The Columbus Senators

(1902-1930)

and

The Columbus Red Birds

(1931-1954)

•  •  •

Best Record:  1933 (mgr. Ray Blades), 101-51,  .664, 1st place 

Worst Record:  1926  (mgrs. Hank Gowdy and George McQuillan), 39-125, .238, 8th place 

(64.5 games behind the Louisville Colonels)

The Sporting Life box score above provides a record for Columbus' first American Association contest, played April 23, 1902 against the Minneapolis Millers at Neil Park.

General History

Beginning in 1931, the Columbus squad was known as the “Red Birds” owing to their ongoing affiliation with the St. Louis Cardinals.

In 1932 the team played at its new home, Red Bird Stadium.

The Columbus Senators were the first “dynasty” of the American Association, winning three straight league championships from 1905-1907 under player-manager Bill "Derby Day" Clymer.

During the 1905 season, the Senators won 100 games against 52 losses (.658), the first team in the Association to win 100 games in one season. That winning percentage ranked 10th in the league overall from 1902-1952. With 100 victories that year, Clymer’s Senators also ranked 10th in the wins department.

The team’s top hitter in 1905 was outfielder Ollie Pickering who was among the team leaders with his .326 batting average in a league leading 612 at-bats. Gus Dorner won a league-high 29 games against a mere 8 losses (.784) for the superior Senators. In second place were the Milwaukee Brewers who finished the season eight games behind the Senators.

In 1906, the Columbus crew won 91, losing 57 (.615), once again finishing eight games in front of  Milwaukee. Again, pitching was a strong suit as Heinie Berger captured a league leading 28 wins, against only 13 losses (.684).

And again, Ollie Pickering led the team in batting with his .317 average in a league-leading 633 at-bats, his second straight season leading the Association in at-bats.

The Senators capped their 3-year reign over the American Association with a record of 90 wins and 64 losses (.584) in 1907. Pitcher George Upp led the league with 27 wins while succumbing on only 10 occasions (.731). Newcomer Doc “Brownie” Gessler brought home the batting bacon with his .325 batting average in 470 at-bats as an outfielder. Second-place Toledo, under William Armour, landed them a minuscule two games behind the Senators in 1907. It was the last of the Senators’ championships in the American Association.

Not until 1933 did Columbus capture its next pennant, this time as the Red Birds under manager Ray Blades. During that season, the Red Birds won 101 games, the most in Columbus history, against 61 losses. Their winning percentage of .664 was the best ever among Columbus’ American Association teams. With outfielder John Rothrock’s .347 batting average in 498 at-bats and Burgess Whitehead, second-sacker, slapping out a .346 average in 347 at-bats, the Red Birds had the offensive core to show some moxie.

Paul “Daffy” Dean led the league among Association moundsmen with his 22 wins, 222 strikeouts and 3.15 ERA. Against only seven losses, Dean’s winning percentage of .759 was among the tops in the league. Bill Lee’s 21-9 record (.700) was worth honorable mention, but Clarence Heise went 17-5 for the Association’s finest winning percentage of .773 for the 1933 season.

The Red Birds’ final two seasons capturing the American Association championship were 1937 and 1941.

In 1937 under manager Burt Shotton, the Red Birds finished ONE game over Fred Haney’s Toledo Mud Hens, with a record of 90-64. In the playoffs, they advanced to the final round by defeating third-place Minneapolis in six games, outscoring the Millers, 32-15, and winning the last three games of the semifinals. In the final round the Red Birds took the first two tilts against the fourth-place Milwaukee Brewers. Al Sothoron's Brew Boys shut down the Birds, 3-0, in Game 3, but Columbus returned the favor with a 2-0 win the next game, one of only two examples of back-to-back shutouts in American Association playoff history. Milwaukee took Game 5, 6-5. But in Game 6, the Birds mounted an offensive that subdued the Brew Crew, 10-4, to claim the league championship (under the Shaughnessy playoff system, the first-place team won the pennant, but the winner of the final round of the playoffs won the championship) and advance to the Junior World Series (JWS).

Facing the Newark Bears, their International League counterpart, in the JWS, the Birds won the first three games but lost the final four in a classic showdown for the JWS title. 

