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TCBA Yearbook |
1907 |
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INDEX Seasons 1911 1912 1913 1921 1922 1923 1930 1931 1932 1940 1941 1942 1950 1951 1952 1960 1961 1962 1970 1971 1972 1980 1981 1982 1990 1991 1992 2000 2001 2002 2010 2011 2012 2020 2021 2022 Miscellaneous |
Bob
Braun - As
most of you know, our gentle friend, Gary Sibley, relinquished his TCBA
duties prior to the current season, providing Ed Hebscher an opportunity to
rejoin us after an 18-year absence. While Gary initially chose to carry on
with TCBA under the Wilderness Wraiths banner, he has concluded that it is
simply time to lay aside his cards and dice completely. Gary
recently wrote to Bob Wood the following: “Reaching age 80
and facing daily coping with life issues, I have concluded that it is time
for me to retire from TCBA Origins, which is my last TCBA league…It has been
a wonderful addition to my life. But I am no longer able to focus the
needed attention to justify continuing.” Soft-spoken even in the most intense of
moments, Gary has conducted his TCBA affairs with a class and dignity to
be admired. He has been a treasured asset to our organization that will be
sorely missed. One time, back in the days of the HoJo’s
in Lancaster, Gary flew in from his duty station in the Philippines and
presented us with a well-remembered graphic poster from The Firehouse, a
well-remembered adult club in Manila. The poster disappeared at some point,
no one claiming to have captured it to this day. Mrs. Sibley often accompanied Gary to our
meetings, and we even met a Sibley son at one HoJo’s
gathering. It has
been said that Joe Dimaggio grew old with grace and
dignity. Gary Sibley reached his 80th birthday with such grace
that we didn’t even notice he had aged. While
saying goodbye is difficult, saying goodbye to a dear friend is impossible.
We will always have you in our memory and in our hearts, Gary. We WILL see
you later. Here’s
a couple of links that will help us keep Gary close: http://www.tcba.info/Yearbook/YB80%20Gary%20Sibley.htm http://www.tcba.info/Yearbook/YB81.htm http://www.tcba.info/Wilderness.htm http://www.tcba.info/Rapidan.htm
With
Ed Hebscher having already been assigned Gary’s Franchise #1 in Today, it
seemed wholly appropriate that he should also be given the opportunity for
Franchise #1 in Origins. Ed spent 15 seasons with Gold and Yesterday with his
Newmarket team, so he is no stranger to our Retro world. He has accepted our
Origins offer and will begin participation at the conclusion of this final
Wilderness season. Ed’s
new team will play in London, Ontario as the Tecumsehs,
an original Canadian baseball team. http://www.tcba.info/London.htm
http://www.tcba.info/Hamilton.htm For
those who are not aware, Tecumseh was a legendary orator and fearsome Native
American chief. Tecumseh attempted to create a broad-based Native American
alliance to fight against the American push west. At one point, his brother
Tenskwatawa, also known as The Prophet, disregarded Tecumseh’s advice and led
an ill-advised attack on an American force. This Battle of Tippecanoe, as it
was later dubbed, lasted all of about 20 minutes, the Native Americans
quickly retreating into the forest after Tenskwatawa was killed. The American
military force was led by William Henry Harrison, who used this overblown
battle to enhance his reputation, sending him to the White House. Tippecanoe
and Tyler, too! Tecumseh
was devastated, headed west, and was killed fighting for the British in the
Great Lakes region during the War of 1812. William Henry Harrison delivered
the longest Inauguration speech in history, 2 ½ hours in a March freezing
rainstorm. He died of pneumonia just 30 days after becoming President, the
shortest tenure in history. Tecumseh, it is said, had his revenge. Jim
McEneaney -
All the best, Gary! Many wonderful memories from so many drafts, meals,
and just wonderful conversations in so many varied restaurants and meeting
rooms over the years. Central Pennsylvania is still a lovely place in
mid-March (with the possible exception of a few annoying blizzards)... please
stop by if you're ever in the neighborhood. But most of all, thank you
for your friendship through all these years. Stay well, my friend! Jim
McEneaney -
…and the Islander franchise unequivocally denies any knowledge of the
Firehouse's whereabouts. Bob
Braun (2021) –
It’s still there, Mac!
