Work has begun on Book 3 of the Diamond Legacies series. The year for this volume is in a more recent era than the first two volumes, but still several decades ago.
Similar to the first two books, the MLB champion in the third volume is considered one of the all-time greatest teams in baseball history.
Stay tuned ... ⚾
Sportswriters in 1927 would have several candidates to consider when selecting the MVP of the series between the Yankees and the American Giants. My guess is that it would have gone to Waite Hoyt who recorded two wins and a solid 3.31 ERA over 16 1/3 innings.
Other pitching candidates include Herb Pennock, who tossed a three-hit shutout in his only start. Urban Shocker (1.93 ERA) and Bill Foster (1.06 ERA) also dominated from the mound, but their 1-1 records would have cost them some votes.
On the offensive side, Chicago's Pythias Russ likely would have won the MVP had his team prevailed in the series. The shortstop remained red-hot over the six games with a .520 avg, 13 hits, 7 runs scored, 3 RBI, 1 HR, and 5 stolen bases.
Lou Gehrig was the top offensive star for the Yankees, posting a .409 avg, 9 hits, 4 runs scored, 3 RBI, and 1 home run. Earle Combs batted just .250, but led all players with 8 runs scored. Chicago pitchers kept Ruth in check for the most part (.227), though the Babe did hit two home runs--the only player with multiple round-trippers.
Game 6: Yankees 7, American Giants 5
New York held off a late Chicago rally to close out the best-of-seven series. Starter Waite Hoyt appeared to be cruising to a complete game victory heading into the ninth leading 7-2. But two doubles, a walk, and a Koenig error allowed the American Giants to close the gap to two with only one out. With a runner on second and the tying run at the plate, manager Miller Huggins summoned Wilcy Moore from the bullpen. The star rookie struck out Dave Malarcher and retired John Hines on a ground out to put out the fire. Gehrig went 3 for 4 with a two-run homer and Combs reached base four times, scored twice, and drove in two to power the Yankee attack.
It was a competitive series between these two league champions. The American Giants' stellar pitching corps matched the Yankees staff, but the Murderers' Row offense provided the decisive advantage for New York.
Game 5: Yankees 4, American Giants 0
The bats cooled off again as starters Bill Foster and Urban Shocker matched each other with six scoreless frames. In the top of the 7th, Combs drew a leadoff walk and Koenig followed with a double. Ruth drove in the first run with a ground out and (following a Gehrig HBP) Meusel delivered the second tally with a sacrifice fly. In the ninth, Ruth cleared the right field wall at spacious Schorling Park to add two insurance runs. They were not needed. In a masterful mound performance, Shocker scattered six hits to shut out Chicago and give his team a 3-2 lead in the series.
The teams return to Yankees Stadium for Game 6.
Game 4: American Giants 8, Yankees 7
After being shut down the previous game, the bats on both teams heated up to combine for 30 hits. Yankee batters knocked around Chicago starter Webster McDonald to build a 7-4 lead in the sixth. But then the American Giants strung together five consecutive hits to tie the game and send New York starter George Pipgras to the showers. The game remained tied until the bottom of the ninth when George Sweatt delivered a walk-off single to plate the winning run for the home team. Pythias Russ went 4 for 5 and Steel Arm Davis drove in 3 runs to lead the offensive attack for the American Giants. Eddie Miller picked up the win in relief.
The series is tied 2-2.
Game 3: Yankees 1, American Giants 0
The third contest between the 1927 league champions turned out to be pitchers' duel. Willie Powell threw a complete game for the home team, allowing only four singles and a walk. Unfortunately for Chicago, the free pass and a two of those hits came in the first, allowing Earle Combs to cross to plate with an early run for New York. That was the only tally of the game. Herb Pennock dominated for the Yankees, tossing a three-hit shutout. Only one American Giant made it as far as second—that came in the ninth when Pythias Russ doubled with two outs.
Chicago will try to even the series in Game 4 at Schorling Park.
Game 2: Yankees 6, American Giants 4
The second game in my best-of-seven series between the two 1927 league champions was a tense battle. With the game tied at 2-2 in the sixth, NY catcher Pat Collins doubled home Joe Dugan to give the home team the lead. The following inning, the Yankees added three more after Ruth homered, Gehrig reached on a HBP, and Meusel and Lazzeri ripped back-to-back doubles. However, two late-inning errors from Ruth allowed the American Giants to narrow the gap to just two runs. With the tying run at the plate in the ninth, New York reliever Bob Shawkey struck out Chicago pinch hitter Larry Brown to preserve the win for Waite Hoyt (8 IP, 2 ER).
