Dan Gooley, a fourth-generation Irish-American, was born on March 3, 1947, in a snowstorm in New Haven to Raymond Gooley, a postal worker and restaurant owner, and his wife, Roseanne. His great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from County Cork. The Gooley family ran a restaurant called Danny Gooley’s on Kimberly Avenue in New Haven at one time. Dan was a student athlete at Hillhouse High School and Cheshire Academy before attending Quinnipiac University.2

While pitching at Cheshire Academy in 1966 for Coach Steve Cook, Gooley had Kent School’s Steve Greenberg, the son of Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, down 0-and-2 in the count. Some 25 years later Gooley, then the head coach at the University of Hartford, recalled the contest.

“I threw a fastball up and he hit it — home run,” Gooley said. He recalled Cook coming out to the mound and saying, “Never throw a pitch up to a kid with glasses. He can see it too well. You always throw it down because he has to look through the lens and that can be tough.”3

Gooley, who also attended Hillhouse High, lost that day in 1966, the only defeat he suffered at Cheshire, a no-hitter against Laurelcrest among the victories.4 Still, the loss and the advice are part of the Gooley legacy. “Where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going is all part of the big picture,” Gooley said, “because nothing, nobody, is bigger than the game itself.”5

Announcing Gooley’s appointment as the new University of Hartford baseball coach in June of 1987, Athletic Director Don Cook told the Hartford Courant’s George Smith, “[Gooley] is a true baseball person, one that strikes the best balance between educational and athletic values. His reputation and integrity speak for themselves.”6

After 27 years of coaching, after 1,500 games, Cook’s appraisal remains right on. Does it get any better than being mentioned in Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell’s acceptance speech? It was perfect because Gooley’s wife, Sue, and daughter, Bree, were in Cooperstown with Dan to share it. But he’s more than the guy who coached two major leaguers, including Turk Wendell, at Quinnipiac. He is a baseball man with a list of friends as wide as the game itself.

Coming from Quinnipiac College, where he had a 203-122-5 record including a trip to the 1983 Division II World Series, Gooley beat out 78 applicants for the Hartford job. Then 40 years old, he was the perfect choice to take over a troubled program that had suffered through a devastating campaign in 1987. Cook, the athletic director, had become temporary coach after an incident in a game with UConn forced the firing of Bill Denehy.7

While one may immediately think of Quinnipiac at the mention of his name, Gooley played a vital role at the University of Hartford and in the success of Bagwell. His first step at Hartford was hiring Moe Morhardt and Randy Lavigne as assistants. Both had sterling reputations. Success was immediate — a very successful fall program in 1987.8

Blessed with great talent including a quartet (Bagwell, Brian Crowley, Chris Petersen, Pat Hedge) grouped together as the Crunch Bunch, and pitching prowess led by Mark Czarkowski and Keith Wiley, UHartford went to the postseason in 1988 for the first time in its baseball history. It lost to Fordham in the ECAC tournament finale, a contest that went to the final pitch.9

Gooley never failed to acknowledge that the 1988 success came with a Denehy-recruited team. That same spring, however, a Gooley-gathered group at Quinnipiac, led by Wendell, won the Northeast 10 crown and went to the NCAA Division II Northeast Tournament.10

His time at the University of Hartford notwithstanding, Gooley is the face of Quinnipiac athletics. He points to two Quinnipiac stars — the late Burt Kahn and Frank Vieira — as forces in helping him post the résumé that so impressed Cook in 1987. Coach/AD Kahn, of course, was an ally while University of New Haven baseball coach Vieira, a Quinnipiac grad, was a rival. All three are Quinnipiac Hall of Fame members.11

It was Kahn who brought Gooley to Quinnipiac as a player. He won a record 20 games over four years in Hamden, setting records for innings pitched (269) and strikeouts (316). His 20th victory came on May 23, 1970, Gooley striking out 11 in a 9-5 decision that eliminated Eastern Connecticut State from the NAIA district tournament.12

The list also includes a 15-inning, 4-1 win over Monmouth College in New Jersey on April 28, 1968. Gooley, while fanning 11, battled future major leaguer Ed Halicki for 14 innings, each allowing a run.13 Four days later, Gooley fanned 12 beating the University of New Haven 7-1 on a five-hitter.14 His reputation was established in 1968 when, in an NAIA District 32 contest, he struck out 20 in 11 innings in a game Quinnipiac won 1-0 in 15 innings.15

It was Kahn who hired Gooley in 1971 as an assistant in three sports (including baseball under Bill Merrill) and as director of sports information. Whether the latter was part of Kahn’s genius is debatable, but there can be no doubt about the relationship Gooley enjoyed with the media over the years. It is rivaled only by how the scouts regard him.

