This week in 1941

[JamesWest]

From the 1/2/41 Sporting News:

Ford Frick doesn't expect the military draft to hurt the majors. There is an average of five single men on each team. The draft went into effect shortly after the 1940 season ended.

Ed Hughes has written an article for the magazine Friday in which he claims that Babe Ruth has been blacklisted from managing because he almost single handedly raised players salaries. Will Harridge has responded that Babe blew chances to manage both the Newark Bears and St Louis Browns.

Dan Daniel reports with cnfodence that the Yankees are about to be sold to an oil syndicate led by Jim Farley. The addition of rookies Gerry Priddy and Phil Rizzutto has Joe McCarthy thinking pennant. McCarthy is not concerned with shuffling his infield. In his mind, only Joe DiMaggio is untouchable. The Yankees have also acquired Buddy Rosar to spell Bill Dickey. The Yanks have sold off two of their pitchers, monte Pearson and Bump Hadley, and are reportedly interested in acquiring Chet Laabs from the Browns.

The Dodgers may be the only team in New York to broadcast their games. If Red Barber doesn't return, Waite Hoyt is predicted to be the Volice of the Dodgers. The Yankees and Giants fear that radio broadcasts will lower attendance.

In St. Louis, the sale of several players including Mickey Owen, Bob Bowman and Stu Martin has brought the team approximately $160,000. Each shareholder has received $7 per share from the sale (there are a total of 10,000 shares). Owner Sam Breadon says that the Cardinals barely broke even during the 1940 season. He says the Cards need to draw at least 332,000 per year. If they don't they will be operating at a loss. The Browns have received Johnny Allen in a trade with the Indians. Allen had been a flamethrower until an arm injury in 1938. He may be difficult to sign, becuase he is coming off a two year $19,000 contract. The Browns want to sign him to a $7,000 a yeal deal that is incentive laden.

In Detroit, Charlie Gehringer has decided not to retire after all and has already signed his contract (terms not disclosed). The Tigers haven't had a serious holdout since Greenberg in 1936.

The Boston Bees have Eddie Miller under contract for 1941. Steady Eddie's glove work was seen as a big reason for the Bees good performance in 1940. Even Larry MacPhail has said that he would rather have Miller at short than Pewee Reese. miller had 920 total chances in 1940. Baseball men judge an infielder by his total chances and number of double plays that he is involved in. Miller also had 28 errors, for a FLD of .970. The former head of the Red Sox farm system, Billy Evans, is considering taking over the Elmira team in the Easter League.

The Indians are looking forward to a better season now that ossie Vitt is gone and Roger Peckinpaugh is back as manager. In December they traded Johnny Allen to the Browns and Ben Chapman to the Senators. Ed McAuley of the Cleveland News thinks that if the boys were better tempered they would still be with the Indians. Now they will probably spend the year languishing in the second division. Vitt will spnd 1941 managing Portland in the PCL.

In the NL a hitter needs to appear in 100 games to qualify for a batting title (in the AL, a hitter needs 400 AB). so Debs Garms of Pittsburgh was declared batting chapion. In 103 games, with 355 AB, Garms hit .355. If the NL used the AL standard, Stan Hack of thre Cubs would have won. Hack had 603 AB and hit .317. garms was also the toughest to strike out, he had 6 Ks.

Connie Mack has announced that most of his players can expect a small raise for 1941.This won't apply to Ben McCoy or Bob Johnson. They are both in the second year of two year deals. Mack is feeling magnanimous, since he thinks that last place players don't have much bargaining power. Mack also announced that Earle Brucker will be pitching coach this year, but was careful to announce that he and Brucker would be making all pitching decisions.

