» August 8, 1925:
The Giants buy righthander Fred Fitzsimmons from Indianapolis.» September 2, 1925: After losing Game One by a 6–3 score to the Phils, the Giants unload in a nitecap, 24–9 shelling. The hits keep coming—30 to be exact in a record 58 at-bats—at Baker Bowl. Four New Yorkers—Southworth, Frisch, Irish Meusel, and Lindstrom—each collect four hits apiece, while a ML record-tying ten batters each collect two hits each. Doc Farrell (2-for-3) who takes over for Travis Jackson at short in the 6th is the 10th. Ex-Phil Meusel drives home nine runs, while Rookie Fred Fitzsimmons allows 14 hits, including homers by Cy Williams, Johnny Mokan and Hal Carlson in the 8th frame. Phils starter Art Decatur is the loser.
» September 26, 1925: With the pennant clinched, the Pirates get shut out for the 2nd time in three days, losing twice to the visiting Giants. Fred Fitzsimmons stops the Bucs 3–0 in the nitecap, beating Johnny Morrison. Zeke Barnes outpitches Vic Aldridge, 4–3, in the opener. To the dismay of the 25,000 on hand, the Bucs leading batter Kiki Cuyler is hitless.
» October 23, 1926: In South Bend, Indiana, the Babe Ruth All Stars, including Johnny Mostil, Marty McManus and Urban Shocker, beat the local South Bend Indians 7-3 in a game called after six innings because of a late start. The all stars were delayed two hours when their vehicle broke down, as researched by historian Kevin Paczkowski. The Babe is 3-for-4 and hits a home run estimated at 600 feet. In preparation for the Babe's visit, the local team stocked up on baseballs at a cost of $1.23 each: in Montreal on October 17, the Babe hit 36 into a nearby river, according to the South Bend Tribune, and the ensuing game had to be stopped for lack of balls. Babe's squad will tie tomorrow when the Indians pitch the Giants Fred Fitzsimmons, who lives nearby. Joining Freddie is Fred Lindstrom.
» May 14, 1928: In Chicago, Charlie Root beats the Giants, 8–2. Fred Fitzsimmons takes the loss. Outside the park after the game, John McGraw is knocked down by a taxicab and suffers a broken leg that will keep him out of the dugout six weeks. Roger Bresnahan takes over.
» September 10, 1928: The Giants gain one 1/2 games on the Cards and Cubs by winning two from Boston while the leaders lose. New York moves into 2nd tomorrow with another sweep of the Braves. Fred Fitzsimmons wins the opener for the Giants, 4–1, and Joe Genewich wins the nitecap, 11–0.
» August 2, 1929:
After being shut out four straight times by Giants hurler Fred Fitzsimmons, the Reds score off him in the first inning, add two unearned runs in the 3rd to win, 3–2. Freddie allows just four hits in losing to Pete Donohue. Before the game, John McGraw issues a vehement denial that he has hurt morale by browbeating his players and issuing fines for errors. He says he has only fined Hubbell $25 for failing to touch second base in a game, and Frank Hogan $50 for failing to show up at the team hotel in Boston one night. "These, plus a fine of $100 assessed against Jack Cummings for being absent without leave for ten days—during which I had no idea where he was and could not even notify him of his transfer to the Braves—constitutes the total fines I have ordered." He also states that he hasn't even been in the clubhouse since July 18th.
» September 5, 1931: The Cardinals lead drops to five 1/2 as the 2nd-place Giants whip Brooklyn, 5–1 and 10–1. New York's Fred Fitzsimmons wins the opener, pitching seven innings, giving up three hits and stroking a home run. In the 7th inning, Fitzsimmons is struck on the head by a pitch from Austin Moore, which ruptures a blood vessel and keeps the knuckleballer from making his next start.
» September 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 two doubles and two home runs in the win.
» September 20, 1932:
At the Polo Grounds, Fred Fitzsimmons coasts to a 15–3 win over the Braves. Boston catcher Johnny Schulte bangs a 9th inning solo shot for the final score, the homer coming in his last ML at bat. The veteran caught on with the Braves when Pinky Hargrave broke a leg in a game that Schulte was watching at Sportsman's Park. Earlier in the year, he was watching at game at the same park when the Browns C Rick Ferrell broke a hand, and Schulte was signed for the recovery period.
» June 10, 1933: The Giants never lose the league lead after Freddie Fitzsimmons beats Philadelphia, 5–2.
» June 25, 1933: At the Polo Grounds, 25,000 see the Giants win twice over the Reds and increase their National League lead to three games. Hal Schumacher, the June graduate of St. Lawrence, wins the opener, 7–1, giving up a run on an error. New York scores five runs in two innings to knock out Ray Kolp. The Giants take the 2nd game, 6–3, as Johnny Vergez drives in four runs. Fred Fitzsimmons is the winner over Benton, in relief of Benny Frey.
» May 17, 1934:
The Giants defeat the Reds, 6–3, behind the hitting and pitching of Fred Fitzsimmons. Fitz poles a homer, has a single in a 5th inning rally, and scatters eight hits.
» 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.
» June 20, 1934: The first-place Giants score seven runs in the 3rd to crush the Cubs, 12–7. Mel Ott leads the way with two homers —his 16th and 17th—and drives in six runs. Joe Moore has four hits including a homer and Fred Fitzsimmons, who weakened in the 8th, is credited with the win. Charlie Root, who got none out in the 3rd before retiring, is the loser. The Giants now lead the Cards by five games.
» May 30, 1935: The Memorial Day twin bill at the Polo Grounds breaks all National League attendance records when 63,943 see the Giants take a pair from the Dodgers, 8–3 and 6–0. Thousands are turned away and the gates are closed 40 minutes before game time. Roy Parmelee coasts in the opener after Mel Ott hits a grand slam in the first inning. In his first appearance at the Polo Grounds as a Giant, Al Cuccinello also homers in the same inning. Fred Fitzsimmons twirls a 2-hitter in the nitecap.
» June 23, 1935: The Giants Fred Fitzsimmons picks up his 4th victory of the year, stopping the Cubs on 11 hits and winning, 8–0. All of Freddie victories have been shutouts.
» May 22, 1936: Phils pitcher Bucky Walters shuts out the Dodgers, 15–0. Fred Fitzsimmons, routed before getting an out, is the loser. The big blow in the 7-run 1st inning is a grand slam by Pinky Whitney.
» June 11, 1937:
In one of the Giants' worst trades, popular Fred Fitzsimmons is sent to Brooklyn for rookie prospect Tom Baker.
» August 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's knuckleballs for the first "yellow" HR.
» 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 World Series. Johnny Mize of the St. Louis Cardinals hits three home runs, and the Reds Bill Werber has five hits and collects four doubles in a 14-inning, 8–8 tie with the Reds. Mize's is his 3rd 3-homer game, breaking the tie for the National League record he shared with George Kelly. After 1910, there will be only five 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)
» July 14, 1940:
Freddie Fitzsimmons of the Dodgers wins his 200th career game, a 4-hitter over Pittsburgh. Fat
Freddy will win six games each from the Pirates and Philadelphia on the way to a 16-2 won-loss mark.
» November 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.
» June 29, 1945:
Ben Chapman replaces Fred Fitzsimmons as manager of the Philadelphia Blue Jays.
» January 12, 1949: The Giants are fined $2,000, and manager Leo Durocher, $500 for signing Fred Fitzsimmons as a coach while he was still under contract to the Braves. Fitz gets a $500 fine and a 30-day spring training suspension.
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