Archive for August, 2010

 

Work Stoppages

There were seven general work stoppages in major league baseball during the 20th century:

• 1972 – player strike, 13 days
• 1976 - owner lockout in spring training, 17 days
• 1980 - player strike in spring training, 7 days
• 1981 - player strike, 50 days
• 1985 - player strike, 2 days
• 1990 - owner lockout in spring training, 32 days
• 1994-1995 – player strike ends season on August 12th, postseason is cancelled, 1995 season is also shortened to 144 games, 232 days

 

Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith, the Death of the Reserve Clause

For a period of ten years, Dave McNally was one of the finest lefthanded pitchers in baseball. In his first major league start in September 1962, he pitched a shutout against the Kansas City A’s. He joined the Baltimore Orioles rotation the following year. What followed were 184 victories, two world championships, four pennants and five American League East titles, forming one of the great dynasties of the post-war era. From 1969-71 the Orioles joined a short list of teams that have won 100+ games in three consecutive years.

McNally went 13-6 in 1966 and shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers to complete the World Series sweep. In 1968 he posted his first of four straight 20+-victory seasons, at one point winning fifteen in a row. From 1968-71 he won 87 games with 644 strikeouts and a 2.82 ERA. The slugger homered in Game 5 of the World Series loss to the Miracle Mets of 1969.

In 1970, he led the league with 24 wins and 40 starts. The 3-time All-Star won Game 3 in that year’s World Series defeat of Cincinnati, adding a grand slam of his own. The following year McNally was one of four Baltimore pitchers to win 20+ games, a feat matched only one other time in history. The southpaw won two more games in the World Series versus the Pirates; though, Pittsburgh, led by Roberto Clemente, won in seven.

In mid-1971 McNally began experiencing arm trouble which eventually led to retirement in 1975. A tiff with Baltimore management concerning the arbitration process prompted the Orioles to trade him to Montreal in December 1974, a coup for the Orioles that brought over Ken Singleton and Mike Torrez.

In 1975, McNally planned retirement because he felt that the Expos had reneged on promises they made him, his arm was hurting and to focus on his car dealership. Before he left, though, he made baseball history.

Los Angeles Dodger righthander Andy Messersmith, a wholly underrated pitcher, and McNally played the 1975 season without signing their contracts. Management wasn’t concerned because they had just won the Curt Flood case and, simply, relied on their ever binding reserve clause. Marvin Miller, head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, thought otherwise.

Arbitrator Peter Seitz reviewed the case over the winter. In December Seitz declared the two players free agents. It was the players union’s greatest victory. Now, ballplayers could enjoy the right that every other American worker, in theory, shared – the ability to negotiate for the best wage and circumstances of employment.

Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, management’s point man, immediately fired Seitz but it was too late, baseball was forever changed. The reserve clause was found to be non-binding. Seitz did what the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Congress could not; he eliminated a hundred years of perpetual player servitude to a major league club. (Actually the reserve system was merely modified through collective bargaining and survives today.)

All one had to do was play a year without signing his contract and he could attain free agency. Marvin Miller had to step up. He realized that if only few attained free agency each year, all would benefit. The larger the number that declared free agency, the weaker their position during negotiations. If there were a lot of free agents, few would gain substantial contracts.

Messersmith immediately capitalized, signing a $1.5 million, 5-year contract with Ted Turner’s Atlanta Braves. Many would follow. McNally retired as planned, ending with an impressive 184-119 record, 3.24 ERA and 1,512 Ks. The lefthander poured it on in the postseason, notching a 4-2 record, 2.34 ERA in four World Series and a 3-2 record, 2.68 ERA in five American League Championship Series.

 

20^th Century+ Franchise Relocations

The following is a list of American and National League franchise relocations (as defined by a complete change in fan base) since 1901:

1902                Browns                       Milwaukee to St. Louis

1903                Yankees                     Baltimore to New York

1953                Braves                         Boston to Milwaukee

1954                Orioles                        St. Louis to Baltimore

1955                A’s                                Philadelphia to Kansas City

1958                Dodgers                      Brooklyn to Los Angeles

1958                Giants                          New York to San Francisco

1961                Twins                           Washington to Minnesota

1966                Braves                         Milwaukee to Atlanta

1968                A’s                                 Kansas City to Oakland

1970               Brewers                       Seattle to Milwaukee

1972               Rangers                       Washington to Texas

2005              Nationals                     Montreal to Washington

In the first such move since 1892 the Milwaukee Brewers switched leagues in 1998 to establish the current 14 American League, 16 National League team structure.  The hope of team officials was to spark a National League rivalry with the nearby Chicago Cubs.

