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Thursday, 10/5/1954
Thursday 10/5/1954: Blackwell (CHA) and Roberts (PHI) win Cy Young Award
The 1954 AL Cy Young Award winner is from Chicago (A) this year. Ewell Blackwell put together impressive numbers on the mound this season. His ERA of 3.09 helped him to a 25-4 record this year. He struck out 222 and walked 114 in 305.2 innings. He has 9 complete games and 2 shutouts. He's 1st in the AL in ERA and 1st in wins! Blackwell wins the award for the 2nd time in his 9-year career. Philadelphia (N)'s right-hander Robin Roberts was untouchable all year long. His work paid off today as the NL named him the Cy Young Award winner! Opposing players hit .261 against Robin this season. While posting an ERA of 3.61 he went 26-10 in 41 starts, fanning 160 and walking 80 hitters. He has 26 complete games and 3 shutouts. He's 3rd in the NL in ERA and 1st in wins!
 
Thursday 10/5/1954: Ennis and Jones earn Most Valuable Player Award honors
It was a day to remember for Boston's Del Ennis, who won the AL Most Valuable Player Award today. It put the finishing touches on what has been a tremendous season for the slugger. His season features a batting average of .382 (215 hits in 563 AB), 35 doubles, 5 triples and 29 bombs. Ennis collected 99 RBI and 120 runs as well. He's 1st in the AL in batting! The NL Most Valuable Player Award goes to Willie Jones this year. He had an extraordinary season as well! Willie is hitting .342 this year, with 193 hits in 564 at bats. He has driven in 114 runs, slugging .592. He's 2nd in the NL in batting, 7th in homeruns and 8th in RBI!
 
Thursday 10/5/1954: Kaline (PHA) and Delock (PIT) win Rookie Of The Year Award
Al Kaline was named the AL Rookie Of The Year Award winner today. Philadelphia (A)'s centerfielder put up pretty good numbers for a rookie this year. This 19 year old kid will probably have a long and successful career! Al is hitting .266 this year, with 135 hits in 507 at bats. He has driven in 101 runs, slugging .475. The 1954 NL Rookie Of The Year Award winner is from Pittsburgh this season. Ike Delock put together impressive numbers for a rookie en route to win the first major award of his career. Let's hope more will follow for this 24 year old ballplayer. In 21 starts this year Ike struck out 77 batters in 177.1 innings of work. His ERA is 4.77, his record 8-9.
 
Sunday 10/1/1954: Brooklyn's Henry named Pitcher of the Month
Bob Friend couldn't have pitched much better than he did in September, and the AL thought so as well, naming the right-hander Pitcher of the Month. He had an ERA of just 2.16 in 50 innings of work in which he struck out 18 hitters. His record in September is 5-0. Bob pitched a shutout as well. This season Friend compiled an ERA of 3.95, going 18-8 in 32 starts. He fanned 120 while giving up 247 hits in 253 innings. Bob has pitched 3 shutouts and 16 complete games. Brooklyn's Bill Henry had a terrific September, and it earned him the NL Pitcher of the month award. He had an ERA of just 1.70 in 42.1 innings of work in which he struck out 21 hitters. His record in September is 4-0. His ERA of 3.54 helped him to a 23-10 record this year. He struck out 109 and walked 104 in 244 innings. He has 9 complete games and one shutout. He's 2nd in the NL in ERA and 2nd in wins!
 
Sunday 10/1/1954: Batter of the Month award winners announced
The AL's best player of the month was New York (A)'s Mickey Mantle, who wins the award for the 3rd time in his career. Mantle helped his team with an average of .449 and 22 RBI in 69 at bats. This year Mantle drove in 121 and scored 129 runs while batting .333 with 41 longballs. He's 5th in the AL in batting, 2nd in homeruns and 3rd in RBI! St. Louis (N)'s leftfielder Danny Gardella had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the NL Batter of the Month. Danny pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .402 with 8 and 26 RBI while slugging .707. Danny has gone 156 for 548 (.285) this season, hitting 41 longballs and driving in 123 runs. He has scored 102 runs on his own. He's 3rd in the NL in RBIs and 2nd in homeruns!
 
Monday 9/25/1954: Williams and Gardella win Player of the Week award
The AL's best player of the week was Chicago (A)'s Ted Williams, who wins the award for the 15th time in his career. In 22 at bats he hit .545 with 6 HR and 13 RBI. The NL's best player of the week was St. Louis (N)'s Danny Gardella, who wins the award for the 5th time in his career. He hit .462 with 10 RBI and slugged .962 in 26 at bats. While compiling an on base percentage of .353, Danny hit .285 and slugged .546. He has collected 123 runs batted in this year. He's 3rd in the NL in RBIs and 2nd in homeruns!
 
