April 20, 1949 – Part One
Replay Highlights
Change of Plans
When I initially planned this blog, I wanted to keep game summaries and descriptions to a minimum. I thought it would be perfectly fine to choose a “game of the day” for each replay day – a game that was competitive and actually interesting – and keep my replaying comments focused on that game.
In only the third game of the season, however, I’ve run into a problem. There are simply too many games to choose from.
As a result, I’m going to go a bit slower now than I originally anticipated. Instead of trying to summarize an exciting game with a photo finish in a very brief paragraph, I’m going to give each interesting game its due.
I still don’t want to inundate you with boxscores, however. As much fun as it can be to read boxscores, my focus here is on the story within each game, not the statistical record alone. There are a few things that a boxscore can tell you – but, on the other hand, I can tell you what it was like to actually live through the game. After all, it’s the replay that really matters – not the statistics alone.
Pirates at Cubs
Of all the games to feature, this one was actually the least competitive.
The game started off quietly with that cool April wind blowing in at Wrigley. Pittsburgh managed to piece together a run in the top of the 4th inning, and the game remained 1-0 into the late stages.
There were two interesting parallel storylines going on by the 8th inning. On the one hand was 23-year-old Bob Rush, the Cubs starter who I decided to let stay in the game despite a high pitch count. Modern managers will certainly wince at the thought of putting a guy who has pitched 125 different pitches back out there – but this is 1949 we’re talking about. He didn’t exactly pitch brilliantly, but it was certainly good enough.
The more fascinating storyline, however, was rookie Pittsburgh starter Bill Werle. In his first Major League appearance, Werle made the Cubs look absolutely foolish. As the game progressed into the late innings, I realized that he had only given up a single base hit – a leadoff single to veteran Phil Cavarretta in the bottom of the 2nd. Of course, the Cubs being the Cubs, the next hitter promptly hit into a double play on the second pitch.
Usually this is the point where I tell you about all the late-inning drama – about all the great defensive plays that took place, or some of the difficult managerial decisions that I had to make – that sort of thing. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any of that here.
The Cubs’ offense is just bad. There’s no other way to put it. They were in absolutely no danger of getting so much as a base hit for the rest of the game. In fact – and this kind of shocks me to realize in retrospect – Cavarretta was the only base runner that Werle gave up.
That’s right – Werle threw about as close to a perfect game as you can throw, facing the minimum (27 hitters) and absolutely baffling the Cubs.
Rush, on the other hand, had some trouble in the top of the 8th. A hit batsman and two walks loaded the bases, which was more than enough for Bill Werle (who else?) to single in two more runs. The 3-0 margin was all the Pirates needed, as you can imagine.
I probably should have taken Rush out earlier, but I didn’t really want to. I was curious to see how he would pitch in the later innings. Aside from a few walks, he actually wasn’t that bad. I blame this loss on the Cubs’ inept offense, not on my own pitching decisions.
Seriously, though, there is no way that anybody was going to beat Werle in this one. 1 hit and 27 batters face on 100 pitches, 72 of which were strikes – and with 6 strikeouts to boot. What a way to start your career!
Forum Roundup
Mark Ruckhaus gives us two more 1959 games on a lovely Friday.
The Cardinals have moved ahead in Mike Mathias’ excellent 1934 replay. Brooklyn still has some time, though.