The Boys of Summer 1939

[KG Erwin]

(Setup note: A restart with 1.76b. 40-man historical rosters, finances ON. All 16 teams have their OF positions corrected to historical usage.)

With the new financial/free agency rules, nine pitchers and two position players make the current maximum of $197,800 per year.

The pre-season outlook:

[KG Erwin]

Before opening day, we pull off a trade with the Pirates. We send them OFs Tuck Stainback and Fred Sington, and receive P Ken Heintzelman and 1B Elbie Fletcher.

We also send P Vito Tamulis to the Indians in exchange for SS Lou Boudreau.

In a third deal, we send SS Leo Durocher to the Cubs in exchange for 3B Stan Hack.

[KG Erwin]

Our lineup:

[KG Erwin]

Our pitching staff:

[KG Erwin]

Opening day, Monday April 17. In Washington, the Yankees defeat the Senators 7-4. In Cincinnati, the Reds beat the Pirates 2-1.
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Brooklyn, Tuesday April 18. We host the Giants. Luke Hamlin vs Cliff Melton. The Dodgers win 3-0. WP: Wyatt LP: Melton In the 3rd inning, Hamlin suffers a serious injury.
He will be unavailable for 4 1/2 weeks. We place him on the 15-day DL. Wyatt will replace him in the rotation.

We call up Boots Poffenberger to fill the roster slot.
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Wednesday April 19. Hugh Casey vs Carl Hubbell. 57 degrees, with a light breeze in from CF. Hubbell pitches a 9-0 shutout. Casey loses.

Trade news: we send P Ira Hutchinson to the Tigers in exchange for 2B Benny McCoy.
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Thursday April 20. Tot Pressnell vs Harry Gumbert. 46 degrees, with a 19 mph wind out to CF. The Dodgers win 8-4. WP: Pressnell LP: Gumbert SV: Heintzelman

[KG Erwin]

Philadelphia, Friday April 21. Freddie Fitzsimmons vs Hugh Mulcahy (0-1, 9.00). 59 degrees, with a 12 mph wind out to LF. The Phillies win 3-2. WP: Mulcahy LP: Fitzsimmons SV: Beck
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Saturday April 22. Whit Wyatt (1-0, 0.00) vs Kirby Higbe (1-0, 4.50). 32 degrees. The Dodgers win 2-0 in 10 innings. WP: Bill Crouch LP: Syl Johnson
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Sunday April 23. Hugh Casey (0-1, 4.50) vs Max Butcher (0-0, 1.80). 48 degrees. The Dodgers win 6-4. WP: Casey LP: Butcher SV: Heintzelman

[KG Erwin]

Brooklyn, Monday April 24. The Boston Bees visit for three. Tot Pressnell (1-0, 2.84) vs Johnny Lanning (1-0, 3.00). 40 degrees, with the wind swirling @16 mph. Pressnell pitches a CG 2-0 shutout. Lanning loses.
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Tuesday April 25. Freddie Fitzsimmons (0-1,3.86) vs Bill Posedel (1-1, 3.00). 67 degrees. Fitzsimmons strikes out Deb Garms to nail a 4-1 CG victory for the Dodgers. Posedel takes the loss.

The Dodgers now lead the Cards by a half game.
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Wednesday April 26. Whit Wyatt (1-0, 0.00) vs Lou Fette (0-1, 7.50). 31 degrees. Al Todd hits a walkoff double in the 9th, and the Dodgers win 2-1. WP: Crouch LP: Shoffner

[KG Erwin]

New York, Thursday April 27. Hugh Casey (1-1, 4.80) vs Carl Hubbell (1-0, 2.81). 60 degrees, with a 10 mph wind out to RF. Tony Lazzeri hits a 3-run HR in the 9th and the Giants win 6-4. WP: Manny Salvo LP: Casey
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Friday April 28. Tot Pressnell (2-0, 1.17) vs Harry Gumbert (0-1, 4.50). 51 degrees, with a 12 mph wind out to CF. Dodgers win 5-2. WP: Pressnell LP: Gumbert SV: Crouch
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Minor league news: we sign 22-year-old P Elmer Burkart to a 5-year contract @ $860. He is assigned to the A level. A scrub is released.

