|
TCBA Yearbook |
1913 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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 |
Marty Fiehl -
*Editors Note: the ‘Origin’ story of the
Ainspan name comes from a small drug store that was around the corner of my
sisters apartment in Albany, NY when I went to visit her for a few days at
the age of 16. Probably around 1972. It was family owned and
probably very similar to the Keefer Pharmacy that Al maintained for two
generations. They just don’t make ‘em like
that anymore. The name stuck with me, and when it came time to
christen my initial TCBA squad in 1975, the South Starrucca Ainspans were
born. The history of the Tecumsehs name goes quite a
ways back. All the way to the late 1700’s.
(That’s Tecumseh on the left and the about to be splayed General Ainspan
on the right) That brings us up to date, and now the Origins World Series, with London
squaring off against South Starrucca. London came into the match all banged up, Tired, and Injured.
They played a 7-game melee against Bradenton in the Semi-Finals and it took
every ounce of energy and resources, along with some broken bones and pulled
muscles, to beat the Buckeyes. Starrucca came in fully rested with just one injured reliever. On
paper, we were favored. Too bad we don’t play the games on paper. :-0 GAME 1:
Shoeless Joe Jackson carries London on his back in this one, much to the
admiration of the opposing team and the spectators. 4 for 4 with 3 xbhits, and we even hit him with a pitch to take out our
frustration. No harm done. We should have hit him in the
foot! :-0 London with an opening game 7-4 win!
GAME 2: London keeps the hitting machine hummin’! 3 triples for
the team! Joe Jackson goes a mere 2 for 3 and 2 more walks.
He scores 3 times! We’ve now managed to get him out only once in
two games. When the dust settles, London emerges with a 9-6 victory! Starrucca hits the road with zero home wins in their pocket. NOT
what was in our plans.
GAME 3: And it doesn’t get any better on the Road either! Big Ed Walsh gets his first start of the series and he handcuffs the Spans
like they were ex-Presidents. London bats keep up the barrage,
but it was really unneeded as Walsh held Starrucca to a mere one run.
The Tecumsehs win this on 9-1 and charge out to a 3
game to 0 Lead in the series! They’ve scored 7,9, and 9 runs with a lot
of guys injured and Tired. The replacements are all stepping up
and coming thru with hits. They are looking unstoppable at this
point. Shoeless Joe is 7 for 10 with 4 xb
hits at this point.
GAME 4: This is it! We’re now playing for all the marbles! To the
victor, goes the poutine! Ticket Scalpers have doubled the prices for the Hometown Fans, as it just
takes a win in ANY of the next 4 games, and the Tecumsehs
will be partying til the sun comes up!
-Claude Hendrix gets the start for London…he tossed a complete game
win in Gm1. -Fred Blanding for Starrucca. He got his ass kicked in Gm2 and
knocked out in 3 innings. Blanding came over to us in a Pre-Season
trade with London. After his debacle in Gm2, I’m wondering if they are
still considering him on their payroll? Fred went 19-8 during the
regular season for us, so he was a valuable member of the rotation. We
have no choice but to trust he’s on OUR side for this do-or-die start. Bot 2: An infield single and 2 walks by Blanding has the
bases loaded for London. (we are starting to wonder if he missed a bit
outside on purpose). London pitcher Claude Hendrix, with a MONSTER hitting card, comes to the
plate. We are skeeered. J
Look at what he did during the regular season!
These are Ruthian numbers! (and not
the Ruth from the Bible! I’m talkin’ Bambino
Power!) Look at those Runs and RBI’s….and realize that he got these
batting in the #9 Hole in the batting order!!! In only 131 Plate
apps! Times it by 4, and you’ve got 100 Runs and 85 Rbi’s, from the #9
hole! Whereas most teams have an automatic out at #9, London has a Beast! Back to the game….so when Hendrix steps in, we know we’re in deep poop. Argggghhh! It looked like a double play
and we were out of the inning, but the Monkee at
short, Doolan, clanks it off his glove and TWO big runs score!
Doolan was another ‘import’ from London in a trade a year ago. He was
brought in for his glove. It looks like Ed sent over a Manchurian
Candidate. London up 2-0, and it stays that way thru the 3rd, the 4th,
the 5th, and the 6th inning! Time is getting short for Starrucca. If Hendrix can continue thru 3
more innings, the Tecumsehs will be taking the long
ride home with 9 scalps in their saddlebags! Top 7….Speaking of scalps….Chief Wilson leads off, he of 37 Record
Breaking Triples on the season. He drills one into the gap…..the launch angle looks higher than usual……and
it CLEARS the fence for a leadoff Home Run! We finally get to Hendrix
and its now 2-1 London. Cravath gets on first via an error by London 1b
man. Chick Gandil ropes a double down the line scoring Cravath,
and we got a TIE GAME at 2-2! Starr breathes a sigh of relief that we
at least caught up. A single by my catcher makes it 1st and 3rd. Armando Marsan, a ‘contact guy’, pinch hits for Blanding. (Blanding
did well, and makes up for his earlier tattooing. He leaves with 6 ip and 2 runs…1 earned) Marsan lofts an airball short of the track in right, Shoeless Joe throws a
bullet to the plate, but Gandil slides in under the tag!!! Spans
up 3-2!! We take a lead!! 3 Span relievers come in to finish out the game, allowing only 1
hit….and just like that, the game turns around, Spans win 3-2, and we avoid
elimination, today! And avoid getting Swept!
