All American Team of 1934; the Birth of "World Baseball"
The Birth of World Baseball
copyright c 2006 Evan Pritchard for Amazine1.blogspot.com
Bud Selig and friends might want to believe they invented the World Baseball Classic, but the World Thing really started way back in 1934. Babe Ruth led an “All American” team to Japan just as the 1934 Major League season was ending. He brought with him his old friend Lou Gehrig, plus Jimmy Foxx, Lefty Gomez, and Charlie Gehringer. They played games all over Japan and defeated most of the teams they faced. The Japanese were thrilled and came out in droves to see him play, and see him beat them soundly. It was a preview reel for Mothra and Godzilla. Everywhere people were erecting statues and plaques to The Bambino. Some say they revered him as a God. Ruth was quoted as saying, “At one time I had wanted to be a priest, now I am a God.” They also liked King Kong.
The Bambino had a fine tour, with 14 home runs, and won the “triple crown” of the exhibition tour, with a better average, more homers and more RBIs than the other members of his All-Star cast or the opposing teams. Going along with that august crowd was a former catcher and reporter named Moe Berg. It is now known today that he was a spy, gathering intelligence on Japan for the US but spurious rumor has it that he was a double agent also spying for the Nazis. It was Ruth’s last masterful performance. Though he was so great in Japan, he hit only two or three legit homers the following year, and quit in May due to health reasons. He died less than ten years later, of throat cancer. Nonetheless, he managed to leave yet another legacy, and I hope that some day those folks at MLB and
Cooperstown
give him some credit for helping to set the foundation for the World Baseball Classic.
The World Classic Today (written March 17th, 2006)
The World Classic, or “World Cup,” (not to be confused with the “Goblet of Fire”)as some call it, is a very different story today. Just like 1934, the Yankees are heavily represented on the American team, and just like 1934, the Mets are as hard to find on that American team as hen’s teeth in Japan. In fact, there were no Mets in 1934, and there are just as few Mets on this so-called American team. Present and former Yankees on the US team include Derek Jeter, ARod, Roger Clemens, and Johnny Damon. They have already been eliminated from competition, by Japan, Korea, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico.
Where are the present and former Mets players in the World Classic? On the winning teams! Those players who have been touched by Mets magic in the past include Dae Sung Koo, and Jae Seo, both of whom are now pitching for the invincible (undefeated) South Korean Team. Koo has a 1 and 0 record in five games with a 1.13 ERA in 8 innings. Jae Seo, always one of my favorites, and who always be a Met in my mind, has 2 wins and 0 losses in the World Cup, with a 1.0 ERA in nine innings, with seven strikeouts and 2 walks. (Chan Ho Park by the way has a 0.00 ERA in 10 innings with 8 strikeouts and no walks ) Korea’s pitching is spilling the world cup of baseball, and making headlines around the world.
But the Met magic doesn’t stop there. Another team that is doing rather nicely is the Dominican Republic team. Reyes is 1 for 5 with two stolen bases. He actually got a walk, which doesn’t happen every day. Duaner Sanchez, the newest Dominican Met pitcher, has a zero ERA in four innings pitched, with two strikeouts. That’s just about perfect. Team Puerto Rico is doing fine in the World Classic as well. Not surprising, as they have Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado batting 1.000 for them. Hey, I‘ll take half of that when he plays for the Mets this year. Jose Valentin is 7 for 24 with 2 stolen bases. Carlos Beltran is 6 for 21 with two home runs and 5 RBIs and 2 stolen bases, plus 5 walks. I’d say that’s world class. We’ll expect similar numbers this coming season. Jose Santiago, who made the Mets’ non-roster invitee list this spring, has an ERA of 1.13 in The World Baseball Classic, with 4 strikeouts in 8 innings pitched. Pedro Feliciano, another non-roster invitee to the Mets training camp, has not given up a hit in the World Baseball Tourney yet. Some guys will do anything to keep from having to do calisthenics. Together, these guys have beaten the Bambino’s modern day successors, who would not let them play on their elite Team America. It seems as if Team Queens is taking the world by storm in their own modest way, which is appropriate since Queens is the multi-cultural capitol of the United States. One thing is for sure, baseball is not a white man’s game any more! If Babe Ruth were alive today, he’d be faking Spanish. He’d also be 110 years old. I can see it now, the Babe is coming up to pinch hit in the ninth in that last game in Mexico, and he sees Clemens. The Rocket says, “Hey Babe, I think we’re surrounded!” And the Babe, who looks remarkably like Pancho Villa, would say, “What do you mean we, gringo?”
