June 7, 1936 - Hall of Fame Inducts Five

HOBOKEN, N.J. - It seemed like an ordinary game, and in many respects, it was. Jersey City played Newark today at Dickerson Field. The Skeeters were in seventh place in the International League, while the Bears are tied for first. Ten games separated the teams in the standings, but you wouldn't know it, as the hosts obliterated Newark, 9-3. Jersey City right fielder Harley Turner thrilled the fans, going 4-for-4 and driving in three runs. The hits pulled Turner's average up to .398, giving him the league lead.

Young

The real story, though, is who was in the stands. Specifically, five men who, earlier in the day, made baseball history. The Jersey City/Newark match was, in fact, the first Hall of Fame Game, and the five men? Well, you might have heard of them. They go by the names Cy Young, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Napoleon Lajoie. This morning, they were inducted into the Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.

Young, of course, is arguably the greatest pitcher in baseball history. With 511 wins, Young's career total is unlikely to be matched. He also struck out 2,803 batters in his career, which was the mark when he retired. A star in both the National and American Leagues, Young's mark on professional baseball is such that both leagues opted to name their outstanding pitcher awards after him.

Cobb

Cobb was such a prolific record holder that he actually holds the record for records. Nobody in baseball owns more career and single-season marks than the "Georgia Peach," including the standards for hits, games, at-bats, runs and singles. The only player to reach the 4,000 hit plateau, Cobb stands alone amongst the greats of the game.

Mathewson is joint-third all-time in wins by a pitcher, and made his fame in the 1905 Series, when he shut out the Athletics three times in just six days. "Matty" used his curve ball to strike out 2,502 hapless batters. Doubtless amongst that number was Wagner, but no doubt "Hans" had his share of success against Mathewson, and all pitchers, as well. The Dutchman was a batting champion for eight seasons and stole 722 bases, the most in National League history. He is also regarded as the greatest fielding shortstop in the game.

Lajoie

It's safe to say that Nap Lajoie put the American League on the map. An established star with the Philles in the late 1890s, Lajoie legitimised not one, but two franchises. He won the Triple Crown with the Athletics in the first American League season, 1901, setting a single-season batting mark (.426) that has to this day yet to be surpassed. Legal wranglings between the two Philadelphia clubs saw Lajoie move to Cleveland, where he captained and later managed the team, renamed the "Naps" in his honor.

While the day belongs to these five men, speculation shifts to who might join them next year. The number of inductees is not set in stone, but here are five very worthy potential employees:

Mathewson

Walter Johnson holds the record for strikeouts and is second to Young in wins. It is surprising that he was not selected for induction this year, but some have speculated that being an active manager (Johnson spent the past two years as Cleveland manager before being dismissed; he took up the position as Rochester manager this season) kept him out of the Hall. His credentials speak for themselves, and it will be hard to continue justifying his exclusion with flimsy excuses...Grover Cleveland Alexander shares the mark of 373 career victories with Mathewson. "Old Pete" was a champion for both the Cardinals and Phillies, and won many games with some very lousy teams...

Wagner

Tris Speaker served as Cobb's foil in the American League for many years. With parallel careers, Speaker toiled in Cobb's shadow during long stints with Boston and Cleveland. The "Grey Eagle" is now the owner of the Athletics' farm club, Kansas City, and installed himself in the dugout this season. He has the Blues on top in the American Association...Eddie Collins may just be the greatest second baseman, even better than Lajoie. During the Black Sox scandal, no one doubted Collins's integrity, and he performed with distinction for both the White Sox and the Athletics as a member of Connie Mack's $100,000 infield...

Should he decide to retire this year, Babe Ruth would undoubtedly be elected to the Hall of Fame by acclamation. Inarguably the greatest hitter of all time, Ruth has shattered all power records, holding the single-season and career marks for home runs and the career claim on runs batted in, walks and strikeouts. To hit big, you have to swing big.