GAME 5: Disco Inferno!
Or should I say Ainspan Inferno! The pent-up hits, on the leagues #1 Offense, exploded today! Nate Rucker scaled the mound and got the Start today for London, and
that’s about all he got to do, was Start. He faced SEVEN batters. SIX got hits! To his credit,
Nate didn’t walk anybody, but the Spans weren’t in the mood to be patient. Rucker might have one of the worst Playoff Line scores of any pitcher EVER
in our leagues:
Moonlight Graham had one plate appearance. Nate Rucker had 1/3rd of
an inning! Marsans and Larry Doyle in the 1-2 slots of the
order, had NINE hits!!! This one was over early, and it was a ‘coast’, for both teams, the rest of
the way. Final score 13-2. Starrucca. London still holds a 3/2
game advantage.
GAME 6: Tecumseh is still playing with ‘house money’ as they can play fast and
loose while taking chances. If they lose, there is still a
tomorrow. Ainspans have no such luxury. If THEY lose, it’s a
short walk home and a long off-season til they get
another shot to do it again in 1913. London sends its ACE to the mound, Big Ed Walsh. (26-11 2.38 ERA) Spans counter with THEIR Ace, Tesreau, (21-5 2.19 ERA) They faced off in Gm3, and Walsh dominated. If he can do it
again; its all over. Both pitchers live up to their billing thru 6 complete. Its
0-0. -Bot 7….Chick Gandil doubles……and Mickey Doolan, the goat of Gm4 due to
his error, comes thru with a gapper and an rbi double! Making it 1-0
Spans. Doolan had 100 rbi’s in the regular Origins season,
batting almost exclusively in the #7 hole. He didn’t do it with power,
but with timely hits with runners on base. -Top 8…..With one out, London lets Ed Walsh hit for himself……………….and he
walks! Arggh. While Ed is looking at his bench, his bullpen, Starrucca’s
bench, etc, trying to decide his next move, all of
a sudden, the screen freezes! WTF? With the Host trying everything and all the ideas from the spectators, we
all log off for the night and leave me to try anything I can think of. I don’t want to RESET this game, it’s too important. Long
Story Short; I succeed in getting past the glitch by rotating the screen
orientation, and the game is still intact. We pick up the action the following night right where we left off. -Ed sends in a Pinch-runner for Walsh….he steals second. -Stick Fiehl pulls Tesreau for a lefty reliever, Doc White. -London hitter, Daley, walks. Argghhh.
That’s what I brought the Z in for! L -Joe Jackson comes to the plate, Doc White poops his pants, and we
bring in another reliever, Sandy Burk. He strikes out Shoeless Joe!....Nope! Wait! The bat hit my catcher’s
mitt! Interference! Joe puts on his shoes and trots to first
base. Bases are LOADED, nobody out! -Cutshaw hits a routine fly to centerfield….Ed plays aggressively, sends
everyone on the catch, and the play at the plate is:
SAFE!!! Tie Ballgame at 1-1 ! And London still with a big
threat! -Starrucca Int Walks lefty cleanup hitter Kirke to load the bases and hope
we can get righty Tom Downey. -Downey strikes out to end the inning! Whew! But the game is
now tied. -Bot 8….Starrucca gets a triple from Home Run Baker, but we don’t
score. -Top 9…London gets a runner on, all the way to secondbase,
but can’t score. -Bot 9…Starrucca gets Chick Gandil on first…….two outs…..catcher
Stanage at the plate. He hits a double down the line in rightfield,
Gandil turns on the afterburners, and he SCORES!!! A walk-off, game winning
double by Oscar “no longer the Grouch” Stanage! Spans win a nailbiter 2-1 and now the series is all even! We have a
game 7! GAME 7: This one is for all the marbles! Claude Hendrix on the mound for London, he of the Monster Bat. Doc White will get the call for Starrucca. A big pitching edge for
London. Bot 1….Starrucca goes out to a quick lead with a solo homer by Larry Doyle. Since Gm4, Doyle has been hitting the beejeebers out of the ball. He’s been my best hitter and has led the way to 3 straight wins, almost identically to the way that Shoeless Joe led the way for London in their first three wins! Top 2……London comes right back and gets hits with 4 out of 5 batters to
put 2 runs up on the board! Doc White is looking weak at the
moment. It would have been more runs, but Josh Devore threw out a
runner at the plate! 2-1 London. Top 3….Cutshaw triples in a run to make it 3-1 London.
The Tecumsehs aren’t waiting around and aren’t
being fooled by any of Doc Whites pitches. He better come up with a new
prescription because London has gotten 7 hits in 3 innings!
