Satchel
Indians at White Sox, May 15, 1949, Game 2
Satchel
I decided to start Satchel Paige for Cleveland in the second game of the doubleheader on May 15, 1949.
There wasn’t really much strategy behind this decision. I saw that he was available, and figured it would be fun.
He pitched pretty well, registering 6 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings against 4 walks. Not too bad for a 42 year old.
However, he left with the game tied at 3. And we quickly went into extra innings.
Extras
I know that the Indians are technically underdogs in 1949, since they wound up finishing in 3rd place in real life. It’s still hard to cheer for them, though. I really wanted the White Sox to win, and not just because I was managing them.
Sadly, White Sox starter Bill Wight wasn’t quite able to get it done.
Wight stayed into the game to pitch the 10th, mostly because the White Sox didn’t really have anybody trustworthy in the bullpen. He hadn’t thrown many pitches anyway, which in the Diamond Mind Baseball world means he was fit as a fiddle and ready to go.
Cleveland pinch hitter Ray Boone reached first, however, bringing up Ken Keltner:
Keltner’s bunt single put runners on at first and second with nobody up. Up came Lou Boudreau, who was leading the league in hitting just a few days ago:
Now there were two men in scoring position with only one out. Up came the always dangerous Mickey Vernon:
You really hate to see that happen. Poor Dave Philley made an awful throw, allowing the Indians to take a 5-3 lead.
And, boy, would that extra run ever loom large!
Philley came up with two men out in the bottom of the 10th, still down 5-3:
I suppose that’s one way to redeem yourself. The pitcher’s spot was due up next, and I stuck Billy Bowers in there to hit for Wight:
This entire doubleheader was filled with triples, causing me to ask a few questions about the park factors. Up next was Don Wheeler, and the few fans who stuck around after an entire day of baseball were on their feet:
Sadly, that’s the way it goes. Cleveland wins, 5-4.
This game is a good representation of how the Indians have played so far this season. They haven’t been overpowering, but they have been efficient, figuring out ways to outscore the opposition without necessarily outhitting them.
The White Sox, meanwhile, are a frustrating team to root for.
Daniel, one advantage of being old (80) is that I got to see many baseball greats play. I saw Ol' Satch pitch for the Browns against the Senators in 1953. Although he pitched in a game or two later pretty much as an exhibition, it was Paige's last full-time season in MLB. To be honest, however, at age 10 and not yet versed in baseball history, I didn't realize Paige's importance. I do recall that he was still an effective pitcher in 1953.