[KG Erwin]

Brooklyn, Saturday April 29. The Phillies visit. Freddie Fitzsimmons (1-1, 2.25) vs Hugh Mulcahy (1-1, 4.50). 44 degrees, with a 4 mph breeze in from CF. The Dodgers win in the 10th when Lou Boudreau grounds out and Benny McCoy scores from 3rd. The final is 6-5. WP: Heintzelman LP: Harrell
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Sunday April 30. Whit Wyatt (1-0, 0.43) vs Kirby Higbe (1-1, 1.96). 54 degrees, with a 7 mph breeze in from RF. The Dodgers win 6-1. WP: Wyatt LP: Harrell
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Monday May 1. Hugh Casey (1-2, 5.40) vs Max Butcher (1-1, 3.43). 63 degrees, with a 17 mph wind in from CF. Casey pitches a 5-hitter as the Dodgers win 9-0. Butcher takes the loss.

[KG Erwin]

The standings:

[KG Erwin]

Brooklyn, Tuesday May 2. The Pirates visit for a short series. Tot Pressnell (3-0, 1.69) vs Rip Sewell (2-1, 0.82). 60 degrees, with a 10 mph wind out to RF. The Pirates win 7-3. WP: Bowman LP: Pressnell

Injury news: Luke Hamlin comes off the DL, but he is 3 weeks away from full recovery. We again place him on the 15-day DL.

Trade news: we send P Bill Crouch to the Red Sox in exchange for 2B Bobby Doerr.

An astounding coup is made: in talks with the Yankees, we get an offer we can't refuse. In exchange for 2B Pete Coscarart, the Yanks give up CF Joe DiMaggio. Joe seemed to be unwilling to extend his contract, so the Yankees let him go. We DID succeed in renegotiating his contract, so he will be a Dodger for 4 years @ $190,877.

One more deal is made on this day: the Giants trade P Carl Hubbell to us in exchange for LF Ernie Koy.

These trades balloon our payroll to $1.3 million, tops in the majors.
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Wednesday May 3. Freddie Fitzsimmons (1-1, 2.86) vs Bill Swift (2-1, 3.52). 63 degrees, with a 7 mph swirling breeze. The Pirates win 6-1. WP: Swift LP: Fitzsimmons

[KG Erwin]

Brooklyn, Thursday May 4. Three game series with the Cubs. Whit Wyatt (2-0, 0.64) vs Larry French (1-1, 3.27). 67 degrees, with a light breeze in from CF. Cubs win 4-1. WP, CG: French LP: Wyatt
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Friday May 5. Carl Hubbell (1-0, 3.90) vs Claude Passeau (0-3, 4.25). 60 degrees, with a 13 mph wind out to LF. The Cubs win 12-11 in 11 innings. WP: Vern Olsen LP: Hugh Casey

Trade news: we send RHP George Jeffcoat to the Reds in exchange for LHP Lee Grissom.
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Saturday May 6. Tot Pressnell (3-1, 2.96) vs Bill Lee (1-1, 2.08). 66 degrees, with an 11 mph swirling wind. The Dodgers win 2-1. WP: Pressnell LP: Lee SV: Heintzelman

[KG Erwin]

Brooklyn, Sunday May 7. We host the Cardinals. Freddie Fitzsimmons (1-2, 3.33) vs Bob Weiland (4-0, 2.77). 60 degrees, with a 3 mph breeze in from LF. The Dodgers win 7-5. WP: Fitzsimmons LP: Murry Dickson SV: Lee Grissom
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Monday May 8. Whit Wyatt (2-1, 1.54) vs Tom Sunkel (0-2, 5.94). 73 degrees, with a 19 mph wind out to RF. The Cardinals win 6-4. WP, CG: Sunkel LP: Wyatt
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Tuesday May 9. Hugh Casey (2-3, 4.32) vs Ken Raffensberger (0-0, 2.16). 67 degrees, with a light breeze out to CF. Casey pitches a CG shutout. The Dodgers win 4-0. Raffensberger takes the loss.

