The Golden Age Draft League

[KG Erwin]

Boston, Tuesday May 14. Over the weekend, the Pirates took 2 out of 3 against the Cubs.

May 10: Pirates 6, Cubs 1
May 11: Pirates 2, Cubs 1
May 12: Cubs 10, Pirates 6. In this one the Cubbies rocked the vaunted Buc pitching staff with 13 hits, including 2 HR and 4 doubles.

Monday was an off-day.

Today we lost to the Braves 2-1 in 10 innings. The Braves now trail the Pirates by 5 1/2 games.

After the game the Pirates engaged in a few roster moves. We needed a RH power hitter, so little-used LHP Stan Ferens was traded to the Cubs in exchange for LF Erv Dusak. Dusak will platoon with Vic Wertz. Also, OF Dale Mitchell was sent to the Phillies. In return we got promising minor-league P Ted Gray. Gray was assigned to AA, and RP Bubba Harris was called up to fill out the major-league roster.

[KG Erwin]

May 15: Win over Boston, 3-2.
May 16: Win over Brooklyn, 3-2.
May 17: Loss to Brooklyn, 5-4.
May 18: In a swirling wind at Ebbets Field, the home runs were plentiful. I'll let the box score tell the story--

[KG Erwin]

New York, Sunday May 19. Double-header at the Polo Grounds.

First game. A nice shot of the Polo Grounds, showing the game results.






In the second game, the Bucs blew a 5-0 lead and lost it 9-8 when Woody Abernathy gave up a bottom of the ninth HR to Spider Jorgensen. [X(]

[KG Erwin]

Here's the standings as of May 21:

[KG Erwin]

Team stats so far:

[KG Erwin]

After a day off on Monday, with the Pirates taking in the amenities of the Big Apple, we returned to the Polo Grounds on Tuesday the 21st.

Hal Newhouser gave up two HR, but otherwise was overpowering. The Bucs got 5 hits and 4 walks off of Newhouser, but he struck out eight and won over Early Wynn 6-3.

Even at this, Pitt (25-10) retains a six-game lead over Brooklyn.

Minor League update: the farm-system overseer, Roy Hobbs, is pleased with the progress of 23-year-old 3B Bill Sommers in AAA. Hobbs has been personally giving this kid some batting tips. Sommers is hitting .345, with 3HR and 32 RBI in 174 AB. In Roy's typical no-nonsense fashion, he told me that Bill "could be pretty good, but needs to work on his glove in the field. I'll let you know when he's ready."

[KG Erwin]

Philadelphia, May 22. Bob Lemon earned a 4-0 complete-game win gainst the Phillies, but the Pirates suffered two injuries. Both first basemen, Dick Kryhoski and replacement Joe Kuhel, had to be removed from the lineup, as neither was able to continue the game. Utility infielder Eddie Stanky filled in at 1B and performed well.

More details later.

Followup: it was determined that Kryhoski suffered a minor knee sprain, and Kuhel a minor elbow ligament injury. Both of them will be rested on Wednesday, and Eddie Stanky will start at 1B.

Manager K G Erwin was asked about this strange turn of events : " These guys will get the best care around -- I have some top-notch medics from my war days on the team's payroll. What's that? NO -- unless these guys need surgery, we take care of our own. They'll know what to do. Dick and Joe will be back within a couple of days. No need to worry. "

May 23. Warren Spahn gets his 7th win and Milo Candini earns his 7th save as the Pirates down the Phillies 4-2.

The Bucs return to Pittsburgh on Friday and begin a three-week home stand. The 1st base tandem of Dick Kryhoski and Joe Kuhel will be healthy enough to be reinserted into the lineup.

[KG Erwin]

Pittsburgh, Friday May 24. The Iron City Express keeps rolling. We hold a seven-game lead over the Dodgers.

[KG Erwin]

Pittsburgh, Sunday May 26. We ended up taking 3 out of 4 from the Cubs.

On Saturday, we pounded the Cubbies 10-2.

