Freddie Fitzsimmons from the Chronology

Jul 13, 1945 - The Philadelphia Phillies are skippered by two managers as they beat the Pirates‚ 11-9. With Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons managing‚ the game was started on June 3‚ but suspended after 6 innings because of Pennsylvania's Blue Law. The Phils were in the lead‚ 11-9. Under the leadership of Ben Chapman‚ who took over for Fitzsimmons on June 29‚ Andy Karl shuts out the Pirates today for the last 3 innings and the Phils win‚ 11-9. For Karl it is one of his 15 saves on the year‚ high in the NL. In later years‚ most record books will credit the win to manager Fitzsimmons‚ though Neft & Cohen will give it Chapman.

Nov 23, 1944 - Five groups totaling 23 players‚ managers‚ umpires‚ and writers visit war theaters as part of the USO program. Included are Mel Ott‚ Dutch Leonard‚ Frankie Frisch‚ Bucky Walters‚ Harry Heilmann‚ Carl Hubbell‚ Freddie Fitzsimmons‚ Bill Summers‚ Beans Reardon‚ Johnny Lindell‚ Tuck Stainback‚ Steve O'Neill‚ Leo Durocher‚ Joe Medwick‚ Nick Etten‚ Dixie Walker‚ Paul Waner‚ and Rip Sewell.

Jul 27, 1943 - The Phillies new owner Bill Cox‚ 33‚ fires manager Bucky Harris. who was hired prior to the season‚ and replaces him with Brooklyn P Freddie Fitzsimmons. Harris learns of the firing when a reporter calls him. In New York‚ Cox makes the announcement without ever mentioning Harris.

Sep 18, 1941 - The Pirates‚ losing 5-4 in the 8th against the Dodgers‚ score 2 runs to win 6-5. Hugh Casey balks in the tying run on a questionable call by George Magerkurth‚ then gives up a game-winning triple to the weak-hitting SS Alf Anderson. Durocher is tossed by Magerkurth for arguing too ferociously‚ and the ump will later be verbally accosted by a five Dodgers. The fivesome and The Lip will all receive fines from the NL. Starter Freddie Fitzsimmons leaves in the 4th after allowing 4 runs‚ but does not get the loss‚ preserving his streak of 13 straight wins over the Pirates.

Jul 14, 1940 - Freddie Fitzsimmons of the Dodgers wins his 200th career game‚ a 4-hitter over Pittsburgh. Fat Freddy will win 6 games each from the Pirates and Philadelphia on the way to a 16-2 won-loss mark. Fat Freddie will win his 16 in just 134 innings of work‚ the best ration of wins to innings pitched of any starter in the 20th century.

May 13, 1940 - In a replay of their washed-out game of April 23rd called on account of darkness‚ the Reds and the Cards neglect to inform the league office‚ and no umpires are assigned to Crosley Field. Coach Jimmy Wilson and P Lon Warneke are pressed into service as umpires before umpire Larry Goetz‚ at home in Cincinnati on a day off‚ arrives to officiate. Warneke will later become a full-time umpire‚ while Wilson will return to active duty at the end of the year and star in the WS. Johnny Mize of the St. Louis Cardinals hits 3 HRs‚ and the Reds Bill Werber has 5 hits and collects 4 consecutive doubles in a 14-inning‚ 8-8 tie with the Reds. Werber is the only one to do it in bothe leagues. Mize's is his 3rd 3-homer game‚ breaking the tie for the NL record he shared with George Kelly. After 1910‚ there will be only 5 games this century in which active players umpire: Besides today these are: 1912: Ham Hyatt (Pit-N) and Ed Phelps (Bro-N); 1935: Jocko Conlan (Chi-A); 1941: Johnny Cooney (Bos-N) and Freddie Fitzsimmons (Bro-N); and 1978: Don Leppert (coach‚ Tor-A) and Jerry Zimmerman (coach‚ Min-A). (as noted by historian Wayne McElreavy).