During the regular season, Shotton sported such sluggers as first-baseman Dick “Chief” Siebert who hit .318 in 352 AB’s, outfielder Johnny Rizzo with his .358 in 584 at-bats, and the legendary Enos “Country” Slaughter whose 642 at-bats resulted in a league-leading 147 runs scored, 245 hits and .382 batting average. Max Macon led Association pitchers with 21 wins. With just 12 losses, Macon’s winning percentage was a formidable .636. Bill McGee’s 2.97 ERA was foremost among league hurlers. He compiled a record of 17-7 (.708) to help the Birds advance to the JWS.

The year 1941 saw the Red Birds capture first place, again under Shotton, by a margin of eight games over Bill Burwell’s Louisville Colonels. The Red Birds’ record of 95-58 was surely substantial. In the first round of the playoffs, Shotton's squad outscored third-place Kansas City, 41-27. In the finals, the Birds held Burwell's Colonels to account by a 39-24 run margin in five games, including bookend victories by the same score of 8-1. 

Only three teams in American Association playoff history claimed the distinction of winning by the same score in both the first and final game of a playoff series. In 1939, Louisville defeated Minneapolis, 6-2, in both the first and fifth games of the final round. Then Columbus over Louisville in 1941, and finally in 1955 when Minneapolis defeated Denver in the first and fourth contests of their semifinal round.

The Red Birds then defeated the Montreal Royals in the Junior World Series, four games to two to round out a resoundingly successful season by claiming the coveted Triple Crown, winning the pennant, the championship and the JWS title that year.

Other highlights of the 1941 season: 

Shortstop Lou Klein rang the bell with his .367 batting average in 362 at-bats. Among the other .300 hitters were first-baseman Ray Sanders (.308 in 587 ab’s), third-baseman Bert Haas (.315 in 594 ab’s), outfielder Milo Marshall (.302 in 493 ab’s) and infielder Bob Repass (.317 in 391 ab’s). Marshall and Haas hit 15 and 17 home runs, respectively.

From the mound, Murry Dickson led all comers with his 21 wins. Against only 11 losses, Dickson’s winning percentage was an impressive .656. Fellow moundsman John Grodzicki led the league in winning percentage with a muscular .792, with a stellar 19-5 record. Harry “The Cat” Brecheen's 16 wins against 6 losses (.727) added mightily to the Red Birds' pitching parade that year. 

The next two seasons, Columbus finished third (82-72) in the final standings. In the 1942 playoffs, the Birds snuck past the pennant-winning Kansas City Blues (84-69) in a seven-game semifinal round, winning, 4-3, in the seventh tilt. The Blues outscored the Birds, 20-18, in that series, one of only 16 examples of the series winner being outscored in the series (out of a possible 83). That set up a "Battle of the Birds," as the Red Birds de-nested the Toledo Mud Hens  in four games, with Columbus outscoring Toledo, 23-6. 

In 1943, the Red Birds finished third once again (84-67). In the playoffs, they quickly disposed of the pennant-winning Milwaukee Brewers (90-61). It was the second straight year they'd knocked off the first-place team, a distinctive feather in their cap and a first in league playoff history. Due to war-time restrictions, each series was a best-of-five rather than a best-of-seven. In the final round the Red Bird defeated second-place Indianapolis in three games, outscoring the Indians, 18-7. The Birds then defeated the Syracuse Chiefs in the JWS, outscoring them, 23-11, for their third-straight JWS crown. 

______________________________________________________________________________________

The Complete Postseason Record of the Columbus Red Birds 

1933.....Columbus defeats Minneapolis in six games

1934.....Columbus defeats Minneapolis in seven games

1937.....Columbus defeats Minneapolis in six-game semifinals; Columbus defeats Milwaukee in a six-game final round; Columbus defeated by Syracuse in seven-game Junior World Series

1940.....Columbus defeated by Louisville in six-game semifinals

1941.....Columbus defeats Kansas City in six-game semifinals; Columbus defeats Louisville in five game finals;Columbus defeats Montreal in six-game Junior World Series

1942.....Columbus defeats Kansas City in seven-game semifinals; Columbus wins championship defeating Toledo in four game; Columbus defeats Syracuse in five-game Junior World Series

1943.....Columbus defeats Milwaukee in four-game semifinals; Columbus defeats Indianapolis in three-game finals; Columbus defeats Syracuse in three-game Junior World Series

