Aug. 27, 1961. A 54-year-old Satchel Paige takes the mound for the Portland Beavers against their PCL rival, Seattle Rainiers at Sicks’ Stadium in Seattle, Washington. Satchel’s PCL career was shortlived, as he only pitched in 5 games late in the season, but in those 5 games, he did manage to pitch 25 innings and finish with a 2.88 ERA. Not bad for a guy pushing 60 who was essentially signed as a promotion.
.
Babe & Dizzy.
In 1935, Babe Ruth quietly wrapped up his career as a member of the Boston Braves. Some may consider this last chapter of the Babe’s career to be sad and anti-climatic, but I think it’s strange and for that reason, I love it. I’ve always been interested in legendary players who end their careers with teams (or leagues) that they are not typically associated with. This is certainly applicable to the above image of Satchel Paige.
With that said, there is something cool about Babe posing for a photo with a National League pitching star in Dizzy Dean, who I’m guessing he may have only previously faced in exhibition or spring training games? Looking at the 1935 Braves season, it looks like the 40-year-old Babe went 0 for 6 in two games against Dean.
.
Seals vs Stars.
1950. Hollywood Stars infielder, Jim Baxes takes a ball to the back from San Francisco Seals pitcher, Chet Johnson at old Gilmore Field in Los Angeles, California. This photo is interesting to me because it’s classic PCL baseball in action, but the ball bouncing so far and high off of Baxes, while Seals catcher, Ray Orteig watches is cool, regardless of the era. I could do without the shorts that Baxes is wearing, though…
The Los Angeles Times covered this game and provided some insight to Baxes entering as a late-inning pitching replacement and why he was hit with the ball. It’s actually kind of interesting and worth the read: Plunked In The Back.
.
East–West All-Star Game.
The 1939 East-West All-Star Game took place in old Comiskey Park and according to the photo above, over 40,000 people came to watch. Those in attendance witnessed Henry Milton of the Kansas City Monarchs attempt to score and get tagged out by Homestead Gray’s catcher, Josh Gibson. Based on this photo, it must have been an INCREDIBLY quick swipe tag by Gibson to get Milton, because at the split second this was image was captured it does not seem likely that Gibson was going to get him.
In the image I shared, first base is cut off in the background, but if you look at this Google books preview of the book, “Black Baseball in Chicago”, you can see Buck Leonard watching the play take place. This is the nerdy baseball stuff that catches my eye and gets me excited.
.
A’s vs Naps.
Frank ‘Homerun’ Baker of the Philadelphia A’s prepares to slide into home plate while Ted Easterly of the Cleveland Naps awaits the star third basemen. There’s not a lot to say about this photo, but much like the Negro League image above, it’s a great action shot from an era of baseball that I’m fascinated with.
Before Roy Campanella joined the Brooklyn Dodgers organization, he played in the Negro Leagues in some shape or form, from 1937 to 1945. He mainly played with the Baltimore Elite Giants, but did play for a short period of time with the Philadelphia Stars in 1944. Campanella was discovered by the Elite Giants at the age of 15, while playing for a semi-pro team called the Bacharach Giants and was quickly snatched up to play. He decided to drop out of high school on his 16th birthday to become a full-time professional baseball player and 10 years later, at the age of 26, Campanella made his major league debut with the Dodgers.
In addition to the Negro Leagues, Campy also played in the Mexican Leagues from 1942-1943 with Monterrey Industriales. The above photo captures the future Hall of Famer during his time with the Baltimore Elite Giants.
.
The Spaceman.
This video features my friend and former teammate, Brian Girgus and baseball legend, Bill “The Spaceman” Lee. Brian left the Bay Area (and our team) a number of years ago to pursue cutting hair and now operates out of Los Angeles, at The New California Barbershop. He’s done well for himself and when an email came through my inbox with this video, I knew I had to share it here on 90 Feet of Perfection.
Brian is a lot like me, due to the fact that he has a love for baseball and music and this is reflected in some of the guests he’s had. With that said, this video is easily the best, in my opinion, as it features the Spaceman getting a haircut on the beach and talking life and baseball, as he does so well. I highly suggest watching this and if you find yourself in Los Angeles and need a haircut, cruise on by The New California Barbershop!
.
Mickey.
