Sain                              Galan
RALEIGH, NC:  The VBG Commissioner's office has announced the recipients of Player of the Month Awards for August.

Johnny Sain of the Goat Island Lights was named Pitcher of the Month for his VBG-leading 7 victories in the month and his 1.95 ERA, which ranked 4th in the VBG as a whole and 3rd in the Crackerjack League.  Sain topped both leagues with 43 strikeouts, 64 2/3 innings, and fewest runners per 9 innings (9.0).  He pitched 4 complete games in 8 starts, best in the Crackerjack Leauge, and all 8 of his starts in August were classified quality starts.  [Game Log]

Augie Galan of the California Tornados was named Position Player of the Month.  Galan's .552 on-base percentage was the best in the VBG, and his .391 batting average topped the Peanut League.  Galan also ranked 8th in his league with a .565 slugging average.  He reached base safely in all but 1 game during the month. [Game Log]




Here's how the races shape up with only 3 days left in the season:

             
Injury-Ravaged Carpsuckers Fall To Mudcats In 14th Inning;
Tornados Beat Bombers In Bottom Of 9th;
California Now Leads Quasqueton By 2 Games
Sept. 21, 1947
Two days ago the Quasqueton Carpsuckers had high hopes of squeezing past the California Tornados at the finish line to claim the Peanut championship.  Only 1 game behind with 6 games left, the Carps went into the home stretch with two assets:  an apparently easier schedule, and the full-time services of slugging veterans Charlie Keller and Arky Vaughan, rested and ready after spending most of the season on the bench dealing with various ailments.  But the wheels of the Quasky bandwagon fell off early, with an 8-2 loss in the first game of their series against the Spoon River Mudcats. The Mudcats, who will finish the season with over 90 losses, looked like champions against the Carps as Denny Galehouse went the distance and gave up only 1 earned run.  The worst news of the day wasn't the loss, however.  The 4th inning may end up being remembered as the moment that the Carps' championship hopes were crushed.  With 1 out and the Carps trailing by 1 run, Keller reached first base on a throwing error and kept going, sliding into 2nd to beat the throw by a whisker.  But Keller was injured on the play and had to leave the game.  Preliminary reports are that he is most likely done for the year, although it is possible he might see action if the Carps make it to the World Series.  Dell Ennis, the Carps regular left fielder for most of the season, came in to pinch run for Keller and attempted to score when Aaron Robinson singled into right field.  Ennis bowled over catcher Bob Swift in a collision at the plate but Swift hung on to the ball to nail Ennis.  Both Ennis and Swift were hurt and had to leave the game, and Ennis will be lost to the Carps for about 2 weeks.  Meanwhile the Tornados scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th to beat the Bombers, 4-2, and take a 2-game lead.  Quasky pulled back to only 1 game out when they won yesterday's game while California lost to Oak Ridge, but Quasqueton's injury nightmares continued when they lost another key player, Harry Walker, who injured his leg running out an RBI grounder in the 1st inning.  The Tornados reclaimed a 2-game lead today when they scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win, 5 to 4.  Unlike the Tornados, the Carpsuckers weren't able to pull off any late-inning magic today.  While Quasky did score a go-ahead run in the top of the 14th inning, the Mudcats scored twice in the bottom of the 14th to win the game.  Quasqueton will finish the season against 4th place St. Petersburg, while California will wind up their season against the Altoona Warriors who have won 93 games and are on a 10-game winning streak.


       
Monterey Salvages 1 Win In Crucial Home Stand;
Jacks Defeat Lights, 11-3, To Retake CJ Lead
Sept. 21, 1947
After taking the first two games in their series against the War Eagles, the Monterey Jacks had a chance to clinch at least a tie for 1st place in the Crackerjack League with the Goat Island Lights, who had lost their first two games against Texas in Cape Porpoise.  But the Lights won their final game against the Aggies by the score of 9 to 2 thanks to a complete game victory by Virgil Trucks, while the Jacks were shut out by the War Eagles, 5 to 0.    Monterey's lead over Goat Island has increased to 2 games with only 3 left to play, but the Jacks have to finish the season against the tough Rhinos while the Lights will be playing the 7th-place Monarchs.