1948.....Columbus defeats Milwaukee in seven-game seminfinals; Columbus defeated by St. Paul in seven-game finals

1950.....Columbus defeats Minneapolis in six-game semifinals; Columbus defeats Indianapolis in seven-game finals; Columbus defeats Baltimore in five-game Junior World Series

1954.....Columbus falls to Louisville in seven-game semifinals

_______________________________________________________________

A detailed record of Columbus' performance in the American Association playoffs (1933 to 1954) is available for purchase in print form. It consists of game accounts which tell the story of the Red Birds' successes and failures, beginning with the league's first playoff in 1933 when Columbus met the Minneapolis Millers. For the period 1933 to 1941, please see a description at http://almanacpark.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-american-association-playoffs-1933.html

Please contact the American Association Almanac by email at pureout@msn.com for more information on how to order your copy!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Indianapolis Indians

(1902-1962)

•  •  •

Best Record: 1902 (mgr. William Watkins), 96-46, .681, 1st place

Worst Record:  1912 (mgrs. Jimmy Burke, Charley O’Leary and Charles O’Day, in that order),

56-111, .335, 8th place (50 games behind the Minneapolis Millers)

The 1902 Indianapolis Indians

Back Row (L-R)

Jack Suthoff (RHP); Cy Coulter (cf); Frank Killen (LHP); John H. Grim (util.); George "Dummy" Kihm (1b); Mike Heydon (c);         Harry Matthews (c)

Middle Row

Win Kellum (LHP); Tom Williams (RHP); Charles Ruschaupt (treas.); William Watkins (pres.); Charlie Kuhns (3b);                           George "Hoggy" Hogreiver (rf)

         Front Row

Orville "Sam" Woodruff (lf); Bill Fox (2b; capt.); Pete O'Brien (ss)

• • •

1902 Indianapolis Season Highlights

The first American Association champion made its home at humble Washington Park, located roughly one mile due east of central Indianapolis. Located at Washington and Gray Streets, it hosted the Indians' first game when the team opened American Association play April 23, 1902 against the Milwaukee Brewers. As the Sporting Life box score below makes evident, the Indians made a late rally to defeat the visiting Brewers, 5-4, in that contest. 

1902 Indianapolis Season Highlights

After years of being known as the Hoosiers, the new Indianapolis American Association franchise adopted "Indians" as its nickname. Unlike the current Cleveland Indians, there was never the figure of an Indian for the team. For many years the press continued to use "Hoosiers" as a referent for the team, along with "Browns," and "Tribe."

The circuit's first champion, the Indians played 142 games, finishing in first place (96-45) under manager William H. Watkins. 

The team's roster consisted of 20 players, at least seven of whom hailed from the state of Ohio. Three players appeared in all 142 games: second baseman Bill Fox, right fielder George "Hoggy" Hogreiver, and outfielder/third baseman Charlie Kuhns. Pete O'Brien appeared in 141 games, all of them at the shortstop position. 

O'Brien was the club's hits leader with 165, producing a batting average of .295 while collecting 205 total bases, the team's third-ranked total. George "Dummy" Kihm, a deaf mute, was the club leader with 225 and edged O'Brien by a point for the club's lead in batting average with a mark of .296 in 134 games. Kihm's 36 doubles was atop the Tribe's list as well, and fell just one short of the league lead held by four players. 

Playing at Washington Park (I), located at Washington and Gray Streets about a mile east of the city center, was no picinic for hitters. The distance to the center field flag pole was reportedly 500 feet, an indication of the spaciousness of its outfield. One result of that was the Tribe's relatively low home run total of 22 with not one player swatting more than five. On the other hand, ten players, half the squad, had at least one. And with its league-second 84 triples, the Indians found a way to generate offense without the aid of the long ball.

Indianapolis rode a pitching staff consisting of just five hurlers to the championship, a performance nothing short of heroic. Three of the five had at least 24 wins and, given their workload, fit perfectly the definition of "iron man." Among them was Canadian southpaw Win Kellum whose 25-10 (.714) won-lost record still stands as one of the Association's top marks. At the age of 26, Kellum appeared in 40 games, starting 36 of them, combining for 337 innings of work. 

