American Heroes
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(Index)
Paul Richards
Manager, General Manager, Director of Player Development, 1938-1976.
Started managing the Atlanta Crackers, a minor league team, in 1938 until 1942. During World War ll, Paul was a catcher with the Detroit Tigers. In 1950, he started managing the Chicago White Sox and his handling of young pitchers put them, in 1951, in fourth place. This was the highest finish for the White Sox in 9 years. The Chi Sox were 81-73.
Again in 1952 they won 81 games, won 89 in 1953 and 91 in 1954, they ended in fourth place all four years. The Chi Sox could not best the Yankees, Indians or Red Sox. Richards moved on to Baltimore Orioles, managing them until 1961, when he became the first general manager of the Houston Colts.
In 1966, Richards was off to the Atlanta Braves and was vice president of baseball operations until 1973. In 1976, he managed the White Sox again for one year. Richards was a great innovator and invented the pitching machine and the big catcher's mitt used to catch knuckle balls. He helped develop several young pitchers; Jack Harshman, Billy Pirece, Milt Pappas, Consuegra, Hoyt Wilhelm, O'Dell, and Dick Donovan into top pitchers.
Paul Richards lifetime managing record was 923 wins and 901 loses. Richards landed jobs with last place teams and when they started to win, he would leave to start anew elsewhere.
Al Lopez
Catcher Right-handed; Brooklyn Dodgers 1928-35; Boston Bees 1936-40; Pitts Pirates 1941-46; Cleveland Indians 1947. Manager: Cleve. Indians 1951-56, Chicago White Sox
1957-63.
Al Lopez held the career mark for games caught as a catcher for four decades. This 'Hall of Famer' caught an amazing 1918 games. In his first full season, 1930, he batted .309 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He played in the 1934 All-Star game and the next year was traded to the Boston Bees (Braves).
Lopez led NL catchers in fielding four times and in 1941, he played 114 games without a passed ball. His 12 seasons of catching over 100 games ranks 2nd only to Johnny Bench's 13.
Al Lopez was rated, "a catcher's catcher; with his good glove, strong throwing arm and his ability to handle pitchers with his soothing personality".
He retired from playing in 1947 and became the Cleveland Indians' manager in 1951. Lopez's knowledge and gentle personality brought instant success to the Indians. He piloted the 'Tribe' to an AL record 111 wins in 1954 only to lose to the N.Y. Giants. This team featured one of the greatest pitching staffs in baseball; with Bob Lemon, Mike Garcia, Early Wynn and relievers Don Mossi and Ray Narleski.
The next two season, Lopez guided the Indians to two straight 2nd place finishes.
In 1957, Al Lopez became the Chicago White Sox manager. His success with the "Go Go White Sox" brought them the pennant in 1959; their first pennant since 1919. In '59 Dodgers bested the White Sox 4 games to 2 to win the title.
Lopez's managerial record was 1,400 wins and 1,004 loses; the third best of all-time. Only one of his teams finished below second place; the 1960 White Sox were third. After he retired in 1965, Mr. Al Lopez could be seen in the seating section of the Comiskey Park grandstands and always found time to autograph fans scorecards.
In his great 'Hall of Fame' career, Al Lopez batted .261 in 5916 at bats, lined 206 Doubles and only struckout 538 times. baseballhistorian.com All Rights Reserved Al Lopez
Connie Mack
Manager & Owner 1901-1951, Philadelphia Athletics -
career managing record 3731 wins, 3948 losses, both
major league records - died at at 93 in 1956.
The Philadelphia Athletics were owned and managed by Connie Mack for fifty years 1901-1951. The Athletics were baseballs most dominant team from 1901-1915, winning 6 of the first 14 pennants in the American League's history.