And it was Kahn who made Gooley head baseball coach in 1977.16 College baseball in New Haven was not an easy place. Coaches Joe Benanto at Yale and Joe Bandiera at Southern Connecticut were hardly pushovers and there was nobody tougher than Porky Vieira at the University of New Haven. And nobody was more willing than Kahn to help a young coach’s psyche when it was needed. Gooley never fails to acknowledge that.

The 1983 season may be the pinnacle of his first tour at Quinnipiac. After failing to make the tournament in 1982 (despite a 22-7-1 record) the Braves had stellar pitching — Frank Trasacco (7-2), Tom Signore (8-5), John Glenn (6-2), and Tom O’Neil (4-0). The team hit 50 homers, led by the Bruise Brothers — Tim Saller, Andy Riccio, Vin Anasasio, and Dave Palo.

In the 1983 Northeast Tournament in Syracuse, Quinnipiac beat New Haven twice on the final day, 12-9 and 6-4, the latter on tournament MVP Bob Bruzik’s three-run homer in the seventh. Quinnipiac had lost earlier to New Haven, 7-6. Victory led to the school’s first visit to the College World Series.17

Gooley was New England Division II Coach of the Year for the second time in ’83. He won it in ’79 when Quinnipiac was 23-8. It was New Haven, however, going to the Division II World Series, eliminating Quinnipiac in the Regional final. Quinnipiac returned to the regional in ’84, this time losing to New Haven and future major leaguer Mike Raczka, 12-3 in the finale.18

Between 1979 and 1987, Quinnipiac never won fewer than 18 games. Gooley saw Tom Signore replace him as Quinnipiac’s all-time winning pitcher, recording his 21st win beating the University of Bridgeport 9-0 on April 23, 1985. The 22-7-1 1982 team not earning a postseason berth was disappointing, as was the 20-10 effort in ’86.

Gooley was never a believer in excuses. After missing the postseason at Hartford in 1989, he gave the Courant’s George Smith a little more of his baseball philosophy: “In no way am I disappointed with the effort of the kids, but I am disappointed with our performance and I include myself in that category. When you don’t earn [a bid] — as we should have — we don’t deserve it. … That’s what makes the game of baseball great. When you earn it, you get it.”19

The fact that Bagwell, Crowley, Hedge, and Czarkowski were major-league draft picks in 1989 was cause for some joy. The year before, four Gooley recruits, pitchers Wendell, Dominic Rovasio, and Brian Landy, and first baseman Doug Bond, were drafted out of Quinnipiac. Gooley was the only coach to recruit Wendell, who posted 13 wins, 7 saves, and 169 strikeouts in 180⅓ innings over three seasons in Hamden. He went to Atlanta in the fifth round. Wendell spent 11 years as a major-league reliever, appearing in 552 games.

After losing campaigns in 1990 and ’91, Gooley returned to the postseason with UHartford in 1992. The team started 1-6 but won 12 of its last 15 games to earn an at-large ECAC bid. Shortstop Mike Desjardins and pitcher Scott LaRock (a ’94 draft pick) were tournament All-Stars. Catcher Mike Lane and first baseman Bob Nenna were NEIBA All-New England, and second baseman Steve Mathews and outfielder Aaron Leonard were second-team All Conference picks. It was Gooley’s team.20

Then everybody gasped when Gooley took a job with New Haven-based sports-equipment company Starter right after the tournament.21

Gooley was back at Quinnipiac as director of athletic development before the dawn of a new century and back as baseball coach in 2002. Now running a Division I program, Gooley suffered through two tough campaigns before running off a streak of four straight winning efforts, topped by an NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in 2005 — the first in the school’s history. Draft picks Bryan Sabatella, Ari Kafka, and Pat Egan, the latter two pitchers, and MVP Ryan Rizzo, a sophomore, guided Quinnipiac through the Northeast Conference tournament, only to run into eventual champion University of Texas in the first round of the NCAA super-regionals.22

The last eight seasons were not winners but Gooley’s place in Connecticut baseball remains brilliant.

Steve Greenberg went from Kent to stardom at Yale, to Triple A in professional ball, and, armed with a law degree, to a turn as deputy commissioner of baseball. Dan Gooley went from Cheshire to a lasting place in the state’s baseball lore, surrounded by a multitude of friends.

Dan Gooley holds a master’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University. Susan, his wife, is a master chef. She was working at a restaurant in New Haven when she and Dan met. They’ve been married for 30 years and in May 2018 they welcomed a granddaughter into their family, Reilly Rose. Dan is very active in his community and his church and in the Greater New Haven Diamond Club. 

Last revised: May 14, 2019

This biography was originally published in “Jeff Bagwell in Connecticut: A Consistent Lad in the Land of Steady Habits” (SABR, 2019), edited by Karl Cicitto, Bill Nowlin, and Len Levin.

Sources

University of Hartford Baseball Media Guides, 1990-1995.
Baseball America’s Almanacs, 1980-95.