Tom Williams, age 31, was the Tribe's next big innings eater. Williams produced a record of 24-12 (.667) in 38 games with 34 starts, while putting in 315 innings-worth of work. 

Finally, Jack Sutthoff, at 29, posted a 24-13 (.649) record during the championship drive, appearing in 39 games with 37 starts. He pitched 315 innings. Sutthoff knew his way with the stick, producing a batting average of .325 (39/120) with three doubles and a triple. 

Statistically the consistency of these three pitchers was nothing short of phenomenal. But add this factoid for Kellum, Williams and Sutthoff to the mix: the number of hits allowed by these pitchers was 312, 307 and 306, respectively. Those totals are so incomprehensibly close that they warrant an analytical study of each pitcher's work, based solely on this amazing comparison. 

Indianapolis finished just two games ahead of the Louisville Colonels in a season finish that can best be described as intriguing.

There were two Indians holding league leader status: Win Kellum, with four shutouts, and Bill Fox with 49 stolen bases.

General History

During their tenure in the American Association from 1902-1952, the Indianapolis Indians reserved first-place on five occasions: 1902, 1908, 1917, 1928, and 1948. Here is a summary of those seasons:

Under manager William H. Watkins, a veteran baseball man who was well-known among fans of Indianapolis baseball, the Indians captured their first American Association crown during the league’s inaugural season in 1902 (please see above for a closer look at that season

In 1908, Charlie Carr held the reigns of the Tribe, bringing his team to a league championship with a 92-61 record while manning the first-base position and hitting .301 in 522 at-bats. Louisville finished four games out.

Carr’s ace was Rube “Slivers” Marquard who led the Association in victories with 2 while absorbing 19 losses (.596) in 367 innings of work. To top it off, ol’ Slivers shaved off a few bats as well, plateauing at the 250 strikeout mark, a league high. Walt Slagle was another 20-game winner for the Hoosiers.

Jack Hayden was the league’s leading hitter with his .316 batting average while covering the outfield for Carr. His 18 triples led the league as well, and with 20 doubles to his credit, Hayden had no reason to be hidin’. A young Donie Bush, a resident of Indianapolis, was racking up the runs with a league-leading 99 tallies to his credit while filling in at shortstop.

Only nine seasons later, the Indians against raised a ruckus in the Association, under the leadership of astute baseball man, Jack Hendricks. With a record of 90-63 (.588), the Tribe renewed their league domination...but not by much. Mike Kelley’s St. Paul Saints landed a mere 2.5 games behind. With two 20-game winners, Dana Fillingim (20-9) and Jake Northrop (20-10), Hendricks could adopt a more aggressive strategy for winning.

Many fans would assume that his hitters would have had the green light and be directed to go “to whackin’”. But the team wound up with a .248 team batting average that year, a last-place record they shared with last-place Toledo. Among their regulars, the team featured no .300 hitters, making this one of the most impotent teams to win first place in Association history.

1928 saw the Indians take charge under player-manager Bruno Betzel for their next capture of the crown. This time they took a different approach, as the team tied Minneapolis for the lead in batting average with a hefty .302. Again, Mike Kelley, former Indianapolis manager, was the man raising his cane while the engine blew by, as his Millers were edged out by a coal car.

Steve Swetonic was their only 20-game winner, but Emil Yde (EE-dee) and Gorham Leverett both brought 19 trophies to the teepee. Fred Haney and Wid "Matty" Matthews formed the dense cone of this comet. Haney spent a lot of time at third base, covering the hot-corner in 160 games while swatting a league leading 16 triples.

The latter was a feat not lost upon Matthews who did the exact same thing. Haney out-doubled the outfielder, however, 38-28. In addition, he stole 43 bases to top the Association. 

Meeting up with Rochester for the Junior World Series title, Betzel’s boys proved the superior squad of the high minors. Taking five games out of seven, including a 12-12 tie in 12 innings in game 3, the Indianapolis Indians were, in effect, the reigning masters of baseball at the minor league level, scoring 47 runs on their way down the golden path against the chief representatives of the International League.

Indianapolis fans would have to wait 20 years before their next championship team. But it must have been worth the wait. For it was in 1948 that the Indians scaled the coveted 100-win peak. Under manager Al Lopez, the team lost only 54 games, giving them a fat and sassy winning percentage of .649. Among the highlights of the 1948 regular season:

• First-sacker Les Fleming smacked a .323 average while driving in 143 runs with 28 doubles.

