time he was best known for his column, ‘The Benchwarmer.'”
Oscar Kahan rose to become assistant managing editor at The Sporting News before his passing at age 71 in 1980. He joined the paper in 1948, after working at the St. Louis Star-Times and the Associated Press bureaus in New York and Kansas City.
Bill, or more formally William “Red” Gleason, is a longtime Chicago Sun-Times columnist and proud South Sider, who worked for more than 60 years in Chicago journalism and helped launch the genre of talk sports broadcasting by helping to create a Sunday afternoon radio show called “The Sports Writers.” By 1985, the show expanded to become a nationally syndicated television program.
He was also an unabashed White Sox fan who retired in 2001 and passed in 2010 at the age of 87.
To be continued…
The Sporting News continued their coverage of the White Sox and Sherm Lollar with the fragile. aging February 25,1959 edition, also in my collection of magazines. The cover story written by Jerry Holtzman is titled, Veeck Sees Bonanza in White Sox Gate. The illustration shows him hovering over a pile of coins under the heading: Hi-Yo Silver! Burrhead’s Back on Big Time Trail. Two boxes inserted on Page 1 tell the tale in ALL CAPS:
BILL VEECK TURNED DOWN OFFER OF $200,000 FOR HIS OPTION ON DOROTHY RIGNEY’S 54 PER CENT OF WHITE SOX. OPTION COST HIM 100 BUCKS. INSTEAD HE PAID $2,700,000 WITH DOWN PAYMENT OF $1,750,000 TO BE MADE WITHIN 45 DAYS OF EXERCIZING OPTION.
BILL HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAST WITH A BUCK AND BOXCAR NUMBERS DO NOT FAZE HIM. HE BOUGHT THE INDIANS IN ’46 FOR LESS THAN TWO MILLION DOLLARS AND SOLD THEM THREE YEARS LATER FOR $2,200,000. IN ’51 HIS SYNDICATE PURCHASED THE ST. LOUIS BROWNS FOR TWO MILLION AND PEDDLED THEM TO BALTIMORE INTERESTS TWO YEARS LATER FOR $2,475,000! ? NEXT STOP —LOS ANGELES—WHERE THERE ARE ACRES OF BUCKS!
Bill Veeck can grab the pre-season headlines with his negotiations, for all I care. My main interest in this particular tabloid is once again Page 3, where Sherm Lollar is the focus, and the Sox face great expectations. His half-page Illustration is surrounded by message-carrying cartoon characters under the bold headline: Lollar Gets Stronger as ChiSox Pillar. Just below those words, in slightly smaller letters it reads: Best Season in ’58 Brings Boost in Pay for Star Backup, and in the box under that: Solid Man as Socker…and Rugged Receiver. As always, there’s a lot to take in with The Sporting News feature article lead-ins:
Sherm Lollar SOFT-SPOKEN, HARD HITTING RECEIVER…Drawing of Sherm in a SOX hat.
LAST SEASON WITH MINOSO AND DOBY GONE, LOLLAR HAD TO ASSUME THE LONG-BALL BURDEN …HAD HIS BEST SEASON IN 13-YEAR BIG LEAGUE CAREER…An animated character swings three bats labeled Minoso, Doby, and Lollar.
SHERM MORE THAN COMPENSATES FOR THE LACK OF A RIFLE ARM WITH AN UNCANNY KNACK FOR HOLDING RUNNERS ON BASE…A baserunner is chained to the base.
THE QUIET LOLLAR MAY NOT SAY MUCH…BUT WHENEVER HE DOES EVERYBODY LISTENS… A group of cartoon players gather around a catcher.
ONCE TRADED TO YANKS IN 1946…HE GOT INTO 33 GAMES IN TWO SEASONS…THEY HAD ANOTHER YOUNG CATCHER NAME OF YOGI BERRA!! The cartoon caption of a catcher commenting to his teammate reads: SOME GUY BY THE NAME OF BERRA IS CATCHING TODAY.
I’m doing my best to describe the action on the busy page. The article itself is written by Jerry Holtzman. The surprising header reads, “Veteran Now Ranked No. 1 A.L. Catcher” Certainly not according to Yankee fans, I might add.
“Quiet, Yet Take Charge Guy Behind Plate. He’s Viewed as Managerial Prospect.”