Anderson, Woody. “Quinnipiac Picking Up in Baseball,” Hartford Courant, April 30, 1983.

Notes

1youtube.com/watch?v=-OUxX7dMe_M. 7 minutes and 58 seconds into the speech. Accessed May 19, 2018.

2 Telephone interview by the author with Dan Gooley, May 19, 2018.

3 Interview with Dan Gooley by Pete Zanardi at the University of Hartford, February 1, 1992.

4 “Gooley Hurls Cheshire Over Laurelcrest,” Hartford Courant, May 1, 1966: C3.

5 Interview with Dan Gooleyby Pete Zanardi at the University of Hartford.

6 George Smith, “U of H Baseball Taps Quinnipiac’s Gooley,” Hartford Courant, June 19, 1987: E1.

7 Ibid.

81990University of Hartford Baseball Media Guide.

9 Ibid.

10 Chip Malafronte, “Quinnipiac Baseball Coach Built More Than a Legacy,” New Haven Register, May 11, 2014.

11 Ibid.

12 Bill Newell, “Eastern Bows in NAIA Event as Charters Win Title,” Hartford Courant, May 24, 1970.

13 Quinnipiac Beats Monmouth 4-1 in 15,” Hartford Courant, April 29, 1969: 31.

14 “Quinnipiac Stops New Haven 7-1,” Hartford Courant, May 3, 1969: 27.

15“Quinnipiac Captures NAIA District 32,” Hartford Courant, May 19, 1968: C5.

16 “Quinnipiac Baseball Coach.”

17 Ibid.

181984 Baseball America’s Almanac.

19 Smith, “Hawks Coach Not Expecting ECAC At-Large Bid,” Hartford Courant, May 9, 1989: E2.

201994 University of Hartford Baseball Media Guide.

21“Gooley Leaves for Promotions Job, ”Hartford Courant, June 5, 1992: E3.

22Mike Anthony, “Man Who Built Bobcats Up Is Stepping Down, Quinnipiac Baseball Coach Dan Gooley to Retire After 2013-14 Season,” Hartford Courant, June 28, 2013: C7.

Dan Gooley’s coaching record
Compiled by Pete Zanardi

# New England Coach of the Year

Methodology for Determining Starting Line-Up Platoons

A position “platoon” is defined as two (or sometimes three) players being used in the starting line-up at the same position by their manager on a regular basis depending primarily on whether the opposing starting pitcher is left-handed or right-handed, but also right-handed batting catchers alternated by their manager on a game-to-game basis. I relied on data included under the “Defensive Lineups” tab in the website www.baseball-reference.com for each team in every year beginning in 1914 to determine starting line-up platoons. These data were made available through the painstaking efforts of Retrosheet researchers.

• For starting line-up platoons at any position (or across any of the three outfield positions), left-handed batters are identified by their names in italics. Switch-hitters are identified by an (x) after their name, and their names are italicized for their ability to bat left-handed if the player who shared their position was a right-handed batter.

• I required that a position platoon must have been in effect for at least one month to be acknowledged. This takes into account situations where a manager may have used a platoon combination to replace his intended day-to-day regular at any given position because of injury, illness, or some other reason.

• In some cases, managers platooned aging veterans with younger players. The platoon situation must be obvious, most typically dependent on whether the opposing starter was a right-handed or left-handed pitcher. Veteran players are identified with a (v) after their name.

• In a few cases, young or relatively-recent players in the major leagues were used by their managers in a starting line-up platoon even though both batted from the same side. I determined such platoons based on either one player almost never starting against, for example, left-handed pitchers, or by a clear pattern of use indicating the manager was alternating them virtually game-to-game.

• For any player who was a day-to-day regular in the starting line-up mostly at one position, but who platooned with another player at a different position, his primary position will be noted in parenthesis after his name. I do not include in this rotational mix everyday outfielders who play anywhere in the outfield depending upon which of the platooned players is in the line-up.

• Teams for each year are listed in the order of their final standing for the season. Pennant or division-winning teams are identified in bold face.

National League platoons, 1914-20

NL managers who platooned most often, 1914-1920

• George Stallings (6)—1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920
• John McGraw (4)—1914, 1917, 1918, 1920
• Wilbert Robinson (3)—1916, 1919, 1920
• Pat Moran (3)—1918, 1919, 1920

Where NL teams platooned, 1914-1920

• Boston Braves (6 years)—10 OF
• Cincinnati Reds (5 years)—2 OF, 5 C
• New York Giants (4 years)—4 OF, 1 C
• St. Louis Cardinals (4 years)—5 OF, 1 C
• Brooklyn Dodgers (3 years)—3 OF
• Pittsburgh Pirates (3 years)—1 OF, 1 C, 1 1B
• Chicago Cubs (2 years)—3 OF
• Philadelphia Phillies (2 years)—1 C, 1 3B