On March 25, 1952. the New York Yankees played an exhibition game against the San Francisco Seals and this amazing moment was caught on film. This is one of those special photos that I look at it and say “WOW.” There’s not a lot of things cooler to me than a 20-year-old Mickey Mantle playing in Seals Stadium.
In the Golden Age of Baseball, I know that Spring Training wasn’t as organized like it is now and teams often did their own thing, or were in and out traditional pre-season locations. Still, this photo caught me off guard and I’d love to find out more about the Yankees playing exhibition games out West during this era. (Image Source: Getty Images)
.
Yogi.
When I think of Yogi Berra, I obvioulsy think of him playing catcher, or maybe even playing outfield, with Bill Mazeroski‘s World Series home run soaring over his head. So when I found this image of Yogi at third base, I found it quite interesting.
I’m not entirely sure when this photo was taken, but I’m leaning towards September 26, 1954, which was the last game of the season and took place at Yankee Stadium against the A’s. With that said, I’m pretty much basing this solely on THIS article. The title of the game summary is “Last game of the 1954 season, Yankees vs. A’s. Casey Stengel “experiments.” Plays Mickey Mantle at Third Base, Yogi Berra at Shortstop, Moose Skowron at Second” With a title like that, you know it’s worth the read.
The Yankees finished the 1954 season 8 games out of first place, so that could explain the sparse September crowd. It’s totally possible that Yogi played third more than once during his career, but based on this photo, it just makes a lot of sense. A cool sidenote to this game is that it ended up being the last game in which the Philadelphia A’s existed, as Connie Mack sold the team after the season and they moved to Kansas City. (Image Source: HuffSports)
.
Satchel.
The one and only Satchel Paige poses for a photo during a 1933 barnstorming tour game in the California Winter League. The game, which took place in Los Angeles, placed Satchel’s Royal Giants, a team made up Negro League players, against the Joe Pirrone’s All-Stars, a team made up of both major and minor league players. I wish there were more photos from these California Winter League games, as I’m curious if everyone wore Pittsburgh Crawford uniforms, or if only Paige wore one, since that was his team at the time? Satch bounced around teams so often, that I guess it’s entirely possible that he just wore that just because it was the only uniform he had access to at that time.
Los Angeles times writer, Bob Ray wrote this summary of the game in the November 12, 1933 issue of the Los Angeles Times:
The occasion is a double-header between the Royal Giants, Satchel’s team, and Joe Pirrone’s All Stars, an aggregation composed of major and minor league players. Paige hooks up with Larry French, Pittsburgh Pirate southpaw, in the opening of the twin bill and a rare hurling duel is expected. In the second game, “The Great” Newsom, ace of the 1933 (Los Angeles) Angels, goes to the mound for the All-Stars against “Cannonball” Willis.
However, this yarn is about Paige, the lanky fire-gallery, whose spectacular pitching has made him the toast of Central Avenue.
To begin with, Satchel admits that he’s 26 years of age, and can’t deny that he’s six feet, three and one-half inches tall, weighs 181 and built on the same general lines of a telephone pole without the crossbars on top….
“Maybe Lefty Grove has a faster ball than Satchel,” said one of the boys who’d just fanned for the fourth time, “but I’ll never believe it.”
I love any story related to Satchel Paige and I’ll forever be frustrated that I wasn’t born in a decade where I could have witnessed Paige take the mound in his prime. (Image Source: Los Angeles Times)
More than once, I’ve mentioned that Luke Easter is one of my favorite players in baseball history. This is due to Lucious Luke playing in what I consider the trifecta of great leagues during baseball’s Golden Era: The classic era of the Pacific Coast League, The Negro Leagues, and Major League Baseball. While his time in the PCL and in MLB was documented somewhat well, his time as a member of the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues was not. Outside of this incredible photo of Easter running down the first baseline, I’ve only seen one other photo of him with the Grays.
.
Clemente & Chaney.
Roberto Clemente going in hard at second base, while Darrel Chaney of the Reds attempts to turn a double play. How can you not love this photo??
.
The Splendid Splinter.
Back in July, I made the trek to San Diego to check out the All-Star Game festivities. It was an incredible experience and one that I’ll never forget. In ways, it was baseball overload, but I enjoyed every second of it, especially the All-Star Game Fan Fest.