April 14, 1936 - Opening Day 1936

CINCINNATI - Much is made about expectations. Sometimes, they are justified. Other times, they are unrealistic. To predict Pittsburgh and New York, the runners-up for 1935, as champions for this season makes sense. Likewise, the expectations that Henry Greenberg, reigning American League MVP and batting champion, will once again excel is perfectly reasonable.

Traynor

However, the weight of expectations can also be crushing. Ask Harold "Pie" Traynor, formerly the manager and third baseman of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last season, the Bucs were also favorites to take the Senior Circuit pennant. However, they failed to live up to that mark, and Traynor was dismissed as manager and traded, to San Diego. Following a dismal season on the Coronado Coast, the Padres removed Henry Cox as manager, and signed on...Traynor. This season, the experts think Traynor will turn San Diego's 73-81 record around to 81-73, and have the Padres pegged for third place in the PCL. Will the expectations prove too much for Traynor again? Time will tell.

DiMaggio

Being a rookie can be tough in the best of circumstances, but when you are installed as the Big Club's starting center fielder and clean-up hitter in December, before even having played a major league game, the pressure can really mount. Such is the situation that young Joe DiMaggio finds himself in - signed to a contract in the off-season, the San Francisco player was informed by manager Gerard Ford that he will play straight away, without a trip to Denver. Privately, sources in and around Seals Stadium say that the 21-year-old DiMaggio is focused and mature enough to handle the pressure, and the scribes agree, naming him amongst the favorites to be Pacific Coast MVP.

Mize

Other times, a player can come into spring training and, by virtue of his performance, either serve notice that he is one to be reckoned with, or increase the expectations on his ability. When Johnny Mize arrived in Cardinals camp, he knew that he would be given an opportunity, but that there were no guarantees. Mize proceeded to hit at a .419 clip, with 25 runs batted in and a phenomenal 9 home runs in 24 games. Now, Mize has a very real chance of supplanting Ripper Collins at first base for the Redbirds, a prospect seemingly unthinkable at the start of the spring. Could Mize be the next great Cardinals slugger? Or will he be the latest in a long line of flashes in the pan, buoyed by false hope in the spring, and ultimately done in by the weight of expectations?

1936 pre-season predictions:

National League
1. Pittsburgh
2. St. Louis
3. Cincinnati
4. Chicago
5. New York
6. Brooklyn
7. Philadephia
8. Boston

American League

1. New York
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. Philadelphia
5. Boston
6. Washington
7. St. Louis
8. Chicago

International League
1. Rochester
2. Newark
3. Syracuse
4. Montreal
5. Buffalo
6. Toronto
7. Jersey City
8. Baltimore

Pacific Coast League
1. San Francisco
2. Seattle
3. San Diego
4. Oakland
5. Los Angeles
6. Mission
7. Sacramento
8. Portland

January 22, 1936 - Big Deal in MLB - Derringer for Gehringer

The story of the day in the baseball world is the major trade between the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. The Reds will receive 32-year-old All-Star second baseman Charlie Gehringer in the deal, while the Tigers will pick up 29-year-old starting pitcher Paul Derringer, an All-Star in his own right, and 23-year-old  minor league center fielder Tony Martinez. 

Gehringer

This was a seemingly out-of-the-blue move that nobody saw coming. A Cincinnati insider familiar with the negotiations called the trade "one that people will be talking about for quite some time". Neither general manager could be reached for comment. 

Over the course of his career, Derringer has a won-lost record of 71 wins and 87 losses with 549 strikeouts in 1289 innings pitched with a lifetime 3.48 ERA.

 Last season was the Springfield, Mass. native's breakout campaign. The right-hander went 20-17 for the Reds, crafting a 3.20 ERA. He was the most dependable starter in the National League, having pitched 335 innings, and made the All-Star team. Prior to last season, Derringer's most successful season was his rookie campaign in 1931 with the Cardinals, when he went 18-8 with 134 strikeouts in 211.2 innings pitched.

