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DOUBLE WINNER
Q: Who was the last pitcher to start and win both games of a doubleheader?
-- Dicklutz@aol.com
A: The last pitcher to start and win both games of a doubleheader was St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Herman "Hi" Bell. On July 19, 1924, he beat the Boston Braves twice, by scores of 6-1 and 2-1. In the first game, Bell took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, and in the second game, he no-hit the Braves until the fifth. He ended up allowing just six hits over the two games. Suprisingly, Bell only won one other game that season.
A: According to Paul Dickson's Baseball Dictionary, the word "rookie" may have originated as a corruption of the word "recruit", and was originally used in the Army to describe a young soldier, or fresh recruit. Other theories suggest that the term could have come from the word "rook", the chess piece often used last once a game starts; or it could be a play on an old slang word "rook", which means to cheat, which was applied to young soldiers who would be easily cheated by conmen.
A: Babe Ruth was released by the Yankees on February 26, 1935, and later signed with the Boston Braves. To replace him, the Yankees called up rookie outfielder George Selkirk, who played in 127 games during the 1935 season as Ruth's replacement in right field. He batted .312 with 11 home runs and 94 RBI.
A: The Polo Grounds, which housed the New York Giants from 1911 to 1957, and the New York Yankees and New York Mets for brief stints, was built by Giants owner John T. Bush in 1911. It was built to replace the original Polo Grounds, which burned down on April 14, 1911. Building began right after the fire, and the new stadium was ready for fans on June 28, 1911. It was completed in the off season, and housed 34,000 fans at its capacity.
A: Babe Ruth always said he wanted to become a manager once he retired. The closest he ever got was when he was hired as a first base coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers on June 18, 1938. He spent the rest of the season as a coach, and he also took batting practice before games to try and draw more fans. At the end of the season, the Dodgers hired Leo Durocher to replace former manager Burleigh Grimes, and Ruth was let go.
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