Positions platooned: 28 OF, 9 C, 1 1B, 1 3B

National League platoons, 1921-30

NL managers who platooned most often, 1921-1930

• John McGraw (8)—1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930
• Branch Rickey (6)—1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925
• Wilbert Robinson (6)—1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1929
• Bill McKechnie (5)—1922, 1923, 1925, 1929, 1930

Where NL teams platooned, 1921-1930

• Boston Braves (8 years)—8 OF, 1 1B
• New York Giants (8 years)—9 OF, 1 C
• St. Louis Cardinals (7 years)—10 OF, 1 1B
• Philadelphia Phillies (7 years)—8 OF, 2 1B, 1 3B
• Brooklyn Dodgers (6 years)—6 OF, 1 3B
• Chicago Cubs (4 years)—5 OF
• Pittsburgh Pirates (3 years)—2 OF, 1 1B
• Cincinnati Reds (1 year)—1 C

Positions platooned: 48 OF, 5 1B, 2 3B, 2 C

National League platoons, 1931-40

NL managers who platooned most often, 1931-1940

• Bill Terry (4)—1932, 1933, 1934, 1940
• Pie Traynor (3)—1934, 1935, 1936

Where NL teams platooned, 1931-1940

• New York Giants (5 years)—5 OF
• Pittsburgh Pirates (5 years)—2 OF, 2 C, 1 3B
• Brooklyn Dodgers (4 years)—3 OF, 2 C
• St. Louis Cardinals (3 years)—3 OF, 1 C
• Cincinnati Reds (2 years)—2 OF, 1 2B
• Chicago Cubs (2 years)—2 OF
• Boston Braves and Philadelphia Phillies (did not platoon this decade)

Positions platooned: 17 OF, 5 C, 1 2B, 1 3B

American League platoons, 1914-20

AL managers who platooned most often, 1914-1920

• Hughie Jennings (4)—1914, 1915, 1919, 1920
• Bill Carrigan (3)—1914, 1915, 1916
• Pants Rowland (3)—1916, 1917, 1918

Where AL teams platooned, 1914-1920

• Boston Red Sox (5 years)—2 OF, 3 1B, 2 C
• Detroit Tigers (4 years)—3 OF, 1 C, 1 3B
• Chicago White Sox (4 years)—4 OF
• Cleveland Indians (3 years)—4 OF
• New York Yankees (2 years)—1 C, 1 OF
• St. Louis Browns (1 year)—1 OF
• Washington Senators (1 year)—1 OF
• Philadelphia Athletics—did not platoon

Positions platooned: 16 OF, 4 C, 3 1B, 1 3B

American League platoons, 1921-30

AL managers who platooned most often, 1921-1930

• Tris Speaker (7)—1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925
• Miller Huggins (5)—1918, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929
• Lee Fohl (5)—1916, 1919, 1923, 1924, 1925

Where AL teams platooned, 1921-30

• Cleveland Indians (7 years)—7 OF, 2 C, 2 1B, 1 SS
• Chicago White Sox (5 years)—5 OF, 1 1B
• New York Yankees (5 years)—5 C, 1 OF
• St. Louis Browns (5 years)—3 OF, 2 3B
• Boston Red Sox (4 years)—2 OF, 1 3B
• Detroit Tigers (4 years)—3 OF, 1 SS
• Washington Senators (3 years)—2 OF, 1 C
• Philadelphia Athletics (3 years)—2 OF, 1 C

Positions platooned: 25 OF, 9 C, 3 1B, 3 3B, 2 SS

American League platoons, 1931-40

AL managers who platooned most often, 1931-1940

• Walter Johnson (6)—1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1935
• Bucky Harris (4)—1935, 1936, 1938, 1939
• Joe McCarthy (4)—1935, 1936, 1937, 1938

Where AL teams platooned, 1931-1940

• Washington Senators (7 years)—7 OF, 1 2B, 1 SS
• Cleveland Indians (6 years)—5 OF, 1 C
• St. Louis Browns (5 years)—4 OF, 1 C, 1 3B
• New York Yankees (4 years)—5 OF
• Chicago White Sox (2 years)—2 OF
• Detroit Tigers (2 years)—1 OF, 1 C
• Philadelphia Athletics (1 year)—2B
• Boston Red Sox (did not platoon this decade)

Positions platooned: 24 OF, 3 C, 2 2B, 1 SS, 1 3B

National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues

The citizens of Asheville, North Carolina, rolled out the red carpet for the minor-league meetings in 1926. The 25th annual meeting of the National Association was held December 7 to 9, with a record number of executives from both the big leagues and the NAPBL descending upon the Southern city in the Blue Ridge Mountains. With several committees formed by Asheville locals, visiting delegates were offered tours of the Biltmore mansion, a trip to Chimney Rock mountain, and a day on the golf links, among other recreations.