• Among their regulars, Indianapolis had five players hitting over .300.

• Pitcher Bob Malloy came away with the league leadership in wins with 21. With 18 complete games in 242 innings (both league hi’s), Malloy struck out 105 while walking 99 and earning an ERA of 4.17 as Lopez’ strongest mound candidate.

_____________________________________________________________________________

The Complete Postseason Record of the Indianapolis Indians

1936.....Indianapolis defeats St. Paul in five-game semifinals; defeated by Milwaukee in five-game finals

1938.....Indianapolis defeated by Kansas City in six-game semifinals

1939.....Indianapolis defeats Kansas City in five-game semifinals; defeated by Louisville in six-game finals

1943.....Indianapolis defeats Toledo in five-game semifinals; defeated by Columbus in three-game finals

1945.....Indianapolis defeated by St. Paul in six-game semifinals

1946.....Indianapolis defeats Minneapolis in seven-game semifinals; defeated by Louisville in four-game finals

1948.....Indianapolis defeated by St. Paul in six-game semifinals

1949.....Indianapolis defeats Minneapolis in seven-game semifinals; defeats Milwaukee in six-game finals

1950.....Indianapolis defeats St. Paul in four-game semifinals; defeated by Columbus in seven-game finals

1953.....Indianapolis defeated by Kansas City in six-game semifinals

1954.....Indianapolis defeats Minneapolis in six-game semifinals; defeated by Louisville in five-game finals

1956.....Indianapolis defeats Minneapolis in seven-game semifinals; defeats Denver in four-game finals; defeats Rochester in four-game Junior World Series, earning the "Triple Crown"

1961.....Indianapolis defeated by Houston in five-game semifinals

1962.....Indianapolis defeated by Louisville in three-game semifinals

________________________________________________________________________________________

A detailed record of the Indianapolis Indians' performance in the American Association playoffs (1933 to 1962) is available for purchase in print form. It consists of game accounts which tell the story of the team's successes and failures, beginning with the league's first playoff in 1936 when they won the league championship by defeating first-place Milwaukee. For the period 1933 to 1941, please see a description at http://almanacpark.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-american-association-playoffs-1933.html

For a description of the Fall 2020 edition of the American Association Almanac, covering the years 1953 to 1957, please go to

http://almanacpark.blogspot.com/2020/09/fall-2020-american-association-playoffs.html#more

Please contact the American Association Almanac by email at pureout@msn.com for more information

on how to order your copy or for a complete listing of back issues that you might enjoy.

• • • • •

The Kansas City Blues

(1902-1954)

•  •  •

Best Record: 107-47, .695

(all-time second ranked) in 1939, 1st place under Bill Meyer

Worst Record

41-110, .272 (all-time 2nd worst) in 1944, 8th place (60 games behind) under Jack Saltzgaver

The 1902 Kansas City Blues

Back Row (L-R)

           Tom McAndrews (3b), Monte Beville (c), Dale Gear (mgr., OF, RHP), John Rothfuss (OF/1b),          Bill Gannon (1b/OF), Charles McDonald (LHP)

Middle Row

                            Mike (Elmer) Smith (OF), Kid Nance (OF/2b), Mike Grady (1b/3b), Ed Lewee (ss),                                Barney (Wilbert) Wolfe (RHP)

Front Row

Ralph Gibson (RHP), mascots, Otto "Buck" Thiel (util.)

• • • • •

1902 Kansas City Season Highlights

The Kansas City Blues opened their season at Louisville's freshly hewn Eclipse Park being hosted by the Louisville Colonels. The box score below shows how the Blues took immediate advantage of Colonels' starter Patsy Flaherty with eight runs in the first inning and never quite looked back. Each Blue player but manager Dale Gear, playing in center field, had a hit in the blowout. Flaherty went on to have an exceptional season, posting a record of 26-16 for Louisville. Kansas City's John Rothfuss swatted the first of hundreds of home runs the Blues racked up in their 52 seasons as an American Association franchise. The Blues finished in fourth place (69-68), 25 games behind Indianapolis.