At Fan Fest, there was a comprehensive timeline on display of San Diego baseball, from the late 1800s to the current Padres. This obviously included the old Pacific Coast League Padres, where I found this photo of Ted Williams, which was taken at Lane Field in 1937. I honestly thought I’d seen every documented photo of The Splendid Splinter during his time with the Padres, but apparently, I was wrong, as this one caught my eye and sparked my curiosity.
There’s something about this photo that I love. Maybe it’s old Lane Field behind him, in addition to the look on his face which reflects that he may not have been prepared to pose for the photo, as his bat is by his side and a teammate is sitting to his left. It’s just a great photo of a young man who’d one day be known as the greatest hitter of all time. (Image Source: Getty Images)
.
Aaron & Newcombe.
Hank Aaron takes Don Newcombe deep during a Braves and Dodgers game in the early 1950s. This incredible photo showcases two amazing baseball talents from yesteryear who started their professional careers in the Negro Leagues. Newcombe played for the Newark Eagles from 1944 to 1945, while Aaron played with the Indianapolis Clowns in 1952.
.
Weaver & Martin.
When I think of MLB Managers from the 1980s, Earl Weaver and Billy Martin quickly come to mind. When I think of Managers in MLB history who were highly polarizing figures, I also think of Weaver and Martin. So, when I found this photo of both Managers visiting before a game, it caught me off guard, as they were probably a bit over the top on the competitive side.
Based on what I know about the both of them, I just can’t see them fraternizing with the “enemy.” I assume that based on the fact that they were involved in the game for so many years, that they developed a mutual respect for each other, due to their similarities. Either way, I would have loved to hear these personalities talk about the game, or anything, as it would surely be entertaining.
On April 18th, 1946 in Jersey City, New Jersey, Jackie Robinson made his professional debut in MLB affiliated baseball as a member of the The Montreal Royals of the International League. The Royals opened the season against the Jersey City Giants and blew them out to a score of 14 to 1. On top of breaking the color barrier, Jackie also went 4 for 5 with a home run, scored 4 runs, knocked in 4 RBIs, stole 2 bases and even forced 2 balk calls while on the base paths. In other words, he had one hell of a day.
The most famous moment from that game came after Jackie hit his home run and was greeted by teammate, George Shuba with a handshake. People always talk about Pee Wee Reese supposedly putting his arm around Jackie in Cincinnati in 1947, but this is the moment that should be celebrated, due to the fact it happened over a year before and that there’s photographic evidence proving that it actually took place. Shuba passed away in 2014 and after his death, the New York Times wrote a great article about his life that’s worth reading. (Image Source: Wikipedia)
The Jackie Robinson of the PCL.
I’ve shared photos of John Ritchey a few times here on 90 Feet of Perfection, but to be honest, there’s not many images out there of him, so when I do find a new one, you can bet I’m going to share it. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo of him actually playing? In any case, I recently discovered this photo of John Ritchey at Seals Stadium from 1955 and was delighted.
If you’re not familiar with Ritchey, all you’ve got to know is that he was a star baseball player at San Diego State, in the Negro Leagues with the Chicago American Giants and in Pacific Coast League, where he broke the color barrier in 1947 with the PCL San Diego Padres. After signing with San Diego, he made his PCL debut in March of 1948 and finished the season with a .323/.405/.442 batting clip. Ritchey spent a total of 7 seasons in the PCL, also playing for the Portland Beavers, Sacramento Solons and San Francisco Seals.
San Francisco Baseball Legends.
From the old Pacific Coast League, to the Giants and A’s, baseball runs deep in the Bay Area and this is one of reasons I love the area and continue to live here. With that said, I don’t think someone can live in the Bay Area, and specifically San Francisco and not be aware of the fact that Joe DiMaggio (and his brothers) were from here, and to a lesser extent, Lefty O’Doul.
For years, I’ve been aware that Joe and Lefty are buried just South of the city, in a community called Colma, but I never ventured there to visit their graves until this last weekend. Needless to say, it was both interesting and eerie. DiMaggio is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery and his former mentor/friend/manager/teammate, O’Doul is buried across the street at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park. While DiMaggio’s grave is nice, O’Doul’s is awesome, due to the baseball theme and information.