Derringer

Gehringer's career numbers show he has batted .320 and collected 1811 hits, 94 home runs and 878 RBIs. He has represented the American League in all three All-Star games, and was named the top defensive second baseman in the 1935 Gold Glove awards. The Fowlerville, Mich. native leaves his home state club, the only club he has ever known and one with which he has spent ten full seasons, and parts of two others. Early in the 1935 season, Gehringer scored his 1,000th career run, and he is expected to reach his 2,000th career base hit late in the 1936 season. In 1934, Gehringer hit .356 and drove in 127 runs, both career highs, while also scoring 134 times and stroking 11 home runs.

Martinez was acquired by the Reds earlier in the off-season in a trade with the Boston Braves that also brought Freddie Lindstrom to the Queen City. 

January 9, 1936 - Hall of Fame now a reality

For years, whenever a player achieved a noteworthy feat, be it over the season or just a good performance in one game, such as a no-hitter, it was said that they had entered baseball's "Hall of Fame". Now, there will be an actual Hall, reserved for only the game's very best.

The idea of formalizing a Hall had been discussed for years, and many details needed to be worked out. For instance, what were the qualifications for admission? Who would determine the entrants? Would there be certain criteria that conferred automatic entry? And, most importantly, where would the physical Hall be built?

Now, the answers can be revealed. The Hall of Fame is a honor reserved for players who performed at a sustained high level for many years. No "one season wonders" or "flashes in the pan" need apply. Indeed, active players are not eligible for enshrinement, but they may be considered once they have retired. In addition, a player must have played in a recognised major league for at least ten years to be eligible for consideration.

As for the criteria, it was decided that certain milestones would not trigger induction into the Hall. Rather, a panel of sportswriters, those who quite possibly have seen more Major League games than any man alive, would vote on those players worthy of the honor. While no single statistic is a factor, the keepers of the Hall have decided that character does count - not good news for those members of the "Black Sox" or others who, despite high individual achievement, have brought the game into disrepute.

Finally, the home of the Hall; sadly, this has yet to be determined. A few cities have been nominated for the honor, but the front-runner is Hoboken, N.J. - the site of the first recognised baseball game with the formalized rules we know today. Advantages, of course, is Hoboken's location in the greater New York area - the recognised center of baseball, with five Major League teams nearby. Other potential sites include Baltimore, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Cooperstown, N.Y., a village in the Finger Lakes region.

Regardless of the site, we now know the identity of the first five members of the Hall of Fame. These five, who have reached the pinnacle of the sport, are perhaps the finest players in the history of the game, and a worthy first class. They are pitchers Denton "Cy" Young and Christy Mathewson, shortstop John "Honus" Wagner, outfielder Ty Cobb and second baseman Napoleon Lajoie. As soon as a site has been selected, these five men will take their rightful place as Baseball's Immortals.

December 1, 1935 - Down on the Farm

A couple of young San Franciscans have everyone talking, and could terrorize PCL pitchers for years to come. The season won't kick off for another five months, but Seals manager Gerard Ford has already handed the center-field starting job to 21-year-old Joe DiMaggio. The native of Martinez, Calif., across the Bay from San Francisco, is also the early favorite for Rookie of the Year honors next season. DiMaggio, the son of a fisherman, is a tall and lean outfielder with a keen batting eye and effortless fielding ability. DiMaggio's two brothers also play baseball, and his success would no doubt make it easier for the Seals to secure the services of young Dominic and Vincent.

Joost

DiMaggio

The City's second team, the Mission Reds, have a youngster of their own that has got people talking. 19-year-old Eddie Joost is expected to break camp with the big club, backing up Reds' lead-off hitter Michael Chamberlain. Joost, a San Franciscan, hopes to make the job his own in short order.

