United League Baseball

Gromek Shines in Record Win
Monument Throws League's First One-Hitter, Fans 10, And Gets 4 Hits Including Homer in 17-0 Blowout
[Boxscore]
NEW YORK, N.Y. (July 24) -- When it rains, it snows. Just ask Washington starter Steve Gromek, who happened to pitch the league's first one-hitter on the same day the Monuments exploded for 17 runs in a display of utter domination before 29,000 stunned Gotham faithful at Yankee Stadium. The 17-0 thrashing establishes a new league record for margin of victory, a feat that pales in comparison to most spectacular single-game performance in the short history of the United League.
   Gromek came just one Eddie Yost single away from throwing the UL's first no-hitter, but had to settle for the first one-hitter. The 31-year-old righty also tallied 10 strikeouts, falling one shy of Ken Raffensberger's June 25 record. But perhaps the biggest story was Gromek's day at the plate. Steve singled in the second, hit his first career home run in the third, singled in the seventh (driving in a pair of runs), and tripled in the eighth, finishing the day 4-for-5 with 4 runs, and 3 RBIs. On most days, that would be a contribution enough to win a ballgame, but on this day, it was downright ludicrous. Teammate Billy Goodman was 5-for-5 and Sid Gordon hit a grand slam in the 7th, but no reporters gathered around their lockers after the game. Instead, the story was all Gromek.
   Amazingly, it wasn't the first time Washington has scored 17 runs in a game. In fact, it was the third time the Monuments have reached that lofty score-tally -- all three times against New York. On the first weekend of the season (April 7), Washington spanked the Gothams 17-3. On May 28, the scoreline read 18-7 as Snider, McDougald, and Garagiola each drove in 4 runs. Yet, the Monuments are only 8-6 against New York.
   But if that wasn't enough, four days later against Detroit, Gromek took the hill again and handcuffed the Sound for a two-hit shutout. It was the second time this season Gromek pitched back-to-back shutouts, but the back-to-back one-hitter and two-hitter drew immediate comparisons to Johnny "Double No-Hit" Vander Meer, the only major league to throw consecutive no-hitters (1938). Gromek was 2-for-3 at the plate in that game, lowering his weekly average to .750 (6-for-8) with 4 RBI.

Campanella Heading West
Brooklyn Deals Slugging Catcher to St. Louis for Pitching in 10-Player Blockbuster
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (July 31) -- With the trade deadline looming, Brooklyn dealt its first round draft choice, slugging catcher Roy Campanella, to St. Louis today for direly needed pitching. The key player in the deal for the Superbas was starter Fred Hutchinson, the Maroons' third round pick. But Brooklyn got two other pitchers, lefty reliever Lou Brissie and prospect Willard Nixon, who was tearing up the AA Southern League with the Memphis Chicks.
   For St. Louis, the deal was mainly an attempt to jump start a disappointing offense by adding a right-handed power hitter to bat behind lefty Stan Musial. The Maroons also picked up Bob Feller in the deal, who will be given a chance to work his way into the rotation as soon as he recovers from a ruptured tricep tendon that will keep him sidelined for three weeks.

Stan the Man Finds His Lumber
Musial Breaks Season-Long Slump with Dinger Spree
After just 10 home runs in his first 319 at bats, Stan Musial's bat came to life in late July. The Maroon's unofficial 'franchise man' belted out six round-trippers in a six-game span July 21-26. In the first half of the season, Musial posted a .272 average with 8 home runs and 41 RBI. That's decent production in absolute terms, but a major cause of concern for a living legend who batted .354 with 103 HR and 363 RBI in the last three years.
   Musial's first half slump is all the more surprising considering that he is playing in the same ballpark as last year. Roy Campanella in Brooklyn is the only other player among the top 40 draft picks who didn't change addresses in 1951. By comparison, Richie Ashburn hit .385 in his first month in Louisville, Yogi Berra hit .348 in his first two months with Chicago, and Joe DiMaggio hit .346 in his first month with Detroit.
   Musial led all batters in July with a .333 average, 8 home runs and .632 slugging, raising his average 15 points and matching the home run output of the first three months combined. Stan homered in five of six games in his dinger spree, including his first two-homer game in a 7-6 loss at Louisville July 26. But despite "The Man's" power explosion, the Maroons are just 4-4 in their last 8 games and remain 11.5 games behind Chicago.

Hot Louies Closing Gap
Colonels Win 8 Straight, Unsung Lefty Chambers Gets Hot
LOUISVILLE, Kent. (July 31) -- Louisville's revamped rotation is paying dividends, as Dick Donovan, Monte Kennedy, and Cliff Chambers helped guide the struggling Colonels through an eight-game winning streak. The last place Colonels are 10-4 since July 14, the day after their best hitter Richie Ashburn was drafted by the Army. Richie will finish the season before reporting to Camp Leonard Wood in October.