1940 Awardees:

Executive-Walter Briggs Detroit Tigers
Manager-Bill McKechnie Cincinnati Reds
Player-Bob Feller Cleveland Indians
Minor League Executive-Roy Hamey Kansas City Blues AA
Minor League Manager-Larry Gilbert Nashvill Vols SA
Minor League Player-Phil Rizzuto Kansas City Blues AA

[JamesWest]

From the 1/9/41 Sporting News:

In Boston, Red Sox GM Eddie Collins already has signed contracts from Dom DiMaggio, Jim Tabor and Lou Finney. His big headache right now is signing Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx. Foxx is generally no problem at contract time, but the Sox are anticpating a difficult time with Williams. After his difficult sophmore season in 1940 'Teddy the Terrible' is being seen as a bit of a spoiled kid, who is popping off on sportswriters (and not just in Boston!!). He is also on record as not liking very much about Boston. His fielding stinks. He probably kicks dogs and pushes little old ladies out of his way also.
Williams reportedly made $4,500 in 1939 and $12,500 in 1940. The Red Sox brass figure that even a cursory look at his numbers will convince Williams that he should be earning a lot more than $12,500 for his 1941 efforts.

In Louisville, the members of the National Association, which controls Minor League baseball, wants more autonomy from the Commissioners office. The Minor League officials want to have the power to settle their own disputes and only want Judge Landis involved if the dispute involves a Major League club. The same officials want a vote for the new Commisioner when Landis's term expires in 1946. This does not mean that they oppose Landis serving his current term (Landis was recently re-elected).

In the upcoming season, Dodger fans seem to believe that the fate of the of the team will rest on the performance of recently acquired players like Kirby Higbe and Mickey Owen, rather on the next rookie phenom, like Pewee Reese had been in 1940. The Flatbush Flock is expected to make a run for the pennant and to challange the Ebbets Field attendance record, which was 1,097,463 set in 1930. the Dodgers already have an advance sale of 125,000 and expect the figure to reach 200,000 by the end of January.

Rube Melton has been given the doctors OK to pitch for the Phillies. He had been in a car accident and it was feared that he suffered a serious knee injury. It has been diagnosed as a severe bruise. Melton's journey to Philadelphia has been difficult. Melton had been drafted by the Phillies, but word reached Judge Landis that Gerry Nugent, owner of the Phillies was actually holding Melton for Larry MacPhail's Dodgers. Landis ruled that Melton could be kept by the Phillies, but he could not be sent to the Dodgers. It just as well to Melton, who figures that he would pitching for Montreal if he had been sent to the Dodgers.

There are twenty four US cities with a population of over 100,000 that are not represented bu Organized Ball. The largest is Denver.

The Cincinnati Reds are expected to receive their championship rings on Opening Day. Any player who is entitled to one and is no longer with the Reds will have their ring shipped to them.

Claire Ruth fell at her residence on New Years Day and was rushed to the hospital with a possible concussion. Her injuries were not serious.

Paul Waner wants to hook up with another big-league club so that he can pursue his goal of 3000 hits. If the money's right, he will accept a contract from a Minor League club.

Oklahoma City is waiting to hear from Rogers Hornsby. They have offered him the Managers job, but Hornsby won't give a firmn answer while he is trying to find a job in the bigs.

War news: The Lend Lease Bill is introduced in Congress, The HMS Southampton has been sunk in the Med. At this point in the war. the North Atlantic and North Africa are the primary theaters.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Great stuff JW. Do you have other years too? Can we request dates?

[JamesWest]

Great stuff JW. Do you have other years too? Can we request dates?

Right now I could also do 1948, 1954 and 1973. I'm trying to get some other years also. Is there any team you want to see tracked?

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Right now I could also do 1948, 1954 and 1973. I'm trying to get some other years also. Is there any team you want to see tracked?

Not necessarily a team. I like reading the random stuff from various years. Very cool man. Actually, could you possibly post from 8/17/48?

[JamesWest]

Not necessarily a team. I like reading the random stuff from various years. Very cool man. Actually, could you possibly post from 8/17/48?

I have a lot of stuff from that date. I'll have to dig it out.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

I have a lot of stuff from that date. I'll have to dig it out.

Right on brotha. Take your time.

[yanks0714]

Great thread! Loved reading this stuff. Anything from prior to 1970 is fine by me. That 1941 info is really good.
I got a kick out of the description of Ted Williams.

[JamesWest]

I got a kick out of the description of Ted Williams.

I have to admit that some of that was my interpretation of what I was reading. Ted Williams is one my favorite players to read about.

