APBA Baseball: 1942 Yankees @ 1933 Tigers

​I recently acquired a set of random APBA baseball teams by way of an on-line auction. These teams are primarily older teams from the 1930's. 40's and older (I don't know how the 1972 Chicago White Sox got in the group).

I know a good bit of baseball history but that good bit is about the all-time great players, teams and seasons. When I looked at the teams I had just gotten a hold of I didn't know much about them. I thought I would get them out on the ol' Desktop Park and learn something in the process.

I chose the teams by rolling dice. I had 18 teams so the 20-sided dice worked (19-20 = re-roll!). I started to research lineups trying to find the most used lineups for each team. I decided to use actual lineups and starting pitchers from real games. I chose the random date of June 25 to look up the batting order/pitcher for the 1933 Tigers and the 1942 Yankees. I chose to play in Detroit because any teams needs help playing the Yankees.

New York starter: Lefty Gomez
Detroit starter: Vic Sorrell

Gomez and Sorrell went at it pretty good.
The Tigers scored a run in the Fifth Inning on a Gene Desautels double that plated Jo-Jo White.

The only threat the Yankees got together was in the Sixth Inning when Tommy Heinrich reached on an error, Joe DiMaggio doubled and Charlie Keller walked to load the bases with two outs. Joe Gordon flied out to center to end the inning.

The only other scoring chance the Yankees had was in the top of the Ninth Inning when DiMaggio led off with a walk. Keller then bunted DiMaggio to second letting Keller single home the tying run. Bill Dickey then ground into his second inning-ending double play of the game.

My notes and stats are pretty sketchy, but I know both teams used two relief pitchers when DiMaggio led off the 12th Inning with another walk Keller and Gordon then singled driving in the go-ahead run. Frank Corsetti the doubled in an insurance run to put the Yankees up 3-1.

Detroit did not quit. Charlie Gehringer banged a single leading off the bottom of the inning. John Stone then grounded to Phil Rizzuto at short and the ensuing 6-4-3 double play seemed to close out the game. White then singled and jetted to second on a Buddy Hassett error at first base. This brought up Hank Greenberg as the tying run. I think Marius Russo was pitching at this point. Russo struck out Greenberg to preserve the win for New York.

Final Score: Yankees 3 Tigers 1

I will keep better stats going forward because I cannot figure out the pitch stats due to my lousy notes and boxscore. DiMaggio pushed his team over the top with those two lead-off walks of all things. Sorrell pitched great. I think I pinch-hit for him at the start of the 10th Inning.

These APBA games are always fun. For a game so simple (I play the Basic Game) it always provides a really great narrative. The statistics are always great too (when readable!) Hopefully, I will play two more games in this series using lineups/pitchers from June 26 and 27 for 1933 and 1942....