Feller

In the American League, the Indians have a pitcher that, to hear new manager Mark Perkins tell it, will re-write all the record books. Bob Feller of Van Meter, Iowa hasn't even graduated high school yet, but the right-hander has a job waiting for him in Cleveland when he does. Feller, who Perkins has called "the hardest thrower I've ever seen," is expected to join AL wins leader Mel Harder in the Tribe rotation following his graduation in May. When he does, that will make Feller one of the select few people to make his major league debut at the age of 17.

Portland's young first baseman, Babe Young, also expects to figure into the Beavers' plans at some point next season. The Astoria, Ore. native has the problem of playing the same position as All-Star first sacker Teofilo Monroy, the hard-hitting Venezuelan who socked 21 home runs last season. Young is also able to play center field, and may find his path to the big leagues goes through the outfield grass at Vaughan Street Park.

Young

Heath

North of the border, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Royals each have home-grown talent that they are eager to showcase. Jeff Heath, a 20-year-old left fielder from Fort William, Ont., hopes to be launching balls out of Maple Leaf Park for years to come. Johnny Jones, the hitting coach of the Leafs' minor league affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., called Heath's power potential "prodigious" and said "there's pretty much nothing within his reach that he can't launch out of the park." Meanwhile, the IL champion Royals took some guff for trading away their starting first baseman, Dave Lowry, to the Cubs. The reason, experts say, is a Quebec native, Eric Verge, expected to make everyone forget about Lowry. Verge is the type of hitter who gets on base and takes the extra base once he's there. He's already been installed at the top of the Montreal batting order.

Mize

Finally, the St. Louis Cardinals, known for leaving no stone unturned, flipped over a rock in Demorest, Ga. and came up with a big left-hander hitter named Johnny Mize. He may not be expected to un-seat Ripper Collins at first base in Sportsman's Park just yet, but Mize is expected to develop into a home-run hitter in very short order. There have been rumors that Mize has been practicing in the outfield during the off-season in an effort to quicken his path to the major leagues.

October 25, 1935 - 1935 Season Recap

DETROIT - Henry Greenberg took a major step toward becoming one of the game's greats this season, as the Detroit slugger won the "Triple Crown" for the 1935 season, leading the American League in batting, home runs and runs batted in.

Greenberg

"Hank", as he is known to his team-mates, was a major contributing force to the Tigers' successful pennant chase. The Bengals looked to be faltering down the stretch, but the broad-shouldered Greenberg carried the team on his back, holding off the fast-charging New York Yankees to secure the flag. Greenberg's success not only gave his team the championship, but also making sure he pulled away from Philadelphia's slugging first baseman Jimmie Foxx to claim the RBI title and with it, the Triple Crown.

On the season, Greenberg batted an astounding .377 in 605 at bats. The Hebrew Hammer slugged 53 home runs on the season, more than twice as many as last year's total (26). Finally, his 157 runs batted in surpassed Foxx's total of 153.

With a week to go in the season, the Tigers were struggling, and saw their lead cut to just one game over the Yanks. Greenberg and company responded with a five-game winning streak to clinch the flag, and Hank drove in ten runs combined in those five games.

Here is a list of the other accomplishment around Professional Baseball this season:


Teams
American League champion - Detroit Tigers (92-62)
National League champion - Chicago Cubs (99-55)
Detroit wins World's Series, 4 games to 3

International League champion - Montreal Royals (96-58)
Pacific Coast League champion - Oakland Oaks (88-66)
Oakland wins Continental Series, 4 games to 2

American Association champion - Indianapolis Indians (90-54)
Southern Association champion - Atlanta Crackers (93-51)
Atlanta wins Little World's Series, 3 games to 1

Eastern League champion - Albany Senators (85-59)
Western League champion - Wichita Indians (88-56)
Albany wins Little Continental Series, 3 games to 1

