Thursday, January 11, 2007 |
Today's Birthdays
Max Carey BRO b. 1890, played 1926-1929, Hall of Fame: 1961 (Veterans), d. 1976-05-30. Even using Baseball Reference's new Neutralize Stats tool, he's got to be one of the worst picks for the Hall; he's mainly in because of his stolen base totals, his speed and agility in center, and because the Veteran's Committee has had some very weak moments. He was the epitome of the small-ball player at the exact moment in baseball's history when Babe Ruth was changing how the game was played. He came to the Dodgers late in his career as the result of an incident known as the "Great Pirate Mutiny", in which Carey second-guessed manager Bill McKechnie one time too many, resulting in the Pirates losing both halves of a doubleheader on August 7, 1926. Placed on waivers, the Dodgers claimed him, and he spent the remaining three years of his career there, managing the club in 1932 and 1933. His 1932 season was the last winning Brooklyn team until Leo Durocher took the helm in 1939; trading away sluggers like Babe Herman and focusing the team on smallball eventually got him fired as the team cratered with a 6th place, 65-88 record.
Harry McIntire BRO b. 1879, played 1905-1909, d. 1949-01-09
George Pinkney BRO b. 1859, played 1890-1891, d. 1926-11-10
Lou Rochelli BRO b. 1919, played 1944, d. 1992-10-23
Schoolboy Rowe BRO b. 1910, played 1942, All-Star: 1935-1936, 1947, d. 1961-01-08. Nicknamed "Schoolboy" because he played on men's teams while still in high school, he helped lead Detroit in one of their most productive eras, including a World Series title in 1935 and two pennants besides, though he fared poorly in the postseason. He spent a partial, unsuccessful year with the Dodgers in 1942 before getting shipped to the Pirates, where he renewed his career. Released after the 1949 season, he went to play for the PCL Padres in 1950 before giving up playing altogether.
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