From a Researcher’s Notebook (2001)

Taylor Shaffer, brother of the “Orator,” shortchanged on playing record

Taylor Shaffer, younger brother of George “Orator” Shaffer, has a short listing in the baseball encyclopedias: Born, July, 1870; Philadelphia Athletics, American Association, 1890. However, I find that Taylor was born in 1864, was 5-foot-7, weighed 155 pounds, and played in the 1884 Union Association with Altoona, Kansas City, and Baltimore.

The encyclopedias say it is a Frank Shaffer who should be connected to those facts. A note I found in the Missouri Republican of May 14, 1884, helped clear up the situation. “George Shaffer’s brother has joined the Altoona nine. He is said to be as graceful and efficient as the St. Louis right fielder but not quite as hard a batter. The Altoonas have released Cleary Cross and he will return to the Lucas Amateurs. They have also released Shaffer, a Cincinnati player.” Clearly, there were two players named Shaffer with Altoona in 1884. The first was released when Taylor was signed.

When the Altoona club disbanded on May 31, its players were transferred to Kansas City. Taylor was released on August 23, and joined Baltimore in early September. On September 5, the Baltimore American stated: “Taylor Shaffer, brother of George, played right field for the Baltimore Unions.” Taylor played three games, got only one hit, and was released. 

Babe Ruth and Dizzy Dean pitched complete game victories on same day in 1930 

On September 28, 1930, the last day of the season, thirty-five-year-old home run king Babe Ruth and twenty-year-old rookie Dizzy Dean, making his major league debut, pitched complete game victories. Dean was brought up from Houston, Texas League, and pitched a three-hitter in a 3-1 Cardinal victory over the Pirates. On that day Ruth had 565 career home runs, and the day before had hit two homers, one a grand slam, off George Earnshaw of the Athletics, in a 10-8 Yankee victory in Philadelphia.

Ruth’s 9-3 victory over the Red Sox in Boston was the first time he had pitched in a major league game since October 1, 1921 when he pitched four innings of the second game of a doubleheader against the Athletics. With the Yankees leading, 6-0, he promptly gave up six runs to allow the A’s to tie the score. He finally got the win, as the Yankees scored in the eleventh for a 7-6 victory. Ruth’s 1930 triumph over the Red Sox was his first complete game in eleven years, since beating Washington for Boston at Fenway park on September 1, 1919.

Earl Weaver carried third base bag from field in 1963

When Pittsburgh manager Lloyd McClendon, after an argument with an umpire this past season, picked up third base and carried it into the dugout, it reminded me of the time that Earl Weaver pulled the stunt when he was managing Elmira, Eastern League, in 1963. In a game at Charleston, West Virginia, on August 25, won by Elmira, 5-4, Weaver was thumbed out of the game by Umpire Fred Branford in the fifth inning, but he stayed on the Elmira bench and in the sixth inning went to third base to continue coaching.

Branford reminded Weaver that he had been put out of the game. Weaver sat down on third base, refusing to leave until the umpire pulled out his watch and threatened to forfeit the game to Charleston. Weaver finally stalked off, caking third base with him. He was fined $100, and Eastern League president Rankin Johnson warned him that the next time he was ordered out of a game he would automatically be suspended.

Bucky Harris and Walter Johnson ignored “unwritten rules” on no-hit games

When Ben Davis of San Diego bunted to break up Curt Schilling’s bid for a perfect game last May 28, Arizona manager Bob Brenly criticized Davis for bunting. When Brenly had time to reflect on his actions he realized that he was off base and that San Diego still had a chance to win, but the event sparked comments about “unwritten rules” that supposedly come into play in the late innings of no-hit and perfect games.

Hall of Fame manager Bucky Harris and Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson had no truck with “unwritten rules.” In the second game of a doubleheader in Washington on September 19, 1925, Ted Lyons of the White Sox held the Senators hitless for 8-2/3 innings. Despite the fact that the White Sox held a commanding 17-0 advantage, Harris sent veteran Bobby Veach up to pinch hit. Veach asked the manager what he wanted him to do. “You’re going up there to hit, aren’t you?” replied Harris. Veach stepped to the plate and hit a sharp single to right field, breaking up the no-hitter.

Fast forward to August 5, 1932. Johnson was now managing his old club, which was being beaten, 13-0, by Tommy Bridges, who needed one more out for a perfect game. Johnson took a leaf out of his old manager’s book and sent Sheriff Harris, a very good pinch hitter, up to hit for pitcher Bobby Burke. The crowd of 7,000 booed lustily. The Sheriff blooped Bridges’ first pitch over second base for a single. Sam Rice, the next batter, grounded out to first baseman Harry Davis and Bridges had to be content with a one-hit shutout. Johnson said later that he was sorry that Bridges lost his perfect game, but for himself he would not want to be credited with a perfect game if he did not earn it. Sheriff Harris said: “I’m getting paid to hit and he’s getting paid to pitch. He never gave me any breaks at the plate. Why should I give him any?” 