   The key to the recent hot streak was pitching, heretofore the club's most glaring weakness. Nine times in the last 14 games, the Louies held their opponents to four runs or less (they were 8-1 in those games). Youngster Dick Donovan, 22, was called up to the majors ahead of schedule, and though he lost his UL debut July 18, he responded with wins over Brooklyn and St. Louis and finished the month with a 2.63 ERA. Lefty Monte Kennedy has posted a 3.36 ERA in 10 starts since joining the rotation June 2. Another revelation was southpaw Cliff Chambers, who notched three straight wins, including a 5-hit win over Washington July 17 - his first complete game.
   Shortly after the draft, GM Mark Allen spoke of building a 'dynasty' along the banks of the Ohio. But 1951 was never intended to be the Colonels' year. The emphasis was on youth, and a large portion Louisville's players are still budding prospects, unpolished diamonds in the rough, some perhaps years from fulfilling their full potential. But even so, the Colonels' first season could fairly be characterized as a fiasco. Earlier in the month, a 1-9 skid saw Louisville fall to 21 games under .500 (33-54), 25 games out of first, and eight games behind 7th place Brooklyn. But the success of the last fortnight has shortened the "Brooklyn Bridge" to just 2.5 games, as the club pursues its more modest goal of avoiding the cellar in the UL's inaugural campaign.

AROUND THE HORN

64-37 -- 6-8	CHICAGO · Won 9 straight July 8-18, then lost 8 of next 11... Swept at Detroit July 23-25, split 4-game series with 2nd place New York July 26-29... Parnell 0-1, 3.90 in last 4 starts... Newcombe's July 24 loss was his first in 7 starts... Roe 0-3, 6.32 in last 3 starts...Berra .358-7-21 in July... Thomson league-high 22 RBI in July, .389 (7-18) in last 5 games.
54-46 9.5 7-6	NEW YORK · Quiet consistency: 7-7, 5-7, 5-6, 7-6 in last four sims (24-28)... Since June 18: 4-12 after a win, 11-4 after a loss (lots of WLWL)... Blown out 17-0 by Washington July 24, won next day 3-2 (Batts 2-run HR)... Friend 3-1, 3.09 in July... Wynn 3-1, 4.29 in July... Nichols 0.00, 6 SV in last 8 games... Batts .385, 8 doubles, 13 RBI in July... Williams .500 (7-14), 3 HR in last 5 games.... Cold: Cox .067 in last 6, Boudreau .100 in last 6, Noren .118 in last 5, Wertz .143 in last 8, Robinson .174 in last 6.
52-48 11.5 8-6	ST. LOUIS · Swept Boston July 23-25, including Zoldak 4-hit shutout, then lost 3 straight in Louisville... Zoldak 4-0, 3.18 in last 4 starts, first to 15 wins... Law 4-0, 2.17 in last 9 games... Maglie 0-3, 5.96 in last 3 starts... Musial league-best .333, 8 HR in July, 13-game hitting streak July 13-27... W Jones .500 (13-26), 10 RBI in last 6 games... Jethroe leads league in runs (85)... Kolloway 3 RBI in league debut, .474 (9-19) in first 5 games.
50-50 13.5 9-5	WASHINGTON · Allowed 1 or fewer runs in 9 of last 15 games (5 shutouts, 4 in six-day span July 24-29)... 3.02 ERA in July... Koslo league-best 1.82 ERA in July... Jansen 5 CGs in 6 July starts... F Smith 2 SVs in July (10 in June)... Byerly 29.0 IP, 25 games, 0.00 ERA... Adcock .550 (11-20) in last 8 games... Sauer led team with 5 HR, 15 RBI in July... Snider best pinch-hitter: .563 (9-16, 2 HR)... Mays 20 SB, 0 CS... H Thompson 12 of 16 HR on the road.
49-53 15.5 7-7	DETROIT · Swept Chicago July 23-25, 7-3 at home in July... Shut out just 4 times in first 97 games, then 3 times in 4 days July 26-29 at Washington... Roberts 4-2, 2.10 in July... Rush league-high 30 Ks in July... Priddy .424 (14-33) in last 9 games... Elliott 4.11 in July... Rojek .220 (13-59) since his 6-hit game July 13... Kell league-best .421 RISP average... DiMaggio league-best .408 road average.
45-55 18.5 4-10	BOSTON · 17-33 in last 50... 4-15 from July 7-27, lost 7 straight July 21-27... Spahn 0-3, 6.00 in last 3 starts... Garcia 1-2, 7.47 in last 3 starts... Reynolds 1-2, 12.41 in last 3 starts...Ostrowski 2.93 in last 11 games... Philley .359 in July... Torgeson .400-5-18 in April (23g), .254-8-32 since (75g), team-high 4 HR, 13 RBI in July... Mantle .048 (1-21) in last 10 games, 4 RBI in last 21 games.