Among the team leaders for Kansas City in their inaugural season was Kid Nance who appeared in all 139 contests for the Blues that year. Nance batted .297, and tied with Monte Beville for the club lead with 37 doubles. Former major leaguer Mike Grady collected a team-highs with 164 hits and a batting average of .325. His record stood out with the Blues' best slugging percentage of .481 with a team-high 243 total bases. Grady and Mike Smith each posted six home runs, the team high. 

Among pitchers, 22-year-old Ralph Gibson stood out with his 19-9 record, appearing in 35 games with 29 starts. Barney Wolfe, the club's workhorse with 303 innings pitched, posted 19 wins as well, but he lost 19 of the 39 games he appeared in, leading the team with 35 starts. Left-hander Charlie McDonald won 16 games agains 14 losses, starting 34 tilts. Manager Gear won eight of his 24 games with 19 starts. 

The Blues played their home games at Exposition Park in Kansas City for the 1902 season, but in 1903 they moved to the newly-built Association Park which remained their home through the 1922 season. 

Mike Smith led the league in 1902 with 10 home runs, according to the league records (six reported on baseball-reference). The Blues' 121 double plays also topped the circuit that year.

This box score appeared in the Louisville Courier-Journal on April 24, 1902. It provides a record for Kansas City's first American Association contest, played April 23, 1902 against the Louisville Colonels at Eclipse Park in Louisville.

With only 44 wins in 1918, the Kansas City Blues absconded with first place in the American Association for the first time. Due to World War I, the season was terminated in July of that year. With 30 losses, the Blues posted a winning percentage of .595 under the Association's first batting champion, John Ganzel.

Kansas City topped the league in hitting with a .267 mark, and out-doubled the seven other teams with 93 two-baggers. Outfielder Wilbur Good was the team’s batting leader during the truncated season, hitting .321 in 73 games (271 at-bats). Pitcher Charlie Adams put up 14 wins against 3 losses (.824), and there’s no telling how far he could have gone were it not for the national emergency.

Only five seasons later, the Blues would return to their ascendancy in the American Association, capturing the top spot with an amazing record of 112-54 (.675) under player-manager Wilbur Good in 1923. This amassment of victories represented the second-highest total in the history of the American Association (St. Paul racked up 115 wins in 1920 under Mike Kelley).

Good did his team an abundance of good with his impressive hitting. Posting a .350 batting average in 662 at-bats, the outfielder’s performance presented a solid case for league MVP. First-sacker Dud Branom wasn’t far behind with his .348 in 379 at-bats, and catcher Bill Skiff’s .335 helped lend balance to the Blues’ terrific hitting attack.

But the most noteworthy player on Good’s Blues squad was hitting hero Bunny Brief. Aside from his 29 home runs and league-leading 164 RBI, Brief posted a splendid .359 batting average in 640 at-bats while playing the field at three different positions. 

Right-handed hurler Jimmy Zinn had the Association’s top winning percentage at .818 after posting a superlative record of 27-6. Zinn absorbed 297 innings of work through 43 games for the Blues, striking out 99 while walking 60. Moundmate Ferdie Schupp’s record was 19-10, but his strikeout total of 173 was a huge plus for Good’s boys. Schupp also walked 142 through 268 innings, so the silver finish was a bit tarnished. Roy Wilkinson also performed at the top of his game, finishing the season with a record of 18 wins against 6 losses.

Meeting the Baltimore Orioles in the Junior World Series, the Blues stuck it out through nine games and brought the coveted JWS prize home to their fans in Kansas City.

The "Kay-See" faithful waited only a handful of season before the Blues would again take the league by storm. In 1929 Kansas City won 111 games against 56 losses (.665) under Dutch Zwilling, nearly equaling their fabulous 1923 performance. By this time Bunny Brief and Wilbur Good were gone, but a new host of heavy stickers took their place.

First baseman Joe Kuhel was central to the lineup. With 649 at-bats, Kuhel posted a .325 average while leading the league with 26 triples. Outfielder Denver Grigsby’s .345 in 499 at-bats provided the second punch, while fellow outfielder Ollie Tucker posted a solid .336 in 447 at-bats while walloping 20 homers, a team high.