But a dark cloud hung over the meetings: NAPBL President Mike Sexton’s son, Leo J. Sexton, had died just a few days before the assembly.

Rule Changes and Reelections

For years, the NAPBL had been looking to shut down winter baseball. The owners wanted players to rest during the offseason rather than risk injury in the winter leagues. In order to combat the issue, the NAPBL considered signing players to year-round contracts, but in the end, executives simply banned the practice outright. The ruling ended winter baseball in the Pacific Coast League and by several Eastern League clubs.

The next order of business was the re-election of several executives. Thomas J. Hickey was re-elected president of the American Association and given a pay raise of $2,000 annually for the life of his three-year contract. Association Secretary J.H. Farrell also reaped the benefits of the record-breaking year, earning a $5,000 raise. Herman J. Weisman replaced interim President D.J. Haylon as the head of the Eastern League.

Both major- and minor-league scouts attempted to organize during the NABPL meetings. They went so far as to nominate a president, longtime scout Eddie Herr, who declined the position by saying he was “too dumb.”1

The Chicago Cubs used the meetings as an opportunity to announce major organizational changes. John Seys was promoted from secretary to vice president and, most notably, the name of Cubs Park was changed to Wrigley Field, in honor of owner William Wrigley Jr.

Major Moves Spurred by Aging Players

Several big-league managers attended the minor-league meetings in hopes of picking up the next star. Brooklyn Robins manager Wilbert Robinson made the trip to Asheville, as did Cubs manager Joe McCarthy. Robinson was rumored to be interested in infielder Billy Rhiel of Greenville (South Atlantic League), but no deals were made.

The St. Louis Browns raised doubts as to the future of star George Sisler by acquiring first baseman Guy Sturdy from the Tulsa Oilers. Sturdy would replace the future Hall of Famer in the final five games of 1927, ending Sisler’s 12-year career with the Browns. The Philadelphia Athletics signed Dud Branom, the first baseman of the Kansas City Blues. However, Branom floundered in his one season with the A’s before being sent back to the minors.

National League

Little was accomplished when the National League executives met at the Hotel Astor in New York. The bigwigs convened on December 14-15. The NL executives voted to re-elect Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the commissioner, setting up a battle between Landis and American League founder and President Ban Johnson when the two leagues met in Chicago. The senior circuit also tried to set a $20,000 limit on the amount that major-league teams had to pay for minor-league players, but this proposal was shot down in the joint meetings.

Rogers Hornsby Causes Trouble for World Champs

St. Louis Cardinals player-manager Rogers Hornsby and team president Sam Breadon were locked in a bitter feud during the 1926 NL meetings. Hornsby, who had just led the Cardinals to their first World Series championship, demanded a pay raise, despite collapsing statistically and physically down the stretch. He claimed he had received $33,000 on his player contract and no extra money as manager. Breadon refused Hornsby the three-year, $45,000-$50,000 contract he wanted. The bad blood between the two was so great that league President John Heydler threatened to get involved. Breadon found a cheaper deal when he hired catcher Bob O’Farrell as player-manager for $20,000.

A few days after the NL meetings wrapped up, Breadon traded Hornsby to the New York Giants for infielder Frankie Frisch and pitcher Jimmy Ring. Hornsby got his pay raise, and the Giants got a star to compete with the Babe. Unfortunately, the Cardinals weren’t clear of Hornsby yet. The Rajah owned 12.5 percent of the franchise, having been a part of the group that purchased the club in 1925, and this posed a conflict of interest now that he was a Giant. Commissioner Landis stepped in and worked out a deal that saw Hornsby relinquish his stake in the team in return for a hefty sum.2 Hornsby had the last laugh, too, when he finished 1927 as the league leader in runs and came in third in the MVP voting.

Managerial Changes for Pennsylvania Clubs

The Pittsburgh Pirates, one year removed from a World Series title, fired manager Bill McKechnie. In August 1926, Pirates players had attempted to oust vice president and assistant manager Fred Clarke. The coup resulted in team captain Max Carey being traded to Brooklyn. Veterans Babe Adams and Carson Bigbee were unconditionally released. The team’s midseason collapse and further internal strife seemed to be the cause of McKechnie’s firing. President Barney Dreyfuss signed Donie Bush, a veteran manager and player, to one-year contract to helm the team. Fred Clarke announced his resignation from the team the same week.

In Philadelphia, Stuffy McInnis signed on as manager of the flailing Phillies, replacing Art Fletcher. The two-year contract marked a homecoming of sorts for McInnis, who first rose to stardom as a member of the Athletics’ “$100,000 infield.”

American League

A potential baseball war was looming over Chicago when the AL met on December 14-15, on the same days the National League magnates were meeting in New York. Landis’s contract would end after the 1927 season, and Ban Johnson was angling for one last shot at power. However, the junior circuit followed the NL’s lead and nominated Landis for another term. Johnson was thrown a bone and granted a position on the advisory board.

