This Date in Browns History!

[Bill_McCurdy]

On The Passing of Jake Wade ...

Last year on his April 1st birthday, I posted the following about Jake Wade:

Jacob "Whistling Jake" Fields is born on April 1, 1912 in Morehead City, North Carolina. The BL/TL North Carolina State University alumnus will go on to an 8-year big league pitching career (1936-1939, 1942-1944, 1946) and build a total record of 27 wins, 40 losses, and an ERA of 5.00. In one partial season with the 1939 Browns, Wade will register 0 wins, 2 losses, and a 11.02 ERA in 16.1 innings of work. - Jake Wade lives on as one of the oldest living former Browns.

Happy 93rd Birthday, Jake Wade? - Can you still whistle?

As you've read on another thread, Jake Wade passed away on February 1, 2006. - We'll whistle for you this year, Jake. - God bless your Brownie soul!

[Bobspace]

A post appears on this web site stating that Melvin Mazzera is still living. I know for a fact that Melvin died in the late 1990s. I will get all the facts together about Melvin's life from his obituary and post them.

Melvin and I share greatgrandfathers of the Masera family, later the name became Mazzera. His grandfather and my greatgrandfather were brothers.

More information to come.

[Bill_McCurdy]

Thanks.

Bobspace -

Thanks for the heads up correction on Mel Mazzera. Unfortunately, the earlier report here that he is still living was wrong. Mel Mazzera died on December 17, 1997 in Stockton, California.

http://http://www.baseball-almanac.c...hp?p=mazzeme01

We only get better by fixing our mistakes. This thread becomes more valuable to history with all corrections to any factual errors previously reported. They are easy to make as individuals when it comes to pouring over hundreds of individual records.

Your input is always appreciated.

- Bill McCurdy

[Bill_McCurdy]

reprising one of my favorite "this day" facts

July 20, 1944 The Browns' Nelson Potter becomes the first pitcher suspended for throwing spitballs. He is banished for 10 days for allegedly "putting an illegal substance on the ball." Potter will return and win 19 games for St. Louis.

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

[dave_heller]

July 20, 1944 The Browns' Nelson Potter becomes the first pitcher suspended for throwing spitballs. He is banished for 10 days for allegedly "putting an illegal substance on the ball." Potter will return and win 19 games for St. Louis.

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...logy/today.stm

In doing the research for my book (cheap plug ), it seemed as though Potter was merely wetting the ball (as many pitchers do) by moistening his fingers, even though he had been warned not to. Also, Potter always denied that he threw a spitter. In my interview with Denny Galehouse, he intimated the opposite.

Funny, I remember Galehouse also said there was a pitcher on the Indians when he pitched there that threw a spitter, but he wouldn't tell me who. He said I'd be surprised to know who it was. (Pure conjencture, I think it might have been Mel Harder)

Anyway, the upshot of Potter's suspension was it turned out his wife had a baby nine months after he had served his 10 days. Potter's remark was something like how he wouldn't be naming him Cal Hubbard (the ump who tossed Potter and reported him).

[skyjammer0]

Donald Joseph Gutteridge

I have a baseball signed by Mr. Gutteridge from, I believe, 1944. Is there anyway to contact Mr. Gutteridge about this, a sort of correspondence?

[Bill_McCurdy]

Don Gutteridge's address

I have a baseball signed by Mr. Gutteridge from, I believe, 1944. Is there anyway to contact Mr. Gutteridge about this, a sort of correspondence?

Skyjammer -

Hold onto that ball. It was signed by one of the nicest gentlemen in baseball history. I also feel certain that Don would be happy to hear from you. You may write him at

Don Gutteridge
804 Lakeview Drive
Pittsburg, Kansas 66762-6150

Take care.

- Bill

[skyjammer0]

Thank you

Thank you for the info. I absolutely will keep the ball, as it belonged to my grandfather, Ernest Stewart, who was an American League Umpire from 1941 to 1945. I am sure Mr. Gutteridge won't remember signing it, as I am sure he signed so many, but I am going to ask anyway. Maybe he would know if it was from the World Series, and who the unknown signer may have been.

[machinehead11]

I've communicated with Mr. Gutteridge a couple of times in the past. He's about as nice as they come in baseball.

[dennis duncan]

Browns batboy

My dad was batboy for the Browns and visitor batboy for the Cardinals in the mid 40's. His name was Robert (Chubby) Duncan. If you or anyone out there has any team photos etc.. from that era I would love to see if my dad was in any of them. Thanks in advance ror any info.

[dennis duncan]

browns batboy

My dad was batboy for the Browns in the 40,s. If you have any photos or info from that era I would love to hear about it.

[philliesfiend55]

The Final Debut

September 25, 1944: Tigers & Browns Head to Pennant Wire in Dead Heat. Going into the final Monday of the season, the Detroit Tigers hold a one-game lead over the St. Louis Browns, with the New York Yankees now out of the running. (Gee, that sentence felt funny when I wrote it down, I think I'd better type it in again, just to be sure that we're still not simply dreaming about something that happened sixty years ago.) Going into the final Monday of the season, the Tigers hold a one-game lead over the Browns with the New York Yankees now out of the running. (That's the part that reads wierd, even when you type it twice.) The Browns get big help today from the Men of Connie Mack. Russ Christopher of the Phildadelphia Athletics throttles the Tigers, 2-1, to produce a tie for the lead between the Browns and Detroit. :atthepc

September 25, 1926: Yankees Clinch Against Browns in Record Time. The New York Yankees do what they usually do. They just do it faster today. New York takes two from the St. Louis Browns to nail down the American League flag, winning the opener 10–2 behind Herb Pennock. Ruth's grand slam is the big blow. In the nitecap, Lou Gehrig homers in the 3rd inning, off Milt Gaston, while Ruth matches him with a 2-run home run in the 6th off Win Ballou. Ruth adds a solo shot in the 9th, his 46th, off Joe Giard to seal the Waite Hoyt 10–4 victory. Despite the score, the game is played in a new American League record 55 minutes. The National League record is 51 minutes, set on September 28, 1919.

... a Milt Gaston link ...http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...aston_Milt.stm

... a Win Ballou link ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...Ballou_Win.stm

... a Joe Giard link ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb.../Giard_Joe.stm

September 25, 1910: Johnson 1-Hits Browns. Walter Johnson of Washington tosses the first of his two career one-runner games, missing a perfect game when a grounder skips by shortstop George McBride for a single. Johnson's one-hitter is good for a 3–0 victory over the St. Louis Browns. Even though it is early in franchise history, the Browns demonstrate their availability today as the canvas for the masterpiece work of others.

Have a nice Saturday, everybody!

Today's General Reference Link ... http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...EPTEMBER25.stm

September 25, 1953: OLutfielder Jim Pisoni becomes the last player in Browns' history to make his major league debut as a Brown.