Description: Description: cid:image001.jpg@01D0DA7C.00625AB0  TCBA Encyclopedia

  A Crown for Jimmy Mac!

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A positive approach brings a positive result

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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                       Al Keefer

 

    A recent comment by Jim McEneaney piqued the interest of the TCBA Almanac crew.

Jim proudly reported that the Gold Player-manager, Jimmy Mac, was closing in on a near-.300 season. Sitting at .297, Mac had accomplished this in no fewer than 245 plate appearances.

Mac headed north to Hyde Park for the final series of the Gold 39 season, hopeful that he could return home wearing a player-manager batting crown of sorts.

In Game One of the final series, Jimmy Mac went 2-for-3, including a single and his 64th career home run, his 3rd of the season, upping his average to .298. In Game Two, Jimmy Mac once again collected two hits in five trips to the plate. This time it was a single and his 10th double, leaving Mac with exactly a .300 average.

There may have been some talk about benching Jimmy for the final two games, thus insuring a .300 average; however, with Lavagetto and Goslin both out with injuries after a collision in right field, Jimmy Mac was forced into service.

The Islanders did not win Game Three. In fact, they managed only six singles off Hyde Park’s Slick Coffman in a 10-0 loss. One of those hits, however, was a single by Jimmy Mac, whose 1-for-3 left him still with a .300 average.

When the Game Four lineups were announced, there was Jimmy Mac’s name, filling the shortstop home and batting 7th. His grounder to short in the 2nd inning left him teetering on the edge of .300. Leading off the 5th, Jimmy Mac popped out to short right. His average dropped below .300. Would there be another opportunity for Mac?

With the Islanders up 3-1, Jimmy Mac drilled a pea past a diving Red Braun at 3rd base. By the time the ball was corralled and returned to the infields, Jimmy Mac had arrived at 3rd base in a cloud of dust for his 3rd triple of the season. That hit lifted Mac back up to exactly .300 again. But with the Islander offense percolating in the late innings, there was concern that Mac would bat yet again.

Sure enough, in the top of the 9th, with the Islanders still leading 3-1, Jimmy Mac led off the inning once again. A walk or HBP would save him, a hit would crown him, but anything less would ruin his .300 chase.

Facing Dykes Potter, Mac wasted no time on suspense, lining a single over short and securing for player-manager Jimmy Mac a most remarkable season, a .303 batting average.

 We wondered how this compared with all Player-managers, in the current Gold season as well as historically.

Current Ranking – TCBA Gold 1939

Player

BA

PA

Jimmy Mac

.303

254

Tex Smith

.294

43

Braun

.264

363

The Sage

.264

282

James Mac

.254

493

Beeman

.252

429

Al Keefer

.252

138

Walter Mac

.242

334

Lefty Meade

.241

509

Stick Fiehl

.239

102

Woody Wood

.233

67

Sibbi Sibley

.231

43

Doc Sajdak

.212

319

Suds Kane

.200

431

The Natural

.199

326

Doc Lyon

.191

173

 

The above chart shows the performances for all player-managers in the current Gold 39 season. It’s been a tough year for The Natural, as well as for Suds Kane and Doc Lyon. For the rest, however, it’s been a very good year. (A 24-year old singer by the name of Frank Sinatra cut his first record with Harry James, "From the Bottom of My Heart" (backed with "Melancholy Mood") on the Brunswick label in July of this year. Recorded at 78 rpm, neither song hit the charts. However, Frank, a big baseball fan, will eventually make it big, including a song entitled “A Very Good Year,” inspired by the exploits of Jimmy Mac in 1939.)

All-Time Ranking

Yr

Player-Manager

BA

1939

Mac,Jimmy

.303

1925

Hobbs,Roy

.270

1932

Mahley,Don

.268

1937

Kane,Mike Suds

.267

1931

Sibley,Sibbi

.266

1927

McEneaney,Jimmy Mac

.262

1926

McEneaney,Jimmy Mac

.260

1960

Hobbs,Roy

.259

1927

Lyman,Casey

.255

1933

Lyman,Casey

.254

1957

Braun,Red

.253

 

As the chart above clearly indicates, a plus-.300 mark for Jimmy Mac in 1939 is the best average ever compiled by a player-manager, by far. What is particularly notable is that Jimmy Mac will lead his player-manager brethren for the third time, including those consecutive “crowns” in 1926-1927. Certainly, Jimmy Mac’s batting prowess this season has been arguably the greatest ever in TCBA play for a player-manager.

Career Ranking (not including the current season)

Player

Avg

PA

Lafargue,Elbie

.263

538

Mac,James

.262

116

Fiehl,Stick

.255

2619

Mac,Jimmy

.242

5263

Wood,Woody

.241

5298

Lyman,Casey

.241

3829

Mahley,Don

.240

5542

Hobbs,Roy

.239

7021

Braun,Red

.239

6608

Lyon,Doc

.239

983

Warren,Grump

.238

216

Sajdak,Doc

.234

4959

Mac,Walter

.234

1380

Beeman,J.B.

.233

1581

Hebscher,Ed

.233

372

Smith,Tex

.232

7852

McCorkindale,Stu

.230

918

Kane,Mike Suds

.228

5859

Sajdak,Ken The Sage

.225

6722

Meade,Lefty

.224

2738

Shifflett,Craig

.221

3090

Keefer,Al

.219

4494

 

 

And a special note of recognition to Mexicali’s long-time skipper,Al Keefer.

 

 

Source: TCBA Encyclopedia at www.tcba.info