1938

Some really interesting new candidates.

Chief Bender and Ed Reulbach drop from the rolls, having used up their eligibility. Ed Konetchy drops due to lack of support.

I am having a medical procedure next week, so to work around it, the ’38 and ’39 elections will have a 4-day window for voting. This election will end Monday.

6 Babe Adams
3 Dave Bancroft
1 Rube Bressler
8 George Burns
4 Max Carey 3rd
6 Wilbur Cooper
13 Gavy Cravath
3 Bingo DeMoss 6th
1 Pete Donohue
11 Art Fletcher
15 Bud Fowler
1 Mike Gonzalez
6 Heinie Groh 9th
1 Cliff Heathcote
1 Harry Heilmann
7 Pete Hill 5th
8 Harry Hooper
1 Charlie Jamieson
14 Grant Johnson
1 George Kelly
1 Freddie Leach
1 Pop Lloyd
4 Carl Mays
1 Clarence Mitchell
6 Dobie Moore
1 Eddie Rommel
2 Edd Roush 7th
2 Wally Schang 4th
1 Bill Sherdel
5 Urban Shocker 9th
2 Chino Smith 9th
12 Hippo Vaughn
3 Cy Williams
1 Smoky Joe Williams
4 Ken Williams
8 Ross Youngs

Bob’s ballot:

1. Lloyd
2. Schang
3. S.J.Williams
4. Heilmann
5. Johnson
6. Carey
7. Roush
8. Hill
9. DeMoss
10. Bancroft

Terry’s ballot:

1: Pop Lloyd
2: Joe Williams
3: Harry Heilmann
4: Max Carey
5: Wally Schang
6: Dave Bancroft
7: Edd Roush
8: Harry Hooper
9: Grant Johnson
10: Chino Smith

Honorable Mention
Heinie Groh
Eddie Rommel– Started 249 games in his career, relieved in 251 including a 17 inning, major league record 29 hits allowed appearance in 1932 when Connie Mack forgot to bring any other pitchers on a single game road trip. The final score was 18-17, giving Rommel his final major league win. Had a 20 plus year career as a major league umpire, and he won a pennant in his only year managing in the minors.

Other Stuff

Rube Bressler– One of just six players to pitch at least 50 games and play at least 50 games in the field. I’ll list them at the bottom of my post, if you wanna guess who they are.

Pete Donohue– He looked like he was on a Hall of Fame path through the age of 25; going 103-67, 117 era+ in his first six years. He already had three 20 win seasons under his belt, leading the NL with 20 in 1926. He led the NL in innings pitched in 1925 and 1926. He was never effective after 1926, even in the minor leagues.

Mike Gonzalez– He should be honored in some way for being one of the greatest baseball men ever; even more than for being a Latin pioneer. He coached with the Cardinals for years, from the Gas House Gang to being the third base coach who waved Enos Slaughter home in the 1946 World Series. He won 13 pennants as a manager in the Cuban Winter League, and he coined the term “good field no hit”. I’ve been looking around the interweb and apparently it’s not common knowledge who the first latin manager was. Was it Gonzalez, who managed the Cardinals in 1938 and 1940?

Cliff Heathcote– Traded for Max Flack in between games of a doubleheader in 1922; he (and Flack) played for both teams that day. Went 5-5 and scored 5 runs in the famous 26-23 game between the Cubs and the Phillies (also in 1922), setting an NL record (later tied) by reaching base 7 times in a 9 inning game.

Charlie Jamieson– Nicknamed Cuckoo, the only outfielder to start 2 triple plays in a single season. He pulled it off in 1928.

George Kelly– The second Hall of Fame firstbaseman to replace Wally Pipp.

Clarence Mitchell– I don’t know if it’s as famous to you guys as it is to me, but it’s burned into my brain that Mitchell made five outs with two swings of the bat in game 5 of the 1920 World Series. The first of those two swings, of course, produced a line drive to second base. He was used as a pinch hitter in that series as well, and he got a hit. He reprised his mop-up act in the 1928 World Series, and he pitched effectively both times.

Bingo DeMoss – What is the fascination with Bingo DeMoss? Electing him would be more like electing Connie Mack or Charlie Comiskey as a player than a real all star player. Shouldn’t we be careful enough to pick the right players from the Negro Leagues? There are other well qualified candidates, aren’t there? Pete Hill, Chino Smith, Grant Johnson, etc. were to Bingo DeMoss like the 2012 All Stars are to Yorbit Torrealba. His best historical comp as a player might be Bruce Bochy, who was one hell of a backup catcher because he could field and hit with some pop, but he couldn’t get on base or move much once he got there. Both have better Hall cases for their post-playing accomplishments.

Am I all wet here? To me DeMoss has a good case as a contributor, but no case at all as a player.

50-50 club:
Babe Ruth, Joe Wood, Reb Russell, Johnny Cooney, Rick Ankiel, Rube Bressler

Results:

Ho hum. Eleven voters, the results:

154 Pop Lloyd
115 Smokey Joe Williams
*******************
85 Harry Heilmann
50 Wally Schang
47 Max Carey
36 Pete Hill
31 Bingo DeMoss
27 Edd Roush
17 Grant Johnson
15 Carl Mays
15 Chino Smith
13 Urban Shocker
11 Dave Bancroft
10 Heinie Groh
8 Wilbur Cooper
7 George Burns
7 Hippo Vaughn
6 Eddie Rommel
6 Cy Williams
5 Harry Hooper
3 Babe Adams
3 Dobie Moore