TCBA Yearbook

1944

INDEX

Seasons
1902  1903 
1904
1905  1906  1907 1908  1909  1910

1911  1912  1913
1914  1915  1916 1917  1918  1919

1920

1921  1922  1923
1924  1925  1926 1927  1928  1929

1930  1931  1932
1933  1934  1935 1936  1937  1938
1939

1940  1941  1942
1943  1944  1945 1946  1947  1948
1949

1950  1951  1952
1953  1954  1955 1956  1957  1958
1959

1960  1961  1962
1963  1964  1965 1966  1967  1968
1969

1970  1971  1972
1973  1974  1975 1976  1977  1978
1979

1980  1981  1982
1983  1984  1985 1986  1987  1988
 1989 

1990  1991  1992
1993  1994  1995 1996  1997  1998
1999

2000  2001  2002
2003  2004  2005 2006  2007  2008
 2009 

2010  2011  2012
2013  2014  2015 2016  2017  2018
2019

2020  2021  2022
2023  2024  2025 2026  2027  2028
   2029    

Miscellaneous
Foreword 1
Foreword II
Introduction
The Ad
The Letter
The Test
First Newsletter
Yesterday
Gold
Origins

TCBA Almanac

 

Hackbart Division

Gorney Division

Long Island

107

47

 

Mexicali

94

60

South Starrucca

103

51

4.0

 

Sacramento

83

71

11.0

Ocala

102

52

5.0

 

Bradenton

75

79

19.0

Hyde Park

72

82

35.0

 

Baltimore

38

115

55.5

 

 

 

 

 

Shiloh Division

 

Brown Division

Mimosa

107

47

 

Chesapeake

82

72

Siouxland

68

86

39.0

 

Bergen

68

86

14.0

Waukesha

64

90

43.0

 

Kilkenny

60

94

22.0

Covington

53

100

53.5

 

Wilderness

55

99

27.0

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Comments –

 

Bob Wood – And how about Player Manager Walter Mac, who twice defeated Bradenton this week, besting Johnny Vander Meer in the opener, then throwing a 1-hit shutout (Lou Boudreau) to win the finale?

 

Marty Fiehl – Player Manager Walter Mac, winning TWICE on the mound versus Bradenton this past week can only be called one thing:

 

*If Walt knew he had that kind of arm on him, he would have been starting him all year long!


Bob Braun – In response to a question from Bob Wood: “(Don Hirsch’s) Ocala Egrets need one win to crack the century mark (in TCBA 1944). (H)ave we ever had three teams in a four-team division in Yesterday/Gold ever win 100 games in a season?”

 

Twice. In 1927 and 1970, both in the Hackbart race.

 

There have been nine other instances in TCBA, all in the Metro Division, including the remarkable 2004 season when FIVE teams in the Metro all exceeded 100 wins.

 

Bergen

Barflies

BE

1927

112

42

1

Hackbart

Hyde Park

VitaMen

HP

1927

111

43

2

Hackbart

South Starrucca

Ainspans

SO

1927

102

52

3

Hackbart

 

South Starrucca

Ainspans

SO

1970

110

51

1

Hackbart

Hyde Park

VitaMen

HP

1970

102

61

2

Hackbart

Bergen

Barflies

BE

1970

101

61

3

Hackbart

 

Meadowlands

Spartans

MS

1988

119

43

1

Metro

Scranton

Spanish Flies

SS

1988

107

55

2

Metro

Long Island

Islanders

LI

1988

105

56

3

Metro

 

Long Island

Islanders

LI

1991

114

48

1

Metro

Scranton

Spanish Flies

SS

1991

112

49

2

Metro

Hoboken

Zephyrs

HZ

1991

111

51

3

Metro

Newark

Eagles

NE

1991

102

60

4

Metro

 

Newark

Eagles

NE

2000

115

47

1

Metro

Scranton

Spanish Flies

SS

2000

108

53

2

Metro

Long Island

Islanders

LI

2000

102

60

3

Metro

 

Bethesda

Bambinos

BT

2004

109

53

1

Metro

Long Island

Islanders

LI

2004

105

57

2

Metro

Beacon

Braves

BB

2004

103

59

3

Metro

Pennsylvania

Keystones

PK

2004

101

61

4

Metro

Newark

Eagles

NE

2004

101

61

4

Metro

 

Long Island

Islanders

LI

2009

118

43

1

Metro

Beacon

Braves

BB

2009

102

59

2

Metro

Scranton

Spanish Flies

SS

2009

100

62

3

Metro

 

Bethesda

Bambinos

BT

2012

106

56

1

Metro

Long Island

Islanders

LI

2012

102

60

2

Metro

Scranton

Spanish Flies

SS

2012

100

62

3

Metro

 

Newark

Eagles

NE

2014

107

55

1

Metro

Long Island

Islanders

LI

2014

107

55

2

Metro

Bethesda

Bambinos

BT

2014

104

58

3

Metro

 

Eastport

Athletics

EA

2015

107

55

1

Metro

Bethesda

Bambinos

BT

2015

104

58

2

Metro

Scranton

Spanish Flies

SS

2015

101

61

3

Metro

 

Long Island

Islanders

LI

2017

108

54

1

Metro

Newark

Eagles

NE

2017

106

56

2

Metro

Scranton

Spanish Flies

SS

2017

101

61

3

Metro

Beacon

Braves

BB

2017

100

62

4

Metro

 

Al Keefer – In the Mallards final game vs Long Island in the playoffs, Joe Cronin hit a home run in his final AB in TCBA, a great way to end his playing days in Retro. 

