Books and articles about Phil Cavarretta

Cavarretta played 20 consecutive seasons with the Cubs. A lefthanded schoolboy pitcher for Lane Tech in Chicago, he signed a contract with Peoria (Central League) before he finished high school. He hit for the cycle as a right fielder in his first pro game in 1934. Brought up by the Cubs that September, he struck out as a pinch hitter in his debut, but homered in his first start for the only run of the game. He became the everyday first baseman for the 1935 NL champions as an 18-year-old.

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RELATED LINKS Photos » Photo: Ernie Banks & The Cubs (1953) from Black Baseball in Chicago Book Excerpts » The Story of My Life by Hank Greenberg with Ira Berkow » "Every time I see Cavaretta I say, 'You killed me. You kept me from being a hero'": Charlie Gehringer » "In all honesty, Phil wasn’t the most brilliant manager in the world": Ransom Jackson » "I said, 'Phil, why don’t you make me stay in left field? Those are my people out there, my great friends'": Hank Sauer » "Phil hated to lose and he was very honest, and that was the reason he got fired": Ralph Kiner » "Phil was a very no-nonsense guy. He was a hard-headed guy. Win under any costs": Eddie Miksis » Breaking the Slump: Baseball in the Depression Era by Charles C. Alexander Around the Web » Phil Cavarretta from baseball-reference.com » Phil Cavarretta from thebaseballpage.com » Rico Carty from thediamondangle.com » Norm Cash from thediamondangle.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

In a May 1939 game against the Giants, Cavarretta broke an ankle sliding; 13 months later he repeated the same injury, also against New York. Exempt from military service because of an ear problem, he peaked during WWII. His 197 hits in 1944 tied with Stan Musial for the NL lead. In that year's All-Star Game, he reached base a record five times. He was the 1945 NL batting champion (.355), helping the Cubs to the pennant and winning MVP honors. He led all hitters in the 1945 WS with a .423 average (11 for 26).