Manager Al Lopez was trying to decide between Billy Goodman, Ron Jackson, Earl Torgeson, and Ray Boone, as to who would likely cover first base for the ’59 season, because if they were to overtake the Yankees, they have to be solid at that key position. Finally, Lopez conceded, “We always have Sherm Lollar. I’ll shift him there.”
Looking back to the 1958 season, Holtzman reported, “He led the club in RBIs and homers with a .273 clutch average. He was the team’s only consistent power threat and was consistent throughout. For example, he smashed 20 homers – ten in the first half and ten in the second: he drove in 84 runs – 43 in the first half and 41 in the second.”
Lollar graciously thanked Vice-President Charles Comiskey about his pay raise offer in a note but asked “if he might want to raise the ante even more. “After all,” Sherman wrote, this was the best season of my career.” Lollar apparently made a counter, but Comiskey in a phone call replied, “you’re right. You had a great year, but your salary estimate is too conservative.”
“Comiskey mentioned a figure higher than Lollar had dared to ask – boosting him into the $35,000 -$40,000-a-year bracket.”
“It used to be that Yogi Berra of the Yankees was automatically considered to be the American League’s No.1 catcher. But it isn’t that way anymore. Lollar is the top man and this was particularly apparent last year when Gus Triandos was chosen as the A.L.’s starting catcher in the All-Star Game. Lollar fans sent up a howl and even the players ordinarily placid in these matters, agreed they were right.”
Statistically, according to baseball-refernce.com, Triandos of Baltimore batted .245 with 79 RBIs and 30 home runs in 1958. Berra hit .266 with 90 RBIs and 22 HR. Lollar finished with a .273 batting average, 84 RBIs and 20 homers. Any one of these three catchers could have been named to the All-Star team, but somehow Triandos got the call. 1957 and 1958 were the peak of his career, but Berra and Lollar continued to be successful.
As Lopez pointed out, “Triandos may swing a slightly heavier bat but he still isn’t the catcher Lollar is today. Maybe in time he’ll be as valuable. But right now Lollar is the best all-round catcher in the league, maybe even in the majors.”
“Lollar always seems a bit surprised when Lopez rates him so highly, particularly as a defensive catcher. For as Sherman admits, ‘I don’t have the real strong arm and I’m not as good as Yogi getting balls hit in front of the plate and I know that Jim Hegan has always been the best for foul flies. But I’ll say this – I have always been consistent.'”
Lopez goes on with the compliments: “Lollar more than compensates for the lack of a rifle arm with an uncanny knack of holding runners on base. He may not be as graceful as Hegan, but no one can recall when he last dropped or misjudged a foul fly. Furthermore, he handles all pitchers equally well, including Dick Donavan, Gerry Staley, and Early Wynn, all of whom are essentially low-ballers with a tough assortment of breaking stuff.” Lopez also feels that Lollar has outstanding managerial potential and “could fit in equally well as a front office executive.”
Jerry Holtzman also included three smaller articles in his two-page spread on Lollar:
Hunting, Fishing Kept Sherm in Shape During Off Season
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Sherman Lollar of the White Sox isn’t among the current breed of ballplayers who work the year ’round. He does not have an off-season, gray flannel suit job, such as selling insurance or working as a public relations or promotion man for a big corporation.
Indeed, he spends all his time with his wife, the former Connie Maggard, and their two sons, Pete, 7, and Kevin, 6. Lollar is an ardent hunter and fisherman and also coached a sixth-grade basketball in the Park District program here.
Receiver 16 Years, Lollar Never Had Broken Finger
CHICAGO, Ill. – Though Sherman Lollar has been a catcher in the minors and majors for more than 16 years, he has never had a broken finger. However, he has suffered several minor bone chips and in 1957 was out for two months with a broken wrist.
“I have a theory about that,” Lollar explained. I’m convinced that most finger and hand injuries suffered by catchers come in the pre-game practice. There is a tendency to have your mind on other things at that time.”
“But once a game starts, a catcher must be so engrossed and alert that it’s very seldom he will suffer any injury by a pitched ball. At least that has been my experience. “
Lollar says he disagrees with the opinion that the easiest and fastest way for a boy to crash into the big leagues is by becoming a catcher. The reasoning behind this is because there are comparatively fewer catchers and less competition.”