 

Jim McEneaney – Turn out the lights...the Party’s over.  The Iron Curtain has fallen, fifty-five seasons of Retro action have come to a close with one final Yesterday World Series.  That horrible strike of 1995 was ironically the genesis of what would become TCBA YESTERDAY (and later TCBA GOLD)... And last night, two of the mangers from that inaugural YEST season met for one final TCBA retro matchup on Team Viewer.  The stadium was filled to overflowing with the likes of “Woody” Wood, Al Keefer, and Gerry “the Natural” Hobbs as Mimosa’s Larry Smith and Long Island’s Jim McEneaney squared off in the......

 

TCBA44 World Series

 

The two evenly matched squads had completed the regular season with identical 107-47 records, but Long Island had drawn home field advantage based upon the narrowest of margins, a 5-4 record in FTF competition during the regular season.  But the Mirth Makers were coming into the series battered and bruised after a grueling 7 game series against Chesapeake, while the Islanders had enjoyed several days of additional rest after their stunning 4 game sweep of the reigning champion Mexicali Mallards.  Mimosa’s pitching staff was particularly spent, pulling out all stops to barely contain a Chesapeake squad that had stranded an almost unbelievable 83 runners in their 7 game set.  Not only that, but Mimosa had lost their starting LF’er Jeff Heath who had batted .305 during the regular season.  The Isles were missing the injured George Staller, a key PH’er throughout the regular season, but their pitching staff was entirely rested and the rest of their offense, led by Doc Cramer, who’d earned MVP of the Mexicali series by slashing .625, was poised to take the title to Long Island.

 

But the teams still had games to play and as the teams took the field, and the series was stilled tied at zero apiece.

 

GAME 1—looked to be a mismatch with LI going with staff ace Whit Wyatt (20-2, 1.04 ERA in the regular season) against Mimosa’s Al Javery, who despite a 22-7 record, was still just Mimosa’s 3rd starter.  So, there was little surprise when LI took the opener 6-0 behind Wyatt’s CG effort and 2 more hits by Doc Cramer.  But something just didn’t seem right.  Wyatt yielded 8 hits, and would strand 11 batters, in what just didn’t seem to be his best effort.

 

GAME 2—With Mimosa’s top two starters, Max Lanier and Jesse Flores, still unable to go after their tough Chesapeake, the Mirth Makers had to call upon Ray Starr against LI’s Butch Wesloff (18-9, 1.67).  Once again, the Islander pitching held up, limiting Mimosa to just 3 runs, but again (perhaps taking a page from the Chesapeake playbook) the visitors had their chances, stranding 11 runners in what would become a 4-3 Long Island win.

 

GAME 3—The series shifted to Mimosa’s home park but seemed to provide little improvement as Long Island jumped to a 4-0 lead after just 2 ½ innings……But again, that’s why you play at least 9 innings.  In the bottom of the 3rd, this…..”WAKEFIELD facing H. BITHORN, B 3rd, 1 Out, Runner on 1st, Behind 0-4 …..BITHORN kicks and deals ... popped high to the right side ... into foul territory….MCCORMICK moves under it ... ROSAR's calling for it ... they collide! ... and it drops.  They're both down ... it doesn't look good ... both players will leave the game.  The report from the clubhouse... ... Islanders catcher ROSAR ... injured for 9 days… firstbaseman MCCORMICK ... injured for 5 days.”  Now the script said, “5 and 9 days,” but really when you think about, these were career ending injuries (the imagery of that kind of collision is just flat out scary!)  And the Isles still led by 4, but Rosar and McCormick are two very tough bats to replace as the Islanders are constructed, so these were two pretty significant injuries….and pretty quickly, the loss began to show.  Mimosa chipped away with single runs in 3 separate innings to draw to within 4-3, but after the injuries, LI could do absolutely nothing offensively….at least until the 9th.  Doc Cramer 4th hit of the game put runners on the corners and when Mimosa was unable to turn a 1-out DP later that inning, LI had a BIG insurance run.  But again…the game was scheduled for 9 FULL innings.  Hi Bithorn was still in for LI, and he walked Vern Stephens to open the 9th, bringing Mickey Vernon to the plate as the potential tying run.  The assembled managers/fans remarked, “Hey…a homerun would tie things.”  And, “There hasn’t been a HR in the series yet, has there?” {Ed. Note:  No, there HADN’T been!}  And as if we’d been talking about a no hitter, “VERNON facing H. BITHORN, B 9th, No Outs, Runner on 1st, Behind 3-5.  Now BITHORN comes home with it ... and a long drive to right ... he buried it! ... he buried it!”  Yes, I guess that was a big insurance run!  But Mimosa wasn’t done yet.  A single, and a sac bunt brought out Joe Wood to pinch hit.  Now neither team has been a fan of the intentional walk.  LI had issued only 10 intentional passes all season (Mimosa was last with only 5), but now seemed like the time.  That brought Billy Herman to the plate…he grounded out; runners now on 2nd & 3rd with 2 out.  Wakefield (.316) due up, Camelli (.000) to follow.  Time for another IBB, bringing PH’er Frank DeMaree to the plate… “runners take their lead ... now the pitch ... DEMAREE slaps it on the ground to right… this one has eyes ... it slides right between MURTAUGH and GALAN.  He couldn't have thrown it in a better spot ... it's all over!”  Mimosa wins 6-5 and its 2 games to 1 instead of 3-0.  Quite a difference!