[KG Erwin]

Brooklyn, Wednesday May 10. A short series with the second-place Reds. Tot Pressnell (4-1, 2.55) vs Paul Derringer (2-0, 2.50). 53 degrees, with an 8 mph breeze out to RF. The Dodgers win 3-0. WP: Pressnell LP: Derringer SV: Heintzelman

Trade news: we ship the injured Luke Hamlin to the Red Sox in exchange for 28-year-old P Denny Galehouse. We sign Galehouse to a 2-year contract @$56,000. Boots Poffenberger is sent down.

We also trade 1B Dolph Camilli to the Cardinals in exchange for 22-year-old P Ken Raffensberger.

These deals reduce our payroll by $200,000.
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Thursday May 11. Lee Grissom (2-0, 0.84) vs Junior Thompson (0-2, 2.81). 63 degrees, with a 16 mph wind out to RF. The Reds win 5-1. WP, CG: Thompson LP: Grissom

The Reds pull to within a half-game of us.

[KG Erwin]

Boston, Friday May 12. Whit Wyatt (2-2, 2.77) vs Lou Fette (1-1, 2.52). 53 degrees. The Dodgers win 3-1. WP, CG: Wyatt LP: Fette
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Saturday May 13. Hugh Casey (3-3, 3.40) vs Johnny Lanning (2-3, 4.07). 58 degrees, with a 8 mph breeze out to RF. Casey pitches an 8-hit shutout. Dodgers win 4-0. Lanning loses.
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Sunday May 14. Tot Pressnell (5-1, 2.13) vs Dick Errickson (2-4, 3.38). 51 degrees, with a 10 mph wind in from CF. We complete the sweep with a 5-2 victory. WP, CG: Pressnell LP: Errickson
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We have Monday off.

Team outllook: at the end of the season, we'll have several players eligible for free agency. 3B Stan Hack has already turned down two extension offers, so he'll be gone. P Carl Hubbell is essentially on loan, so he'll be let go. As for C Al Todd and P Red Evans, we have no intentions of re-signing them. As of now, the Dodgers have $486,000 in the treasury.

At this point, our only real need is for a backup 1B. Otherwise, we are in pretty good shape.

[KG Erwin]

The current lineup. As you can see, I do believe in platooning:

[KG Erwin]

The pitching staff:

[KG Erwin]

Minor league news: we send AA P Carl Doyle to the Phillies in exchange for AA 1B Len Gabrielson. This gives us some insurance in case Elbie Fletcher is injured. We also release a scrub and sign P Loy Hanning to a 3-year contract @ $1114. He is assigned to AA. This follows our philosophy of staying competitive while building for the future.
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Chicago, Tuesday May 16. Lee Grissom (2-1, 1.38) vs Larry French (3-1, 3.89). 58 degrees at Wrigley Field, with an 18 mph swirling wind. We go scoreless through 10 innings. Top of the 11th: with runners at the corners, Al Todd triples! Two runs score! In the bottom of the 11th, Carl Hubbell strikes out Billy Herman and the Dodgers win it 2-0. Hubbell wins and Dizzy Dean loses.

Trade news: we pull off a blockbuster deal with the Cardinals. To St Louis goes P Hugh Casey and RF Gene Moore. In return we get RF Enos Slaughter and P Lon Warneke. 23-year-old Slaughter is a bargain, as we also acquire his 5 year contract @ $20,178. We hate to lose Casey, but Warneke is a solid pitcher. Our payroll is reduced by $90,000, and our lineup has gotten younger.

Arguably our outfield combo of Walker, Dimaggio and Slaughter is now the best in the majors.
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Wednesday May 17. Whit Wyatt (3-2, 2.44) vs Claude Passeau (1-4, 5.73).

[DonBraswell]

So now your outfield is made up with two exYankees and a future Yankee. It might be said you have a Yankee outfield now. [:D]