        
Rhinos Beat Outlaws, Knights Fall To Monarchs;
Cincinnati Trails D.C. By Only 1 Game
Sept. 21, 1947
The Cincinnati Rhinos beat Chicago today by the score of 9 to 2 to capture the rubber game of the Rhino's last scheduled homestand. Cincy pulled back to within 1 game of the 3rd place D.C. Knights, who lost 2 of 3 to the Monarchs in D.C.  The Knights will finish the season with 3 games in Chicago, while the Rhinos will travel to Monterey to face the league-leading Jacks.  In yesterday's game, hot-hitting Cincy catcher Clyde Kluttz was injured and could be done for the year. 


With only 6 days left in the season, we have 3 exciting races for playoff slots, including 2 tight races for league championships:

   vs.        
Carps Complete Sweep Of Tornados;
With 5-1 Win, Quasky Now Trails By Only 1 Game
Sept. 18, 1947

QUASQUETON, IA:  The last time the California Tornados visited northeast Iowa, they swept the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers in the Carps' home park.  This time the result was different, with the Carpsuckers defending their home turf with a 3-game sweep of their own.  The Tornados, who had won 8 of their last 9 contests against Quasky, came into Iowa with a 4-game lead and only 9 games left to play, but now must defend a slim 1-game lead in the final 6 games.  In Tuesday's series opener, the Quillbacks shut out the Tornados and scored 8 runs to beat 20-game winner Dutch Leonard.  [Boxscore]  Yesterday George McQuinn broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the 10th inning with a dramatic walk-off grand slam home run.  With 1 out and 2 runners on, the Tornados had played Charlie Keller the ultimate compliment by intentionally walking him when there was a man on 1st base.  That set up McQuinn's dramatic blast that sealed the 7-3 win.  [Boxscore]  In the final game of the series today, 20-game winners Warren Spahn and Ewell Blackwell locked horns.  Spahn came out on top, pitching a complete game victory for Quasqueton in which he gave up only 1 earned run.  Blackwell lasted 7 innings and surrendured 5 runs, 2 of which were unearned. The final score was 5 to 2. [Boxscore]

   vs.   
Monterey Salvages 1 Win In Crucial Home Stand;
Jacks Defeat Lights, 11-3, To Retake CJ Lead
Sept. 18, 1947
[Boxscore]
MONTEREY, CA:  Before today's game the relentless Goat Island Lights had won 5 out of their last 6 games while the stumbling Monterey Jacks had lost 5 in a row, allowing Goat Island to move into a 1st place tie with the Jacks in the Crackerjack League.  On Tuesday Goat Island came into Monterey for a crucial 3-game series trailing the Jacks by 2 games, and won the first game, 6 to 4, with starter Harry Brecheen winning his 16th game.  [Boxscore]  Yesterday the Lights beat the home team again to grab a share of 1st place, taking advantage of 5 Monterey errors to score 4 unearned runs on their way to a 6-2 victory.  [Boxscore]  Facing the possibility of being swept at home, the Jacks rallied today, pounding out 16 hits and beating Goat Island 11 to 3 to retake the Crackerjack lead by 1 game.  Johnny Mize was 3 for 5 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI.  [Boxscore]

   vs.   
CJ Race For 3rd Still Close;
Knights Pick Up 1/2 Game, Lead Rhinos By 2
Sept. 18, 1947

ARLINGTON, TX:  The Cincinnati Rhinos came into today's game against the Kansas City Monarchs with a chance to move into a tie with the D.C. Knights for 3rd place.  But that would have required two things that didn't happen:  a Cincinnati win and a D.C. loss.  The Knights beat the Texas Aggies today by the score of 5 to 3 with starter Mickey Haefner going 8 1/3 innings to pick up his 12th win of the season.  [Boxscore]  Meanwhile the Rhinos suffered a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Monarchs. [Boxscore]  D.C.'s win coupled with Cincy's loss allowed the Knights to increase their lead for the 3rd place playoff berth to 2 games.



Peanuts End Up On Top Of Crackeracks, 11-8;

31 Hits In Wild MSC Contest;

Gordon Grand Slam In 8^th Is Game-Winner

July 6, 1947

      Gordon
[Boxscore]
CAPE PORPOISE, ME:  Joe Gordon had only 1 hit in 5 trips to the plate in today’s Midsummer Classic game, but he made that hit count.  Gordon’s 8^th-inning grand slam put the Peanut League ahead for good, as they hung on to win an 11-8 victory on this unusually hot day in Maine.  The temperature had reached 98 degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky when Walt Masterson took the mound to start the game for the Crackerjack League.  Although there was only a light breeze blowing out to right field, the ball carried very well in the hot and humid air, making it a great day for the batters on both teams, who combined for 31 hits including 3 doubles, 3 home runs and a triple.

