Books and articles about Slim Sallee

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In his first eight and one half major league seasons, Sallee toiled for Cardinal teams that only once finished in the first division (1914). Yet the lean, 6'3" Slim won consistently and, after his rookie season, never recorded an ERA higher than 2.97 for St. Louis. He won 18 games in both 1913 and 1914, and his six saves in both 1912 and 1914 were league highs. Sold to the Giants in July 1916, Sallee helped pitch New York to the 1917 NL pennant by going 18-7 with a league-high four saves. After he was picked up on waivers in March 1919, his 21-7 record led the 1919 World Champion Reds' staff. Gifted with fantastic control at his best, the junkballer walked only 20 batters in 227.2 innings that season and is the only 20-game winner for a championship team not to top 20 walks. He posted a complete-game victory and a loss in the World Series against the Chicago Black Sox. He returned to the Giants in September 1920 (on waivers again) and, in 1921, for the third time in his career, played for a pennant-winner the season after changing teams. Sallee was known to quit the field when practice sessions grew tiresome, repairing to a nearby bar; his drinking led teams to give up on him despite his obvious talent. (JL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 21, 1908: In St. Louis, the Cards split with the Giants, with Harry Sallee losing the opener, 4–2. Christy Mathewson wins his 21st straight over St. Louis, though he gives up 11 hits in the victory. The Cards beat Dummy Taylor in the nitecap, 3–1, in 12 innings. » July 29, 1908: Christy Mathewson defeats the Cardinals again, beating Harry Sallee, 1–0. Sallee allows four hits, but the one run scores on an error and passed ball. » August 17, 1908: In a rain-shortened game, Christy Mathewson throws his mitt on the field and defeats the Cards, 3-0, in six innings, with Harry Sallee taking the loss. With the Giants at bat in the 5th, John McGraw signals Cy Seymour to steal home-even though Cards C Bill Ludwig has the ball. Jack Barry, the next batter, then strikes out on three pitches, as the Giants race to beat the downpour. » June 6, 1910: At the Polo Grounds, the Giants cut the Cards, 6–1, as Christy Mathewson is victorious over Harry Sallee. » May 13, 1911: At Hilltop Park, Fred Merkle has six RBIs in one inning—on a double and a Fred Merkle inside-the-park home run—as the Giants tee off on three St. Louis pitchers for 13 runs in the first inning, including seven before an out is recorded. Merkle adds a 3-run double in the inning and then scores the last run on the front end of a successful double steal. The spree ties a first inning major-league record enjoyed by the Boston Beaneaters against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1900, and it remains a Giants club record through the 20th century. John McGraw decides to save starter Christy Mathewson for another day and lifts him after one inning, but the official scorer credits Matty with the win. McGraw wants to give Marquard some experience in pitching without pressure and brings in Rube to finish. He works the last eight innings and strikes out 14, setting a 20th century National League record, and a since broken ML record, for strikeouts by a reliever: Walter Johnson will K 15 batters in 1913 and Randy Johnson will match it in 2001, while Denny McLain will rack up 14 in 1965. The Giants roll, 19–5, pinning the loss on Harry Sallee. » July 22, 1913: Cards P Slim Sallee beats Brooklyn, 3–1, and scores one of the runs himself on a steal of home. » May 23, 1914: At St. Louis, Slim Sallee stops the Giants to preserve the Cards lead, and the Birds win, 4–3, over Christy Mathewson. » June 6, 1914: Christy Mathewson allows 10 Cardinals hits, including 4th inning homers by Chief Wilson and Ivy Wingo, but hangs on to win, 6–4. Slim Sallee is the loser. » August 26, 1914: The Giants lose 1–0 to the Cardinals, managing just three hits off Bill Doak, but win game two on a 2-hitter by Christy Mathewson over Slim Sallee. The 4–0 win is Matty's 20th. » July 31, 1916: The Giants take two from Pittsburgh, winning both by 7–0 scores. Slim Sallee and Jeff Tesreau are the winners. » August 26, 1916: The Reds, led by Christy Mathewson, top the Giants at the Polo Grounds, 4–2, beating up on the newly re-acquired Slim Sallee. » September 30, 1916: In the opener of a doubleheader, Giants pitcher Rube Benton takes a no hitter into the 8th inning before Braves 1B Ed Konetchy repeats his performance of two days ago by lacing a hit, the only Boston safety. Benton wins the one-hitter, 4–0 for New York's record 26th win in a row. Boston then wins the 2nd game, 8–3, behind Lefty Tyler to snap the historic streak. Jeff Tesreau, in relief of Slim Sallee, is ineffective. Despite the winning streak, and an earlier skein of 17 victories on the road, New York finishes in 4th place. » August 21, 1917: Reds rookie righthander Hod Eller fans the side on nine pitches in the 9th inning, beating the Giants 7–5, and breaking Slim Sallee's 10-game winning streak. » September 24, 1917: At the Polo Grounds, Slim Sallee tops the Cards, 2–1, and clinches the N.L. pennant for the Giants, their 6th under McGraw. The New Yorkers manage just four hits (and six walks) off Bill Doak, but they come when needed. » October 6, 1917: Before the World Series starts, Charles Comiskey offers one percent of his team's World Series share to Clark Griffith's Bat and Ball Fund for American soldiers in France. In Chicago, Happy Felsch's home run is the difference as Ed Cicotte beats the Giants' Slim Sallee 2–1 in the Series opener. » March 4, 1919: John McGraw gives up on lefty Slim Sallee, selling him to the Reds. McGraw will buy him back next year. » September 21, 1919: The Cubs beat the Braves 3-0 in 58 minutes. It takes the Dodgers 55 minutes to beat the Reds 3-1. Slim Sallee throws 65 pitches, topping Christy Mathewson's 69-pitch CG. One week later the Giants will close the season beating the Phils 6-1 in a record 51 minutes. » October 2, 1919: In game 2 after an easy 3 innings, Lefty Williams walks 3 Reds, gives up a single to Edd Roush and a triple to Larry Kopf, and the Reds lead 3-0. Slim Sallee scatters 10 hits as Risberg and Gandil fail in the clutch. The final score is 4-2. Joe Jackson has 3 hits; his .375 BA will make it appear later that he was trying. » October 8, 1919: Ed Cicotte pitches game 7, and the Sox play like they mean it. Joe Jackson and Felsch drive in 2 each for a 4-1 win. The Reds make 4 errors behind Slim Sallee's pitching, before 32,006 Cincinnati fans who pay a record WS game receipt total of $101,768. » September 27, 1970: The Orioles rally for two runs in the 8th inning to beat the Indians Sam McDowell, 4–3. Dick Hall wins his 10th game with three innings of hitless relief. He also walks no one and ends the year with more wins than walks—10 wins and only six walks in 61 innings. Not since Slim Sallee's 21 wins in 1919 when he walked 20 has a pitcher accomplished this. Bret Saberhagen in 1994 will be the next, winning 14 and walking 13. Before Sallee, Christy Mathewson had two seasons of more wins than walks.