45-55 18.5 4-9	BROOKLYN · 6-17 in July, lost 5 of last 7, swept by Louisville July 23-25... Bickford 3-1, 1.40 in last 7 games... Raffensberger winless in last 6 starts (0-5, 6.16)... Hearn 1-5, 5.15 in last 6 starts... Souchock led team with 5 HR, 17 RBI in July... Stephens .423 (11-23) in last 7 games... Minoso .200 (4-20) in last 5 games.
43-58 21 10-4	LOUISVILLE · Won 8 straight July 21-28, including 3 straight one-run wins over St. Louis... 19-8 in one-run games (24-50 in all others)... Donovan 2.63 in last 3 starts, Kennedy 3.27 in last 5 starts, Chambers 3-0, 3.70 in last 3 starts, Kretlow 2.38 in last 11 games... Collins July leader in batting (.320), HR (3), and RBI (18)... Ashburn 30+ hits for fourth straight month... Kluttz .440 (11-25) in last 7 games.
DAY-BY-DAY
Mon Jul 16 LOU 5, WAS 4 - Kennedy 8.0, 2 H, 1 R, Valo 3-4, 2 RBI, Jensen 2-4, SB BRO 6, NYG 5 - Minoso 3-5, Cavarretta, Westrum, Souchock HR CHI 7, BOS 3 - Newcombe CG, 8 H, Avila 3-5, Westlake, Thomson, Rosen 2 RBI DET 15, STL 12 - Kiner 6 RBI, J DiMaggio 3-6, 3 RBI, Fain 4 R; Mullin 2 HR, 7 RBI
Tue Jul 17 LOU 6, WAS 2 - Chambers CG, 5 H, 2 R, Valo 3-5, Ashburn 3-4 NYG 4, BRO 0 - Surkont 3-hit SHO, Wertz 2-4, Cox 2 RBI, Yost HR CHI 8, BOS 6 - Roe 10th win, Thomson HR, 3 RBI, Westlake 2 RBI; Philley 3-4 STL 6, DET 3 - Zoldak 8.0, 5 H, 3 R, Musial 2 RBI, Joost 2 2B, Pesky 2 R
Wed Jul 18 WAS 3, LOU 1 - Koslo 8.0, 6 H, 1 R, Garagiola 2-run HR in 4th, H Thompson 2-4 NYG 5, BRO 4 - Robinson GW HR in 9th, Wynn 2-3, HR, 3 RBI CHI 8, BOS 4 - Rogovin inj, Reese 3-5, HR, 3 RBI, Thomson, Berra HR DET 9, STL 3 - Roberts CG, 6 H, 3 R, Elliott 4-4, HR, 3 R, Kiner HR, 2 RBI, Irvin 2 RBI
Thu Jul 19 WAS 8, LOU 1 - Jansen 5-hit CG, Slaughter 3-run 3B in 3rd, McDougald 2-4, 2 RBI BOS 6, CHI 2 - Garcia 7-hit CG, 10th win, Stanky HR, 2 RBI, Dom 2-4, 2 RBI STL 7, DET 6 - Vernon GW pinch RBI in 8th, Coan 3-run HR in 1st; Fain 3-5
Fri Jul 20 CHI 9, WAS 6 - Newcombe 8.0, 2 ER, Rosen 3-4, 3 RBI; Goodman 0-0, 5 BB STL 14, BRO 3 - Law 7.0, 0 ER, W Jones 4-5, 4 RBI, McCullough 4 RBI, Ennis, Coan, Kolloway 4 H NYG 13, DET 2 - Friend 4-hit CG, Cox HR, 5 RBI, Batts 4-5, Robinson 3-5
Sat Jul 21 WAS 15, CHI 1 - Perkowski 4-hit CG, Adcock 4-6, Lollar 3-4, HR, 4 RBI, Sauer HR, 4 RBI STL 11, BRO 4 - W Jones 4-6, HR, 3 RBI, Joost HR, 3 RBI; Doby 3-5 DET 6, NYG 3 - Labine 20th SV, Elliott 3-5, 2 RBI, Kell PH, 2 RBI LOU 5, BOS 4 - Dark GWRBI in 9th, Easter pinch 2-run HR in 7th; Philley 3-5
Sun Jul 22 WAS 8, CHI 1 - Koslo CG, 4 H, 0 ER, Sauer 3-run HR in 6th, Goodman 3-5, Snider 2 RBI BRO 5, STL 3 - Strickland GW 2-run HR in 9th, Bickford CG, 1 ER, Campanella 2-4, HR NYG 3, DET 2 - Blackwell 8.0, 2 ER, Noren 2-run 2B in 6th, Robinson 2-4; Roberts CG, 2 ER LOU 7, BOS 3 - Chambers 8.0, 3 R, Bauer HR, 3 RBI, Dark 3-4, Kluttz PH, 2 RBI