Jeff
Hobbs - I'll
echo Jim's comments. Gary had long been in the league when I joined back
in 2005. Best of luck going forward. Jim
Lafargue – Gary,
let me add my thanks for your participation over the years. We are more
than grateful that we were able to able to bring you into TCBA as a member. Tom
Meade - It was
a pleasure to meet you, Gary. The league will certainly miss
you. Best wishes and may God bless you richly! Al
Keefer - Wish
you all the best, Gary. It was a joy to have you in the leagues. Mike
Kane - Gary,
it has been an absolute honor to have known you and call you friend over the
last 20 odd years! Best wishes for you and the family. Scott
Brown - I am
so sorry to hear you are leaving the TCBA Gary. If my memory serves me, we
joined the league in the same year, 1981. I was all of 17 at the time and
therefore have lived all of my adult life with you guys and the TCBA. I
wish you all the best and will miss your involvement in the TCBA. Gary
Sibley - Thank
you all for your kind words. TCBA has been a wonderful hobby which was
enhanced significantly by the people in it. 40 years of participation
shows clearly how much I valued it and that it certainly enhanced my life
experience. As I
near 80, my baseball experience must come down to rooting for the Nationals
and the FredNats, if and when I can get to their
games. I'll
always treasure the friendships of TCBA and wish you all well. Gerry
Hobbs - The
Islanders traveled to Cleveland to open the 1906 TCBA World Series.
They were looking for their 4th straight championship. The Naps had won
one back in 1902 so they were looking for # 2. Both teams won 99 games
in the regular season, so the series looked to be dead-even. The games
lived up to expectations and the series turned out to be a real
crackerjack. All the games were nail-biters, and the final was a
classic. Game 1
– In a low scoring era the teams surprisingly combined for 5 runs in their
1st at bats. LI opened with 2 on an SF and a two out single. Tenney opened the bottom of the inning reaching on an
error but was thrown out at the plate trying to score when the next batter
singled. Cleveland kept on swinging the bat and scored once on an
infield single and two more when Schlei blooped a
double into right. LI tied the game in the 6th when Thomas tripled and
stole home. CL got the run back in their half inning when Jack Hayden
tripled Congalton home. Thomas’ sac fly tiued the game in the 8th but the Naps matched it in the
bottom of the inning when Admiral Schlei got a
2-out triple and Hayden singled him home. With 2 down in the 9th Pfiester drilled Schafly to
load the bases with 2 out (Schafly was out for the
series). Jack was tossed out of the game and Bill Bernhard came in to
pitch to Whitey Alpern who flew out to right.
Final 5-4 Cleveland. Pfiester got the win and
Bernhard got the 1-out save. Game 2
– Doc White toed the rubber for the Isles looking to even the series.
He was highly successful in that effort, tossing a dominating 3-hit
shutout. Casey’s bases loaded fly ball opened the scoring in the
5th. The Isles added an insurance run in the 7th when White, himself,
hit a sac fly scoring Courtney. In the complete game White walked two
and pitched around 2 errors in the series evening win. It was a costly
game for both teams as Whitey Alpern got hit with a
pitch and had to miss the rest of the series. Bill Congalton
was hit twice in the game and the second time it put him out until game 6 of
the series. Game 3
– The series moved to the Island. Just off the DL, Jack Taylor started
for the Naps. Cleveland jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 3rd when Johnny
Evers doubled in the game’s first run, and he scored on a Steinfeldt
single. LI roared back with four 4th inning runs. Browne knocked
in the 1st run. Courtney ground to Steinfeldt
whose bad throw put the Isles up 3-2 and Kid Gleason singled up the middle
for the 4th run. The teams traded runs in the 5th to make the score
5-3. Grimshaw’s single in the 7th scored another run for LI and a
squeeze play in the same inning made it 7-3, LI. In the top of the 8th
Lundgren got wild after two were out loading bases. Edmonston
entered the game and Roy Hobbs was called op to hit. Ol’ Roy delivered a 2 run single to make the score 7-5.
Bob Ewing finished the inning and hurled a scoreless 9th for the save.
Lundgren got the win in relief. Game 4
– Down 2 games to 1 the Naps came back with Jack Pfiester.
He responded with a gem. Allowing 5 hits and no walks he faced just 32
batters in a 2-1 win for Cleveland. The Naps broke out of the gate with
a run in the 1st. Evers doubled and scored on a Steinfeldt
single. Recalling Doc White’s run scoring single, Priester chipped in
with a single into center in the 4th to make the score, 2-0 CL. The
Isles responded with a run in their next trip to the plate when Browne’s
single knocked Grimshaw in. Long Island put runners in scoring position
in both the 8th & 9th but Pfiester sucked it up
to preserve the win and even the series. Game 5
– The Naps looked to take the series lead and piled up a 5-1 lead through 6
innings. The 5th run came when Tenney stole home.
