On November 28, 1944, Detroit Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player, gathering four more votes than teammate Dizzy Trout. Newhouser collected 29 wins on the season, as well as a league-leading 187 strikeouts. His 2.22 ERA was bettered by Trout (2.12 ERA), though Trout “only” collected 27 wins.
The Cubs hired future Hall of Fame catcher Roger Bresnahan on November 18, 1914 to manage the ballclub. The former Cardinal skipper would only stay one year, and Chicago finished the season in fourth place with a 73-80 record.
On November 11, 1948, Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio underwent surgery to remove bone spurs on his right heel at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. DiMaggio would not return to the Bronx Bombers’ lineup until June 28th of the following season.
Any opportunity to watch an interview with Buck O’Neil is always a treat, and this is no exception. I really love how Buck talks about Jackie Robinson in this, and the interview as a whole is so enjoyable.
On October 17, 1960, the National League formally awarded franchises to the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc., led by Joan Payson, and a Houston group led by Judge Roy Hofheinz. An expansion draft was held for the two new expansion clubs in 1961, and the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s would begin play in 1962.
All ballplayers should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill.
~Babe Ruth
The 1925 season ended on October 4th of that year, and for the first time in franchise history, the Chicago Cubs finished in eighth and last place in the National League. Managed by Bill Killefer, Rabbit Maranville, and George Gibson, the team compiled a 68-86 record to finish 27.5 games behind the first-place Pirates.
MLB Network has announce that this coming December, they will be featuring a documentary on the king of pine tar himself, George Brett. The feature is titled “MLB Network Presents: Brett,” and as 2023 marks 50 years since Brett made his MLB debut, MLB Network decided it was the perfect time to come out with this documentary. I look forward to it.
More information can be found here.
I thought the Hall of Fame was for superstars, not just average players like me.
~Earle Combs
In a Players’ League game between the Buffalo Bison and the Chicago Pirates on September 15, 1890, Bison pitcher Bert Cunningham threw five wild pitches in the first inning at South Side Park. This performance established a dubious regular-season record, which would later be matched by Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel during a 2000 playoff game against the Mets.
Cunningham was nevertheless inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 1996.
