No More Spitballs

On this date in 1919, the NL voted to ban the spitball's use by all new pitchers. The ban will be formally worked out by the Rules Committee in February.  Just thought you'd like to know.

 

Golds Gym Field

With close to seventy players today, we put together three evenly matched games. The American leaguers played on Golds Gym and Gessler Clinic Fields. The visiting team on Golds Gym Field was ably managed by Tommy Hamilton. His team of Coffman, Hamilton,  Laffoon, Giardano. Toro, DeRitter, Benson, Zelazny, Andrews, Wise, King, and Diaz, started slow going three and out in the top of the first. Meanwhile, The home team Anglels managed by Freddie Gonzalez pushed across four runs in their half of the inning.The team of Gonzalez, Witmer, Held, Jacobson, Scarbrough, Butler, Wiltshire, Smith, Dampier, Schapler, Constantine, Levesque, and Pepin obviously looked like they were going to walk away after Donnie Homered and Mike Wiltshire hit a double. Both teams had more luck in the second. The visitors scored three off an over the fence blow by new comer Jerry DeRidder. Not to be outdone, the Angles tallied five with Ron Pepin and Freddy G hitting triples. The third inning was a snoozer as neither team scored.

The fourth inning saw the middle of the line up come through for the visitors as the scored three off Jack Benson's triple. The Angels again failed to score. In the fifth the first three batters reached base but only one scored for the visitors. Obviously fired up, thr Angels scored their first five batters as Don Scarbrough hit one to the fence. Behind 14 to 6, Tom's team tried to make it close as they scored five off Jack Benson's second triple of the game. They then took to the field and held the Angels scoreless as the game really tightened up.In the seventh, doubles by Hamilton,DeRidder, and Laffoon pushed five across for the visitors and gave them the outright lead for the first time in the game. With the bottom of the lineup hitting  the ball hard, the Angels scored three to knot up the game at 17 apiece.

In the eighth, the Vistors bats went cold (or perhaps they were tired after scoring ten in the last two innings) but put up a goose egg. Not wanting the game to get away, the Angels put together five straight singles to produce their four runs to regain the lead. With the top of the order coming up, the visitors had no quit in them. They scored four but left the bases loaded as the final out was made. All that was left for the visitors was to shut down Freddie's bats one more time. Freddie lead off with a double in the gap and Donnie Witmer then hit a triple to drive in the winning run. Final score Angels 22, Visitors 21.

Key Performances

Tom Hamilton    4 for 5 with two doubles

Juan Toro          5 for 5

Jerry DeRidder   5 for 5 with a home run and two doubles

Jack Benson      5 for 5 with two triples

Russ King         3 for 4

Freddie Gonzalez    5 for 5 with a triple and double

Donnie Witmer        5 for 5 and hit for the cycle

Mike Wiltshire         4 for 4 with two double
Ron Pepin               3 for 4 with a triple

Don Held    winning pitcher

Gessler Clinic Field

The Gessler Clinic field saw a close game, with good defense, good hitting and a bad SUN. The visitors skippered by Richie Marino(Marion,Kline, Guspyt,Reagan, Duff Hill, Zakrowski, Byrd, Shaffer, Ota, LoPiccolo, McLellan, Holden) got off to a slow start, partly due to good defense from the home team(Steve Hill, Herbie O, JD Davis, Lopez, Wells, Hite, Patton, Mohan, Fabian, Witter, Stepp) and partly because the sun was in the eyes of the hitters. This led to a score of 2 to 1 after 3 innings with the home team leading.  It would be the last lead for the home boys(good guys) for the game. 

The 4^th inning saw the visitors score 4 runs on 5 singles and a double by Duff Hill. They added 2 in the fifth on 3 straight singles from Holden, Marino and Kline. The home team made it close in the 5^th when Steve Hill started a rally with a double, followed by 3 singles, before Hite hit a triple down the line to make the score 7-6. 

The visitors answered in the 6^th by starting the inning with 4 singles from Shaffer, Ota, LoPiccolo and McLellan.  They kept  it moving again in the 7^th, when they score 3 more.  Trailing by 8 the home team try to answer when Steve Hill again started the inning with a double. Followed by 3 singles before Patton hit the big shot, a Home Run to pull it close again, at 14-11 visitors. 

After holding the visitors to 1 run in the 8^th and scrapping to get 3 more runs, the home team trailed by only 1 at 16-15 heading into the 9^th. They got 6 in the 9^th, when Zakrowski and Byrd started the inning with doubles before McLellan capped the scoring with another 2 bagger. The home team’s chances of pulling out the game were shattered in the bottom of the inning when Shaffer and McLellan both made sparkling plays in the field the rob hitters of sure hits.  

The final 22-15.

Top Hitters

Reagan           3 for 5, 2B

Shaffer           4 for 4

Ota                 3 for 5

LoPiccolo       3 for 4

McLellan        3 for 5, 2B, 3B

Steve Hill        3 for 5,  2 2B

Herbie O        4 for 5

JD Davis         4 for 5

Lopez             3 for 5

Hite                3 for 5, 3B

Gatorland Field

 

Team MOOTS vs Team BLOOM

 

Team Bloom took an early 5-1 lead in the first inning and never looked back beating team Moots 18 – 12.

 

Frank Miller, Walt Leggett and Michalski contributed to the winning team going 3 for 4 at bat with strong pitching from veteran Richard Sessink.

 

For the losers, Elmer Black, Jerry Remington and Reg Barnes went 3 for 4 at bat while newcomer Nick Burns hit a triple and a single.