Time to delete Harry Schafer’s fielding records from record book

In Baseball Research Journal Number 9, 1980, I pointed out that two fielding records credited to Harry Schafer, Boston National League right fielder, on September 26, 1877, could not be substantiated. Schafer’s alleged records were listed in The Spalding Baseball Record for 1919, and have been passed on without anyone taking the trouble to check on it. The records in question were for four assists and eleven chances (seven putouts, four assists) in a nine inning game for right fielders.

I now have more proof that the records were not legitimate. Not only did Schafer not have four assists and seven putouts in that game but the entire Boston outfield had neither a putout nor an assist that day. A “Special Telegram” to the Cincinnati Commercial, dated September 26, 1877, stated chat “none of the Boston outfield had a chance for a catch.” The box score as published in the Boston Globe listed the three Boston outfielders-Andy Leonard, left field; Jim O’Rourke, center field; and Schafer, right field, without a putout or assist. It is time to delete Harry Schafer’s name from The Sporting News Record Book.

Johnny Vander Meer’s breakthrough in 1938 not foretold by previous record 

When Johnny Vander Meer stunned the baseball world by becoming the first pitcher in major league history to pitch successive no-hitters, my thoughts went back to September 6, 1937, when I was covering International League games in Baltimore. On that day, Syracuse was in town for a Labor Day doubleheader with the Orioles. Baltimore won both games and the hard-throwing but erratic Vander Meer was the losing pitcher in both games. 

In the first game, the Orioles rallied for four runs in the ninth, as Vander Meer gave up the winning run, allowing two hits in one-third of an inning. He started the seven-inning nightcap and again was the loser, 4-0. He gave up only four hits but also walked four batters and was touched for home runs by Ab Wright and Roy Schalk.

Johnny had started the 1937 season with Cincinnati, but after posting a 3-5 record in ten games he was sent to Syracuse where he registered a 5-11 record in seventeen games. In five years in the minors before 1938, Vander Meer had an unspectacular 53-46 record. He still commanded attention on the strength of his 1936 season with Durham in the Class B Piedmont League. Although he did not join the club until June 1, he won 19 games while losing only six. With his blazing fastball, he struck out 295 batters in 214 innings, and The Sporting News named him Minor League Player of the Year. The award surprised the baseball experts but after the back-to-back no-hitters the staff of The Sporting News certainly deserved to take a bow.

Cleveland’s thrilling victory after a 12-run deficit recalled 1925 game

The thrilling come-from-behind, 15-14, victory over Seattle on August 5 was a joy to all baseball enthusiasts around the globe. It was the first comeback from twelve runs behind since the Philadelphia Athletics rallied to win, 17-15, over Cleveland on June 15, 1925

Six future Hall of Famers were members of the two clubs. The Indians had two: manager-outfielder Tris Speaker and shortstop Joe Sewell. The Athletics had four: outfielder Al Simmons and three rookies- pitcher Lefty Grove, catcher Mickey Cochrane and catcher-pinch hitter Jimmy Foxx. All but Grove took part in the game. Foxx, who was seventeen years old, played in only ten games, nine as a pinch hitter, but he had six hits in nine times at bat.

Following is the play-by-play of Philadelphia’s sensational eighth inning:

Chick Galloway drew a walk. Tom Glass flied to Cliff Lee. Max Bishop walked. Jimmy Dykes tripled to the scoreboard, scoring Galloway and Bishop. Bill Lamar’s single over second scored Dykes. Byron Speece replaced Walter (Jake) Miller on the mound.

Al Simmons bounced a hit over Bob Knode’s head. Frank Welsh singled to right, scoring Lamar. Charlie Berry’s single to left field scored Simmons. Carl Yowell replaced Speece on the hill.

Jim Poole walked, loading the bases. Galloway singled to left center, scoring Welsh and Berry. Sammy Hale batted for Glass. Yowell was replaced by George Uhle.

Hale’s single took a bad hop over Joe Sewell’s head and Poole scored. Hale stole second base. Bishop singled over second. Dykes forced Bishop, Sewell to Fred Spurgeon. Walter French ran for Dykes. Lamar walked. Simmons hit a home run over the roof of the left field grandstand, scoring French and Lamar ahead of him. Welsh flied to Lee. Thirteen runs, nine hits, no errors.

Ripken’s mom believed he would make Hall

Early in the career of Cal Ripken Jr., I was sitting with a friend watching the Orioles take fielding practice before the spring training game that night at Miami Stadium. We were sitting in the Oriole section next to the dugout. The only person nearby was a lady two rows below us. My friend and I were talking about Hall of Fame inductions. Suddenly the lady turned around, pointed to the shortstop position, and said, “And he will be there one day, too.” I nudged my friend and whispered: “Did you hear that?” He whispered back: “Don’t let it throw you. That’s his mother.”

I eventually got to know Mrs. Ripken, and was impressed by her baseball knowledge. I remember asking her if she thought son Billy would make the majors. “Yes,” she answered. “If you check his record you will notice that he hasn’t played too many games, and when he gets more games under his belt I think he will make it.” Vi Ripken was right again. A slick fielding second baseman, Billy teamed with his brother for many years. Primarily a second baseman, Billy was also adept at shortstop and third base and finished his twelve-year major league career with a .987 fielding average.