Sunday 9/24/1954: Ralph Branca turns in great performance against Cincinnati
BROOKLYN - Brooklyn's right-hander Ralph Branca is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game. Cincinnati found out the hard way, getting just 2 hits. Branca 1st shutout this season was a masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has now hurled 15th shutouts in his career. 'I really like to play baseball, and I love the way I was able to play it today.' Branca (12-16) fanned 6 and walked 3, throwing 107 pitches. The hitting star for Brooklyn was second baseman Billy Goodman, he stroked 1 hit in 3 AB, and driving in 2 runs. Brooklyn scored 5 runs on 5 hits.
 
Sunday 9/24/1954: Bob Friend blanks New York (A) with a 1-hitter
NEW YORK (A) - Baltimore's right-hander Bob Friend is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game. New York (A) found out the hard way, getting just one hit. Friend 3rd shutout this season was a masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has now hurled 10th shutouts in his career. 'I felt early that I was on top of my game. Fortunately I was able to keep that feeling the entire game.' Friend (18-8) struck out 4 and issued 3 BB, throwing 65 of 106 pitches for strikes. Bill Bruton helped Friend at the plate, he finished 1 for 3, hitting a double, and collecting 4 RBI. Baltimore scored 7 runs on 10 hits.
 
Monday 9/18/1954: New York (A)'s Musial wins Player of the Week award
It's the 2nd time that the AL Player of the Week award goes to New York (A)'s first baseman Stan Musial. Stan was on fire, hitting .542 with 3 HR and 9 RBI. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 14 games. The Player of the Week award in the NL goes to Brooklyn's Willie Jones this time, as the third baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Willie pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .571 with 3 HR and 11 RBI while slugging 1.143. Willie managed to drive in at least one run in every game he played this week. He has hit 30 bombs while batting .345 this season. His 187 hits and 93 walks add up to a .437 on-base percentage. He's 2nd in the NL in batting, 9th in homeruns and 10th in RBI!
 
Sunday 9/17/1954: George Kell stars with 2000th career hit
DETROIT - Detroit's players had every reason to congratulate George Kell, who reached a milestone today, collecting his 2000th career hit! His best year so far was 1953 where he hit .340 with 3 homeruns and 74 RBI. 'I still remember my first hit. But the one today is something special. I'll definitely keep that ball!' He hit a single in the 3rd off Dick Weik for number 2000.
 
Wednesday 9/13/1954: Fred Hutchinson turns in great performance against Philadelphia (A)
BOSTON - With his best stuff going, Boston's Fred Hutchinson overmatched the opposing hitters all day long. Philadelphia (A) had no chance, collecting just 2 hits against the right-hander. With no outs in the 5th inning Jackie Jensen singled to break up the no-hitter. 'My catcher called a very good game. I have to give credit to him.' Hutchinson (3-7) fanned 3 and walked 2, throwing 131 pitches. Del Ennis provided Boston with the offense Hutchinson needed as he got 3 hits in 3 AB, going deep twice, scoring 2 runs and driving in 3 runs. Boston scored 3 runs on 9 hits.
 
Monday 9/11/1954: Mantle (NYY) and Gardella (SLN) win P.O.W. award
The Player of the Week award in the AL goes to New York (A)'s Mickey Mantle this time, as the centerfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Mickey went 10 for 19 (.526), while hitting 5 HR and collecting 11 RBI. Danny Gardella wins his 4th Player of the Week award. NL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Danny was on fire, hitting .429 with 2 HR and 9 RBI. This year Gardella drove in 108 and scored 89 runs while batting .269 with 36 longballs. He's 3rd in the NL in RBIs and 3rd in homeruns!
 
Sunday 9/10/1954: Mickey Mantle blisters three bombs
NEW YORK (A) - New York (A) beat Cleveland 12-3, but that was not the real story of the game. Mickey Mantle was, as he went deep three times. His 1st shot, a two-run homerun off Mike Garcia in the 1st inning, cleared the fence in right field. His 2nd blast, a two-run homerun off Al Corwin in the 6th inning, landed an estimated 426 feet from home plate. A pitch from Luis Aloma in the 8th inning left his bat for a solo homerun, landing 414 feet from home plate in left-center. Mickey went 3 for 5, scoring three runs and driving in 5 runs.
 