The 1909 World Series.
The Pittsburgh Pirates played the Detroit Tigers in the 1909 World Series and this meant it would place two of the greatest hitters in the game against each other, in Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. This photo, which captures the two legends talking shop prior to a game, is easily one of my favorite photos I’ve found in a long time.
The Battered Bastards.
Like everyone else who watched the 2014 Netflix documentary, “The Battered Bastards of Baseball,” I absolutely loved it and immediately became fascinated with the legacy of the Portland Mavericks. With the exception of knowing that Kurt Russell played with the team, I knew very little about the Mavericks prior to the film. Hell, I had no idea that Jim Bouton, who’s one of my favorite players of all time, played with the Mavericks. In any case, when I came across this photo of the grizzled vet talking pitching with his young comrades, I fell in love with it and knew I had to share it here. (Image Source: Oregon Historical Society)
Also, if you loved the movie and would like to keep the spirit of the Mavericks alive, you can pick up the authentic reproduction of their cap over at the always amazing, Ebbets Field Flannels. It’s the first cap from the 1970s that they’ve made and they did a great job on it.
Before Casey Stengel‘s success as manager of the New York Yankees, he managed both the Brooklyn Dodgers (1934-1936) and Boston Bees/Braves (1938-1943), before being hired as the skipper of the Oakland Oaks in 1946. Stengel managed the Oaks for three seasons, where he lead the team to the PCL championship series all three years.
After getting beat by the Seals in 1946 and the Angels in 1947, Stengel’s “Nine Old Men” beat the Rainiers in 1948 to win the Pacific Coast League championship. It can be said that Casey’s success in the PCL lead to him getting another shot with managing a major league club, and as they say, the rest was history. The above photo captures Casey during the championship parade in downtown Oakland and is one of my favorite documented moments from the old Pacific Coast League. (Image Source: Baseball Oakland)
The Say Hey Kid.
Taken just four days before his Major League debut, this photo of Willie Mays, taken on May 21, 1951, captures the young slugger during his time with the Minneapolis Millers. At that time, the Millers were the AAA affiliate of the Giants and in just 35 games with the team, he put up a batting line of .477/.524/.799, with 8 home runs. I think it’s safe to say that he was more than ready for the big leagues.
During the Millers’ existence, many notable players came through Minneapolis on their way to the big leagues. In addition to Mays, alumni such as Ted Williams (1938), Monte Irvin (1955) and Carl Yastrzemski (1960) make the Millers one of the more celebrated minor league teams of yesteryear. (Image Source: Institute for Baseball Studies)
The Great One.
On April 21st, 1968, in a game against the Giants at old Forbes Field, Roberto Clemente hit an inside the park home run against off pitcher, Lindy McDonald. This photo captures Clemento in full stride during the round tripper, and really, it’s absolutely perfect. (Image Source: Stirrups Now!)
The Yankee Clipper.
In the 9th inning of Game 6 of the 1936 World Series, Joe DiMaggio slid safely into home as Harry Danning of the Giants attempted to lay a tag on the Yankees’ rookie star. The Yankees ended up wining the game 13-5, and subsequently won the 5th World Series in the team’s history.
While everyone knows about DiMaggio and what he accomplished during his career, this photo got me wondering who Harry Danning was and what he accomplished in his baseball career. Turns out Danning had a solid career, spending 10 years in the big leagues, all with the New York Giants. In addition to this, Danning was a four time All-Star and a significant Jewish player in an era when Jewish players did not always have it easy, due to discrimination within the game.
The Heater from Van Meter.
On Opening Day 1940, the Indians started their season against the White Sox in Chicago’s Comiskey Park. Bob Feller faced off against Eddie Smith, and while both pitchers had strong performances, it was Feller’s that went down in the record books. At the end of the day, Feller threw a no-hitter with six strikeouts, and to this day, it’s the only no-hitter pitched on Opening Day.
As much as I love Bob Feller based on what he accomplished on the field, I also love the fact that he wore #19. Regardless of team (or even sport), it always catches my eye when people wear #19 and due to this, I enjoy this Opening Day photo even more. With that said, a few years ago I discovered that Feller actually didn’t wear #19 his entire career, and he wore both #9 and #14 prior to 1939.
ninety feet of perfection. 