Denny Galehouse
The Man Who Should Not Have Started
Denny Galehouse
I was rereading an old favorite the other day when I came across a well known old story. This is that story from the 1948 American League one game playoff — as many of you know, the story of when Joe McCarthy decided to start the veteran Denny Galehouse instead of the young sensational pitcher Mel Parnell. As the good book reports:
Of course, I couldn’t just let this go by without at least some sort of comment.
First, it’s interesting to note that the Boston press wasn’t actually expecting Parnell to start. That seems to be a bit of a historical distortion. The Boston Globe speculated that Ellis Kinder would start the one game playoff:
This makes sense, of course, if you pay attention to the pitching rotations. After all, it was probably Kinder’s turn, not Parnell’s:
The other thing Halberstam doesn’t mention is that Joseph McCarthy almost lost his job over the decision:
It’s also interesting to note that the Boston press — well, The Boston Globe, at least — blamed the loss of the pennant in part on McCarthy not starting Micky Harris, of all people:
Now, Halberstam is correct that Bearden was a knuckleball pitcher who completely frustrated the Red Sox hitters. What he leaves out, though, is that Bearden was one of the very few left handed pitchers who have had success in Fenway Park. However, the contemporary reporters were able to mention that fact:
Now, there is a bit of historical irony here. In 1978, the next time the Red Sox found themselves in a one game playoff for first place, they just so happened to be playing at home. This time, however, the Yankees had the pitching sensation — Ron Guidry, who happened to be left handed. And New York started Guidry, instead of going for somebody more experienced like Dick Tidrow.
As for Galehouse — Denny only pitched 2 more times in the major leagues, both in relief. The first came as part of a mopup assignment on April 29, 1949 at Yankee Stadium:
The second came less than a week later, in a game that didn’t even count in the standings:
Galehouse was gone just a week later:
Denny didn’t go to Chicago after all, winding up with Seattle in the PCL to finish off the season.
So what do you do when you replay 1948? If the Red Sox and Indians wind up tied at the end of the season, do you pitch Galehouse? Or do you choose someone else?
Not really a comment (but didn't Connie Mack make an odd pitching choice to open a World Series? Can't think of the year.) Regardless, I was fortunate enough to produce a book on baseball strategy with Tony LaRussa. Part of an advertising campaign we ran in the pre-game show of every Cardinals game for 10 years. Just Q&A on managing. I wrote the questions (although we presented it a slightly different way), Joe Buck read them, and Tony recorded his answers without ever seeing the questions in advance. He called it a pop quiz on managing. After 6 years, we had more than 350 questions and answers, which I published in a book we sold to raise money for charity. I am retired now, but a longtime APBA and PLAAY gamer. I ave a few copies of the book left, and if you think you would find it interesting, I would happily send you a copy. Let me know at ric ran 71 at gee male dot com. Be well, Rick
My Father & my two older brothers tell a different story. McCarthy asked Birdie Tebbetts to go into the locker room and ask the pitchers who wanted to pitch the playoff game. The only pitcher who raised his hand was Denny Galehouse. On Gene Bearden, according to Bill Veeck, Casey Stengel had seen Bearden pitch in the Pacific Coast League. When Stengel managed the Yankees the next season he told his hitters not to swing at Bearden's knuckle ball which was often outside the strike zone. When Bearden would fall behind on the count, he would have to come in with his very ordinary fast ball. The word spread quickly throughout the league and Bearden was out of baseball by the end of the season