 

20th Century Major League Expansion

The major leagues held off on expanding from their traditional 16-team format until 1961 after Bill Shea threatened the development of a third major league, the Continental League.  Major League Baseball for decades had opted for stability over expansionism despite the strong, and profitable, lure of the West.

The Pacific Coast League, established in 1903, was extremely successful, offering a foresighted entrepreneur a tremendous opportunity.  That man was Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley.  But, it wasn’t until 1958 that he took Horace Stoneman’s Giants with him to California to capitalize on the potential riches.  The NFL had already implanted a franchise in California in 1946, demonstrating the feasibility of air travel.

If all major league players owe a debt of gratitude to Curt Flood, then it could be said that all baseball owners should likewise recognize O’Malley.  Actually, Don Barnes had the transfer of the St. Louis Browns to Los Angeles virtually completed in December 1941 but the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor, dashing the ambitious plans.

The Braves (1953 to Milwaukee) and Browns (1954 to Baltimore) had already relocated, easing O’Malley’s transition.  The Braves, in particular, jumped from 281,000 to 1.8 million in attendance the first year.  A gold mine was unearthed.  Others would soon follow, making even greater demands of their welcoming cities.

In 1961, the big leagues began adding teams, offering a shot to an extra 25 men per club plus numerous minor league and front office jobs.  It was a tremendous boon for the industry.  The major drawback, as bore out by the 1990s, is the scarcity of effective pitching.

In the latter part of the 20th century baseball, for the first time, experienced significant competition for the best athletic talent.  American youths began focusing on other sports, such as, basketball, football, hockey, golf, tennis plus numerous others. 

Young men now spend more time in front of their computer or television set or playing video games than in honing their athletic skills. Baseball has compensated by attracting a greater amount of foreign-born players than the other major sports. 

The following is a list of major league expansion during the century:

1961    American League

• Los Angeles Angels
• Washington Senators

1962    National League

• Houston Colt .45’s
• New York Mets

1969    American League

• Kansas City Royals
• Seattle Pilots

1969 National League

• Montreal Royals
• San Diego Padres

1977    American League

• Toronto Blue Jays
• Seattle Mariners

1993    National League

• Colorado Rockies
• Florida Marlins

1998 American League

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

1998 National League

Arizona Diamondbacks

Financing concerns of the Red Stockings of Cincinnati – famously known as the first professional nine – led to the team’s demise at the end of 1870.

Highlights of a speech by Aaron Champion of the Cincinnati Red Stockings at their monthly meeting in August 1870:

The club was organized on July 23, 1866 and stated out in debt. They first rented the old park on Richmond Street and made improvements to it. It was soon found to be too small and the club secured lease (and then improve) the Union Grounds from the Union Cricket Club.

The cricket club had about $2,000 in capital and the baseball club was to raise a similar amount so that they could have joint control over the grounds.

New debts were incurred in 1867 and the club found itself in debt to the amount of $700.

(During the summer of 1867 the Reds lost to the touring Nationals of Washington, D.C. The loss sparked management to hire Harry Wright as manager at the end of the year to amass the first openly professional club)

By the winter of 1867-68, the proprietors of the Union Grounds fell on hard times and the Reds, fearing the loss of a ball grounds, entered into agreement with the cricket club whereby the Reds became sole proprietor of the grounds. The Reds had to assume the outstanding debts to do so. The agreement permitted the cricket club to play one day a week at the site.

In November 1868, the Reds were in debt to the amount of $9,000 due in part to the ballpark and $3,000 in notes to pay for the building of the Grand Dutchess. To help erase this debt, the officers decided to dispose of $7,500 worth of stock. They suceeded in selling only $3,000 worth of stock.

In 1869 at the beginning of the season, the club was indebted for the Union Grounds to the sum of $6,000 plus player contracts costing $9,000. With accruing rent the the total indebtedness sat between $15-16,000 on March 15, 1869. This had to be paid off by November 15.