Players
Major League Baseball Awards
American League MVP - Hank Greenberg (DET) .377/53 HR/157 RBI
National League MVP - Arky Vaughn (PIT) .344/43 2B/18 HR/93 RBI
American League "Cy" Young - Lefty Grove (BOS) 24-9/161 K/2.57 ERA
National League "Cy" Young - Lon Warneke (CHC) 26-9/158 K/2.80 ERA
American League Rookie - Wally Moses (PHA) .371/128 Runs/84 RBI
National League Rookie - Cy Blanton (PIT) 21-11/173 K/2.39 ERA

Continental League Baseball Awards
International League MVP - Phil Cain (TOR) .340/17 HR/90 RBI
Pacific Coast League MVP - Arthur Holmes (SEA) .399/17 HR/82 RBI
International League Pitcher - Taylor Sims (ROC) 23-13/144 K/2.38 ERA
Pacific Coast League Pitcher - John Ray (SF) 24-10/141 K/2.38 ERA

National Association Awards
American Association MVP - Ernest Southern (KC) .308/37 2B/78 RBI
Southern Association MVP - Dale Simpson (CHT) .331/20 HR/88 RBI
American Association Pitcher - Jimmy Morris (COL) 16-9/128 K/2.19 ERA
Southern Association Pitcher - Si Johnson (NSH) 18-3/92 K/1.56 ERA

Minor League Baseball Awards
Eastern League MVP - Daniel MacCutcheon (SCH) .333/17 HR/64 RBI
Western League MVP - Andy Parkinson (OMA) .335/24 HR/75 RBI
Eastern League Pitcher -  Bill Wilson (SCH) 22-12/157 K/3.14 ERA
Western League Pitcher - Blake Young (SOO) 20-11/148 K/2.94 ERA

Notable Accomplishments
American League
Hank Greenberg (Detroit) hit 53 home runs and 157 runs batted in (Triple Crown winner)
Jimmie Foxx (Philadelphia) had 153 runs batted in
Lou Gehrig (New York) had his 2000th career hit on May 12
Jimmy Dykes (Chicago) had his 2000th career hit on May 17

National League
Bill Terry (New York) had his 2000th career hit on June 5

International League
Michael Ward (Newark) had a 32-game hitting streak

American Association
John Fitzwater (Columbus) had a 37-game hitting streak

Eastern League
Lance Dallas (Albany) hit 3 home runs in one game on May 20 (vs. Binghamton)

Grove

Holmes

Ray

October 9, 1935 - Tigers Win World's Series

CHICAGO - There were times when the Detroit Tigers' championship dreams seemed in tatters. In Game 5, for example, the Bengals were three outs away, at home, from taking a 3-2 series lead. But a seven-run 9th inning, courtesy of the Chicago Cubs, sent fans away from Sanders Field in tears, and ensured that Detroit would have to "do it tough" and win two games in hostile territory, Hughes Field.

Rowe

Last night, the Tigers' ace hurler, Schoolboy Rowe, did just that. The Texan allowed three hits all night in a 7-0 Game Seven victory. Two of those hits came in the ninth inning when the game was no longer in doubt.

That was due to the first-inning home run from the Bengals' slugging first baseman, Henry Greenberg. The Triple Crown-winning Greenberg hit a two-run homer, but that was one more run than Rowe would prove to need. In his third start of the season, Rowe allowed three hits, striking out three and walking three. It continues the outstanding performances Rowe had turned in all season, compiling a 22-12 record with a 3.28 ERA in 38 starts.

Walker

Gee Walker was awarded the outstanding player of the series award. The right fielder hit at an amazing .571 clip during the seven games of the Series, including a 4-for-4 performance in Game Seven. Walker always seemed to come up big when it counted, driving in five runs and hitting four doubles and a home run in the Series.

Skipper Mickey Cochrane and lead-off hitter Jo-Jo White also contributed mightly to the cause. Along with Greenberg, the trio each drove in six runs in the Series. At 32 years of age, player-manager Cochrane becomes the youngest person to lead his team to a World's Series title since Tris Speaker won the championship with the Cleveland Indians.