They did all that despite a base running blunder that saw Hinchman pass Schlei between
home and 3rd. That resulted in a double play for the Isles and just one
run for the Naps. In the 7th it all fell apart for Cleveland. An
error a walk and an error loaded the bases with nobody out. Bernhard
relieved. One run scored on a force out. Casey’s single made it
5-3 and a fly ball cut the lead to one before Flick flew out to end the
inning. Grimshaw opened the 8th with a double and the Islanders loaded
the bases with nobody out for the 2nd straight inning. A fly ball tied
the game and Graham’s 2-run single gave LI a 7-5 lead. Frank Owen
relieved for LI and recorded the save facing just four batters. Game 6
– Back to Cleveland where the Naps got Bill Congalton’s
bat back in the lineup. LI scored in the 2nd when Courtney doubled home
Moose Grimshaw. Schlei opened the Naps 2nd
with a triple and Evers followed with a bloop single to tie the game.
Evers stole 2nd and held there when Casey booted a grounder. Taylor
bunted and Sparks tried to get the lead runner but threw the ball into left
field go give the Naps a 2-1 lead. Another error by Casey plus a double
by Harry Steinfeldt added 2 runs to the Nap’s side
of the scoreboard. Jack Taylor avenged his game 3 loss shutting the
Isles out over the last 7 innings to even the series at 3 games each in a 4-1
win for Cleveland. Game 7
– A couple 18Z lefties came back on short rest in one for all the
marbles. The game was scoreless through 4 innings thanks to a great
throw by Browne that cut down a Nap runner at home in the 3rd inning.
In the 5th LI manufactured a run on an error a bunt and a single by
Thomas. An inning later the Naps tied it on a leadoff double by Evers
who moved to 3rd on a grounder and scored on a “dying quail” by Charlie
Hemphill. Hemphill then stole 2nd but White got Congalton
and Schlei to escape further damage. In the
7th Hayden belted one to right the ball hooked foul at the last minute.
In the 8th the LI put a runner on 2nd with one out, but Grimshaw and Bowerman
failed to get him home. In the bottom of that inning Power nailed Steinfeldt trying to steal 2nd to end the inning.
In the 9th Gleason got a 2-out double. Doc White was left into bat for
himself, but he grounded out. Hemphill led off the bottom of the 9th
with a single. One out later he stole 2nd. Schlei
popped up and Hayden K’d. In the 10th,
a grade-reduced Pfiester got the Isles, 3 up, 3
down. Bridwell walked to open the Nap’s 10th. Oldring hit for Pfiester and his sacrifice moved the runner into scoring
position. Eddie Collins ran for Oldring. Fred Tenney
came up and looped one into right-center. Collins beat Flick’s throw to
the plate to give CL a 2-1 win and the 1906 TCBA World’s Championship. Pfiester pitched 27 2/3 inning and got 3 wins. I’d
say he earned the MVP award. Congratulations
to Mac and Islanders on a great season. The series could not have been
much closer or more fun to play. Jim
McEneaney – Congratulations,
Gerry on an exciting series and an outstanding recap. For a bit, I
thought my Long islanders might be able to duplicate the feat of my beloved
New York Islanders of the late '70's-early 80's with four consecutive
Cups. Alas though, not to be. I was really proud of how we hung
in there after losing our starting 2Baseman and Shortstop for virtually the
entire series, but what I'll remember most was the closeness of all the games
and good time that sharing those few hours with a good old friend wrapped in
"mortal combat" over the virtual diamond of a Century gone past. The
Cleveland Naps and the Long Islanders finished the regular season and first
round of the playoffs with identical records, so it was probably quite
appropriate that this series would not only go the full seven games but would
actually take extra innings to determine a winner. And how appropriate
too that both squads would finish with an identical 23 runs scored in the
series. While LI held a slight advantage in both the bottom pitching
and hitting lines it may well have been the Long Islanders' porous defense
that did us in. As in the old Western, one might say, "We died
with our boots....." Again,
Congratulations to the now defending Champ, and thanks to all of you for
making this the enjoyable hobby that it is. |
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