The club then began their eastern trip. Only $500 was raised to cover the trip’s costs prior to departing. The club president, accompanying the club, had only $250 (after giving his men some money) in his pocket to kick off the trip. By the time they reached NY, the money was gone. But the tripped proved successful and he returned with a net of $1,700 from ticket sales.

The club made other trips during the season and also played to some large audiences at home. At the close of the season the club was able to wipe out all but $1,000 of its debt, a good year considering.

By the middle of 1870, the club had finally showed a marginal profit. The club had $3,523.67 plus $500 in U.S. bonds.

Gradified to finally be out of debt and exhausted from the struggles along the way, the Reds director Thomas G. Smith, secretary John P. Joyce and chairman Champion resigned in August 1870.

New York Times 8/5/1870

The Sporting News 12/18/1886

The stunningly successful Red Stockings of Cincinnati announced on 11/22/1870 that they are purging the club of professionals. The team is debt free and wishes to stay that way. They are done with paying heavy salaries and done listening to the gripes of players about others’ rate of pay.

The members of the professional nine are already separating. Consequently, when the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players is formed in March 1871, the Red Stockings will have been disbanded.

New York Times 11/23/1870    

New York Times 11/26/1870

 

It was popular during the early 20th century for players to leave their gloves on the field while they were at bat. Not all the players did it, but quite a few did. In general, the outfielders and middle infielders would leave them in the outfield and the corner fielders would drop them in fair territory.

You can see the practice in old films such as When it was a Game and World Series DVDs – through the 1953 series.

This caused surprisingly few controversies over the decades. The most recent controversy stemmed from a game on July 12, 1952 between the White Sox and Senators. Washington was trailing 1-0 in the fifth inning when White Sox shortstop Sam Dente, making a play on a ball hit by Jim Busby, tripped over Pete Runnels’ glove which was laying in short left field. He was charged with an error which would have been the third out. The Senators then scored twice to take the lead and eventual win.

Dente, not the glove, was roundly blamed:

Washington Post 7/13/1952

A rule was agreed to on November 3, 1953 to eliminate the practice.

New York Times 11/4/1953

The Sporting News 11/11/1953

Some were quite preturbed by the change of custom. The Texas League tried to repeal the new rule citing that it cause a delay in game:

Washington Post 3/27/1954

Others, like the TL, wanted to buck the system as well:

Chicago Tribune 4/15/1954

Hartford Courant 4/17/1954

The Sporting News 4/14/1954

The Sporting News 4/21/1954

 

The Marcelles

Ghost Marcelle

Oliver Hazzard Marcelle 

Oliver Marcelle was born on June 1, 21 or 24, 1895 in Thibodaux, Louisiana, a city about 68 miles from New Orleans, in Lafourche County. 

Family (entire family born in Louisiana): 

• Father – Daniel, born in January 1865
• Mother – Eliza, born in February 1867 
• Elnora, born in February 1887
• John, born in June 1888
• Celestine, born in July 1891
• Ann, born in February 1894
• Oliver
• Cecelia, born in October 1897 

Daniel and Eliza were married circa 1884. Daniel supported the family as a laborer. Sometime between 1900 and 1910, the family moved to New Orleans. The 1910 US Census shows Eliza, a widow, working doing laundry in a private home. Oliver, about 15, was working as porter in a store. 

Records are contradictory as to Daniel’s fate. His wife is listed as widowed in 1910, which seems to be the case. However, Oliver listed his father as living in New Orleans at the time he applied for a passport in 1920. 

Marcelle attended Thomy Lafon Elementary School in New Orleans through the eighth grade and then went to high school at New Orleans University. 

BASEBALL 

Marcelle played amateur baseball in New Orleans as a teenager. In 1914, at age 18, he began playing semi-pro ball in and around the area. He played for the New Orleans Black Eagles and was probably a teammate of Dave Malarcher, who also grew up in the area, with this club. 

In 1917, Marcelle played in the Texas Colored League for a club owned by an Eenox Whitaker (?) – per Marcelle’s WWI registration card. In 1918 at age 22, Marcelle moved north to pursue a professional career. He landed in Schenectady, New York. 

Professional ball clubs: 

• 1918-19 Brooklyn Royal Giants
• 1920-23 Atlantic City Bacharach Giants
• 1924 New York Lincoln Giants
• 1925 New York Lincoln Giants, Atlantic City Bacharach Giants
• 1926-28 Atlantic City Bacharach Giants
• 1929 Baltimore Black Sox
• 1930 Brooklyn Royal Giants 

Marcelle is considered by many as one of the top third baseman in Negro league history for both his heavy hitting and stellar defensive play. He batted and threw righthanded and was between 5’9” and 5’11” tall and weighed approximately 165 lbs. 