Friday 9/8/1954: Danny Gardella socks seven hits for St. Louis (N)
NEW YORK (N) - Danny Gardella punished New York (N)'s pitching today, collecting seven hits in 7 AB. That definitely helped St. Louis (N), they won the game 21 to 6. In the 8th inning he unloaded a two-run homerun off Gerry Staley. He collected singles in the 1st (two RBIs) , in the 2nd inning , in the 3rd inning , in the 4th inning (two RBIs) , in the 7th and in the 9th (one RBI). Danny did drive in 7 while scoring 4 runs on his own. He now has a total of 131 hits this season, accounting for a .268 batting average.
 
Monday 9/4/1954: Sullivan and Mays win Player of the Week award
The AL's best player of the week was Baltimore's Frank Sullivan, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Sullivan was overpowering all week long, going 2-0 with an ERA of 0.00. Along the way he struck out 10 in 18 innings. He pitched two shutouts! Pittsburgh's centerfielder Willie Mays had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the NL Player of the Week. In 20 at bats he hit .400 with 4 HR and 8 RBI. This year Mays drove in 103 and scored 108 runs while batting .324 with 35 taters. He's 9th in the NL in batting, 2nd in homeruns and 3rd in RBI!
 
Friday 9/1/1954: Chicago (A)'s Blackwell earns Pitcher of the Month award
Ewell Blackwell couldn't have pitched much better than he did in August, and the AL thought so as well, naming the right-hander Pitcher of the Month. He struck out 48 hitters in his 7 starts, putting together a record of 6-1 while pitching 48 innings. His ERA in August was 1.54. Ewell has a record of 24-3 this season, with an ERA of 2.84. In 269.2 Innings he was able to strike out 199 batters. Ewell has pitched 2 shutouts and 9 complete games. He's 1st in the AL in ERA and 1st in wins! Philadelphia (N)'s pitcher Curt Simmons is the NL winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in August. He went 6-2 in August and finished the month with an ERA of 3.23. He struck out 23 in 64 innings. Curt pitched a shutout as well. This season Simmons compiled an ERA of 3.41, going 18-11 in 36 starts. He fanned 126 while giving up 273 hits in 287.1 innings. He has 14 complete games and 3 shutouts. He's 1st in the NL in ERA and 4th in wins!
 
Friday 9/1/1954: Red hot Noren and Snider win Batter of the Month award
The AL's best player of the month was Washington's Irv Noren, who wins the award for the 2nd time in his career. He hit .361 with 24 RBI and slugged .588 in 97 at bats. This year Noren drove in 80 and scored 79 runs while batting .328 with 13 homeruns. He's 6th in the AL in batting! Duke Snider of Brooklyn wins his 7th Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the NL. He had an on base percentage of .466 and hit .394, while driving in 43 runs. His season features a batting average of .308 (151 hits in 490 AB), 35 doubles, 6 triples and 28 taters. Snider collected 109 RBI and 103 runs as well. He's 1st in the NL in RBIs and 8th in homeruns!
 
Monday 8/28/1954: Player of the Week honors go to Woodling and Antonelli
Gene Woodling from Cleveland wins his 2nd Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the AL. In 21 at bats he hit .619 with 3 HR and 7 RBI. Gene has gone 140 for 434 (.323) this season, hitting 14 taters and driving in 82 runs. He has scored 98 runs on his own. He's 10th in the AL in batting! It's the 1st time that the NL Player of the Week award goes to Milwaukee's pitcher Johnny Antonelli. Johnny went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.50, while fanning 6 in 18 innings of work. He hurled a shutout as well.
 
Monday 8/21/1954: Brooklyn's Snider wins Player of the Week award
It's the 1st time that the AL Player of the Week award goes to Philadelphia (A)'s pitcher Lou Brissie. Brissie was overpowering all week long, going 2-0 with an ERA of 0.50. Along the way he struck out 6 in 18 innings. He hurled a shutout as well. Duke Snider wins his 13th Player of the Week award. NL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Duke pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .467 with 6 HR and 21 RBI while slugging 1.167.
 
Sunday 8/20/1954: Duke Snider nabs five hits against St. Louis (N)
ST. LOUIS (N) - On Sunday, Brooklyn's leftfielder Duke Snider displayed his sensational ability to handle the bat against St. Louis (N), punishing their pitchers with five hits. A pitch from Hoyt Wilhelm in the 1st inning left his bat for a two-run homerun, landing 410 feet from home plate in center field. A RBI double off Hoyt Wilhelm in the 4th inning accounted for his 3rd hit. In the 7th inning he belted a two-run double off Leo Kiely. He collected singles in the 2nd (one RBI) and in the 9th . Duke did drive in 7 while scoring 4 runs on his own. He is hitting .308 this season, with 26 HR and 101 RBI. Brooklyn scored 25 runs on 28 hits.
 