In the pitching department, Marion Thomas, who never made the majors, put up 18 wins, leading the Blues in ‘29, against 11 losses (.621) through 50 appearances and a total of 231 innings. His 3.11 ERA gave the Blues an edge. Leading the team in the ERA department were Lynn Nelson (2.99) and Clyde "Pea Ridge" Day (2.98). The two hurlers combined for a record of 27-11.

The Blues went on to defeat the Rochester Red Wings of the International League in the Junior World Series, five games to four, to bring home the JWS title for the second time in seven seasons.

They’ve been called the most powerful American Association team in two decades. In 1939 another generation of Bluesmen captured the American Association crown. With veteran Association catcher Bill Meyer at the helm, Kansas City brought 107 wins into their basket, while losing only 47 games (.695).

But the Blues were defeated by Indianapolis in the second round. Meyer’s Blues were led on offense by second-baseman Jerry Priddy who slapped a league-leading 44 doubles on his way to a .333 batting average. His 24 home runs pales next to the grand total of 46 long-balls walloped by outfielder Vince DiMaggio whose previous major league experience was a great asset to Meyer and his Blues. DiMaggio hit .290 but also struck out a league-high 123 times.

Three pitchers won 17 games each: Tom Reis (17-4, .810), John Babich (17-6, .739) and Marv Breuer (17-6, .739). Ernie Bonham’s 143 strikeouts was a team high, but his 10-9 record was a disappointment. Along with Breuer’s attention-getting 2.28 ERA, his four shutouts made him an invaluable member of the pitching staff. Babich also posted 4 shutouts, along with an ERA of 2.55.

Clearly, the Blues were all set on pitching. Why they couldn’t make it past Indianapolis in the final round of the playoffs is a question worth further investigation.

Meyer’s club took another whack at it the following season. In 1940, they again rose to the top with a record of 95-57 (.625). This time the Blues were defeated in the final round of the American Association playoffs by the Colonels of Louisville who had finished in fourth place under Bill Burwell with a record of 75-75.

Despite this defeat, the Blues had had yet another fabulous season under their belts.

Shortstop Phil Rizzuto proved he was ready for big-league pitching by hitting .347 in 579 at-bats, appearing in all 154 games. The “Scooter” stole a league-topping 35 stolen bases, walloped 10 home runs, 10 triples and 28 doubles. 30-year old outfielder and major league veteran Frenchy Bordagaray was the team’s top batsman with his .358 batting average in 598 at-bats while appearing in all 154 of his team’s games in 1940.

On the pitching end, Johnny Lindell, yet to appear in the majors, put up 18 wins to lead the Association. Suffering only seven setbacks, Lindell’s sterling ERA of 2.70 and three shutouts proved his value to the club. Along side him were Charlie Stanceu (15-8, 2.69 ERA), Don Hendrickson (16-7, 3.02 ERA), Ernie Bonham (10-4, 2.32 ERA) and Charlie Wensloff (13-8, 3.19 ERA). Again, the Blues had the guys but not the stamina to make it to the Junior World Series.

Johnny Neun led the Blues to their next first-place finish in the American Association in 1942. The team’s record of 84-69 (.549) allowed them to squeak past Milwaukee’s Brewers by a slender 1.5 game margin.

Led by the bats of first-baseman Ed Levy (.306, 503 at-bats), outfielder Eric Tipton (.305, 318 at-bats), third-sacker Don Lang (.289, 470 at-bats) and keystone-sacker Mike Milosevich (.286, 511 at-bats), the Blues had a balanced, if unimpressive, offensive core. Not one batter led the league in any particular category.

Pitcher Charlie Wensloff returned to post a league-leading 21 wins against only 10 losses, and his performance from the mound can only be described as stalwart. In 244 innings of work, Wensloff put up some awfully nice numbers. Starting with a sparkling ERA of 2.47, Wensloff pitched a league leading 25 games, tossed four shutouts and put together a strikeouts-to-walks ratio of 104-64.

Tom Reis had another nice season as well, winning 13 against five losses and posting a 2.83 ERA.

Funny thing was, the Blues were defeated in the first round of the Association playoffs by the Columbus Red Birds. Not even Johnny Neun could bring the Blues to the Junior World Series.

Finally, in 1947 Kansas City perched again at the top of the American Association heap with a snazzy record of 93-60, again under manager Bill Meyer who had returned after a lengthy hiatus.

