July 10, 1943: Dodgers double down in rout of Pirates

“Four Pirate pitchers bent like reeds in the fury of the Dodger attack,” quipped Brooklyn sportswriter Tommy Holmes writing of the Dodgers’ offensive outburst against visiting Pittsburgh.1 For the first time in franchise history, the Dodgers scored at least 10 runs in an inning twice in a game.

Entering the game, the Dodgers were in second place, four games behind the first-place St. Louis Cardinals, while skipper Frankie Frisch had his Pirates in third place 7½ games behind St. Louis.

Leo Durocher was in his fifth year of managing the Dodgers and the team had finished no worse than third (Durocher’s first year at the helm, 1939). The team was led by second baseman Billy Herman, third baseman Frenchy Bordagaray, outfielder Dixie Walker, and former Pirates outfielder Paul Waner, all of whom batted .300 or better in 1943.

This was the third game of a five-game series; the teams had split the first two. Durocher’s choice for a starting pitcher was 10-year veteran Curt Davis, a 39-year-old right-hander who entered the contest with a record of 4-5 and an ERA of 1.58. Pittsburgh’s starter, righty Johnny Podgajny, entered the game with a record of 4-7 and a 2.11 ERA.

Smoldering in the shadow of dissension in their clubhouse at game time the previous day, the Dodgers half-heartedly called off their general rebellion and their frustrated anger and burst into full flame against the Pirates. Arky Vaughan was on a personal strike after Durocher had suspended Bobo Newsom for berating catcher Bobby Bragan for missing a third strike, according to the New York Daily News.2

Durocher said that the trouble had started out in the third inning of the game played the previous day. After the Pirates had scored a run, they had a runner on third base with two out. Bragan missed a third strike which allowed Elbie Fletcher to reach first base.3

Later, on the bench, Bragan told Durocher he had called for a fastball, but Newsom threw something else. Bragan thought it might have been a knuckler, but said it could have been a spit ball because there was a wet spot on the ball when he picked it up.4

Newsom said indignantly it was a fast ball, although the Brooklyn benchwarmers, including Durocher, thought it was a breaking pitch.5

Durocher was quoted as saying, “I am sick and tired of Newsom acting as though the only thing that matters is whether he wins or loses. It isn’t right that he (Newsom) is trying to blame the kid” (Bragan).6

Durocher also added, “he’s suspended.” Branch Rickey, the front office generalissimo of the Flatbush forces said he would stick by his manager.7

The revolt in the playing ranks threatened the cancellation of the next game. Minutes before game time Vaughn had agreed to play and the Dodgers trotted out on the field.8

This was the latest in the baseball fortunes in Brooklyn, as Vaughn was upset over Newsom’s punishment and appeared at Durocher’s office door in the clubhouse a half hour before game time. He said to Durocher, “Here’s another uniform you can have.” Durocher leaped to his feet and said, “I don’t know what it’s all about, Arky, but if that’s the way you feel about it, take it off.”9

Durocher called off infield practice and held a meeting with his players with the newspapermen in attendance. He said that Newsom’s suspension had nothing to do with the Bragan incident, and wanted the suspension to last longer than three days. Durocher then said that the suspension resulted when he questioned Newsom on how he had pitched to Vince DiMaggio when DiMaggio doubled to left field. Newsom said high and inside. I told him it wasn’t far enough inside and he virtually told me I was a liar.10

Durocher denied suspending Vaughn although he had said to him following the altercation, “You’re suspended too.” Durocher said Vaughn quit and turned in his uniform. Vaughn and Newsom then watched the game from the rightfield stands near the bullpen. However, it was later announced by Secretary Mel Jones that Vaughn was back in uniform and on the bench.11

Davis allowed the Pirates’ leadoff hitter, Frankie Gustine, a single but then retired Johnny Barrett (fly ball to center field), Jim Russell (groundout that advanced Gustine to second), and Bob Elliott (fly ball to left field) to send the Pirates into the field of play and the Dodgers to bat.