Thanks for the nice words. I was hoping people would enjoy resding this stuff.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

JW, any luck on the '48 thing?

[JamesWest]

JW, any luck on the '48 thing?

I'll try to have it within a week or so.

[64Cards]

Put me down as another who enjoys reading these gems from old TSN.

[JamesWest]

From The Sporting News of 1/16/41:

In an effort to win their 3rd consecutive NL pennant (and 2nd consecutive World Series. The Cincinnati Reds are more interested in signing veterans than untested rookies. They have already acquired four new players, who are older than 30, Floyd Young, Tot Pressnell, Bob Logan and Monte Pearson. Manager Bill McKechnie has a reputation for extending pitchers careers and it is thought that he will bring out the best in Pearson. McKechnie and GM Warren Giles are in the market for a catcher to back up Ernie Lombardi. Last season, Lombardi's back up, Willard Hershberger, commtitted suicide during the season.

The Brooklyn draft board has given Leo Durocher a Class 3 deferment. Leo had a low draft number and was expected to be drafted.

Jim Farley has left on a cruise to South America without his deal to buy the Yankees going through. Unlike Farley's ship, his deal appears to be dead inthe water.

The Yankees will have players from the metropolitan New York area in spring training with them: Johnny Murphy, Marius Russo, Phil Rizzuto, Tommy Holmes and George Harley.

The American Association has announced that their season will be a wekk shorter than it was in 1940. Each team will still play 154 games, there will just be fewer open dates. The AA will be playing its 40th season and it still has the same franchise lineup that it started with in 1902.

Billy Herman, second baseman for the Cubs, has dropped 20 lbs in this off-season. He is feeling the heat which is provided by Lou Stringer, who was acquired by the Cubs from the LA Angels of the PCL. Stringer is too be Herman's understudy.

Larry MacPhail has announced that the Dodgers will use a split squad format and play an unprecedented fifty spring training games. To add to the novelty, McPhail has scheduled a game in February, which will be played Feb 28th against the Giants in Habana de Cuba. MacPhail has annoyed the Giants brass by picking them to finish sixth. MacPhail believes that the pennant race will be between the Dodgers, Reds and Cardinals.

The Cardinals are looking for pitching help. Billy Southworth is plaaning on taking 20 pitchers to camp (including 15 from the minors). As it stands, there rotation consists of Bill McGee, Lon Warneke, Mort Cooper and Clyde Shoun. Some pitchers that they will be looking at: Howie Krist, Sam Nahem, Newell Kimball, Ernie White, Max Surkont, Harry Brecheen, Murry Dickson, Harry Gornicki, Herschel Lyons, Harry Nowak, John Pintar and John Grodzicki. there is also Preacher Roe. Roe had sent to Columbus as part of a previous deal, but this transaction was disallowed by Judge Landis. Roe is still a member of the Red Birds.

It was rumored that Manager Casey Stengel and Player-Coach Joh Cooney have bought stock in the Boston Bees franchise. This has been denied by President John Quinn. The two had attempted to buy the stock but were rebufed. The Bees remain on the market. Albert Powell, from New Haven, is in negotiations to buy the club, but there are questions about his having the ready cash to run the club.

Dizzy Dean has signed a $10,000 contract with the Cubs. He will pitch occassionaly against second division clubs. He will not be bound by team rules.

Clark Griffith is sad that a deal for an un-named lefty has fallen through. It is believed that he was trying to acquire Lefty Gomez from the Yankees. Gomez is supposed to have signed contract for $1.00 with the Yankees, that would renegotiated when he can prove that he can still pitch.

Rogers Hornsby has finally his contract to continue managing the Oklahoma City Indians. TSN says that Hornsby has for all intents and purposes, been blacklisted by the Majors for betting in the ponies ....Pepper Martin has delared that he will be a player-manager for Sacramento,

Connie Mack has been reelected President of the Athletics and will continue as manager.

The Giants squashed a rumor that they were negotiating a sale of Carl Hubbell to the Dodgers.