Original AL Stars Fade

Four future Hall of Famers from the early days of the American League found themselves in new positions heading into the winter meetings. After the 1926 season, the Chicago White Sox released 39-year-old player-manager Eddie Collins after a sharp decline in his speed on the basepaths. Collins had piloted the club for three seasons and was one of the few White Sox players to come out of the Black Sox scandal clean. On Christmas Eve Collins elected to return to where he had started his career and signed with the Philadelphia A’s. Catcher Ray Schalk replaced Collins as player-manager.

On November 9 Ty Cobb resigned after six years as player-manager of the Detroit Tigers. Rumors that team president Frank Navin planned to fire Cobb prompted the retirement.3 Cobb didn’t stay retired for long. In February 1927 the 40-year-old signed a one-year, $60,000 contract, the largest in baseball history at the time, to join Collins on the Athletics.4 The Tigers hired George Moriarty, an umpire and former player, to run the team.

The St. Louis Browns felt that their player-manager, George Sisler, was showing signs of decline. In 1926, at the age of 43, he batted under .300 for the first time since his rookie season. The Browns finished the season with a 62-92 record and fired Sisler as manager, although he was kept on as the starting first baseman. Dan Howley became the new manager.

Despite finishing second in the AL behind the New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians released player-manager Tris Speaker. The former MVP, who had led the Tribe to the World Series title in 1920, signed as a free agent with the Washington Senators before the 1927 season and then joined Cobb and Collins on the A’s in 1928 for what would be his final season as an active player. The Indians replaced Speaker with veteran scout and coach Jack McCallister. A once-promising prospect, McCallister started scouting for Cleveland after splitting his kneecap sliding into home in a benefit game. McCallister managed the Indians for one season (66-87) before Roger Peckinpaugh, the 1925 American League MVP and future general manager, stepped in.

The Boston Red Sox, mired in the worst decade in their history, accepted manager Lee Fohl’s resignation at the close of the 1926 season. In his two years as manager, the Red Sox lost more than 200 games. Fohl cited rumors of changes in management as his reasons for leaving. Fohl’s assistant manager, Lefty Leifield, also jumped ship, joining Moriarty in Detroit. Fohl replaced Dan Howley (the new manager of the Browns), as skipper of the defending International League champion Toronto Maple Leafs. The Red Sox summoned legendary manager Bill Carrigan out of retirement to pilot the 1927 club.

More Scandal Rocks Baseball

The national pastime is no stranger to controversy; the Black Sox Scandal is still remembered nearly a century later. Other transgressions have not achieved that level of fame. In December 1926 pitcher Dutch Leonard, whom the Detroit Tigers had released before the 1926 season, declared that he and Indians outfielder Smoky Joe Wood had conspired to fix a late-season game in 1919. Leonard bet $600 on the match while Wood bet $250, Leonard said.5

Leonard handed correspondence with Wood and Ty Cobb over to AL President Ban Johnson, who passed it up the chain to Commissioner Landis. Leonard said that Wood, Cobb, and Tris Speaker colluded to fix the results of the game so that Detroit would clinch third place in the pennant race (first and second being locked up by Chicago and Cleveland). According to Wood’s letter, though Cobb had knowledge of the fix, he refused to put down money on the game. Cobb’s letter denied all knowledge and involvement. Gossip tied the recent departures of Cobb and Speaker from their managing jobs to the allegations. Landis cleared both Cobb and Speaker of the charges.

As the investigation wrapped up, a new accusation roped Eddie Collins into the mix of the accused. Swede Risberg, one of the Black Sox, alleged that the White Sox paid $1,100 to members of the Detroit Tigers to throw a four-game series in 1917. Collins survived the Black Sox Scandal in 1919, but Risberg accused him of funding this fix.

Eventually, Landis exonerated all players and managers, but in the light of the rampant accusations, he suggested new rules to curb fixing of games.6 He proposed a statute of limitations in line with federal and state laws to prevent decades-old accusations from surfacing. Landis also suggested one-year bans for players and managers found to have fixed games or to have bet on games in which the player or manager was not directly involved. Finally, Landis proposed a lifetime ban for anyone who bet on a game in which he was directly involved.7 All of these proposals were adopted and they still exist.

Joint Meeting of AL and NL

The two major leagues met at the Congress Hotel in Chicago to settle the matter of the commissioner’s tenure. Although both sides had earlier agreed to support Landis, the official announcement was reserved until the joint meeting. Landis’s contract was renewed for a seven-year term, and he earned a raise to $65,000 per year.

The only other buzz from the meeting came when former Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan returned to the team after 10 years. Carrigan, Babe Ruth’s first major-league skipper, had managed Boston’s World Series winners in 1915 and 1916.

