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.

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.

October 8, 1935 - Oakland on top in premier ContSeries

MONTREAL - The Oakland Oaks are the inaugural Continental Series champions.

The Pacific Coast League pennant winners vanquished the Montreal Royals in six games to claim the title. Oaks hurler Jeff McCullough shut out the International League pennant winners to clinch the Series, scattering six hits while striking out two and walking one. It was the second victory in the Series for McCullough, who also went the distance in Game 3, a 3-2 victory at Oaks Park.

McCullough

The victory capped off a remarkable season for the Collierville, Tenn. native. McCullough wasn't even expected to start the season for the Oaks, instead ticketed for their top farm club in Sioux City. But a spring training performance opened eyes, and McCullough broke camp headed for Oakland instead. On the season, the right-hander went 17-13 with a 3.67 ERA, good enough for second amongst Oaks moundmen for wins and ERA. His 85 strikeouts was third-placed on the team.

McCullough shares honors with center fielder and leadoff hitter Nicolas Fournier. The Canadian was cruel to his countrymen, hitting safely in all six games of the Continental Series. He compiled a .440 average for the Series and scored six runs, including the first run of the game that ultimately proved to be the Series-winner.

Troy L'Heureux performed admirably in a losing effort for the Royals. The Michigan native (despite his name, L'Heureux claims no Quebec ancestry) hit .429 in the six games with a home run and 5 RBI.

Fornier

But the real news is with the Oaks and their monumental win. While their opponents were the pre-season favorites to win the International League, it was the Oaks' neighbor across the Bay, the San Francisco Seals, that was the consensus pick to win the first Major League pennant in the PCL. Instead, Oakland won the title by five games over the Seals, then jumped all over the highly-fancied Royals, taking the first three games of the Series, including two at Delorimier Stadium. The Royals bounced back in Games 4 and 5, but Oakland continued its dominance of the Royals in their own patch. To win three games of a championship series on the road - the Oakland Oaks are truly deserving champs.

January 1, 1935 - A New Dawn

LOS ANGELES - After a two-year battle, the Pacific Coast League and International League announced today that they have reached an agreement that smooths the way for the two leagues to achieve Major League status. The PCL and IL will become major leagues, effective immediately. Any players that are under contract to American League or National League teams will be returned to their parent club for assignment to another minor league ball club.

The two leagues also announced that they will join forces under the banner of Continental League Baseball. The name reflects the footprint of the new organization, with 16 teams in the United States and Canada.

The Continental Leagues have also signed agreements with the Eastern League and Western League to become the top farm clubs for the IL and PCL, respectively. Any players in those leagues that are under contract with MLB clubs will also be re-assigned.

As part of the agreement, Major League Baseball announced that the Southern Association will henceforth receive AAA classification, moving up from the AA classification it previously enjoyed. The SA joins the American Association and the newly-promoted EL and WL at the highest level of farm-system baseball. That announcement makes a total of 32 AAA clubs in the United States, one for each Major League ball club.