Japan Wins World Cup
Evan Pritchard
I can't believe I watched a game where no Mets were playing! (Just kidding!) What struck me most was how old some of the Cuban players were, and how young the Japanese were, they looked like rock stars, whereas the Cubans looked timeless, like they could be grandfathers. How do these Cuban players, and this includes those playing in the majors as well, stay in such great shape well into old age? (I'll look into this question, interview some experts on the subject, and get back to you.)
Of course, the oldest of the old, was Sadaharu Oh himself, manager of the Japanese team. He must be going on one hundred. He probably saw Babe Ruth hit a home run on his trip through Japan in 1934 and gotten inspired to beat Ruth's record.
The following is from Jim Albright's website baseball guru: It gives us an idea about Oh's accomplishments at the plate.
"For those who denigrate Oh’s accomplishments based upon the quality of play and/or the short fences, it is important to understand just how drastically one must discount Oh's actual performance to drop him below the level of certain HOFers. For instance, everybody in the majors who scored more than 1643 runs is in the Hall. Oh has more than 20% more than that. Everybody with 465 or more homers in the majors is in the Hall. Oh has 187% of that total. Everybody with more than 4787 total bases in the majors is in. Oh has 122% of that total. Everybody with more than 1628 RBI in the majors has a plaque. Oh has 133% of that total. In short, one must heavily discount Oh’s actual performance to get him out of HOF territory."
Even down 6 to 1, I felt that the Cubans had a shot. You could see the determination on their faces. In fact, they did score six runs, but too late; the Japanese had a four run rally in the top of the ninth to put it out of range, inspired by Oh's dominating presence. Both the Cuban and Japanese are worthy of the silver cup. We'll see what happens next time. Maybe next time I'll be selected to play on the United Algonkian-Speaking People's Team. All announcements will have to be bi-lingual.
Coming soon: another expose of the Yankees; a critical look at the Yankees/RedSox rivalry through the years. Who is really the better team?
March 21, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1)
copyright c 2006 Evan Pritchard for Amazine1.blogspot.com
Bud Selig and friends might want to believe they invented the World Baseball Classic, but the World Thing really started way back in 1934. Babe Ruth led an “All American” team to Japan just as the 1934 Major League season was ending. He brought with him his old friend Lou Gehrig, plus Jimmy Foxx, Lefty Gomez, and Charlie Gehringer. They played games all over Japan and defeated most of the teams they faced. The Japanese were thrilled and came out in droves to see him play, and see him beat them soundly. It was a preview reel for Mothra and Godzilla. Everywhere people were erecting statues and plaques to The Bambino. Some say they revered him as a God. Ruth was quoted as saying, “At one time I had wanted to be a priest, now I am a God.” They also liked King Kong.
The Bambino had a fine tour, with 14 home runs, and won the “triple crown” of the exhibition tour, with a better average, more homers and more RBIs than the other members of his All-Star cast or the opposing teams. Going along with that august crowd was a former catcher and reporter named Moe Berg. It is now known today that he was a spy, gathering intelligence on Japan for the US but spurious rumor has it that he was a double agent also spying for the Nazis. It was Ruth’s last masterful performance. Though he was so great in Japan, he hit only two or three legit homers the following year, and quit in May due to health reasons. He died less than ten years later, of throat cancer. Nonetheless, he managed to leave yet another legacy, and I hope that some day those folks at MLB and
Cooperstown
give him some credit for helping to set the foundation for the World Baseball Classic.
The World Classic Today (written March 17th, 2006)
The World Classic, or “World Cup,” (not to be confused with the “Goblet of Fire”)as some call it, is a very different story today. Just like 1934, the Yankees are heavily represented on the American team, and just like 1934, the Mets are as hard to find on that American team as hen’s teeth in Japan. In fact, there were no Mets in 1934, and there are just as few Mets on this so-called American team. Present and former Yankees on the US team include Derek Jeter, ARod, Roger Clemens, and Johnny Damon. They have already been eliminated from competition, by Japan, Korea, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico.