 

GAME 4—Lanier still isn’t ready for the Mirth Makers, but it doesn’t matter.  A Javery comes back from a game 1 loss to toss a CG 6-hitter (all singles) and allows just 2 unearned runs.  Mimosa evens the series against an LI offense that just can’t hit.  Mimosa evens the series with a 5-2 win, and has Lanier lined up for a game 5 start.  Confidence on Long Island is at a low point.

 

GAME 5—Mimosa may have their ace going, but LI has a pretty decent arm in Butch Wensloff.  The problem is that they still don’t have any offense, and the game remains scoreless through 6.  But then in the home 7th, Mimosa’s Mickey Vernon strikes again…this time with a 1-out triple.  Estel Crabtree follows with a single, making it 1-0, and it’s looking like the Isles will head back home trailing in the series.  But in the 8th, Lou Klein leads off by lacing a double to right.  Cramer bunts him over to 3rd and one of LI’s few potent bats, Luis Olmo, steps to the plate.  Lanier’s pitch, however, rides inside and drills Olmo in the elbow.  The report from the clubhouse swill not be good… like McCormick and Rosar, Olmo’s career is over.  Worse yet, the Isles fail to capitalize and still trail 1-0 as the game moves into the 9th.  Two batters face Lanier, and 2 batters strike out.  The Isles are down to their final batter, the light hitting John Sullivan who keeps hopes alive with a double.  Player manager Jimmy Mac is due up (I told you there wasn’t much offense left on the team), but Ival Goodman, a solid (albeit left handed) bat is sent up to bat for Mac.  Mirth Maker skipper Smith agonizes over this one…like the LI skipper, he dislikes the IBB as well (especially when it involves putting the go ahead run onboard), but he does just that with the pitcher due to follow.  Long Island has one legitimate hitter left alive on the bench—Danny Murtaugh, and he steps to the plate.  Mimosa goes to the pen to get righty Joe Heving (14* plus 5 plus Murtaugh’s SA1)…. Murtaugh swings, and laces a single to left.  Pinch runner Gorsica scores, Goodman and Murtaugh advancing on the throw.  Lou Klein draws a walk to load the bases, bringing Doc Cramer to bat.  Cramer’s storybook postseason continues with yet another base hit and LI leads 3-1!  Then with runners on the corners, this: “BARNA facing HEVING, 2 Outs, 1st and 3rd, Ahead 3-1. HEVING looks KLEIN back to third ... the pitch ... taken on the corner ... ...and the steal is on!  CRAMER is going for second.  The throw goes to second ... KLEIN's headed home… here's the play at second ... STEPHENS puts the tag down ... CRAMER pulls up….and he's tagged out ... that's three away ... but the run counts ... he scored before the out.”  The double steal didn’t work, but LI had unbelievably scored 4 runs with 2 out and the bases empty.  Harry Brecheen came on to retire three in a row, and LI had the absolutely unbelievable 4-1 come from behind win.

 

GAME 6—If the previous game contained an historic, almost mythical come from behind win, this game would be simply anticlimactic.  LI scored early, though not through any real Islander offense; four of their 5 runs were unearned, thanks to 3 Mimosa errors.  Whit Wyatt would pitch shutout ball until Brecheen came on to record the final out and put YESTERDAY into the history books with a 5-0 Islander win.

 

Congratulations to gracious Mimosa skipper, Larry Smith, on an outstanding season that basically turned on just a single, incomprehensible inning.  And thanks to the fans and fellow managers who crowded into that very tight Team Viewer room for one final series, as well as all the other managers, no—make that “friends” who have made this TCBA Retro experience such an absolute joy.  Now, I guess it’s time once again to go back into the future to explore some of our league’s Origins.  All the best to you all.

 

Marty Fiehl -


 

 

Congrats Jim!

On the final Yesterday Championship!

Great writeup, it was a humdinger!  Mimosa came sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo close to taking a 3/2 game lead in game 5.

He had LI down to their last out!  And two key Islanders injured!  Momentum had definitely swung in Mimosa’s direction.

But it wasn’t to be.

After that back breaker… Game 6 went relatively easy for Long Island.

But damn, a TERRIFIC ‘never say die’ effort from the Mirthmaker Machine as they came into the series outmanned and outgunned!

 

Yesterday was a wonderful idea, a wonderful ride…………………..but the curtain finally fell after all this time!

Thanks for the good times everyone!