[JamesWest]

From the 1/23/41 issue of The Sporting News:

Reports are are ciculating in New York that Hank Greenberg will enlist in the army and miss the 1941 season. League officials are looking at this and takling about changing a recent rule, which prohibits the current league champion from making off-season trades, because Greenberg's departure will leave a gaping hole in the Tigers' roster. The fact that Greenberg's abscence may hurt the Tigers gate is also a factor. Greenberg has a low draft number (621) and is expected to be drafted in May or June. Greenberg, who is on vacation, says that he request no deferment and expects to spend the summer drilling in khaki in stead of in the Tigers outfield. (for a good account of Greenberg and the draft see Creamer's Baseball in '41. Unfortunately I don't have a copy of it at hand, but if I can find it at the library, I will provide some of the backstory). Other players expected to be drafted are Morrie Arnovich (NYG), Roy Bruner (PHP) and Herschel Lyons (STC) <of these players, Arnovich is the only one who will appear in a game after 1941, he plays in one game in 1946>. Several other players have low numbers, but since they are married will likely avoid the draft.

According to Ed Barrow, the following Yankees will receive a sharp pay-cut because of poor performances in 1940: Red Rolfe, Frank Crosetti, George Selkirk, Bill Dickey and Red Ruffing. The Yanks will have 15 newcomers in camp, including the highly touted rookie combof Phil Rizzuto and Gerry Priddy. There ia a lot of consternation among the Yankee brass that the Yanks did not win a fifth consecutive pennant in 1940.
Barraow also claims that reports of trading Lefty Gomez (he of the $1 contract) to Washington were a lot of bunk. He said the team that the Yankees had talks with about Gomex was Brooklyn.

Speaking at the Cleveland baseball writers dinner, Lou Boudreau assure incoming Indians manager Roger Peckinpaugh, that player discontent on the squad is a thing of the past, now that Oscar Vitt has been canned. Boudreau was one of a handful of Indians who did not take a public stand regarding Vitt in 1940. This will be Peck's second t5our of duty as Indians manager. He managed the team from 1928 until a third of the way through 1933, when he was replaced by the the unpopular Walter Johnson.

The Brooklyn Dodgers now own the Reading, PA club. Installed as manager is Fresco Thompson. Larry MacPhail Jr. will be the teams business manager.

Ernie Lombardi of the World Champion Reds is now an offical hold-out. He returned his new contract with a terse note that stated that he was not satisfied with a $1,000 raise. Lombardi is known aa a player who rarely signs the first contract offered him.

Leo Durocher has been spending much of the winter in Florida, where he has been seen spending a lot of time golfing with Paul Waner. Waner is a free agent. Will Waner be wearing a Dodgers uniform in 1941??

Speaking of the Dodgers, only three Dodgers have signed contracts for 1941: Leo Durocher, Kirby F*cking Higbe and Joe Medwick. Medwick signed at the end of the 1940 season. He had been a holdout in recent seasons and had missed a lot of spring training, which some claim led to his less than stellar numbers. Due to injury concerns, Medwick has given up his instructor job at the Joe Stripp Baseball School. The Dodgers beging Spring Training in Havana on Feb 15th.

Babe Ruth is being sued by NJ resident Anthony Guerreri because of a May 15, 1940 auto accident. Guerreri claims that Ruth was driving too fast. Ruth denies the charge. The Babe was on his way home from Atlantic City at the time of the accident.

Keep an eye on this kid: the Pirates have announced the signing of Los Angeles high school phenom Ralph Kinner. Kinner will report to the team when spring training begins in San Bernardino.

Zeke Bonura thinks the Cubs three year amgi will continue. The Cubs have won the pennant in 1929, 1932, 1935 and 1938. He thinks this streak will continue in 1941 and he get a chance to play in his first World's Series.

Carman Guerra has been charged in a Cleveland courtroom with disorderly conduct. This charge stems for the Sept 27, 1940 game between the Indians and Tigers, when Guerra alledgedly dropped a basket of fruit (and possibly bottles) from the upped deck of Municipal Stadium. The basket hit Birdie Tebbetts, who was sitting in the Tigers bullpen. Guerra has countercharged that Tebbetts assaulted him outside the the ballpark. Tebbetts denies the charge.

Branch Rickey plans to introduce an innovation to Cardinals spring training site. He is having a pitching machine installed.