“A youngster has to like catching,” Lollar explained, “and not just use the position as a means for rapid advancement. There is more work to catching than any other position and I would never advise a boy to become a catcher unless he actually preferred it to all other positions.”
Sherman, Legion Grad of Year, Recalls His Thrills in Junior Ball By JERRY HOLTZMAN Photo of Sherman Lollar
CHICAGO, Ill.
It has been almost two decades since Sherman Lollar, named the American Legion Graduate Player for 1938, participated in the Junior baseball program, but the veteran White Sox catcher says he remembers many Legion games just as vividly as some of his major league contests.
Lollar played for three seasons – 1938-39-40 – with the Lynn-Shelton Post No. 27 team in Fayetteville, Ark. Fayetteville then a town of about 9,000, had four Legion teams which played a round robin schedule.
“One of the things I’ll never forget was that we played about 30 games a season and about half of them were against “town” teams. We didn’t have enough competition among ourselves so we played the grown-ups just about every Sunday.”
“But I don’t suppose Fayetteville was any different in this respect from most of the other small town Legion programs. We just didn’t have enough fellows to form a big enough league to keep us busy, so we were forced to challenge the grown-ups.”
Lollar said that one of his biggest thrills while playing Legion ball came in May 1940, on the Sunday before the opening of the Class D Arkansas-Missouri League season.
Fayetteville in those days had a team in the Arkansas-Missouri League and agreed to play an exhibition against the Lynn-Shelton nine. “We were just kids,” Lollar recalled. “I was sixteen years old then, but in the second or third inning, I don’t remember which, I homered off the Fayetteville pitcher. It was the only run of the game but it actually didn’t count since we were rained out in the fourth inning.”
I can almost hear Sherm reluctantly telling this story in a slow, southern drawl, although I never got to meet him, and certainly never spoke with him. I did see him play at Comiskey Park with my dad, but I was far too shy to approach or ask for an autograph. Fortunately, I’ve been able to collect a few through the years. I have signed photos, note cards, baseball cards and a ball with his authenticated signature. Just a personal sidenote as the Holtzman article continues…
Legion Ball Opened Path to Career
“Hitting that homer was something I can never forget but I’ll say that that wasn’t necessarily my biggest thrill in Legion ball. When I look back now, it was a thrill every time we had a game. I remember waking up in the morning and if the sky was cloudy I’d be sweating it out until the sun came out.”
“Playing Legion ball was a great experience for me. I know if it wasn’t for the Legion program I never would have had a chance to go into Organized Ball. In those days we didn’t have any Little League or Pony League or Babe Ruth League.”
Lollar said that his Legion coach was Rube Marshall, who he described as “one of the most dedicated men he had ever met. He was a great baseball man,” Lollar explained, “but he was even more than that. He was dedicated to helping boys. I can never forget Rube Marshall.”
When told he had been named as the American Legion’s Graduate Player of the Year, Lollar said it was a tremendous honor. “We never won any state championships on our Legion team,” said Lollar, “but we had plenty of fun. I’m very thankful that I was chosen for this honor, especially when you consider that just about all the big leaguers today played Legion ball.”
About the Author:
Jerome Holtzman’s fascination with sports manifested itself in the printed form.
Jerry or more formally Jerome Holtzman has covered baseball with the Chicago Sun-Times for 22-years and with the Chicago Tribune for well over 40 years. Holtzman was also a weekly contributor to the Sporting News for 30- years, both as a columnist and correspondent.
“His book, “No Cheering in the Press Box” is a highly-praised collection of interviews with some of America’s greatest sports writers.”
“He is credited with inventing the save for relief pitchers in 1959, deriving a formula that evolved into the official statistic in 1966. In 1999, Holtzman was named official historian for Major League Baseball.
Holtzman passed away on July 19, 2008, but lived to see the White Sox win the 2005 World Series.
Hoffman of The Sporting News continued to expound on Sherman Lollar’s skills under the sub-heading of “Shotgun for an Arm.” I know he was a reporter, but I also feel he was a fan, traveling with the White Sox for eight years. He was with the Chicago
Sun Times for 25-years and is credited with starting the Golden Jubilee Sports Benefit for the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs, according to his October 28, 1964, obituary at 61-years old. At that time, Sherm was the bullpen coach for the World Champion Baltimore Orioles, earning his second ring in 1966 with a pitching staff that included Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Steve Barber, Wally Bunker, Eddy Watt, and Moe Drabowsky.