Cavarretta was the Cubs' player-manager in 1951-53, and led the NL with 12 pinch hits in '51. Fired in spring training of 1954 because owner Phil Wrigley bridled at Cavarretta's prediction of a second-division finish, he finished his playing career with the White Sox. He managed extensively in the minors, coached and scouted for the Tigers, and became an excellent batting instructor for the Mets' organization. (NLM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » September 25, 1935: In a showdown series with the 2nd place Cardinals in St. Louis, the Cubs edge the Cardinals 1–0. Paul Dean strikes out the first four Cub batters before young Phil Cavarretta. drives a home run on top the roof in RF for the only score of the game. Lon Warneke gives up just two hits and walks none in winning his 20th game. It is the Cubs' 19th straight win, and they are now assured of at least a tie for the pennant. » May 8, 1939: In a 4–2 Cubs win at the Polo Grounds, Cubs first sacker Phil Cavarretta breaks his leg sliding into a base. He'll be out of action until July 25, and will appear in just seven more games this year, all as a PH. » August 22, 1942: Cubs catcher Clyde McCullough, SS Lennie Merullo, and 1B Phil Cavarretta combine on a triple play in the top of the 11th, and Bill Nicholson home runs in the bottom half of the inning, as the Chicago Cubs stun the Cincinnati Reds, 5–4. » July 30, 1943: Phil Cavarretta of the Chicago Cubs HRs off the RF foul pole against Johnny Allen of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The ball is retrieved, and Bill Nicholson hits the next pitch out of Wrigley Field. The result: one ball, one pitcher, two pitches, two HRs. The Cubs go on to beat the Dodgers 13-2. » July 11, 1944: Phil Cavarretta of the Cubs sets an All-Star Game record by reaching base five successive times on a triple, single, and three walks, as the NL romps 7-1. » May 11, 1945: Behind Phil Cavarretta's four hits, the Cubs beat the Phils, 7–1. Cavarretta is hitting .365. » August 5, 1945: The Cubs bang out 22 hits in Game One of a pair to overwhelm the Reds, 12–5. Stan Hack has three doubles and a single, and Phil Cavarretta has four hits. The Cubs take the nitecap, 2–1, behind Claude Passeau's 6-hitter. Chicago has won 17 of their last 18 games. » August 12, 1945: Phils baserunner Fred Daniels collides with Cubs 1B Phil Cavarretta, sidelining the Cubs star for 25 of the next 27 games. The Cubs manage to win two from the Phils, 4–3 and 12–6. » July 18, 1948: In the first of two before 39,623, the Chicago Cubs beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 3–2. With two outs and the bases loaded in the 9th inning, rookie Robin Roberts hits Phil Cavarretta and Andy Pafko on the back with successive pitches to force home the winner. Chicago's Johnny Schmitz allows just four hits, three by Johnny Blatnik. The Jays (as they are still occasionally referred to in print) win the nitecap, 6–4, collecting 17 hits, including a homer by Del Ennis. Schoolboy Rowe evens his record at 5–5, beating Russ Meyer. » August 26, 1948: The Cubs sweep two from the Braves, 5–1 and 5–2, despite a near-riot that holds up play for 20 minutes in the nitecap. The reaction by the fans comes when Jocko Conlan rules that a drive by Phil Cavarretta in the 3rd inning is a ground-rule double, not an inside the park homer. Conlan makes his call after Braves LF Jeff Heath "loses" the ball in the Wrigley vines, though it is really by his feet. The fans shower the field in protest and Conlan bawls out some of Chicago's finest for not taking any action. When play is resumed, Andy Pafko walks and Peanut Lowrey's hits a bases-loaded triple. » July 16, 1950: The Cubs knock the Phillies out of a tie for first place, sweeping 8–0 and 10–3. The Cubs lose Phil Cavarretta when he is hit by a Ken Johnson pitch in game 1, fracturing his forearm. Hank Sauer takes over 1B. Walt Dubiel fires the shutout and Doyle Lade is the CG winner in game 2. The loss goes to Bob Miller in game 2, the first defeat for the rookie after eight straight wins. Ex-Bruin Russ Meyer loses the first game after defeating the Cubs five straight times (as noted by Ed Hartig). The Mad Monk, the greatest ever Cubs killer, will win his next 17 decisions against Chicago before losing on May 11, 1955. » September 2, 1950: Phil Cavarretta leads off the ninth with a single, the Cubs lone hit against the Reds Ewell Blackwell. The Whip strikes out 10 in winning, 5–1. » July 22, 1951: With the Cubs 10 games under .500 at 35-45, Phil Cavarretta replaces Frankie Frisch (141-196) as manager. They will go 27-47 the rest of the way to finish in last place. » July 29, 1951: Against the Phillies, Cubs player-manager Phil Cavarretta earns his money by driving home three runs in a first game win, 5–4, snapping the Cubs 10-game home losing streak. His triple in the sixth off Robin Roberts ends the Cubs' scoreless inning skein of 31 innings, and the consecutive scoreless innings by Phils pitchers at 41. Cavarretta takes the bench in game two but inserts himself as a pinch hitter in the seventh when Roberts relieves, and hits a grand slam home run as the Cubs sweep, winning the nitecap, 8–6. The nitecap loss goes to Bubba Church, who put two runners on before giving way to Roberts. It is Church's first and only career loss to Chicago after nine straight wins. » August 15, 1952: Phil Cavarretta signs his 1953 contract as manager of the Cubs. » March 29, 1954: After the Cubs go 5–15 in spring training, Phil Cavarretta gives Cubs owner Phil Wrigley an honest assessment of the team's chances, and is fired for his "defeatist attitude." He's the first manager to be given the gate during spring training. Stan Hack replaces him. Cavarretta is right; the Cubs will drop to 7th. » March 21, 1978: The Padres fire manager Alvin Dark, replacing him with pitching coach Roger Craig. Dark becomes the second manager after the Cubs' Phil Cavarretta in 1954 to be fired during spring training.