[JamesWest]

From the 1/30/41 issue of The Sporting News:

The AL schedule has scheduled 16 Sunday doubleheaders. This is unusual because teams usually move games around after the season begins to sschedule the doubleheaders. And, of course, doubleheaders are also scheduled to make postponed games.
The day before and the day after the All Star are scheduled as open dates.
Night baseball will be played in Washington this year. The only AL teams that do not have have lights are Detroit and New York.
Showing their status as the weak sisters of the AL, the Browns don't have any home games scheduled on the three major holidays (Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day). These are always days that have doubleheaders scheduled.

Even though he doesn't have a low draft number, Ted Williams appeared at his Minneapolis draft board to fill out his Selective Service questionaire. He wanted to get it out of the way before spring training. Williams will probably be deferred because he is sole support of his mother.

In case he is drafted, Bob Feller has installed a pistol and rifle range at his Iowa home, where he and his father are doing a lot of target practice.

A new wrinkle in the Greenberg draft saga: will his back problems keep Hank Greenberg out of the military?

The first member of the Dodgers who is likely to get drafted is Cookie Lavagetto. Two other Dodgers hold lower numbers, but are married. Lavagetto is vulnerable because he is single.

Larry MacPhail is expected to ask for a ruling that would require all teams playing games at Ebbets Field would have to stay at Brooklyn hotels. The Reds, Cubs and Pirates are expected to oppose this policy.

The Tigers have sined Bobo Newsome to a $30,000 contract. This equals the deal that Bob Feller has with the Indians. They are both the highest paid pitchers in the game.

Rumors that Babe Ruth would take over as manager of Seattle in the PCL have been squashed by Mrs Ruth. She says that the Babe is through with baseball and will no longer entertain any job offers related to baseball.

Joe Medwick has been visiting the Mayo Clinic seeking treatment for double vision stemming from his beaning by Bob Bowman last season. Medwick says that the double vision is gone now when he is golfing.

[JamesWest]

From the 2/6/41 issue of The Sporting News:

Commissioner Landis has tighened the rules that govern waiver transactions. Landis feels that some teams are using loopholes in the waiver system to hide players in their farm systems.

The Dodgers have 18 of their players signed and not expected to have any serious holdouts. The only Dodgers who had big enough years in 1940 to expect a substantial raise are Dixie Walker and Fred Fitzsimmons. Newly acquired catcher Mickey Owen has returnded his contract unsigned, but insists that he is not holding out.

The NL has followed the ALs lead and had scheduled 25 Sunday doubleheaders. Night games will be played in sin NL cities. The only NL teams that don't have lights are the Braves and the Cubs.

The Yankees management is again preparing to fight an AL rule that prohibits the AL champion from engaging in off-season trading. This rule had been adapted to impede the Yankees, and this off-season affects the Detroit Tigers. In December the AL clubs had voted to continue this rule. With the likely loss of Hank Greenberg, this rule will put the Tigers in a real bind when they attempt to replace him.

The state of Indiana is considering an end to its ban on Sunday night games.

[rugbyfreak]

Put me down as another who enjoys reading these gems from old TSN.

Any old year at all is good with me. One cool thing is reading something, like a pre-season prediction, and then knowing that it turned out much differently, e.g. the '51 Giants stuff, where Durocher moved Irvin to the OF, joining Thomson and Mueller out there. He had no way of knowing that a young buck named Mays would arrive and put a lock on the CF job for quite some time! This moved Bobby T. to 3B--and it's a good thing that Leo found a spot for him as a reg, since '51 would also prove very big for Bobby!

Keep it comin', Homes.

[rugbyfreak]

From the 1/30/41 issue of The Sporting News:

The Tigers have sined Bobo Newsome to a $30,000 contract. This equals the deal that Bob Feller has with the Indians. They are both the highest paid pitchers in the game.

Ol' Bobo the highest paid?!! I always knew he was a character and a con man--and this proves it!! (A pretty good hurler, too.)

[JamesWest]

Ol' Bobo the highest paid?!! I always knew he was a character and a con man--and this proves it!! (A pretty good hurler, too.)