The ‘47 season was marked by the first perfect game in the history of the league. It was thrown by Minnesota-born Carl DeRose who defeated the Minneapolis Millers by a score of 5-0 on June 26 at Kansas City’s Ruppert Stadium.

Due to arm problems, DeRose was just about through with his season at that point, and it’s a wonder he ever got that far, the pain was so great in his throwing arm that day. He finished his season with a record of 4-2 and an ERA of 5.48.

(Please see Vol. 2, No. 5 of The American Association Almanac for a complete account of this historic game.)

As a team, the Kansas City Blues batted a league-second .279 in 1947. 

Here’s what helped them along. Outfielder (and occasional third-baseman) Ed Stewart put up some dandy numbers for Meyer’s Blues. Hitting a rotund .358 in 528 at-bats, Stewart led the Association in triples with 17, striking out 33 times while walking 52. His 102 RBI was good for second on the squad. In addition, he posted 16 stolen bases while scoring 107 runs, a team high along with fellow outfielder Cliff Mapes.

Outfielder Hank Bauer’s .313 in 457 at-bats was second on the club (300+ at-bats), a solid stepping-stone on his way to an excellent major league career. His 16 homers and team-leading 32 doubles was a bonus.

Mapes’ .308 batting in 542 at-bats was overshadowed by his propensity to strikeout, as he recorded a league-high 104 K’s that season. But his team-topping 21 homers, along with 27 doubles and league-high 117 RBI worked wonders for the Blues.

First-baseman Steve Souchock hit .294 in 528 at-bats to assist the team, and his team-leading 19 stolen bases along with 17 long-balls was an added benefit.

From the mound, Bill Wight’s 16-9 record and 2.85 ERA through a team-high 199 innings were substantial contributions to the 1947 Blues’ efforts. He recorded 5 shutouts in 17 complete games.

Fellow moundsman Frank Hiller put up a sterling 15-5 record through 175 innings, also posting 5 shutouts along with a 3.45 ERA.

And Fred Bradley did his part by earning 13 wins against 4 losses in 157 innings of work, along with his crisp 2.98 ERA.

Meyer’s men had the tools, but again they faltered in the league playoffs for yet another heartbreaking finish to an otherwise great season.

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The Complete Postseason Record of the Kansas City Blues

1936.....The Blues fall to Milwaukee in a four-game semifinals

1938.....The Blues take a six-game semifinals against Columbus before copping their seven-game finals against St. Paul

1939.....The Blues lose to Indianapolis in a five-game semifinals

1940.....The Blues take the six-game semifinals against Minneapolis but lose the six-game finals to Louisville

1941.....The Blues drop the semifinals in six games to Columbus

1942...The Blues fall to Columbus  in their seven-game semifinals

1947.....The Blues lose to Milwaukee in their six-game semifinals

1951.....The Blues fall to Milwaukee in their five-game semifinals

1952.....The Blues defeat Minneapolis in their five-game semifinals before defeating Milwaukee in the a seven-game finals; in the JWS they fall to the Rochester Red Wings in seven games

1953.....In the semifinals Kansas City defeats Indianapolis in six games; in the finals the Blues defeat Toledo in seven games. In the JWS the Blues fall to the Montreal Royals in five games.

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A detailed record of the Kansas City Blues' performance in the American Association playoffs (1936 to 1953) is available for purchase in print form. It consists of game accounts which tell the story of the team's successes and failures beginning with the league's first playoff in 1936. For the period 1933 to 1941, please see a description at http://almanacpark.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-american-association-playoffs-1933.html

For a description of the Fall 2020 edition of the American Association Almanac, covering the years 1953 to 1957, please go to:

http://almanacpark.blogspot.com/2020/09/fall-2020-american-association-playoffs.html#more

Please contact the American Association Almanac by email at pureout@msn.com for more information

on how to order your copy or for a complete listing of back issues that you might enjoy.

• • • • •

The Louisville Colonels

(1902-1962)

•  •  •

Best Record

1902: 92-46, .667

2nd Place  (under mgr. Bill “Derby Day” Clymer, 2.5 games behind the Indianapolis Indians)

Worst Record

1938: 53-100, .346 

8th Place (under mgr. Bert Niehoff, 38 games behind the St. Paul Saints)