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Weekly News October 27, 2014Description
Major League Baseball as It Used to Be: I first remember Major League Baseball in the 1930s when the New York Yankees were starting to dominate, as they did for several decades. I always rooted against the Yankees, which meant for the National League team fortunate enough to face them in the World Series. Things were simpler then. All games were afternoon games, all travel between big-league cities was by train, and each league had only eight teams, all east of the Mississippi except those in St. Louis. The season was completely fair, with each team playing each of its seven competitors 11 games at home and 11 games at the competitor’s ballpark. There was no Interleague play (except the best-of-seven World Series), no Wild Card teams, and no Division Championships. At the end of the 154-game season, a chart would appear on the sports page, showing how many games were won and lost with each of seven competitors.
Unfortunately, the south and west of the country were left out. The Pacific Coast League, with about eight teams from Vancouver to Southern California, played almost at the major league level. I went to one of those games in Sacramento in 1945 while stationed for a few days at nearby Mather Field. The eastern half of the American League consisted of the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Athletics, and the Washington Senators. The western half included the Cleveland Indians, the Detroit Tigers, the Chicago White Sox, and the St. Louis Browns. In the National League, those in the East were the Boston Braves, the New York Giants, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the Philadelphia Phillies. The western teams in the “National” were the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Even in the American League, the pitcher had to bat, and there was no designated hitter until sometime around 1970.
In the early 1930s, Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics were a dominant team. The team was broken up, supposedly to make the competition more even. After that, the “A’s” never did well until the team was relocated to Kansas City and finally to Oakland. The Phillies were a poor team for much of their history, in the same class with the St. Louis Browns and the Boston Braves. When Bob Carpenter bought the Phillies about 1943 and sought the services of former Yankees pitching great Herb Pennock of Kennett Square to help him build a new team, spirits looked up. Establishing the Wilmington Blue Rocks as a farm team, the Phillies improved, and the “Whiz Kids” finally won the pennant in 1950. They lost the Series in four straight games to the mighty Yankees, each game by a one-run margin. It took 30 years before they won the pennant again, but in 1980, they went all the way, first having to win a best-of-five play-off series against the Houston Astros and then defeating the Kansas City Royals, four games to two.
During World War II, we could listen to the afternoon games of the World Series on the radio, and if you went to the movies, short action clips of the games would be shown by Fox Movietone News or one of its competitors. In 1942, the St. Louis Cardinals finally beat the mighty Yankees, losing the first game and winning the next four. In ’43, the tables were turned with the Yankees defeating the Cardinals, also four games to one. The 1944 Series was all St. Louis, the Cardinals against the lowly Browns. Some were tight games, but the Cardinals prevailed, four games to two. On Okinawa in 1945, I brought down the wrath of other members of my crew when I told them who won a game while it was progressing. The Armed Services News report had given the score; the game was re-broadcast later (our time zone was 14 hours ahead of where the games were played). The Detroit Tigers won the series four games to three over the Chicago Cubs. In 1946, the Cardinals won against the highly favored Boston Red Sox in seven games with Harry “The Cat” Brecheen winning three of those games. Except when the Phillies were in it, the World Series from World War II to the present time are a blur. At present writing, it appears the 2014 World Series is going back to Kansas City with San Francisco leading, three games to two. I am really not a “dyed-in-the-wool” baseball fan; I have known a lot of them.
Work Report: On Tuesday, October 21, the following seven volunteers were on hand: Jerry Lucas (in charge), Ted Kamen, Bob Jordan, Steve Bryce, Dennis Dragon, Dave Leon, and Rose Ann Hoover.
The burner was removed from the Model 87. A number of boiler tubes in the center of the boiler had been leaking, apparently for some time, and the plug opposite the steam pipe hole (in the top) had corroded away. Insulation was blown all over the burner, but the grate does not appear to be cracked. Many of the #53-drill-size burner holes in the grate were choked. The bottom sheet of the boiler may have a very slight bulge. The burner was cleaned up, but insulation must be added and the tiny holes punched out (there are about 7,000 of them). A boiler change is indicated.
Gasoline was drained and blown out for the winter on the Models EX and K. A noise in the speedometer drive of the Model 607 was detected on its October 19 run. Examination indicated that the cable housing rubs on a sharp turn, and the new fiber gear does not mesh well with the gear on the wheel. Dennis Dragon will attempt to make a new 16-tooth fiber gear. The left rear hub cap that came off on the road (Model 607) was examined. The threads are damaged and fit too loose to hold. A remedy will be found soon. The Model 71 was checked over after its 10/19 run, the boiler syphoned full, and all seems well.
On Thursday, October 23, 11 volunteers answered the call: Mark Russell (in charge), Kelly Williams, Lou Mandich, Jared Schoenly, Emil Christofano, Dave Leon, Ted Kamen, Bob Jordan, Steve Bryce, Tim Ward, and Rose Ann Hoover.
The burner from the Model 87 was further cleaned, but the insulation job and punching out the holes remains ahead. On the Model 76, it was found that a brake pin on one of the external bands had “worked in,” come in contact with adjoining parts, and gotten bent. A new pin was made and installed, slightly modified, which should make a good job. One of the tires on the 76 was observed to be almost flat. Observation indicated a nail had been picked up on 10/19, causing a slight leak. The inner tube was removed and patched and is ready for insertion and inflation again.
The pilot on the Model 607, having gone out a few times on the 10/19 run, was examined. The Mountain Wagon was cleaned and the museum was thoroughly cleaned for the “Steamin’ Halloween” event on 10/ 26.