After winning 4 pennants in 5 years, Mack lost some of his top stars to the new Federal League and sold off the others. Mack's Athletics stayed in last place for seven years. He purchased Lefty Grove from the Federal League, acquired Jimmy Foxx, Max Bishop, Rube Walberg and others and won the World Series in 1929 and 1930, plus in 1931 his Athletics took the pennant but were beaten by the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
Four years after Connie Mack retired the A's were sold and moved to Kansas City. baseballhistorian.com archives WS
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7 World Championships - Joe McCarthy
Manager - Chicago Cubs & New York Yankees 1926-1950
Major League Baseball History
Joe McCarthy managed seven World Champions (a record shared by Casey Stengel ). In 1926, McCarthy was named manager of the Chicago Cubs and led them to the National League pennant in 1929. Fired by the Cubs in 1930, McCarthy assumed the New York Yankees' helms the next year. In 1932, Joe McCarthy became the first manager to win pennants in both leagues. In the ensuing World Series the Yankees sweep the Chicago Cubs. McCarthy's powerful Yankee squads included Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and "Jolting Joe" DiMaggio. Joe McCarthy managed the N. Y. Yankees to four consecutive world titles; 1936-1939. McCarthy's teams were awesome and seldom had a difficult pennant race and for the most part overwhelmed their World Series foes. Baseball Historian
Winning World Series... Sparky Anderson
Manager Cincinnati Reds & Detroit Tigers 1970-1990's
Sparky Anderson managed both the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers to World Championships. In 1970, his first year as the Reds manager he led them to 102 wins and a pennant before losing to the Baltimore Orioles in a five game World Series. In nine years of managing the "Big Red Machine", he won 5 division titles, four pennants and two World Championships, only once finishing below 2nd place. In 1975, Anderson's remarkable Reds won the World Crown by beating the Boston Red Sox in a memorable 7 games. Moving to Detroit in 1979, Sparky Anderson's Tigers won the World Title in 1984 and captured a division title in 1987. baseballhistorian.com
John McGraw
The Little Napoleon, Player 1891-1906, Player Manager
1899-1932, Baltimore, St Louis Cardinals and New York Giants
John McGraw was the dominant figure in baseball during the 1890-1930's. He was an all-star player and a great manager and had a profound understanding of the game and was always alert to the opportunities each inning presented.
Nicknamed Little Napoleon his personality was arrogant, abusive to his opponents and players. He verbally attacked his opponents, sometimes attacking them with his fists, and always out managed them. In his 29 years as the New York Giants' manager, McGraw finished first or second 21 times. His Giants won ten pennants and three World Series. baseballhistorian.com
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Another Time, Another Place - Early Base Ball |
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July 8, 1907 - The Miles Commission, set up by owners of major league teams, are determined to find the long-sought origins of baseball in the United States. It receives a letter from Abner Graves, a long-time baseball fan, who claims he witnessed Abner Doubleday designing a baseball diamond and explaining the rules of the new game to young school boys in 1839 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Although, Graves was only five years old at the time, he recalled Mr. Doubleday calling the game - base ball. Separately, Stephen C. Clark purchases an old baseball for $5.00 that was found in an old trunk on a farm in Fly Creek, New York, three miles from Cooperstown. The ball is put on display at the Village Club in Cooperstown, and it inspires the idea for a "hall of fame" in upstate New York.
--------------------------------------------- September 30, 1907 - Over 24,000 fans jam Columbia Park, in Philadelphia, which has only 15,000 seats, for a doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics. The first games pits Tiger ace 'Wild Bill' Donovan against the Athletics Jimmy Dygert. The Tigers rally from a 7-1 deficit after 6 innings. Tiger legend Ty Cobb sends the game into extra innings with a two-run double in the ninth; Cobb collect three hits in the game - a single and two doubles. In the 14th inning, a policeman steps in front of Detroit's center-fielder Sam Crawford and prevents him from making a catch of Harry Davis' fly ball. The Tigers claim interference, and umpire Tom Connolly agrees. The Athletic players rush onto the field, a big fight occurs involving Donovan and Claude Rossman of the Tigers and Rube Waddell and Monte Cross of the Athletics. This is the first known umpire's call of "fan interference". The game ends in a 7-7 tie after 17 innings. Baseballhistorian.com - Green Boxes - Archives
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