Sunday was a double-header. Game 1 saw us shut out the Cubs 4-0, on a combined effort from Lemon, Abernathy and Trinkle.

In Game 2, the wind picked up and was blowing out to RF. The Cubs hit 2 HRs off of Warren Spahn, and another off of Clem Dreisewerd. We lost that one, 7-3.

At 30-11, we are now seven and a half games ahead of Brooklyn.

In the junior circiut, the St. Louis Browns are 24-17, one and a half games in front of the White Sox. This should be no surprise, as the Brownies' lineup includes Joe DiMaggio (.266 avg/8 HR/30 RBI), Stan Musial (.312/5/26) and Ralph Kiner (.224/4/24).

The Pirates' leading hitters are Yogi Berra ( .336/3/30), Red Schoendienst ( .330/3/20) and Vic Wertz (.318/4/14).

My pitching staff is still number 1, with a collective ERA of 2.82. I have three pitchers in the top 10 in wins: Warren Spahn (7-2, 1.66 ERA), Don Newcombe (6-1, 2.57) and Bob Lemon (5-0, 2.47). The amazing thing is their ages -- Newcombe is just 20 years old, Spahn is 25, and Lemon is the old man at 26.

The number three starter, Early Wynn (4-5, 4.24), is also 26. Wynn has had a few shaky starts, but I'm gonna stand by him. He's completed 4 out of 10 starts, and has pitched two shutouts. He DOES have some control problems that need to be worked on (he has 20 strikeouts vs 33 walks, and has given up 5 HRs).

[KG Erwin]

Pittsburgh, Monday May 27. The wind was again blowing out to right field, but Don Newcombe took the measure of the Cincinnati Reds in a 6-1 complete-game victory. He gave up eight hits, but issued no walks and struck out 9. Newcombe also got a hit and an RBI. He is batting .276 this season.

Manager K G Erwin was all smiles in the post-game interview: " This young man has it all. He can pitch, he can hit, and he can field."

It was also noted that the outfield was aligned differently, with Ashburn replacing Snider in center, Snider moving to left, and Wertz to right. Erwin: "We're experimenting with the defense, yes. Our outfielders are capable of playing wherever we want to put them, and we're working on the optimal combination."

Tuesday, May 28. Pirates 4, Reds 3 (10 innings).

Wednesday was an off day.

[KG Erwin]

Pittsburgh, May 30. A Memorial Day double-header against the Cardinals.

Game 1. Bob Lemon went 5 innings, earning the victory and giving up just one hit but issuing 7 walks. Candini and Trinkle held on as the Pirates won it 8-4. Lemon is now 6-0, with a 2.54 ERA.

Game 2. Warren Spahn's fastballs were clocked in the low nineties, and he earned his eighth victory as the Pirates win 3-1. It was Spahn's 5th complete game.

Friday the 31st was an off day.

Here are the current standings:

[URett]

I enjoy your updates very much, thanks for sharing!

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: URett

I enjoy your updates very much, thanks for sharing!

Thank YOU for reading, URett. Keeping this diary is almost as much fun as playing out the games.

To see these players develop "virtual personalities" is cool. For example, both Early Wynn and Bob Lemon seem to be impatient and feisty. They might start a game being wild, but usually will settle into the groove after a couple of innings. Spahn, though, is all business. He never seems to get "rattled". [;)]

[KG Erwin]

Cincinnati, June 1. Dizzy Trout pitches a no-hitter (the 1st of the '46 season) against the Dodgers.

[KG Erwin]

Pittsburgh, June 1. There was also drama at Forbes Field. The Phillies had a 6-1 lead going into the fifth, but look what happened :

[KG Erwin]

With the newspapers concentrating on the dominance of the Pirates' young pitching staff, the offense, in particular the Bucs' tendency to be aggressive on the basepaths, is being overlooked.

This team, playing in spacious Forbes Field, is built on pitching, defense and speed. They do not rely on the long ball to score runs. The defense has allowed the fewest runs in the majors.