Friday 8/18/1954: Vic Raschi blanks Baltimore with a 2-hitter
BALTIMORE - New York (A)'s Vic Raschi overmatched the opposing hitters all day long. Baltimore had no chance, collecting just 2 hits against the right-hander. 'Things like that happen. You take the mound and everything works. My velocity was pretty good today and I guess it showed.' Raschi (19-9) fanned 3 and walked 3, throwing 106 pitches. Ralph Kiner provided New York (A) with the offense Raschi needed as he collected 2 hits in 4 trips to the plate, homering twice, scoring three times and driving in 3 runs. New York (A) scored 9 runs on 13 hits.
 
Monday 8/14/1954: Sisti (BOS) and Snider (BRO) win P.O.W. award
The AL's best player of the week was Boston's Sibby Sisti, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Sibby went 15 for 23 (.652), while hitting 1 HR and collecting 9 RBI. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 7 games. Duke Snider from Brooklyn wins his 12th Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the NL. Duke was on fire, hitting .560 with 4 HR and 10 RBI. Duke managed to drive in at least one run in every game he played this week.
 
Sunday 8/13/1954: New York (A)'s Berra severely injured
NEW YORK (A) - New York (A)'s season took a blow when Yogi Berra suffered a serious injury in the game against Philadelphia (A). He was hurt when ge got bowled over in a scary collision at home plate. Berra will probaby miss 4 weeks. Berra was rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Broken Hand. His season numbers are: .330 AVG, 103 hits, 19 doubles, one triple and 17 bombs, along with 66 RBI and 54 runs scored.
 
Monday 8/7/1954: Berra (NYY) and Maxwell (PIT) win P.O.W. award
The AL's best player of the week was New York (A)'s Yogi Berra, who wins the award for the 4th time in his career. In 22 at bats he hit .545 with 2 HR and 12 RBI. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Yogi has gone 101 for 302 (.334) this season, hitting 17 bombs and driving in 66 runs. He has scored 54 runs on his own. He's 7th in the AL in batting! Charlie Maxwell wins his 3rd Player of the Week award. NL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. In 27 at bats he hit .481 with 3 HR and 10 RBI. He has hit 29 bombs while batting .342 this season. His 125 hits and 79 walks add up to a .460 on-base percentage. He's 4th in the NL in batting, 3rd in homeruns and 8th in RBI!
 
Thursday 8/3/1954: Billy Hoeft dominates Cincinnati, gives up just 2 hits
CINCINNATI - It was a great day for Pittsburgh's lefty Billy Hoeft. The 22-year old recorded his first career shutout, a 2-hitter, against Cincinnati on Thursday. Hoeft (17-8) fanned 8 and walked 1, throwing 107 pitches. 'Winning is the most important thing. And I gave my team all the support it needed!' Jim Piersall helped Hoeft at the plate, he got 2 hits in 4 AB, hitting a homerun. The final score of the game was 3-0.
 
Wednesday 8/2/1954: Bob Friend quiets Philadelphia (A) bats with shutout
PHILADELPHIA (A) - Baltimore's right-hander Bob Friend is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking Philadelphia (A) on just 2 hits. It's his 2nd shutout this season, and the 9th time he has done it in his career. Friend (11-5) struck out 2 and issued 3 BB, throwing 67 of 115 pitches for strikes. 'I really like to play baseball, and I love the way I was able to play it today.' The hitting star for Baltimore was rightfielder Don Lenhardt, he finished with 2 hits in 5 AB, stroking a double, and driving in 2 runs. Baltimore improved its record to 55-51, scoring 5 runs on 13 hits.
 
Tuesday 8/1/1954: Pitcher of the Month award winners announced
Chicago (A)'s pitcher Ewell Blackwell is the AL winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in July. He had an ERA of just 1.96 in 59.2 innings of work in which he struck out 48 hitters. His record in July is 5-1. His ERA of 3.19 helped him to a 18-2 record this year. He struck out 151 and walked 78 in 211.1 innings. He has 7 complete games and 2 shutouts. He's 4th in the AL in ERA and 1st in wins! It's the 2nd time that the NL Pitcher of the Month award goes to Milwaukee's pitcher Ernie Johnson. He had an ERA of just 1.42 in 57 innings of work in which he struck out 30 hitters. His record in July is 6-0. Ernie also fired a shutout. In 28 starts this year Ernie struck out 130 batters in 205.2 innings of work. His ERA is 3.68, his record 15-7. He has 4 complete games and one shutout. He's 3rd in the NL in ERA and 3rd in wins!
 