Before Lollars 18-year catching career ended in 1963, he spent 12-years with the Chicago White Sox. It was Manager Paul Richards, a catcher once himself, that made the trade from the Browns possible in 1952. Some observers may have noted, “you know that boy just saunters from the dugout to the plate and from the plate to the dugout… looks kind of lazy” Richards retorted, “I’m not concerned with what he does going to and from the plate. It’s what he does at the plate and behind it that counts.”
Hoffman went on to point out that “one of the things Lollar did last season (1954) was to throw out the last 18 runners who tried to steal on him. No one in fact stole on him after May 11 and only four of 22 made it all season.
“And one of the things Lollar did at the plate this season (1955) was to hit seven home runs in ten days from April 23 through May 3.”
“If there are any catchers in the American league as good as or better than Lollar they would have to be Cleveland’s Jim Hogan, and the Yankees’ Yogi Berra. Oddly enough he was unable to become the Indians’ catcher because of Hegan, and he missed taking over the number one job with the Yankees because of Berra. It was only natural then that he should move on to other clubs, but still the way wasn’t easy, because it required some imagination and much practical knowledge of catching to appreciate Lollar’s capabilities.”
Browns Price Was High
“Such a connoisseur was Paul Richards, who, (as previously mentioned) was himself a former catcher and manager of the White Sox from 1951 through ’54,” Hoffman continued.
“Lollar was acquired from the St. Louis Browns, November 26, 1951, in a deal which sent Shortstop Joe DeMaestri, First Baseman Gordon Goldsberry, Outfielder Jim Rivera, Southpaw Dick Littlefield, and Catcher Gus Niarhos to the Browns for Lollar, Pitcher Al Widmar, and Infielder Tom Upton.
“At the time, General Manager Frank Lane said:”
“We went all out to get Loller because Richards wanted him. He’s one of the top three catchers in the American League. Two others. of course, are Yogi Berra and Jim Hegen.”
“Said Manger Richards:”
“We might have won the pennant in 1951 if we had had Lollar. He has a better throwing arm than any other catcher we had. He’s as good of glove man as Gus Niarhos, but more durable. He’ll catch more than 100 games for me.”
“Lollar did catch more than 100 games for Richards in each of the three succeeding years. He caught 352 games in three seasons and will catch more than 100 again in 1955.”
However, Lollar’s first season with the White Sox was his worst, after three big years with the Browns. In 1950, he batted .280, hit 13 homers, and drove in 65 runs. Most importantly, ace Pitcher Ned Garver selected Sherm as his personal catcher and won 20-games in 1951. In November of 1951 came the trade and he was “quite flattered by that, but I started pressing in my anxiety to do well for Richards in 1952 and the result was I had a bad season.” Not one to make excuses, he’s also quoted as saying to a Sports Illustrated reporter in 1960 that, “nineteen fifty-two was a nightmare, the worst year I’ve had in baseball. My wife had become ill after the birth of our first son, and that was on my mind. Then I got off to a bad start when the season opened, and nothing seemed to go right. It went on like that for five and a half months.”
That would soon change…to be continued.
Between baseball cards and big games my life seems to revolve around sports. I check the scores every morning, look at all the box scores, go to the Topps Now site every afternoon to see what cards are available, and watch the live action whenever I can, then view a related documentary or read a book like Bushville Wins! about the 1957 World Champion Milwaukee Braves. IU sports, Purdue, other BIG Ten teams, Indiana Fever, the Cubs, White Sox, Colts, Bears, Kyle Schwarber, and Shohei Ohtani are currently my regular interests.
The baseball playoff race is in full swing, IU football is off to an unprecedented start, IU basketball is getting ready to start, and history is being made by Schwarber and Ohtani on the diamond. Sadly, the Cubs will fall short again this year, and the White Sox are a joke, about to lose their 120th game this season – more history of the worst kind!
Hoosier football won their first four games in dominating style, the local Venice High School Indians are 5-0 after a 54-51 victory last night over Cocoa. The WNBA Indiana Fever and rookie sensation Caitlin Clark are solidly in the playoffs and will battle the Connecticut Sun today on ABC-TV. At least, my sports interests are diverse, ranging from high school and college to professional. I follow the Portland Timbers in soccer as well as the IU program, watch the Little League World Series, men’s & women’s softball, Indy Car, NASCAR, and Formula One. If competition and skill or a ball are involved – I’m interested.
