Joe Dimaggio Chicago Cub

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Another "what if" just for fun, Joe D as a Cub.
Some other RH National League hitters.
Looked for career splits with around 400+ to 600 at bats minimum in those parks.

Willie Mays
----------------Hr-------AB/HR
Wrigley--------54--------12.7
Crosley--------35--------21
Forbes---------31-------19
Shibe----------18-------34.26 ????
Busch----------38------16.6

Aaron
Wrigley-------50--------14.3
Crosley-------43--------14.8
Shibe---------39--------15.8

Schmidt
Wrigley--------50---------12.2
Riverfront------29---------11.24
Busch---------27----------17.3
Shea----------26---------18.6
Atlanta--------25---------12.8
Pitt. 3 Rivers---25---------19.4

Not a complete list but obvious, Wrigley Field good for the long Ball
Wonder how Joe would have done there.
Couple of more what if's that effected Yanks history. Lou Gehrig, first looked at by John McGraw, two try outs, John lets Lou get away.
Both St. Louis clubs look over Mickey Mantle early.
Runt Marr, Cards scout visits Mick and his dad at their home. Will call you back said Runt, never got back to Mick

[Cap78]

another great decision by the cubs!

[BigRon]

No doubt DiMaggio would have been a great star anywhere. However, I believe Wrigley was not known as an exceptional hitters' park in the late 30s- early 40s. I think it had something to do with the hitting background. Bill Nicholson complained about this and I believe Bill James did some research into this, and corroborated it, at least partially. In any event, shooting at Wrigley's LF-CF dimensions for half your home games almost certainly would have been better for DiMaggio than Yankee Stadium.

[pheasant]

Interesting post, Shoeless. So in other words, other teams' mistakes allowed the Yankees to get Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, and Mantle. How many fewer championships would they have won had none of those players been on the Yankees?

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Interesting post, Shoeless. So in other words, other teams' mistakes allowed the Yankees to get Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, and Mantle. How many fewer championships would they have won had none of those players been on the Yankees?

Thats not all, most are familiar with Yogi Berra being turned away by Branch Rickey at a Pirate try out, while they gave Yogi's buddy Joe Garagiola $500 signing bonus.
Two stories, Yogi did not look the part of a MLB catcher. The other story that Rickey was soon to leave for the Dodgers and could then take another shot at Yogi. Could be true, a year later Branch sent Yogi a telegram............come the Dodger's training camp, but it was too late. What ever the case another great Yankee could have been snatched by another team. We know how important Yogi was to the Yanks.

The names, Gerhig, Dimaggio, Mantle and Berra, some of the greatest players in the game, with other teams having the first chance and they let them get away.
Before that, the biggest blunder of all, Harry Frazee selling Babe Ruth.
Frazee trying to cover his rear end, places much of the Bosox poor showing in 1919 on Babe, too much of a one man show, no good for the team.

All Babe did in 1919, pitching 9-5.
At the plate he was second in walks, Jack Graney 105, Babe 101 but with 43 less plate appearances.
Then Ruth, first in Home runs, EBH's, Slugging, ISO,OBA, Runs Ceated, RC/Game, OPS+, reached base most times, total bases, RBI, runs scored, offensive WAR, offensive wins..........both leagues.
And you send this guy packing, because he is a one man team, not my words, Harry's, this is a distraction to the team.
So money over the yeasr helped the Yanks, isn't that what you do with money, reinvest in your product.
But we can see by some of the greats other teams let slip away, that was not all about big bucks, mistakes that went the Yanks way.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Puzzled by Willie Mays 34.2 AB/HR ratio at Shibe/Connie Mack.
Hank Aaron at 15.9.

[TomBodet]

Wow, as a cubs fan thats just too sad. Makes the Brock thing a bit more bearable.

[Cap78]

Puzzled by Willie Mays 34.2 AB/HR ratio at Shibe/Connie Mack.
Hank Aaron at 15.9.

it may have to do with the shorter fence in right and I believe I read at one point that Aaron hit a lot of balls to right

[SHOELESSJOE3]

it may have to do with the shorter fence in right and I believe I read at one point that Aaron hit a lot of balls to right

If I have the correct figures, not much difference to LF 334 to RF 329.
Could not track all 39 of Hanks home runs in Philly but some figures.

Home runs-----LF---LCF---CF---RF
---------------6----3-----3----2
Small sample of his 39 but doesn't appear that he hit many to RF

All I could find of Willie's 18 in Philly 4 to LF and 2 to CF.
Their Pa's and at bats at Philly close but big gap in home runs.Speaking of Philly only speaking of Shibe/Connie Mack.

Willie had as much power as Hank, my conclusion, Hank may have been a bit more of a pull hitter, hit twice as many as Willie in Philly. Cf in Philly was 447 feet, lots of drive were long outs or maybe an EBH in CF.
I may have overlooked something, we have people on the board that really know this game, they may shed some light on the home run gap.
In the end, maybe he just didn't like the park, for what ever the reason. We do hear other players speak about some road parks, they love and some they don't like at all.

-------------PA------AB------Ba.----OBA----Slg.-----Hr------BB
Willie-------717------623----.297----.382----.444----18-----86
Hank-------690------619----.325----.381----.624----39-----62

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.......... come on, you passed on the Big Bam. OK who knew, what he would become. Cheapskate, take a shot.
You pass on the Bam, McGraw passes on Gehrig, Cubs let Dimaggio get away............................could have been a whole different ball game. Note the number stamped, 714.