The series moves to Schorling Park in Chicago for Game 3.
My two most recent games played with Diamond Legacies 1927:
Yankees 6, Pirates 1 - A replay of the 1927 World Series combatants saw Waite Hoyt toss an 8-hit complete game for New York. No homers from Murderers' Row, but Tony Lazzeri reached base four times with a single, double, triple and a walk. Ruth went 2-4 with an RBI and Gehrig went 1-4 with two RBI. On the other side, it was a tough day for the Waner brothers who combined for only two hits in nine at-bats.
American Giants 4, Yankees 1 - In a matchup pitting the Negro League champs against the MLB champs, Bill Foster shut down the Bombers on just six hits. Gehrig managed two hits, but Ruth struck out three times against the dominant southpaw. Chicago first baseman Jim Brown provided the big hit of the game, drilling a three-run homer off Urban Shocker. Adding to the Yankee frustrations, the elite fielders on the American Giants robbed three hits from NY hitters. That's the most robberies I've seen by one team in a single Diamond Legacies game.
I'm thinking I'll continue this matchup of MLB and NNL champions as a best of seven series ...
The new volume of Diamond Legacies is published! Rosters are provided for all 31 major league teams in 1927. That includes the National League, American League, Negro National League, and Eastern Colored League.
Diamond Legacies 1927 is available in paperback and as a Kindle e-book.
Happy Thanksgiving! It's a big day for football, but let's not forget baseball ...
The publication of Diamond Legacies 1927 is just days away!
Black Friday sale: The Kindle versions of all of my nonfiction baseball books will be on sale starting Friday and going through the weekend.
Work has moved into the final stages for the second volume of Diamond Legacies. Stats have been added for all 31 big league teams in 1927. Spoiler alert: the Yankees were pretty good that year!
Soon more than 600 players will be added to the Diamond Legacies roster lists. That could set up some spirited "what if" battles between teams from the different years. Perhaps the Gas House Gang vs. Murderers' Row.
Diamond Legacies 1927 will be available by the end of this month!
The Hexed & Countered channel reviewed Diamond Legacies on YouTube. Many thanks to Joe for reviewing and demonstrating how the game is played.
The second volume of Diamond Legacies is on the way! This upcoming book will include rosters for all major league teams in 1927. That's four leagues (AL, NL, NNL, ECL), for a total of 31 new teams!
Diamond Legacies 1927 will be available in November.
My new book is published! And this one is a game ... a game nearly four decades in the making. My senior year of high school, I received The Baseball Encyclopedia for Christmas. In the months that followed, I developed a baseball simulation game based on the actual player statistics that had become available to me in the Encyclopedia (Internet didn't exist back then). Percentile dice determined the outcome of plays and at-bats. A spiral notebook served as my scorecards. It was a lot of fun replaying the World Series from different years and having star players from different eras square off against each other.
I played the game off and on through college and graduate school. It never had a name, just "My Baseball Game." The original rules were scribbled in pencil on a sheet of notebook paper (BTW, I still have that sheet from 1987!). After finishing grad school, my job and writing pursuits took precedence. Years passed and the diamond legends of yesteryear took the field less frequently.
Then about a year ago, I thought about a baseball history scenario that I could play out in my game. It was a "what if" season in which the 1936 St. Louis Browns signed Negro League stars Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Bill Holland. Also in my fictional season, the Browns owner convinced Connie Mack to sell him Jimmie Foxx, rather than sending him to the Boston Red Sox as happened in actual history. In the simulated 1936 season I played, the "improved" Browns won the AL pennant and the World Series.
The experience was a lot of fun. So much so, it got me thinking that maybe others might enjoy this game. So I revised, expanded, and clarified the rules I had been using. This effort eventually became Diamond Legacies 1934. This first volume includes the rules of the game and ratings for players on all the major league teams in 1934 (AL, NL, NNL). Future volumes will contain ratings for players in other years in baseball history.
Diamond Legacies 1934 is available at Amazon as a paperback and a Kindle E-Book. I hope you have a lot of fun recreating your own baseball games!