The Purdue-IU rivalry has finally taken a twist in football this year, as the Boilermakers look weak. Hopefully that trend will continue in men’s & women’s basketball, as well as the other sports. Purdue is my second favorite team, the result of working in that community for several years, but there’s no doubt as to my favorite when they play IU. The Colts and Bears tangle this afternoon.
My interest in Kyle Schwarber stems from his collegiate years at IU, my alma mater as well. He made history again last night with his 15th lead-off home run for the Phillies this season. No one else in baseball has ever accomplished that feat! He did it against the Met’s pitcher, Sean Manaea, who now boasts a 12-5 record and retired 21-24 batters with only three hits, including Schwarber’s 406-foot bomb. Manaea’s pitching gem, however, temporarily stalled the Phillies claim to the Division title.
Shohei Ohtani immediately intrigued my interest when he moved his skills from the Japanese leagues to MLB in 2018. This despite my being neither an Angels or Dodgers fan. The ability to both pitch and hit effectively is a rare art, dating back to Babe Ruth. I started collecting his baseball cards, as I also do with Schwarber, and have been caught-up in his success. After arm surgery late last year, he’s focused on hitting and base stealing this season, reaching the 52-52 plateau the other night with 7 more games yet to play. He could very well get back on the mound in the playoffs, finally on a team that has gotten him into the MLB postseason for the very first time.
Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the next game!
I’m moving on to the next milestone, only 500 posts from 3,000. I feel like Pete Rose, aiming for that next hit to earn another record. Shohei Ohtani is in a bit of a stall, throttled by Braves pitching in his quest for 50/50. Aaron Judge, on the other hand, moved out of his funk, and smashed home runs number 52 and 53. The Cubs will probably have to wait until next year, still 5-games out of the last Wild Card spot that now belongs to the Mets. However, the Braves are just a game back, with three head-to-head-matchups in Atlanta remaining in the 2024 regular season. Our neighboring park, Cool Today, just released the 2025 Braves Spring Training schedule. It would be good to see them at least make the Playoffs.
There’s a concert at the Park Saturday night, one of our favorite local bands, Dukes of Brinkley. Tonight, we’re out to dinner with Indy friends at Laishley’s in Punta Gorda and Friday night joining some neighbors at nearby Dockside. “Date Night” has therefore been moved to Saturday night, so we might be able to fit in a little live music.
I’m waiting for the refrigerator repair guy to call with a specific time, although there’s already been several frustrating cancellations. My wife is tired of running to the garage refrigerator during meal preparation. This has been an on-going hassle for several months. She’s substituting again today, so I had Dog Park duty. Once I finish writing, I’ll head to Chair Yoga and the fitness center.
My leg pain was especially bad first thing this morning but has since predictably gone away. Fosse did not help matters, running off to chase a rabbit, while I limped after. Hopefully, I will get some feedback on the cause of this sciatica with Friday’s MRI. It was in my lower back last night, making our evening walk miserable. The Dog Buggy (stroller) at least allows me some support, and Tally enjoys riding along with us rather than being left behind at home. The pain moves from my lower spine area to my upper left thigh, and into my calf, so it’s been difficult to determine the source of the pinched nerve or irritation. I’ll finally get some answers and eventually some relief. Maybe we’ll even have working kitchen refrigerator by then?
When Kyle Schwarber was a Cub and in the World Series, I wrote a poem about him, a comparison to “Mighty Casey at The Bat.” (See Post #119). I won’t go to that extreme on this post, but the former I.U. star, Cubs outfielder, Nats DH, and now lead-off DH for the Phillies, has made MLB history.
He reminds me of old newsreels on Babe Ruth, in a leadoff role that the Babe would have never accepted. The Philadelphia slugger hit his 14th lead-off home run of the season this week against the Tampa Bay Rays, eclipsing the 2003 mark by Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees. The 437-foot blast was his seventh of the month, that’s not even half over, and 35th of the season. He’s also compiled three consecutive seasons of 30+ HRs in his time with the Phillies. Plus, “Schwarbs” now holds the record for multiple seasons with 10-plus leadoff moonshots. I’ve followed his amazing career since college.
