My Website

For my next set of baseball games, I'm planning to replay the 1948 World Series between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Braves. But first, I wanted to post about a recent change.

My website kentkrause.com has been retired. This blog (where you are now) will be the primary location for news about Diamond Legacies volumes, game replays, and my other books.

I also have an online presence at:

Kent Krause Books on Facebook

Kent Krause Amazon Author Page

Goodreads Author Page

@Kent_Krause on Twitter. Yes, I still call it Twitter. No, I do not post much there anymore. The other options mentioned above are better for updates about my books.

Grays vs. Black Barons

For my next Diamond Legacies 1948 game, the Homestead Grays battled the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field. The Negro National League champion Grays started Tom Parker (2.78 ERA). The Negro American League champion Black Barons gave the ball to Bill Powell (2.79 ERA).

Both pitchers came out of the gate strong, allowing no runs through the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, Sam Bankhead doubled and Eudie Napier walked to put two men on for the Grays with nobody out. Charles Gary then hit a hard smash that Birmingham third baseman John Britton fielded on one hop. He then stepped on the bag and fired to second baseman Piper Davis, who threw to first to complete a triple play. That is the only time I've had that happen in one of my Diamond Legacies games. 

The contest remained scoreless into the top of the sixth when Buck Leonard singled and Luke Easter followed with a walk for Homestead. Following a Bankhead groundout, Napier launched a Bill Powell changeup over the centerfield wall to put the Grays up 3-0. Parker meanwhile continued to flummox the Black Barons hitters. Willie Mays, who walked and stole a base, was the only Birmingham batter to reach third base in the entire game. Parker retired the last ten hitters in a row to complete the shutout.

Homestead 3, Birmingham 0

Now Available: Diamond Legacies 1948

Volume 4 of the Diamond Legacies series is published! Rosters are provided for all of the major league teams in 1948.

Diamond Legacies 1948 is available as a paperback and as a Kindle e-book.

Indians vs. Yankees

On Friday, August 27, 1948, the Cleveland Indians arrived in New York to start a three-game series against the Yankees. With the season about to enter the home stretch, these two teams and the Boston Red Sox were all within one game of each other for the lead in the American League standings. For this replay, I used the lineup from the series opener with Bob Feller starting for the Indians and Vic Raschi starting for the Yankees.

Both pitchers were sharp out of the gate, each allowing only one hit and zero runs over the first three frames. Feller even struck out the side in the third. In the top of the fourth, Cleveland shortstop (and manager) Lou Boudreau connected for a solo homer into the left field seats. In the bottom of the frame, Yankee first baseman Tommy Henrich singled with one out. Joe DiMaggio followed with a double down the left field line to tie the game.

Tension mounted over the following innings as neither offense could break through with the go-ahead run. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Charlie Keller and Phil Rizzuto delivered back-to-back singles. Feller then walked catcher Gus Niarhos to load the bases. Yankee skipper Bucky Harris summoned Johnny Lindell to pinch hit for Raschi. With the game on the line, Lindell slapped a grounder to first. Eddie Robinson fielded it and threw home to force out the runner and keep the game tied. Feller then retired Snuffy Stirnweiss to end the threat.

The game remained tied heading into the ninth. With one out in the top of the frame, Cleveland centerfielder Larry Doby lifted a fly ball to right that would not have cleared the wall in most ballparks. But it found the front row of the short right field porch at Yankee Stadium to give the Indians the lead. With Feller starting to tire, Boudreau called on Satchel Paige for the bottom of the ninth. The move looked like it might backfire when Berra led off with a single, but Paige rebounded to strike out Keller and Rizzuto. Harris then brought in lefty-batting George McQuinn to pinch hit for Niarhos. The veteran Paige retired McQuinn on a grounder to first to save the Cleveland victory. Feller picked up the win with seven strikeouts and only six hits allowed in his eight innings.