Conclusion

Despite rumors of tension between Kenesaw Landis and Ban Johnson, the 1926 winter meetings enjoyed a pleasant, peaceful atmosphere. The eight managerial changes set a record but caused few issues within clubs. The passing of the torch from the first American League stars to the next generation worried some, who thought the league would be overshadowed by the NL. However, the 1927 Yankees Murderers’ Row lineup, and Connie Mack’s great Philadelphia team from 1928 through 1933, would buoy the AL for years to come.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author also consulted:

“Charges Cobb-Speaker Bet on a ‘Fixed’ Game,” Boston Globe, December 22, 1926: 1.

“McCallister Chosen to Pilot Indians,” Boston Globe, December 12, 1926: B24.

“Fohl Resigns as Manager of Red Sox,” Boston Globe, October 24, 1924: B23.

“Cobb Quits Tigers, Moriarity Manager,” Boston Globe, November 4, 1926: 1.

“M’Kechnie Let Out as Pirate Manager,” New York Times, October 19, 1926: 32.

“Dreyfuss Signs Donie Bush to Succeed McKechnie as Pirate Manager,” New York Times, October 26, 1926: 32.

“Clarke Severs All Ties With Pirates,” Boston Globe, October 29, 1926: 31.

“O’Farrell Agrees to Manage Cards,” New York Times, December 28, 1926: 14.

“Deposing of 8 Major League Managers This Year Sets New Record in Baseball,” New York Times, December 26, 1926: S4.

“Winter Baseball Banned By Minors,” New York Times, December 10, 1926: 32.

“Minor Leagues Act to Curb Draft Law,” New York Times, December 9, 1926: 35.

“Baseball Scandal Told in Nutshell,” Leatherneck, February 1927: 47.

“M’Innis is Named Manager of Phils,” New York Times, October 22, 1926: 25.

“White Sox Bought Four Detroit Games in 1917, New Charge,” New York Times, January 2, 1927: 1.

Notes

1 “Just Notes,” The Sporting News, December 16, 1926: 3.

2 “Rogers Hornsby-Management Problems.” sports.jrank.org/pages/2134/Hornsby-Rogers-Management-Problems.html.

3 “I owe a great debt to Cobb, but I am not willing to pay it by keeping Detroit in the baseball ruck.” New York Times, October 25, 1926: 25.

4 The 1927 A’s team would also feature Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, and Lefty Grove, who helped lead the next generation of American League stars.

5 “Baseball Scandal Up Again, With Cobb and Speaker Named,” New York Times, December 22, 1926: 1.

6 There is a lot more information available regarding the alleged bribe incidents, but they go beyond the scope of the winter meetings.

7 “Landis Exonerates Accused Players,” New York Times, January 13, 1927: 30.

Less known is a four-game sweep in August, 1929, when the Browns piled up a 22-2 composite score and shut out the defending world champions in three of the four games. The series effectively ended what re- mote chance the Yankees had of catching the Philadelphia A’s and gave hope (eventually dashed) that St. Louis would garner its second third-place finish in a row.

By 1927 only four members of the Browns’ great 1922 team remained: shortstop Wally Gerber, first baseman George Sisler, pitcher Elam Vangilder, and outfielder Ken Williams. Over the following offseason, owner Phil Ball and manager Dan Howley, who had brought the ’27 team in seventh, overhauled the club. By the time it assembled in West Palm Beach, Florida, in February, 1928, only Gerber was still around-and he was gone by April 25. The new Browns had Lu Blue at first base, Otis Brannan at second, Red Kress at shortstop, Early McNeely in left, and Heinie Manush in right. Catcher Wally Schang, third baseman Frank O’Rourke, center fielder Fred Schulte, and Kress (only seven games in 1927) were holdovers. The pitching was upgraded with the acquisition of Sam Gray, Jack Ogden, and George Blaeholder.

The revamped team finished third at 82-72, nineteen games behind pennant winning New York. It was a remarkable turnaround from the prior year. Manush was second in AL hitting at .378, was first in hits with 241 and tied Lou Gehrig in doubles at 47. The pitching was superb. Holdover Alvin “General” Crowder finished at 21-5, for a league-leading winning percentage of .808. Gray was 20-12, Ogden 15-16, and Blaeholder 10-15. Attendance improved dramatically: 339,497 came out to Sportsman’s Park, compared to 227,879 the year before. In 1929 Oscar Melillo took over at second, Frank McGowan moved into center, and Rip Collins joined the pitching staff.

By the time the Yankees arrived in St. Louis on August 22, they were fourteen games behind Philadelphia. The Browns were in fourth, percentage points behind Cleveland. New York seemed to have lost its magic, as manager Miller Huggins admitted to a Cleveland writer: “… I don’t think the Yankees are going to catch the Athletics. I don’t think these Yankees are going to win any more pennants, certainly not this one. They’re getting older and they’ve be- come glutted with success.”

