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Topnotchsy
Featured Contributor, The best players in history?
- Aug 7, 2008
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July 28th, 1934 was a Saturday, and in St. Louis, the Browns would host the Cleveland Indians for a double header. Cleveland was a strong team that season, ultimately finishing 3rd in the AL, while St. Louis (back when there was an "other" team in St. Louis besides the Cardinals) would struggle, finishing the season 18 games under .500, and in 6th place. The team featured Hal Trosky (shortened from Trojovsky) who was in middle of a tremendous rookie season, on his way to a career that likely would have gotten him to the Hall of Fame if it was not cut short by migraines. The Cleveland team featured future Hall of Famer, Earl Averill in middle one of his finest seasons. Moe Berg, the legendary catcher and spy would sit this game out. The team also featured future Hall of Famer Sam Rice, at the tail end of his career. He was 44 and would retire after the season, but still managed a respectable batting average.
On the mound for Cleveland was Mel Harder, who was having his finest season and would go on to win 20 games but he won this game by the support of his offense. Harder would walk 6 and give up 5 runs in 6 innings, but come away with the victory in a 10-8 game. He improved to 11-5.
The lineup for the game was:
1. Sam Rice
2. Earl Averill
3. Joe Vosmik
4. Hal Trosky
5. Odell Hale
6. Bill Knickerbocker
7. Johnny Burnett
8. Glenn Myatt
9. Mel Harder
Why is the lineup important? Well, it isn't particularly important. Though it is the only time that manager Walter Johnson had the lineup set this way. And the benefit in that is it allows us to pinpoint the date for this lineup card...
It's bent and pretty beaten up, the pencil is faded, and he only signed his last name, but to me this is really cool. It's a vintage line-up card, signed by Walter Johnson, arguably the greatest pitcher of all time, and it can be linked to the exact game it was used. The back provides additional support as it makes it clear that it comes from St. Louis, where the game above was played.
On the mound for Cleveland was Mel Harder, who was having his finest season and would go on to win 20 games but he won this game by the support of his offense. Harder would walk 6 and give up 5 runs in 6 innings, but come away with the victory in a 10-8 game. He improved to 11-5.
The lineup for the game was:
1. Sam Rice
2. Earl Averill
3. Joe Vosmik
4. Hal Trosky
5. Odell Hale
6. Bill Knickerbocker
7. Johnny Burnett
8. Glenn Myatt
9. Mel Harder
Why is the lineup important? Well, it isn't particularly important. Though it is the only time that manager Walter Johnson had the lineup set this way. And the benefit in that is it allows us to pinpoint the date for this lineup card...
It's bent and pretty beaten up, the pencil is faded, and he only signed his last name, but to me this is really cool. It's a vintage line-up card, signed by Walter Johnson, arguably the greatest pitcher of all time, and it can be linked to the exact game it was used. The back provides additional support as it makes it clear that it comes from St. Louis, where the game above was played.