Cleveland 2, New York 1

Historical Note: Cleveland won the real game that Feller and Raschi started 8-1. It was actually the first game of a doubleheader and the Yankees won the second game 7-2.

Dodgers vs. Yankees

The Dodgers and Yankees are the next two teams from 1948 to take the field. These clubs faced each other in the 1947 World Series and both placed third in their league a year later. Ralph Branca took the mound for the visitors from Brooklyn and Eddie Lopat got the nod for New York.

After a pair of scoreless innings, the Yankees opened the scoring in the bottom of the third. Snuffy Stirnweiss led off the frame with a double. After Lopat struck out trying to bunt, leadoff hitter Bobby Brown singled to drive in Stirnweiss. Tommy Henrich followed with a single and then Joe DiMaggio delivered the fourth hit of the inning to send Brown across the plate. Brooklyn got on the board in the top of the fifth when Roy Campanella doubled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Pinch hitter Bruce Edwards, batting for Branca, singled to drive in Campanella. 

Dodger reliever Paul Minner created trouble for himself by walking the first two batters in the bottom of the sixth. Yankee first baseman George McQuinn made him pay by drilling an opposite field homer that increased New York's lead to 5-1. Lopat allowed only one more hit the rest of the way and the Yankee fans went home happy.

New York 5, Brooklyn 1

Red Sox vs. Cardinals

For my next game with the 1948 teams the Red Sox took on the Cardinals at Sportsman's Park. These two teams met in the World Series two years earlier and finished second in their respective leagues in 1948. Boston actually finished in a tie for first in the American League but lost a pennant-deciding playoff game against Cleveland. St. Louis started its 20-game winner Harry "the Cat" Brecheen (2.24 ERA) and the Red Sox gave the ball to Mel Parnell (15-8, 3.14 ERA). 

Boston centerfielder Dom DiMaggio led off the game with a double. Two batters later, Ted Williams sent him home with a single. In the top of the third, the Splendid Splinter drove in his second run with a double that plated Billy Goodman. In the bottom of the frame, Red Schoendienst put St. Louis on the board with an RBI double of his own. He advanced to third on a ground out and then came home on Stan Musial's RBI grounder. 

The game remained tied 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth when a Schoendienst single and walks to Musial and Nippy Jones loaded the bases. Cardinal third baseman Don Lang then singled to drive in a pair. Stan the Man added to the St. Louis lead with a solo homer to lead off the seventh. Later in the inning, back-to-back doubles by Terry Moore and Marty Marion put the Cards up by four. Brecheen held the Red Sox in check the rest of the way to lock down the win for the home team.

St. Louis 6, Boston 2

Elite Giants vs. Monarchs

With the first proof copy for Diamond Legacies 1948 on its way, I'm starting to play games with the 1948 teams. For the first contest, I went with the Baltimore Elite Giants (NNL) vs. the Kansas City Monarchs (NAL) at Blues Stadium in KC. Each of these teams finished first in one of their half-seasons that year, before losing their respective league championship series.

Baltimore started its ace Bill Byrd, who led the Negro National League in wins and innings pitched in 1948, while posting a 1.75 ERA. Kansas City countered with Jim LaMarque, who similarly led the Negro American League in wins and innings pitched, though his 3.20 ERA was a bit less formidable.

The Monarchs jumped out to an early lead when Herb Souell doubled with one out in the first and Willard Brown followed with a triple. Hank Thompson then laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home his team's second run. LaMarque held the Elite Giants scoreless for four innings, but Baltimore centerfielder Henry Kimbro led off the fifth with a solo home run. Two more hits followed in the inning, but LaMarque worked out of trouble to preserve his team's lead.

Monarchs first baseman Buck O'Neil beat out a slow roller to open the bottom of the sixth. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and then scored on a single by LaMarque. Baltimore put two men on in the top of the seventh, but could not score. LaMarque retired nine batters in a row to close out a complete-game victory. The Monarchs southpaw struck out eight and walked just one.

Kansas City 3, Baltimore 1