Still, the Yankees had taken twelve of fourteen games from St. Louis, and a sweep just might revive the pennant race. Howley sent Gray out to pitch the first game, and he responded with a brilliant seven-hit shutout. St. Louis scored two runs in the first inning, four in the third, knocking out starter Waite Hoyt, and added two more in the fifth and eighth. Schang was out, replaced by Clyde Manion. Schulte and Manush had been injured in an outfield collision the day before, so rookie Red Badgro took over in right, with Frank McGowan in center. Badgro, who would to on to a Hall of Fame career in pro football, responded by going four for five with three RBIs. The 10-0 victory produced fifteen hits as 3,500 watched. Huggins had dropped Gehrig and Lazzeri to sixth and seventh in his batting order, moving Bill Dickey up to the third spot. The move had no effect in this game or the two that followed.

Game 1: Thursday, August 22
St. Louis 10, New York 0
WP: Gray. LP: Hoyt.

New York Times writer William Brandt said that “Missouri’s traditional blistering sun was in mid-August form” and the Browns continued their own hot streak the next day before 2,500. This time they confined their activity to the fourth inning when they produced five runs. Except for this inning, Yankee starter Herb Pennock would pitch almost as fine a game as St. Louis hurler George Blaeholder. With two runs already in, Lu Blue clinched the game for the Browns when he doubled with the bases loaded. Blaeholder gave up only five hits, and the Browns won, 5-0.

Game 2: Friday, August 23
St. Louis 5, New York 0
WP: Blaeholder. LP: Pennock.

On August 24, Howley gave the ball to Al Crowder, and he proved even better than Gray and Blaeholder. Before 9,000 delighted fans the General gave New York only two hits, both by Gene Robertson, a former Brown who had been a utility man with the 1922 team. The Browns got three of their runs in the second inning on a walk to McGowan, a single by Kress, and successive doubles by Manion and Crowder himself. The final St. Louis run came in the sixth, when Kress’s third single scored McGowan. The 4-0 win featured Crowder retiring twenty straight batters after walking Lazzeri in the second inning.

St. Louis Post Dispatch writer James Gould could hardly conceal his delight when he led his story of this game: “Just what kind of meat the Browns have been feeding on that they have suddenly become so great is not known, but whatever it is, the diet is entirely successful. … Shutting out the Yankees three times in a row has been for years one of the things that just wasn’t being done.”

Game 3: Saturday, August 24
St. Louis 4, New York 0
WP: Crowder. LP: Sherid.

The Browns had moved into third place with their second victory, and this win put them a game up on Cleveland, which had split with Boston. The success of the past three days brought 15,000 fans to the Sunday finale on August 25. The shutout streak ended, but the victory run did not. St. Louis’s only lefty, Walter Stewart, gave up only six hits in the 3~2 win. Two of these were home runs by Ruth (who had gone one for ten in the set), his thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth of the season. Huggins had moved Gehrig and Lazzeri up a notch in the batting order, given Dickey the day off, and moved Ruth into the third slot.

The visitors finally ended their scoreless streak on Ruth’s solo shot in the fourth, but the Browns tied it in the fifth. In the eighth, the home team went up, 3~1, when McGowan scored on O’Rourke’s double and O’Rourke was singled in by Melillo. Ruth made it close in the ninth with his second poke over the right field fence onto Grand Avenue, but Stewart got the side out to hold on to the victory.

Game 4: Sunday, August 25
St. Louis 3, New York 2
WP: Stewart. LP: Wells.

The Yankees limped home to New York with little hope of overtaking Philadelphia, but St. Louis couldn’t hold third place. They finished in fourth at 79-73-2 despite improved individual performances from Blue, Melillo, Kress, and Schulte. Kress hit .305, Schulte .307. Manush “dropped off” to .355. Kress was the team leader with only nine home runs. (Blue and Manush had 14 and 13, respectively, in 1928.) The pitching continued strong as four hurlers won in double figures: Gray, 18-15; Crowder, 17-15; Blaeholder, 14-15; and Collins 11-6.

Huggins would die a month later, the stock market would crash a month after that, and the Browns would not see third place again until 1942. But for four days in August 1929, life couldn’t have been better in St. Louis.

ROGER A. GODIN is team curator of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. He admits that hockey is his first love, followed by an affection for the St. Louis Browns. He is the author of The 1922 St. Louis Browns: Best of the American League’s Worst. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Sources

1. Borst, Bill. Still Last in the American League. West Bloomfield, Mich.: Altwerger & Mandel Pub., 1992.

2. Meany, Tom. The Yankee Story. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1960.

3. New York Times, August 23, 24, 25, 26, 1929.

4. St. Louis Post Dispatch, August 22, 23, 25,1929.

5. The Baseball Encyclopedia, Tenth Edition, New York: Macmillan, 1996.