Schwarber still has a long way to go to catch Ricky Henderson’s 81-career mark, batting from the top of the order, and certainly can’t compare in terms of speed. He runs like he has a piano on his back. This was only the 45th of his career, a tie for ninth all-time with Brady Anderson but only one behind Philadelphia’s legendary Jimmy Rollins that he will certainly surpass soon. Although, he left the game with an elbow injury.
The move to Philadelphia three years ago, has given him Rocky-like superpowers. In 2022 he hit 46 dingers and in 2023 another 47, a career high, while maintaining a solid .251 batting average. Although the leadoff position is not the best slot for RBIs, he’s driven in 95 and has scored 99 times. Will the 100th time to circle the bases be another lead-off shot?
Like a kid in a candy store, I’ve been sorting baseball cards for the last few days. My son brought over his collection of sports cards, many of which were mine many years ago. I simply put them all in order, removed all the duplicates, and added some of those to my binders. The triplicates I’ll take to Blue Breaks, my local store and put them in the kid’s box – free cards to perhaps motivate a youngster to adopt the hobby.
Since I’ve been nursing a sore leg, sitting and sorting seems like a good idea. However, then it stiffens even more and makes walking miserable. It seems to be getting worse rather than better and a call to the doctor’s office yesterday didn’t seem to speed up the process of getting an MRI. No one knows what to do for me until I get these results, so progress is at a standstill. I’ll work out the pain in the morning and then am able to do my workouts at the gym or the pool. However, sedate evenings of watching TV or distractions like baseball cards, lead to hours on a soft couch. This seems to aggravate the nerve. It’s like a hamstring injury, with stabbing pain running down my left leg into my calf. Ice provides temporary relief, but a heating pad last night didn’t seem to help. I’m lost for a solution.
The baseball world that I live in this time of year keeps me sane. Kyle Schwarber hit 3-homers in a single game this week, the first, a lead-off shot, tied him with Alfonso Soriano for the season record. Japanese phenom Shota Imanaga hurled 7-innings of no-hit ball for the Cubs, and two relievers combined to finish off the game, holding the Pirates hitless. Aaron Judge pursues the 60-mark and Shohei Ohtani inches closer to the 50/50 Club. However, the White Sox continue to lose at a record pace. I still check the box scores in the middle of the night and go to the Topps Baseball site every afternoon to purchase cards that capture those moments of actions. History is made almost every day on the diamond. In another month or so, my entire focus will shift to I.U. basketball. Too much idle time, like this, is driving me crazy. I need to find something constructive to do with my days.
My wife spent another day teaching school, while I took the dogs to the park. She almost didn’t get home, considering the fact that her Lexus key fob fell apart, and she couldn’t get the car started. Fortunately, she was able to improvise and drove to Sarasota to pick up a pricy replacement. The nearly 20-year-old sports car, her baby, needs an oil change, tune-up, and struts, so hopefully the rest of it won’t fail in the near future. She has errands tomorrow and I’ll need it Saturday, but school is on hold until Monday. I need this leg to heel, so I can go back to work.
My proposed Hall of Shame, within the Hall of Fame, would be like purgatory, waiting to get into Heaven as the case is debated. Baseball Commissioners have proven to be stubborn with their decisions. However, future circumstances might dictate these fallen player’s eligibility back in baseball, just as the Armando Gallarraga 28-out game (ruled out of a perfect game on the last out) eventually spurred the addition of replay and continues to be discussed. It opened eyes! Who knows, maybe a future commissioner will see the difference between good players and bad actions?
There were several “bad” players unofficially banned from baseball before the creation of the office of Commissioner of Baseball in 1921. They later had their bans made “official” by baseball’s first Commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who made it clear that gambling would not be tolerated. Landis barred a total of nineteen people during his tenure, five more than all of his successors combined. Of the nineteen, two were re-instated by Landis, one was re-instated by a successor and sixteen remain banned.
Long before Landis came to power and dating back to 1865, Thomas Devyr, Ed Duffy, and William Wansley of the New York Mutuals were banned for associating with known gamblers. John Radcliff of the Chicago White Stockings was banned in 1874 after attempting to bribe an umpire. The White Stockings, predecessors of the Cubs, were prohibited from using “Chicago” as part of their name beginning in 1900. The city of Chicago was soon to become the poster child for bad behavior in baseball.
