TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

February 24, 1917 – – Smoky Joe Wood, his arm dead at 26, is sold by the Boston Red Sox to Cleveland for $15,000. He will become an outfielder after one last, losing start on the mound, and will play five more years.

Wood had slipped on wet grass while fielding a bunt in a game against the Detroit Tigers. He fell and broke his thumb, and pitched in pain for the following three seasons. Although he maintained a winning record and a low ERA, his appearances were limited, as he could no longer recover quickly from pitching a game. Wood sat out the 1916 season and most of the 1917 season, and for all intents and purposes ended his pitching career.

When Wood was sold to the Cleveland Indians, he rejoined former teammate Tris Speaker. Always proficient with the bat, he embarked on a second career; like his former teammate Babe Ruth, Wood ended his career as an outfielder. His hitting statistics, however, were far more pedestrian than those of Ruth. Nonetheless, Wood finished in the top 10 in the American League in runs batted in two seasons (1918 and 1922), and in 1918 he also finished in the top ten in home runs, doubles, batting average, and total bases. Wood pitched seven more times, all but one game in relief, winning none and losing one. He also appeared in four games in the 1920 World Series becoming the only player besides Ruth to be a starting pitcher and starting outfielder in a World Series game.

Wood finished his major league career after the 1922 season with a pitching record of 117–57 and an ERA of 2.03. His lifetime batting average was .283. In his final season with the Indians, he had his highest hit total for a season with 150, and also set a personal mark for RBI with 92.

In The Glory of Their Times, Wood recalled:

That was my greatest season, 1912: 34 wins, 16 in a row, 3 more in the World Series, and, of course, beating Walter Johnson in that big game at Fenway Park on September 6, 1912. My regular pitching turn was scheduled to come on Saturday, and they moved it up a day so that Walter and I could face each other. Walter had already won 16 in a row and his streak had ended. I had won 13 in a row and they challenged our manager, Jake Stahl, to pitch me against Walter, so Walter could stop my streak himself. Jake agreed, and to match us against each other he moved me up in the rotation from Saturday to Friday.

The newspapers publicized us like prizefighters: giving statistics comparing our height, weight, biceps, triceps, arm span, and whatnot: The Champion, Walter Johnson, versus the Challenger, Joe Wood. That was the only game I ever remember in Fenway Park, or anywhere else for that matter, where the fans were sitting practically along the first and third-base lines. Instead of sitting back where the bench usually is, we were sitting on chairs right up against the foul lines, and the fans were right behind us. The overflow had been packed between the grandstand and the foul lines, as well as out in the outfield behind ropes. Fenway Park must have contained twice as many people as its seating capacity that day. I never saw so many people in one place in my life.

In fact, the fans were put on the field an hour before the game started, and it was so crowded down there I hardly had room to warm up.

Well, I won, 1-0, but don’t let that fool you. In my opinion the greatest pitcher who ever lived was Walter Johnson.

And in that same book, Harry Hooper called it “probably the most exciting game I ever played in or saw.”

Historic Days!

Born: February 24, 1874 One of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Honus Wagner is considered by some baseball historians to be the greatest all-around player in the history of the game. One of Wagner’s greatest admirers was New York Giants longtime manager John McGraw, who said of The Flying Dutchman, “He was the nearest thing to a perfect player, no matter where his manager chose to play him.“

February 24, 1917 – – Smoky Joe Wood, his arm dead at 26, is sold by the Boston Red Sox to Cleveland for $15,000. He will become an outfielder after one last, losing start on the mound, and will play five more years.

Passed away today . . February 24, 1926 in Gettysburg, PA Eddie Plank had never played baseball before entering college. He was signed by the Athletics as an elderly rookie of 25 when he graduated from Gettysburg in the American League’s first year, 1901. He became the principal lefthander for the first generation of great Athletics teams. Until Warren Spahn, he was the winningest lefthander in ML history. (Check out his restaurant when in Gettysburg).

February 24, 1966, the Atlanta Braves sign Tom Seaver to a bonus contract worth $50,000. One week later, Commissioner Spike Eckert will void the contract, citing rules about signing amateur players during their college seasons. On April 3, Eckert will hold a lottery to determine which of three teams – the Cleveland Indians, New York Mets or Philadelphia Phillies – will win the right to negotiate with Seaver. The Mets win the lottery and Seaver helps lead them to a World Series title in 1969.

February 24, 1986, Dick Williams resigns as manager of the San Diego Padres, eleven weeks after Padres executives attempt to buy out his contract, only to be thwarted by team owner Joan Kroc, and is replaced by Steve Boros. In 1985, Williams guided the Padres to a record of 83-79. The previous year, Williams led the Padres to their first post-season berth and World Series appearance and compiled a 337-311 (.520) record during his four seasons in San Diego.

February 24, 1990, former Boston Red Sox slugger Tony Conigliaro dies at the age of 45. Conigliaro, who succumbs to pneumonia and kidney failure, had suffered a massive heart attack in 1982. Conigliaro appeared headed for stardom he was the youngest American League player ever to reach 100 career home runs in the 1960s before being beaned by a Jack Hamilton fastball in 1967. He was nearly blind after the beaning.

February 24, 2010 — A Kansas man, who sat six rows behind the third-base dugout, files a lawsuit against the Royals as a result of being hit in the eye by a hot dog thrown by Sluggerrr, the team’s mascot. The suit is seeking $25,000 in damages for injuries caused by the flying frank, which includes a detached retina and the development of cataracts in the left eye.

Todays featured clip:

TRIVIA

TRIVIA: In 1912 Joe Wood won 34 games and compiled a war of 11.5. Three other players had a WAR double digits. Who were they and who had the highest?

A. Tris Speaker
B. Ed Walsh
C. Walter Johnson
D. Eddie Collins  

Answer in tomorrows newsletter

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Birthday Boys!

 ANSWER TO YESTERDAY’S TRIVIA

TRIVIA: Who is credited with creating the doughnut for your bat?

Elston Howard is credited with inventing the batting "doughnut", a circular lead weight with a rubber shell used by batters in the on-deck circle by placing it around a bat to make it feel heavier, so that it will feel lighter at the plate and easier to swing. Its widespread use caused the discontinuation of the practice of hitters swinging multiple bats at the same time while waiting to hit. Howard helped two New Jersey entrepreneurs, Frank Hamilton and Vince Salvucci, to market the bat weight and lent his name to the product.

Passings.

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