Baseball is a game of second chances (1940)

Billy Southworth got a second chance. In 1940 the Cardinals, who were struggling, fired Ray Blades. In comes Billy, from Rochester. So, what happens. The Cardinals take off. They had some talented players like Stan Musial coming in from the farm teams. This started thier “golden age”. After he came on board that season, they won 69 of 109 games. They move from seventh to third place. In 1941 they came in second. The next three years they won three penants and two World Series titles.

How is that for a second chance?

Let there be light (1940)

The new trend in baseball in the 1940’s was to install lights for night games. The Braves (then known as the Boston Bees) had not invested yet. Probably a good thing. They played their first night game at the Polo Grounds. It was May 24, 1940. They lost 8-1. The next week they lost in the lights at Forbes Field. There were only two teams that year without lights.

It really didn’t matter in 1940 whether they played in the lights or not. They ended the season, under Casey Stengel as manager, in 7th place. They were 34 1/2 games behind with a 65-87 record.

Making a change (1930)

Judge Fuchs’ decided to make a change in the manager position. He selected Bill McKechnie as the Braves manager in 1930. He had a pretty good track record. In Pittsburgh he won the World Series in 1925. In St. Louis he won the pennant in 1928. After he left Boston he won a World Series for Cincinnati in 1940.

In 1930 the Braves finished 6th, 22 games behind the leader. Their record was 70-84. It wouldn’t get much better during his eight years in Boston.

A great place to grow up for baseball (1940)

Brooklyn NY was a great place to grow up in the 1950’s. Great for baseball lovers that is. I have a great affinity for Joe Torre. We share the same birth day, July 18. He was born in 1940 however and grew up in Brooklyn.

He caught, played first base and the outfield. He was an Atlanta Brave from 1960 to 1968. He came to the Braves via its farm club in Louisville. In May of 1961 Del Crandall went out for the season with a shoulder injury. We needed a catcher. So, we brought up Joe, a slightly pudgy 20 year old. He earned his keep that first day. He caught both ends of a double header. He had a single, a double and home run. He showed the strength of his arm by throwing out 3 runners. Tested early and proven.

Did he help the Bees? (1936)

Imagine being a catcher for the Braves in the late 1930’s? Al Lopez played for the Bee’s (now known as the Atlanta Braves) from 1936 to 1940. He was born in Tampa, Florida on August 20, 1908. He batted and threw as a right hander. At 5’11” he was a good size for a catcher at the time.

He may have been one of the best catchers the Braves have ever seen. But, he played on a pretty dismal Braves team so who knew? They were so bad they changed their name to the Bees. They thought it might improve their fortunes. Didn’t work did it?