Where are the present and former Mets players in the World Classic? On the winning teams! Those players who have been touched by Mets magic in the past include Dae Sung Koo, and Jae Seo, both of whom are now pitching for the invincible (undefeated) South Korean Team. Koo has a 1 and 0 record in five games with a 1.13 ERA in 8 innings. Jae Seo, always one of my favorites, and who always be a Met in my mind, has 2 wins and 0 losses in the World Cup, with a 1.0 ERA in nine innings, with seven strikeouts and 2 walks. (Chan Ho Park by the way has a 0.00 ERA in 10 innings with 8 strikeouts and no walks ) Korea’s pitching is spilling the world cup of baseball, and making headlines around the world.
But the Met magic doesn’t stop there. Another team that is doing rather nicely is the Dominican Republic team. Reyes is 1 for 5 with two stolen bases. He actually got a walk, which doesn’t happen every day. Duaner Sanchez, the newest Dominican Met pitcher, has a zero ERA in four innings pitched, with two strikeouts. That’s just about perfect. Team Puerto Rico is doing fine in the World Classic as well. Not surprising, as they have Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado batting 1.000 for them. Hey, I‘ll take half of that when he plays for the Mets this year. Jose Valentin is 7 for 24 with 2 stolen bases. Carlos Beltran is 6 for 21 with two home runs and 5 RBIs and 2 stolen bases, plus 5 walks. I’d say that’s world class. We’ll expect similar numbers this coming season. Jose Santiago, who made the Mets’ non-roster invitee list this spring, has an ERA of 1.13 in The World Baseball Classic, with 4 strikeouts in 8 innings pitched. Pedro Feliciano, another non-roster invitee to the Mets training camp, has not given up a hit in the World Baseball Tourney yet. Some guys will do anything to keep from having to do calisthenics. Together, these guys have beaten the Bambino’s modern day successors, who would not let them play on their elite Team America. It seems as if Team Queens is taking the world by storm in their own modest way, which is appropriate since Queens is the multi-cultural capitol of the United States. One thing is for sure, baseball is not a white man’s game any more! If Babe Ruth were alive today, he’d be faking Spanish. He’d also be 110 years old. I can see it now, the Babe is coming up to pinch hit in the ninth in that last game in Mexico, and he sees Clemens. The Rocket says, “Hey Babe, I think we’re surrounded!” And the Babe, who looks remarkably like Pancho Villa, would say, “What do you mean we, gringo?”
Japan Wins World Cup
Evan Pritchard
I can't believe I watched a game where no Mets were playing! (Just kidding!) What struck me most was how old some of the Cuban players were, and how young the Japanese were, they looked like rock stars, whereas the Cubans looked timeless, like they could be grandfathers. How do these Cuban players, and this includes those playing in the majors as well, stay in such great shape well into old age? (I'll look into this question, interview some experts on the subject, and get back to you.)
Of course, the oldest of the old, was Sadaharu Oh himself, manager of the Japanese team. He must be going on one hundred. He probably saw Babe Ruth hit a home run on his trip through Japan in 1934 and gotten inspired to beat Ruth's record.
The following is from Jim Albright's website baseball guru: It gives us an idea about Oh's accomplishments at the plate.
"For those who denigrate Oh’s accomplishments based upon the quality of play and/or the short fences, it is important to understand just how drastically one must discount Oh's actual performance to drop him below the level of certain HOFers. For instance, everybody in the majors who scored more than 1643 runs is in the Hall. Oh has more than 20% more than that. Everybody with 465 or more homers in the majors is in the Hall. Oh has 187% of that total. Everybody with more than 4787 total bases in the majors is in. Oh has 122% of that total. Everybody with more than 1628 RBI in the majors has a plaque. Oh has 133% of that total. In short, one must heavily discount Oh’s actual performance to get him out of HOF territory."
Even down 6 to 1, I felt that the Cubans had a shot. You could see the determination on their faces. In fact, they did score six runs, but too late; the Japanese had a four run rally in the top of the ninth to put it out of range, inspired by Oh's dominating presence. Both the Cuban and Japanese are worthy of the silver cup. We'll see what happens next time. Maybe next time I'll be selected to play on the United Algonkian-Speaking People's Team. All announcements will have to be bi-lingual.
Coming soon: another expose of the Yankees; a critical look at the Yankees/RedSox rivalry through the years. Who is really the better team?
March 21, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1)
posted by evan pritchard | 7:52 PM
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