All of these early players were eventually reinstated. George Bechtel of the National League Louisville Grays was banned in 1876 for conspiring to intentionally lose a game and never reinstated. His teammates, Jim Devlin, George Hall, Al Nichols, and Bill Craver followed in 1877 and were also never reinstated. Fellow NL competitor Lip Pike of Worchester arose suspicions for his play in 1881, and was banned, blacklisted, then finally reinstated in 1883.
As for non-players before the Landis regime, bans were issued to umpire Dick Higham in 1882 for conspiracy, New York Giants team physician Joseph Marie Creamer, III for bribery, St. Louis Browns managers Jack O’Connor and Henry Howell for attempting to fix the outcome of the 1910 American League batting title, and the 1912 Philadelphia Phillies owner, Horace Fogel for asserting that umpires were making unfair calls against his team. The are no records of reinstatement for any of these men.
Henry Zimmerman, also known as “Heinie” or “The Great Zim” was another famous case. He played third base for the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants, winning the National League triple crown in 1912. He was banned for fixing games with suspicion arising after his poor performance in the 1917 World Series. This was two years before the Black Sox scandal, but it took another two years for it to become official by Landis in 1921, following the trial testimony of his manager John Mcgraw, who was reluctant to turn him in.
Joe “Moon” Harris of the Cleveland Indians was banned in 1920 when he chose to play for an independent team rather than the Indians, violating the reserve clause. This proved to be simply breaking the rules but not the law, and he was justifiably reinstated by Commissioner Landis in 1922, in part for his service during WW II. Another non-gambling related ban occurred back in 1877, when Oscar Walker was accused of “contract jumping” by signing to play for another team while still under contract to the team he left. This was 98-years prior to free agency, another example of how time changes the rules.
The following year, Hal Chase of the New York Giants was banned for gambling with accusations extending back to 1910. This indiscretion also cost him a managerial position. He was also suspended in 1918 by Reds manager Christy Mathewson for fixing games and traded to the Giants. By the end of the 1919 season, NL president John Heydler disclosed evidence of Chase bribing players on other teams and had him blackballed, so neither league would touch him. 1921 was a bad year to face Commissioner Landis. Joe Gedeon of the St. Louis Browns, and Eugene Paulette of the Philadelphia Phillies, Lee Magee of the Chicago Cubs were all banned for conspiring or associating with known gamblers. Heinie Groh of the Cincinnati Reds was banned for two-days before agreeing contract salary terms. Play or face lifetime banishment was Landis’ ultimatum. On the criminal side, Bennie Kauff of the New York Giants was banned for selling stolen cars. Even though he was acquitted, the Judge considered him “no longer a fit companion for other ball players.” Ray Fisher of the Reds violated his contract by accepting a coaching position at the University of Michigan, Landis ruled. Bowie Kuhn reversed this decision in 1980, following the death of Landis.
In 1922, Dickie Kerr of the White Sox, one of the “Clean Sox,” was banned for violating the reserve clause in his contract and was reinstated three-years later. Also, Phil Douglas of the New York Giants received a Landis ban for allegedly threatening to “jump” the team for the pennant stretch to spite coach McGraw. Judge Landis was obviously a no-nonsense strict ruler, and players began to fall in line after his first year in office.
1923 was quiet but in 1924, Jimmy O’Connell of the New York Giants and his coach, Cozy Dolan, were both banned for bribing a Phillies shortstop. William D. Cox, the owner of the Phillies, was the last living person banned by Landis in 1943 for betting. Landis seemed to feast on Philly owners.
In his most celebrated case, Judge Landis officially went to work on the eight players of the Chicago White Sox. All were banned in 1921 for conspiring with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series, known as the Black Sox scandal. We’ll get into that in the next installment.
Shohei Ohtani joined the 30-30 Club, despite a recent draught that has hopefully only temporarily dropped him out of the Triple Crown race. In Chicago related sports, the Cubs took the series from the Cardinals to at least rise from the cellar to face the Twins and White Sox, while bed-ridden Steve McMichael was honored by the HOF and the Bears won a rain-shortened game over the Texans in Canton. Former Cubs World Series hero, Kyle Schwarber, now a Philly, hit his 41st career leadoff homer, and the 10th of this season in a 6-0 victory over the trade-depleted Marlins. Alfonso Soriano’s 13 in 2003 as a Yankee is the record he is chasing. Schwarbs and Ohtani faced each other in LA, both in a DH role.