Mon Jul 23 WAS 11, NYG 6 - H Thompson, Mays HR, 3 RBI, Slaughter, McDougald 3 H STL 11, BOS 2 - Pierce 5-hit CG, Musial 2-4, HR, Pesky, Coan, Schoendienst 2 RBI DET 6, CHI 5 (11) - Priddy 3-5, GW 2B in 11th, Elliott 3-5, Irvin 3-6 LOU 12, BRO 4 -
Tue Jul 24 WAS 17, NYG 0 - Gromek 1-hit SHO (Yost 1B in 5th), 4-5, HR, 3 RBI, Gordon GSHR in 7th, Goodman 5-5, 3 RBI, McDougald 3 RBI STL 4, BOS 3 - Law 5.2, 0 ER, Musial 3-4, HR, Jethroe 2-3, 3B, RBI DET 13, CHI 6 - Elliott 4 RBI, Fain 3-5, 3 R, Priddy, Scheffing, Raschi 2 RBI LOU 8, BRO 4 - Kluttz 3 RBI, Easter 2-run 3B in 9th, Dark 2-4, 2 RBI
Wed Jul 25 NYG 3, WAS 2 - Friend 8.0, 4 H, 2 R, Batts 2-run HR in 5th, Williams HR in 6th STL 7, BOS 0 - Zoldak 4-hit SHO, Mullin 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, Musial HR, 2 RBI, 2 R DET 10, CHI 5 - J DiMaggio 2-3, HR, 4 RBI, Masi 2-3, HR, 3 RBI, Kiner HR, 2 RBI LOU 8, BRO 3 - Tebbetts 2 2B, 4 RBI, Lowrey 3-4, Fox 3-5, 2 R; Stephens 3-4
Thu Jul 26 WAS 3, DET 0 - Koslo 3-hit SHO, H Thompson 3-4, HR, Kluszewski 2-4, HR, Michaels HR BRO 8, BOS 5 - Feller inj, Souchock 2 HR, 4 RBI, Hitchcock 3-4, 3 R, Stephens 3-4, 2 RBI CHI 4, NYG 3 - Rogovin 8.0, 3 R, Westlake HR in 1st, Ryan 2-run HR in 2nd; Yost 2-4, HR, 2 RBI LOU 7, STL 6 - 4-run 8th, Collins HR, 3 RBI, Valo 2-4, 2 RBI; Musial 2 HR, Jethroe 4-5, HR
Fri Jul 27 DET 9, WAS 1 - Porterfield 7-hit CG, Kiner 3-5, HR, Elliott 3-6, 3 R, Scheffing HR; Mays 3-3 BRO 9, BOS 8 - Campanella 2 HR,4 RBI, Hitchcock 3-6; Abrams HR, 4 RBI, Zernial 3-5, 3 R NYG 10, CHI 7 - Batts 3-4, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, Williams 3-4, HR, 3 RBI; Reese, Berra 3-5, 2 RBI LOU 7, STL 6 - Collins HR, 2 RBI, Jensen 2 RBI, Fox, Kluttz 2 H, Ashburn 2 R, SB
Sat Jul 28 WAS 4, DET 0 - Gromek 2-hit SHO, 0 W, 2-3, H Thompson 3-4, HR BOS 8, BRO 5 - Majeski HR, 4 RBI, Torgeson 2-4, 2 RBI, Zernial 2-4 CHI 6, NYG 4 - Thomson GW 2-run 2B in 8th, Reese HR; Williams 2-run HR in 7th LOU 3, STL 2 - Donovan 8.0, 6 H, 2 R, Kluttz 2-4, RBI, Ashburn 2-4; Coan 3-4
Sun Jul 29 WAS 4, DET 0 - Perkowski 5-hit SHO, H Thompson 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, Sauer 2-3, HR BOS 4, BRO 3 - Stanky 3-4, GW RBI in 3-run 7th, Brown 3-3, Torgeson 2 SB, 2 R NYG 4, CHI 1 - Wynn 8.0, 6 H, 1 R, 2-4, RBI, Yost 3-4, Busby 2-4, HR; Thomson 2-4, HR STL 8, LOU 6 - Coan 3-run 2B in 1st, Pesky 2-run 3B in 3rd, Jethroe 2 W, 2 SB, 2 R
Mon Jul 30 NO GAMES
Tue Jul 31 TRADE DEADLINE (Tuesday 6pm PT) CHI at BRO LOU at DET BOS at NYG WAS at STL