Podgajny got Al Glossop to fly out to Vince DiMaggio in center field and then allowed the next six batters to reach base: Paul Waner singled, Walker doubled, and Augie Galan walked to load the bases. Billy Herman, the Dodgers second baseman, doubled to score all three runners and give Brooklyn a 3-0 lead. A walk to Dolph Camilli and a single by Bragan loaded the bases again. Manager Frisch replaced Podgajny with another right-hander, Harry Shuman, who gave up a single to Red Barkley that scored Herman and Camilli and sent Bragan to third base. Barkley stole second base with Davis at bat. Davis flied out to Barrett in right field for the second out of the inning. The runners held as Glossop, who had led off the game, singled to load the bases a third time. Third baseman Elliott’s error on Waner’s grounder allowed Bragan and Barkley to score and gave Brooklyn a 7-0 lead.

Walker reached base for the second time in the inning on a walk that loaded the bases for the fourth time in the inning. Brooklyn’s Galan hit a bases-clearing triple to give the Dodgers a 10-0 lead. After a walk to Herman, Frisch went to the mound a second time and replaced Shuman with left-hander Johnny Gee, who got Camilli to fly out to center field and end the carnage.

It was a one-two-three inning for Davis in the second and while Gee allowed consecutive one-out singles to Barkley and Davis, Glossop grounded into an inning-ending double play. Waner led off the bottom of the third for Brooklyn with a single and after Walker lined out to shortstop, Galan doubled, putting left Dodgers at second and third. A single by Herman scored both runners and the Dodgers’ lead grew to 12-0.

With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Elbie Fletcher, the Pirates’ first baseman, walked. DiMaggio singled; Fletcher scored when Dodgers right fielder Waner let the ball get past him and catcher Bragan fumbled Waner’s belated throw home. DiMaggio wound up at second. After a walk by Al Lopez, Pete Coscarart‘s double scored DiMaggio. A triple by pitcher Gee scored two runs and made the score 12-4, Brooklyn.

Brooklyn posted its second 10-run inning in the fourth inning. Barkley began it by drawing a walk. With one out, Glossop also walked. A single by Waner loaded the bases. Barkley scored on a single by Walker. Galan walked to force in a run, and Herman’s single scored Waner and Walker. Galan scored on Camilli’s single and the fourth walk of the inning, this one to Bragan, loaded the bases again. Gee gave up a double to Barkley to score Herman and Camilli, and was yanked in favor of Bill Brandt. Brandt gave up a fly ball to Davis that scored Bragan and a home run to Glossop to score two more and give the Dodgers a 22-4 lead. Waner walked again, but Walker’s fly out ended the inning.

With Brandt still on the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning, Camilli worked a two-out walk. A single by Bragan advanced Max Macon (pinch-running for Camilli) to third base. With Barkley at the plate, Macon stole home to give the Dodgers a 23-4 lead.

The scoring ended in the top of the eighth inning. The Pirates’ Bob Elliott singled off Davis. Tommy O’Brien flied out to left field and after a walk to Johnny Wyrostek, Bill Baker‘s single scored Elliott and sent Wyrostek to third base. The 29th and last run of the game came in as Wyrostek scored on Coscarart’s force-play grounder to third.

Despite all the time spent baserunning, the game ended in a tidy 2 hours and 10 minutes.

SOURCES

In addition to the game story and box-score sources cited in the notes, the author consulted the Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org websites.

Photo credit: Billy Herman, SABR-Rucker Archive.

NOTES

1 Tommy Holmes, “Dodgers Crush Pirates, 23-6 with Two 10 Run Outbreaks,” Brooklyn Eagle, July 11, 1943: 21.

2 “Dodgers Smother Pirates, 23-6,with Two 10 Run Innings, New York Daily News, July 11, 1943: 162.

3 Tommy Holmes, “Newsom Winds Up in Doghouse After Clubhouse Spat With Lippy”, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 10, 1943:6.

4 “Newsom Winds Up in Doghouse After Clubhouse Spat With Lippy”

5 “Newsom Winds Up in Doghouse After Clubhouse Spat With Lippy”

6 “Newsom Winds Up in Doghouse After Clubhouse Spat With Lippy”

7 “Newsom Winds Up in Doghouse After Clubhouse Spat With Lippy”

8 Roscoe McGowen, “Dodgers Revolt Against Durocher, Then Play and Win Game, 23 to 6”, New York Times, July 11, 1943:1

9 New York Times

10 New York Times

11 New York Times