Schwarber homered once in game two and three times in game 3 to boost his season total to 27 (11 lead-off shots) while Ohtani homered in the opener (#34).
Currently tied for seventh on the single season leadoff homer list, Schwarber joined Soriano as the only players with multiple seasons of 10-plus leadoff homers and is not done yet. If Schwarber can get to 3 more home runs from the top of the batting order at any point this season, he will be the first player since at least 1974 to have three consecutive such years. In addition, he’s the first Phillies player since Jayson Werth in 2008 with 3 homers and 7 RBIs in a game. He ties a career high and delivers his first ever 4-4 game. He is batting 364 over the last 15 games.
Ohtani and the Dodgers are slumping, as the surging Diamondbacks and Padres, both with 9 wins in their last 10 games, have closed the gap to two games — the smallest margin since late April. Ohtani’s batting average has slipped to .294 after the Brewers series and from .316 since the All-Star break. He and his teammates travel to St. Louis and Busch Stadium for Players Weekend where he has yet to have a career homer.
Gavin Sheets matched a career high with four hits and drove in four runs, Korey Lee and Brooks Baldwin homered and the Chicago White Sox gave interim manager Grady Sizemore his first win, pounding the New York Yankees 12-2. This was of course after losing 24 of 25.
The Little League World Series is underway, and as we passed through New Jersey, I couldn’t help but think of 1998 when Toms River, New Jersey, defeated Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan in the championship game of the 52nd Little League World Series. The title game was punctuated by a standout performance by future White Sox and 2015 MLB Home Run Derby champion Todd Frazier, who went 4-for-4 with a lead-off home run, and was also the winning pitcher. He retired from baseball in 2022.
As a final note or two, TruTV has agreed to broadcast five Savannah Banana games. I’ve set my record function in hope of catching some of the action. After all, tickets are both expensive and hard to get. Plus, Da Bears are now 3-0 in the preseason. It could be a good year.
July marked the end of the MLB trade deadline, so I was keeping an eye on the wire while we traveled. The Cubs picked up a reliever, Nate Pearson, and All-Star Isaac Paredes in exchange for popular Christopher Morel. The White Sox, after 14-straight losses and only 27-wins in 108-games had yet to make a move until the last few days… pitcher Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to the Cards, along with Michael Kopech to the Dodgers in a 3-way swap, while the Cubs dealt Mark Leiter, Jr. to the Yanks for futures. The Sox got more prospects in exchange but nothing to rescue this pitiful season.
As the trade deadline loomed, Pham was back with the Cards, former teammate Paul DeJong, also with the Pale Sox, went to the Mets, and Jorge Soler was reunited with the Braves. Danny Jansen of the Blue Jays, sent to the Red Sox, could end up playing for both teams in the same suspended game. This has yet to happen in the 121-year history of the MLB. Injury-prone Eloy Jimenez is moving his medical baggage to Baltimore.
The chump White Sox lost their franchise record 15th, no 16th, no 17th, no 18th, no 19th, no 20th, no 21st straight game, swept by the Mariners, Royals, Twins, and A’s, dubiously besting Baltimore’s 1988 swoon. It beat their previous mark of 14 set less than two months ago, another of the Top-40 all-time losing streaks in MLB history (tied at #38). It’s been that kind of year! They matched the 1988 Orioles with 21 consecutive losses after becoming the seventh team in MLB history to lose 20 games in a row. They join the company that includes:
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1961 Philadelphia Phillies, 23 games
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2024 Chicago White Sox. 21 games
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1988 Baltimore Orioles, 21 games
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1969 Montreal Expos, 20 games
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1943 Philadelphia Athletics, 20 games
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1916 Philadelphia Athletics, 20 games
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1906 Boston Americans, 20 games
The pain and embarrassment finally ended on the threshold of the 1961 Phillies record with a 5-1 win over the A’s. Jonathan Cannon gave up one run over six innings to stave his personal drought while helping the White Sox to their first victory since early July. One straight win! Never mind, “One Straight Loss” thanks to the A’s, followed immediately by the firing of Manager Pedro Grifol, just in time to play the Cubs, another two losses and perhaps the beginning of another record slump by the chumps.