Aug 2, 1938 - Larry MacPhail has official baseballs dyed dandelion yellow‚ and they are used in the first game of a doubleheader between the Dodgers and Cardinals at Ebbets Field. The Dodgers win 6-2‚ but Johnny Mize hits one of Freddie Fitzsimmons' knuckleballs for the first "yellow" HR. Fat Freddie complains that the dye comes off and the balls are too slick. The Dodgers will use up their yellow balls in 3 more games in 1939 (Cards over Dodgers‚ 12-0 and 5-2; Dodgers over Cubs‚ 10-4). In the 2nd game today‚ a white ball is used and the Dodgers tattoo that for a 9-3 win. Yellow balls were used in an August 1928 game between Milwaukee and Louisville.

Jun 25, 1937 - Cubs switch-hitter Augie Galan becomes the first NL player to hit HRs from both sides of the plate in the same game as Chicago‚ behind Tex Carleton‚ beats Brooklyn 11-2 Galan hits the first HR batting lefty of Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons and the 2nd off Ralph Birkofer‚ with Billy Jurges on board each time. The feat goes unnoticed in the Chicago newspapers. Ellis Burton‚ in 1963 and 1964‚ will be the only other Cub to accomplish the feat.

Apr 20, 1936 - At Brooklyn‚ Dodger castoff Wayne "three fingered" Osborne hands Freddie Fitzsimmons a 4-1 lead‚ but the Bees come back to tie 6-6 in the 12th in a game called on account of darkness. Bees reliever Ben Cantrell induces a 1-2-3 DP to end the 12th. Joe Stripp ends his holdout and signs with the Dodgers today.

Sep 30, 1934 - The Dodgers again beat the Giants 8-5. The Giants knock out starter Ray Benge with 4 runs in the 1st‚ but can manage just a solo HR‚ by P Freddie Fitzsimmons‚ in 6 2/3 innings against knuckleballer Dutch Leonard. Brooklyn's 10-inning win is sweet revenge for the Dodgers‚ who had been fuming since Bill Terry's wisecrack at the February 6 NL meetings. Dodger manager Casey Stengel later cackles‚ "The Giants thought we gave 'em a beating‚ but I'm sorry for the beating they still have to take. Wait until their wives realize they're not going to get those new fur coats."

Sep 21, 1934 - The Giants give Freddie Fitzsimmons his first run in 34 innings‚ and the pitcher beats Boston‚ 8-1 to stay ahead of the rampaging Cards by 3 games. Wally Berger's 33rd homer is the only Boston score.

Sep 13, 1934 - In the opener of a critical four-game series at the Polo Grounds‚ Freddie Fitzsimmons and Paul Dean throw 11 scoreless innings before the Cardinals score 2 in the top of the 12th. Dean wins‚ 2-0. The Giants lead is cut to 4 1/2 games.

May 21, 1934 - The Giants beat the Cardinals 5-2 but do it without starting P Freddie Fitzsimmons‚ who is struck in the back by a fungo bat while warming up. Fat Freddie will miss several starts.

Jun 10, 1933 - The Giants never lose the league lead after Freddie Fitzsimmons beats Philadelphia‚ 5-2.

Sep 13, 1931 - After the Giants lose 1-0 to Larry Benton in the opener‚ Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons pitches New York to a 9-4 nitecap win over the Reds. Bill Terry contributes 2 doubles and 2 HRs in the win.

Jul 18, 1927 - At the Polo Grounds‚ 18-year-old Mel Ott hits his first ML homer in a 6-4 10-inning win over the Cubs. Ott hits a line drive on which CF Hack Wilson attempts a shoe string catch. The ball bounds all the way to the CF club house and Ott easily circles the bases. He's the youngest player in the 20 century to hit an inside-the-park homer: Pat Callahan‚ in 1884‚ was not 18 when he hit his. Ott will hit one more IPHR in his career‚ in 1929. Freddie Fitzsimmons gets the decision over Charlie Root‚ dropping the Cubs to 2nd place.

Aug 8, 1925 - The 2nd place Giants make two deals to help in the pennant race. Hack Wilson goes to Toledo for Earl Webb‚ and Freddie Fitzsimmons is picked up from Indianapolis for cash and two players to be named later. Fat Freddie will be a fine addition‚ but Webb is soon back in the minors. Wilson‚ sent to Toledo for seasoning‚ will be left unprotected by the Giants front office‚ and the Cubs will swipe the fireplug slugger.