His nickname derives from his fielding ability. He played significantly closer to the batter than all other third basemen, perhaps as much as ten feet. The Ghost moniker comes from the impression that he would suddenly appear out of nowhere to snare a line drive or grab a hard-hit shot. Others claim that his nicknamed derived from his thirst for the night life – specifically that he was never in his hotel room; he disappeared like a ghost. 

Notes:

On May 14, 1925 Marcelle was traded by the New York Lincoln Giants to the Bacharachs for three pitchers: Roy Roberts, Savage and John Harper. Harper refused to report, causing Marcelle to be returned to the Lincoln Giants in June before the deal could be reworked. 

In early December 1928 in Cuba Marcelle took a ball in the mouth thrown by Willie Wells. It cost him two teeth. 

On March 25, 1929 Marcelle was traded by the Bacharachs with catcher John Cason to the Baltimore Black Sox for catcher Mack Eggleston, pitcher McClure and infielder Lindsey. 

The 1929 Baltimore infield was known as the “Million Dollar Infield.” It also included shortstop Dick Lundy, Frank Warfield and Jud Wilson. 

He appeared in postseason:

• 1926 with A.C. Bacharach Giants, Eastern Colored League
• 1927 with A.C. Bacharach Giants, Eastern Colored League 

Marcelle spent eight winters playing ball in Cuba throughout the 1920s. Overall, he hit .305 there and led the league in 1923-24. 

Marcelle continued to play semi-pro ball with some independent clubs after 1930. He also coached. In 1933, he played with the Miami Giants. In 1934 he played with the Denver White Elephants. Teammates that year included Buck O’Neil and Pete Albright. Marcelle was involved in baseball through 1944. 

VIOLENCE 

Marcelle was a heavy drinker nearly all his adult life, and a violent one. He continually argued and fought with umpires, teammates, opponents and many that crossed his path. 

As usual, Marcelle hit the town with teammates on May 1, 1925 in New York City after a 6-1 victory over the Bacharach Giants. He tied one on Dave Brown and Frank Wickware at a speakeasy in Harlem. That evening, the three ballplayers were involved in a bar fight, perhaps an argument over cocaine. At 3:25 am on Tuesday morning a Benjamin Adair, 31 and armed with a pistol, was shot to death on the street in front of 61 West 135th Street, supposedly by Brown.

The ballplayers ran and escaped in a taxi. Adair was DOA at Harlem Hospital from a gunshot wound(s) to the abdomen. The police appeared at the ballpark on Tuesday and interviewed Marcelle and Wickware but Brown had apparently fled town. He was added to the fugitive lists with the FBI and his whereabouts from then on would be open to question. Marcelle and Wickware were released. 

During a craps game in Cuba over the winter of 1929-30, Marcelle and Frank Warfield fought. At some point in the melee Wickware bit a piece of Marcelle’s nose off. Marcelle wore a black patch over his nose in 1930 with the Brooklyn Royal Giants; he then retired from professional ball. 

Marcelle continued to mix alcohol and violence throughout the rest of his life.

Marriage Family

Marcelle married 16-year-old Hazel Taylor, a New Orleans native, circa 1914. They had two children: 

• Oliver, born in New Orleans circa 1915
• Everett, born in New Orleans on September 1, 1916 

Oliver and Hazel soon separated. She took the kids and moved in with her mother Bertha Taylor. The kids were raised in that household in New Orleans, which at times included one or two of Bertha’s brothers. Bertha worked as a cook for a private family; Hazel as a housemaid for a private family. 

Marcelle later married a woman named Lena, a Louisiana native, circa 1926. Lena was about 21 years old at the time. They were living together in Manhattan when the 1930 U.S. census was taken. 

Life after baseball

In the early 1930s Marcelle settled in Denver. He played some semi-pro ball and found employment as a house painter and general laborer. He continued to drink heavily which led to a deterioration of his health and a life of poverty. 

He died on June 12, 1949 in Denver of heart disease. He was buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave at Riverside Cemetery in Denver. A tombstone was erected in 1991 by baseball fans.

