Cass Michaels Shocks the World
April 20, 1949 Part 2
April 20, 1949 Part 2
Boy, we really have some doozies coming up for you. Let’s get started!
The Chicago White Sox went to Detroit to face the Tigers in the second of a three game series. You might remember the first game, a 13-inning thriller I wrote about here.
This one was back and forth in the beginning. Detroit scored a first inning run; Chicago came back with two in the second; Detroit added 2 of their own in the bottom of the second.
It was 3 to 2 in the bottom of the 4th when the Tigers started what looked at the time like a major rally. Detroit manufactured a run on a walk, a bunt, a groundout, another walk, and a single. With runners on first and third, however, Hoot Evers grounded out to end the threat.
The White Sox didn’t go down lightly, though. Chicago threatened in every inning, finally scoring a third run in the top of the 5th after a critical error by George Kell. And on it went, 4-3, until the critical final moments of the game.
Detroit almost blew the game wide open again in the bottom of the 7th. After Vic Wertz walked with one out, Hoot Evers came up again, looking to avenge himself after killing their last rally. He hit a booming triple to deep right field. I figured the most logical thing to do was to go for the win at home, and so I sent Wertz around to score. He was thrown out at the plate after a brilliant throw by Dave Philley.
Then, in the top of the 9th, Cass Michaels shocked me by hitting a booming home run to left center field.
Michaels is a pretty interesting player. Born Casimir Kwietniewski, he hailed originally from Detroit, and clearly felt comfortable playing for the opposition in his hometown. 1949 was his best season, earning him the first of two All Star Game appearances; he would be mostly a journeyman for the rest of his career.
Chicago pieced together another run off Detroit starter Hal Newhouser (I’m really not fond of using relief pitchers, am I?) to go ahead 5-4, sending us down to the bottom of the 9th.
Detroit didn’t go down quietly. I put Pat Mullin in to pinch hit in hopes of a rally. Mullin walked, move to second on a bunt, then to third on a groundout – but, sadly, that’s all she wrote. Vic Wertz struck out to end the game, leaving that precious tying run a scintillating 90 feet away.
Newhouser didn’t walk a soul, which is really odd for a 1949 American League game. Of course, giving up 14 hits wasn’t exactly a great day at the park.
Forum Roundup
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Oddly, "Prince Hal" Newhouser pitched--and completed--the first MLB game I ever attended. It was between the Tigers and Senators at Griffith Stadium on Saturday August 23, 1952. The game was meaningless in baseball's long history. Washington finished in 5th place and Detroit in 8th that season. Going into the park I knew nothing about baseball, but the game made a long and lasting impression on me. Retrosheet says that the Tigers won that day 6-3. It doesn't indicate exactly how many pitches Newhouser threw, but it had to have been well over 100. Giving up 10 hits and walking 7 batters, he must have been in trouble all day, but was helped because the Senators left 11 men on base and grounded into 4 double plays. Clearly, it was a different baseball era back then.