I was wondering if Bobo would have been up there if the Indians and not the Tigers had won the 1940 pennant.

[rugbyfreak]

I was wondering if Bobo would have been up there if the Indians and not the Tigers had won the 1940 pennant.

Bobo did just have the greatest year of his career, capped off by a heroic performance in the WS (2-1, 1.38 ERA, 3 CG), where he was a Game 7, 2-1 loser, just two days after a Game 5 shutout, in which he had just learned of his father's death.

So now that I think about it, in the '41 preseason, his bargaining power was never better, salary-wise. Unfortunately (for his HOF hopes), '40 was his last decent year (after an outstanding '30s decade), and he spent the next 13 years hanging on (no time off for WWII).

But here's to ol' Bobo, one of the game's alltime great characters (and one of the better pitchers), and a guy who's never mentioned around here much at all. Thanks for keeping his memory alive!

[JamesWest]

Bobo did just have the greatest year of his career, capped off by a heroic performance in the WS (2-1, 1.38 ERA, 3 CG), where he was a Game 7, 2-1 loser, just two days after a Game 5 shutout, in which he had just learned of his father's death.

So now that I think about it, in the '41 preseason, his bargaining power was never better, salary-wise. Unfortunately (for his HOF hopes), '40 was his last decent year (after an outstanding '30s decade), and he spent the next 13 years hanging on (no time off for WWII).

But here's to ol' Bobo, one of the game's alltime great characters (and one of the better pitchers), and a guy who's never mentioned around here much at all. Thanks for keeping his memory alive!

In early 1948, TSN regualrly reported on Bobo's efforts to land a roster spot. Some of his comments made me laugh, especially when he referred to himself as Bobo.

[JamesWest]

TSN 2/13/41

Joe DiMaggio's holdout is bothering the Yankees. He is said to be holding out for $37,500, which would give him a $5,000 raise. His brother tom, who is his financial advisor, says that if Col. Ruppert were still alive, this deal would have been made long ago. Remarks of this type are not going over well in the Yankee front office. Ed Barrow feels that DiMaggio needs to play a full season before asking for such a substantial raise.
DiMaggio isn't the Yankees only holdout. Other players who haven't signed include: Red Rolfe, Frank Crosetti, Bill Dickey, Buddy Rosar, Tom Henrich, Red Ruffing, George Selkirk, John Murphy, Babe Dahlgren, Joe Gordon and Tiny Bonham. The front office insists that unsigned players will not be allowed to participate in spring training.

The NL owners are upset about the latest Landis ruling that players sold to the Majors form the Minors before the Minor League draft can't be sent down without obtaining waivers. Sam Breadon of the Cardinals said this mean that minor league teams will not be able to get the fair market price for their players. Frank Shaugnessy, president of the IL, agrees. Cries of socialism are being thrown around. Ironically, in St Louis, Browns owner Don Barnes thinks that Landis's ruling will be good for the game. An unamed source said that the ruling was probably illegal.

National League teams will experiment with helmet liners during spring training. Dan Daniel thinks they will be used for a short time and then forgotten.

The Dodgers have no intention of changing their spring training site from Havena, despite a mild insurrection in Cuba last week. Club officials have been assured that President Batista has everything under control.
Cookie Lavagetto's dependents will likely get him a deferment from the draft.

[JamesWest]

The Sporting News, 2/20/41

It has been reported that Babe Ruth has offered his services for the managing job in Seattle.

In the Yankees camp, there is considerable excitement about two young rookies. Phil Rizzuto has a good chance to secure the SS job and Gerry Priddy may snatch up the 2B or 3B job. All of the Yankees regualr infielders from 1940 remain unsigned. Priddy was thiught to be the 2Bman of the future, but Joe McCarthy is thinking that it may be easier to break in Rizzuto with the established Joe Gordon at 2B, rather than another rookie there.
Barrow isn't worried about the holdouts on the Yanks, but he is angry with Joe DiMaggio. DIMaggio broke club rules by going public with his demands.
Barrow figures that the Yankees finished in third in 1940, and they should be expected to be paid like third place players, rather than like four time champs.

The Dodgers arrived safe and secure in Havana.