Blues Barrage

“The Monsters of Missouri … Caliphs of Catastroph … Prehistoric Pillagers of the Kaw … Arm and Hammer Blues … Piano Movers … Village Smithys.”

These are some of the names given to describe the slugging Kansas City Blues during the stifling summer of 1952.

Several of the adjective-rich terms were applied to the Blues following their return to Kansas City in early July after an eight game road trip in which they hit a total of 26 home runs and set other records for power in the American Association.

The Blues’ homer barrage against the St. Paul Saints on June 29 was front page news the following morning in the Kansas City Times. Headlines of “Salvo of Homers … Ring Up Ten in Game,” greeted morning readers.

In winning the first game of a doubleheader 17-4 over the Saints at Lexington Park in St. Paul, the Blues socked ten home runs and totaled 53 bases, both American Association records. The previous one-game record of nine homers was set in 1951 by Milwaukee at Nicollet Park in Minneapolis. The old total base record of 50 was first set in 1951 by Minneapolis, and later matched by Columbus in a game at Minneapolis in 1948.

The June 29th 20-hit attack was highlighted by a big third inning. The Blues homered six times — establishing another American Association record — as they hit five of them after two were out. Roy Partee, the “Blues” sturdy little catcher, led off the third with a 330 foot homer over the left field fence.

After Blues pitcher Ernie Nevel struck out, Kermit Wahl walked and Fenton Mole went down swinging. Vic Power followed with a curving home run, fair by inches inside the line. Bill Skowron reached first on an error. Then, Kal Segrst, Bill Renna and Andy Carey all homered, before Partee, up for the second time in the inning, connected with number six to a near identical spot he hit the first one.

Renna hit his second homer in the fifth with one on and Partee socked his third home run in the seventh. Power and Segrist hit the final two homers in the eighth inning.

Partee’s three blasts equaled his entire output for the 1951 season. His homers in the third inning tied a league record shared by six others. The mark was first set in 1927 by an obscure Minneapolis player listed only as Kenna. Previous to Partee, it was last equaled in 1950 by Dave Williams of Minneapolis.

Every man in the Blues’ line-up hit safely in the game; Wahl and Mole were held to one hit apiece.

Bill Skowron, the league’s leading home run hitter at the time, failed to homer, but contributed a single and double to the Blues’ base total. Skowron did connect on a tie-breaking home run in the sixth inning of the second game, which the Blues lost 10-4.

The Blues power display that night was considered “unprecedented” in the 51-year history of the American Association. The feat of hitting six home runs in one inning was particularly startling. At the time, the league record book did not carry a listing for team homers in one inning. Despite this, veteran baseball observers in St. Paul, including Association record keepers, said the mark was “unquestionably” an all-time high.

Three days later they unloaded again.

The Blues bombarded the Millers 16-11 in a night game at Minneapolis, slugging eight home runs and eighteen hits.

The Millers led the game 11-5 after four innings, having hammered Blues pitchers Art Shallock and Rex Jones. But in the last five innings, the Blues homered seven times to storm from behind for the victory.

In the top of the fifth, Renna cracked his first homer of the night with two men on. Pitcher Wally Hood followed with a solo shot, cutting the Miller lead to two.

In the sixth, Bill Skowron launched a home run well over the 350 foot banner in left field.

Fenton Mole led off the eighth with a long fly that sailed down the right field foul line and out of the park to tie the game. The next batter, Vic Power, broke the tie with a homer over the left field wall. Then, Renna hit his second homer of the night, and the Blues’ third of the inning.

The Blues’ final three tallies came in the ninth on a home run by Power, with Hood and Mickey Owen on base. Power’s home run was described as a “dinky poke to right field,” traveling no more than 250 or 260 feet.

When the Blues returned to Kansas City, they had completed an eight game road trip and hit 26 home runs. The Blues attack was led by Renna, the “hulking” center fielder who barely made the club in 1951. He homered eight times in eight games, connecting in five consecutive games. The rest of the home run totals for the trip were more evenly divided; Power four, Segrist four, Skowron three, Partee three, and Carey, Owen, Mole and Hood one apiece.

The halfway mark of the season was July 2. The official averages showed the Blues with a team batting average of .303, the top mark for any team in the high minors or majors. The home run total stood at 116, with Skowron leading the team with 21, followed by Renna with 19, Segrist 17 and Power 13.

At the close of the season, the Blues finished in second place, 12 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. Yet they ranked first in total bases with 2,472 and second in home runs with 183. Over 154 games, the team scored 869 runs, collected 1,499 hits, and stroked 260 doubles and 82 triples. The team batting average for the season was .286.

Bill Skowron batted .341 for the season, collecting 32 home runs and 134 runs batted in. Power hit .331, with 15 homers and 109 RBIs. Don Bollweg socked 23 round-trippers and batted .325.

Segrist finished with 25 home runs, 92 runs batted in, and hit .303. Renna ended up with 28 homers, hit .295, and knocked in 90 runs.

The team’s output eclipsed the 1923 Blues, previously considered the top sluggers in Kansas City baseball history. The 1923 club hit a total of 109 homers, a mark overshadowed by the Blues’ power in 1952.