[KG Erwin]

Pittsburgh, June 2. Double-header Sunday. The Phillies are the opponents.

Game 1. Woody Abernathy (4-2, 3.15) earns the win in relief of Early Wynn. Milo Candini also gets his 10th save. Pirates, 5-3.

Game 2. Bob Lemon goes 7-0 as the Pirates win 6-3. Ken Trinkle gets the save.

Manager K G Erwin was asked about his team's nearly uncanny ability to make clutch plays:

"I instilled a team philosophy that I call 'situational awareness'. Each player has the option to change the called play to match the situation on the field. This isn't disobeying orders -- it's taking the initiative. He might see something that I , or the base coaches, might not readily see. These are smart players. I demand 100% attention to what's going on in the field -- that applies to EVERYONE, including the bench and the bullpen. I am always open to players' suggestions, with the understanding that I take ultimate responsibility for the results.

This philosophy of group participation is derived from the methods of Lt. Col. Evans Carlson of the Marine Raiders-- he called it 'Gung Ho' --working together. I simply adapted it to apply to baseball."

MLB News: The AL is turning into a dogfight -- as of today, the Boston Red Sox hold 1st place, with the Browns and the Indians close behind. The Bostonians have a 5-game winning streak.

In the NL, the Pirates have a ten-game lead over the Boston Braves. The Braves have pulled ahead of the Giants and Dodgers, having won six straight.

Individually, the Giants' Eddie Robinson leads the majors in batting with a .358 avg. The Pirates' Warren Spahn is the ERA leader (1.59).

June 3 is an off-day.

The Dodgers come to Forbes for a three-game series on Tuesday June 4.

[KG Erwin]

Pittsburgh, June 4. So much for talking to the press. The Dodgers came to town and knocked the chip off our shoulders, shutting out the Pirates 3-0. [8|] Dick Fowler got the win, Warren Spahn took the loss.

June 5. Damn "Dem Bums"! The Dodgers win again, 5-2.

June 6. On the 12th Anniversary of D-Day, Wynn wins 2-1. Candini gets his 11th save.

[KG Erwin]

Organization status report: I have no glaring weaknesses in the major-league roster. The minors are a different story, but it really doesn't concern that much, as my team is young. However, I keep a close watch on the health of my players. When someone gets tired, I rest them for a day or so. There's NO one in AAA who's ready for promotion.

That being said, I'm putting feelers out for a possible trade. I still need a solid late-inning defensive replacement for Duke Snider in LF. I have Erv Dusak, but I want better range out there. I have pitching to spare.

I have Bubba Harris in the bullpen, but I'm not using him. I'd like to put him back in AAA for further seasoning. Hmm-- maybe someone else could use him NOW.

(Postscript: I made a trade with the St. Louis Browns. The GM of the Brownies was thrilled with the deal. I gave them OF Erv Dusak and RHP Bubba Harris in exchange for 19-year-old OF Dick Lane and LHP Joe Page.

This fills two slots for me -- Lane is a solid replacement defensive player, and 29-year-old Page is a great addition to the bullpen. One more good lefty pitcher -- I really wanted that. Barring injuries, my team is now set. )

[KG Erwin]

Pittsburgh, June 7. Bob Lemon gets a complete-game 5-0 shutout against the Giants. He struck out three, walked four and gave up six hits. Lemon is now 8-0, with a 2.42 ERA.

June 8. Pirates win 4-3 in 13 innings. Abernathy wins.

June 9. Double-header. Game 1 went 10 innings, with Dick Lane driving in Vic Wertz for the GW RBI. Joe Page, in relief of Newcombe, gets his first win as a Pirate. Final 2-1.

In game 2, Dave Koslo and Bob Savage combined to prevent the sweep in a 3-0 victory. The Giants' pitchers allowed only four hits. Early Wynn took the loss.

The Pirates end their current homestand with a 3-game series against the second-place Braves, who are looking to reduce the Bucs' 12-game lead.