——————————————————– 

Ziggy Marcell

Everett Marcell 

Ziggy Marcel was the son of Oliver Marcelle but went by different spellings of his last name. Predominantly, Ziggy used Marcell but he was also known as Marcel. 

Everett Marcell was born on September 1, 1916 in New Orleans to Oliver Marcelle and Hazel Taylor Marcelle. His early family life is noted above. 

BASKETBALL 

Marcell, 6’3” and 185 lbs., made the biggest splash as one of the more colorful and effective basketball players of his time. Marcell, a forward, attended and played basketball at Southern University in Baton Rouge, New Orleans. 

Teams:

• 1941-45 Harlem Globetrotters
• 1951-52 Iowa Colored Ghosts
• 1946-48 Los Angeles Red Devils, guard
• 1948-49 Hollywood All-Stars 

Irv Noran and Jackie Robinson were teammates with the Red Devils in 1946-47. 

After retiring from full-time play, he organized, managed and occasionally played for some pro and semi-pro basketball clubs: 

• 1956-57 Los Angeles Sigmas
• 1958-59 Los Angeles 7-Up Redlegs
• 1959-60 Los Angeles Vagabonds 

In 1960, Marcell worked in the equipment room for the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Marcell also officiated basketball games. 

BASEBALL 

A righthander with a strong throwing arm, Marcell was a backup catcher, rarely holding down a starting spot. 

Teams:

• 1939 Satchel Paige All-Stars, Kansas City Monarchs, New York Black Yankees, Baltimore Elite Giants
• 1940 Homestead Grays
• 1941 Baltimore Elite Giants, New York Black Yankees
• 1942 Chicago American Giants
• 1945 Pittsburgh Crawfords, Harlem Globetrotters
• 1946 Seattle Steelheads, Cincinnati Crescents
• 1947 Baltimore Elite Giants
• 1948 Newark Eagles, Kansas City Monarchs
• 1949 Harlem Globetrotters
• 1950 Farnham (Quebec) of the Canadian Provincial League, Class-C 

Marcell bounced around in 1939 trying to make several clubs. Teams like Baltimore though had a solid catching staff which included Biz Mackey and Roy Campanella. 

In April 1941, Marcell was traded by the Baltimore Elite Giants with pitcher Tom Parker and first baseman James “Red” Moore to the New York Black Yankees for first baseman Johnny Washington. 

The 1946 Seattle Steelheads played in the West Coast Negro League. The club was the Harlem Globetrotter baseball team which played from 1944-54. They changed their name in 1946 to appeal to local crows. They would do the same in 1948 when they performed as the “Hawaiian All-Stars.” 

It’s likely that Marcell played with the Harlem Globetrotters baseball squad in more years than listed above. 

In organized baseball in 1950 Marcell batted .272 (80 for 294) in 89 games with Farnham. 

In April 1952, Marcell was invited to spring training with Lewsiton (Idaho) in the Class-A Western International League. He tried to make the team as a backup catcher – unsure if he actually appeared in any regular season games. Neither Farnham or Lewsiton were affiliated with any major league clubs. 

In the 1960s Marcell umpired Little League, Pony league and Babe Ruth League games in the Los Angeles area. 

FOOTBALL 

In 1944 Marcell played end for the Los Angeles Bulldogs in the Pacific Coast Football league. Jackie Robinson also played for the Bulldogs in 1944. Marcell also played for the Bulldogs in 1946. 

VIOLENCE 

Marcell was arrested on November 23, 1949 on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was arrested on his front porch with a butcher’s knife in his hands. According to Mrs. Marcell’s brother who also lived at the residence, he awoke hearing his sister screaming while Marcell was standing above her in bed with a knife. He was treated at the hospital for cuts to his hands. 

On August 11, 1957 Marcell was shot three times (right shoulder, right leg and abdomen) by a Mrs. Lessie B. Cox, a former live-in girlfriend. Cox told the police, “Ziggy and I were in church this morning. He kept saying he was going to kill me when we got to my house.” They continued to argue and Cox went into the house. Marcell soon followed and that’s when Cox shot him. She stated that Marcell had beaten her on more than one occasion. 

OUTSIDE SPORTS 

It appears that Marcell settled in Los Angles at least as early as 1944. Marcell married a woman named Tallulah. It appears that they separated between 1950 and ’52. 

Marcell died on October 10, 1990 in a Los Angeles hospital after a heart attack.