3-1 London Top 4…Pitcher Claude Hendrix drives one to the wall, my leftfielder
Devore, LEAPS, crashes into the top of the wall………………..but he HOLDS the ball
for out #3!!! He also doesn’t get up. A stretcher assists him on
the way into the dugout, and Josh is done for the next 24 games. A
serious injury, but he saved a homerun! Well worth the trade off
to the Ainspan Manager. Marsans will
take Devores place in leftfield. Bot 5…..London shortstop Eddie Grant muffs a grounder to the first
batter, and the Ainspans LOAD the bases with two outs. Up steps Home
Run Baker. Oh, if only he could live up to his moniker! He grounds the ball to Eddie Grant, who clanks it off his glove, and two
Span runners score to tie it up! This is Eddie’s second error of
the inning. Its now tied up at 3-3! Top 6….London is putting it all on the line out here today…………Kirke
leads off with a double, and a clean single by firstbaseman
Ed Hebscher drives in the go ahead run! 4-3 London! Bot 7…. Ainspan Marsans, who replaced the
injured Devore, doubles! Moves to third on a Passed Ball by
Gibson. Homerun Baker……walks. First and third with
two out, up steps Chief Wilson looking for a triple. He
hits the ball into the air…..but….. The air could be heard leaking out of the London
Manager. Its now a tie game 4-4.
Pitcher Hendrix is throwing his glove onto the ground and waving his arms
around. He just can’t believe the lack of support behind him today. -Cravath comes to the plate and puts a cherry on
it! He doubles off the wall, scoring two! Spans now ahead 6-4 after 7 complete! If you haven’t noticed, the teams have ping ponged scoring pretty
much every inning. First one scores, then next inning it’s the other,
then next inning the other. A team can get the lead, but the loses it
the next time the other team comes to the plate. It’s what made this
game a real lallapalooza of a game! Both teams could smell the Championship, and neither was going to just
hand it to the other! Top 8…. Starrucca brings in their last reliever, Doc Crandall, a lowly grade 8*z,
looking for six outs any way he can get them. Is there a Doctor
in the House!? Crandall is the second one on the mound today for
Starrucca. :-0 London wastes NO time at all getting right back into it with a
leadoff walk and an rbi double by Kirke, the guy who dropped the easy fly
ball in the 7th. He’s looking for redemption, and he found
it. Now 6-5 Starrucca. Hebscher at the plate, he’s had a good day so far……and he whacks a single
to center scoring Kirke with the tying run! 6-6! And for
Ed, that’s his THIRD hit today! The manager was playing favorites, and
its worked out for him! :-0 Bot 8…. Claude Hendrix is still on the mound for London…and why not? It’s
not his fault the Tecumsehs drank so much firewater
last nite that they can’t catch a ball today.
Hendrix is pitching fine, it’s the fielding that’s killing him. -Backup catcher Simon singles. With two outs, Marsans at the plate…..the pitch gets past catcher
Gibson, for the second time today, and Simon moves to second on the passed
ball. Hendrix glowers from the mound. Marsans grounds the ball to Cutshaw at second,
who throws it to first, but it goes PAST the firstbaseman
for an error!!!! Simon comes around to score the go ahead run!!! Cutshaw gets charged with the error, but Hendrix is pissed off at Hohnhurst for not catching it. He didn’t even
stretch for it. Spans now go ahead again, by one, and it’s
7-6! Top 9…… It’s all up to Doc Crandall on the mound. He hasn’t been good so far
today, but he’s the best I got left. That “L” on his card is
scaring the pants off me, but, I’m on Zoom and nobody can see that anyway. -Claude Hendrix comes up with all his xbase
power, and he’s got a lot of numbers on his card that’ll produce a
homer. But he grounds to shortstop Doolan, who throws to first,
and the throw is off the bag!!! Hendrix is SAFE!
Doolan with the error, and NO inning in this game is an easy one! -Jack Graney at the plate. Redemption is something that sometimes comes very, very quickly. Graney hits a hard ground ball to short, Doolan grabs it, flips to second
for one, and on to firstbase for the Deuce!!! Mickey Doolan got
to make up for his own error the very next play! -Shoeless Joe up with two outs and nobody on…..and he grounds out to
firstbase! That’s the third out. The game and the series is over! Starrucca with a Miracle Comeback wins the game 7-6 and the series 4 games
to 3! It was a heckuva series! Ed managed
a helluva set with a team that was so shorthanded
that 4 guys were nicknamed ‘Stumpy’! Churchill said it best: “never has so much been accomplished by so
few”. (That wasn’t exactly what he said, but it was something like
that.)
Both squads averaged 5.1 runs per game. Spans had a big edge in homers, but London countered with three times the
triples. London walked and stole bases a lot more than Starrucca. Errors probably made the difference in this one. Especially key
errors in key games. Both teams look like they are throwing their hat in the ring as Contenders
again in 1913 ML. Maybe they will get another shot at each other.
I hope so, it was a completely enjoyable experience doing battle against such
an admirable competitor. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