The Peanuts had a promising beginning in the first frame with singles by Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams that brought Ralph Kiner to the plate with runners on 1^st and 2^nd and only one out.  But Kiner hit into a forceout and Masterson struck out Bob Elliott to end the threat.  The Crackerjacks got on the board in the bottom of the 1^st inning.  Lucky Lohrke led off the inning by hitting a line drive past the third baseman.  Left fielder Kiner dove for the ball in an attempt to knock it down but couldn’t quite get his glove on it, and Lohrke ended up with a stand-up triple when the ball rolled into the corner.  One out later, Lohrke scored on Bobby Thomson’s fly out.   In the top of the 2^nd inning Aaron Robinson led things off for the Peanut League by drawing a walk. After the first out, Luke Appling singled to put runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  Although Peanut starter Warren Spahn fanned for the 2^nd out, Stan Musial kept things alive by working Masterson for a base on balls that loaded the bases.  Joe Dimaggio then hit a ground single into left field that scored Robinson from 3^rd base.   Appling was also safe at home, barely beating the throw from left fielder Enos Slaughter , and the Peanuts took a 2-1 lead.  Masterson continued to have problems finding the strike zone with his fastball, and gave up the third walk of the inning to Ted Williams, loading the bases for cleanup hitter Ralph Kiner.  But after a conference on the mound Masterson got his fastball under control and Kiner struck out looking to end the inning.

The Crackerjacks quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the 2^nd.  Leadoff hitter Hank Majeski walked and scored when Walker Cooper hit the first pitch into the left field stands to put the Crackerjack League ahead, 3-2.   That’s where the score remained until the bottom of the 5^th inning.  Because the Peanut squad had only 3 pitchers available in the bullpen, the Peanut manager had left Spahn in the game with hopes that he could pitch 5 good innings before the Peanuts had to go to the pen.  But perhaps as a result of the extreme heat, Spahn seemed to lose his effectiveness in the 5^th inning.  He walked the leadoff hitter, Johnny Berardino, on four straight pitches and then gave up a line drive single to Lou Boudreau that sent Berardino to third.   That brought up righthander Lucky Lohrke, who had tripled off of Spahn in the first and hit a long fly to right field in the third inning, with two on and no outs.  The Peanut manager thought long and hard about taking Spahn out of the game and certainly would have done so if not for the shortage of pitcher in the Peanut pen, but after a long conference on the mound Spahn was given one more chance to get out of trouble.  Lohrke hit a grounder to the right side of the infield that was fielded by Joe Gordon .  Gordon was able to flip the ball to Appling to start a slick double play.  Although the runner on third had scored and the Crackerjacks now trailed 4 to 2, the twin killing gave Spahn a little breathing room and kept the Peanut League in the game.  But Spahn went right back into the fire by giving up a single to the next batter, Hoot Evers, which brought up righthanded slugger Bobby Thomson .  The Peanuts stuck with the struggling Spahn, and he managed to get the final out when Thomson forced Evers at 2^nd.

While Spahn was trying to make it through 5 innings, Harry Gumbert had taken over for the Crackerjack team in the 3^rd inning and provided 2 scoreless innings in relief, baffling Peanut hitters with his curveball and what he calls his “nothing-ball changeup.” Sam Zoldak relieved Gumbert to start the 5^th inning and contributed another two shutout innings.  Fred Hutchinson relieved Spahn to start the bottom of the 6^th inning for the Peanut League with the score still 4 to 2.  In Hutchinson, the Crackerjack batters were facing an entirely different type of pitcher from Spahn.  Whereas Spahn’s best pitch is his powerful fastball, Hutchinson is purely a finesse pitcher, throwing nothing but sliders and changeups.  He relies on control and a deceptively quick motion rather than speed.  His California teammate and fellow All-Star, catcher Hal Wagner , has been quoted as saying Hutchinson “has the best control and change of pace I ever caught.”  The Crackerjack batters didn’t seem to be fooled by his offspeed stuff, though. Johnny Hopp singed with one out and Yogi Berra hit a drive down the right field line for a double.  With runners on 2^nd and 3^rd and only 1 out, Jackie Robinson hit a low screamer up the middle that hit the pitchers mound, bounced over Hutchinson’s head, and found its way into center field between the converging gloves of Appling and Gordon.  Both runners scored and the score was 6 to 2.