Tuesday 8/1/1954: Red hot Ennis and Wertz win Batter of the Month award
Del Ennis of In 97 at bats he hit .454 with 8 HR and 20 RBI. His season numbers are: .393 AVG, 152 hits, 25 doubles, 4 triples and 22 longballs, along with 73 RBI and 84 runs scored. He's 1st in the AL in batting, 8th in homeruns and 10th in RBI! The Batter of the Month award in the NL goes to Philadelphia (N)'s Vic Wertz this time, as the rightfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Vic went 34 for 87 (.391), while hitting 8 HR and collecting 23 RBI. He has hit 23 taters while batting .353 this season. His 126 hits and 67 walks add up to a .455 on-base percentage. He's 3rd in the NL in batting, 7th in homeruns and 10th in RBI!
 
Monday 7/31/1954: Chicago (N)'s Jackson wins Player of the Week award
Gus Zernial from Chicago (A) wins his 5th Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the AL. Zernial helped his team with an average of .435 and 10 RBI in 23 at bats. The Player of the Week award in the NL goes to Chicago (N)'s Randy Jackson this time, as the third baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. Randy was on fire, hitting .471 with 3 HR and 8 RBI.
 
Thursday 7/27/1954: Lou Brissie pitches 1-hit shutout against New York (A)
PHILADELPHIA (A) - Good things can happen when you throw strikes. And Lou Brissie did so today, in a 1-hit shutout against New York (A). With one out in the 7th inning Hank Bauer singled to break up the no-hitter. Brissie (10-8) struck out 3 and issued 1 BB, throwing 63 of 94 pitches for strikes. 'That was one of the best games of my career. I had my stuff working very well today.' Philadelphia (A)'s rightfielder Jackie Jensen finished 2 for 3, doubling once, and collecting 2 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant performance of Brissie. Philadelphia (A) scored 5 runs on 6 hits.
 
Wednesday 7/26/1954: Johnny Logan drills 5 hits
CHICAGO (N) - On Wednesday, Pittsburgh's shortstop Johnny Logan displayed his sensational ability to handle the bat against Chicago (N), punishing their pitchers with five hits. A pitch from Ron Necciai in the 2nd inning left his bat for a two-run homerun, landing 391 feet from home plate in left field. In the 3rd inning he unloaded a GRAND SLAM off Clint Hartung. He had singles in the 1st , in the 8th (one RBI) and in the 9th (one RBI). Johnny scored 2 runs, and he collected 8 RBI as well! He's having a very good season so far, batting .306. The final score of the game was 16-10.
 
Monday 7/24/1954: Newhouser (DET) and Lopata (PHI) win P.O.W. award
It's the 3rd time that the AL Player of the Week award goes to Detroit's pitcher Hal Newhouser. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 1.50 while going 2-0. He hurled a shutout as well. His ERA of 2.88 helped him to a 12-8 record this year. He struck out 147 and walked 63 in 200.1 innings. Hal has pitched 3 shutouts and 14 complete games. He's 1st in the AL in ERA and 6th in wins! Stan Lopata from Philadelphia (N) wins his 2nd Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the NL. He hit .474 with 12 RBI and slugged 1.211 in 19 at bats. Lopata has walked 48 times this year and posts a .379 OBP. While batting .283, 85 for 300, he has driven in 74 runs. He's 5th in the NL in RBIs and 3rd in homeruns!
 
Monday 7/17/1954: Chicago (N)'s Sawatski wins Player of the Week award
's centerfielder Mike Mccormick had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the AL Player of the Week. Mike pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .313 with 0 HR and 6 RBI while slugging .625. Mccormick has hit 6 longballs this year while batting .308. He adds 19 doubles, along with 47 runs scored. Chicago (N)'s catcher Carl Sawatski had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the NL Player of the Week. Sawatski helped his team with an average of .333 and 5 RBI in 18 at bats. His season features a batting average of .292 (88 hits in 301 AB), 7 doubles, 2 triples and 17 bombs. Sawatski collected 52 RBI and 49 runs as well.
 
Saturday 7/15/1954: Vic Wertz clubs five hits in a game
PITTSBURGH - Philadelphia (N)'s rightfielder Vic Wertz once again displayed his tremendous ability to make contact with that little white ball. He tore up Pittsburgh's pitching staff with a 5 hit performance on Saturday. A 367 foot drive to left field marked his 2nd hit, a two-run homerun off Dick Littlefield in the 3rd inning. That one tied it at 6 runs apiece. His 5th hit, off Dick Fowler in the 9th inning, was a two-run homerun and cleared the fence in center field. He collected singles in the 2nd , in the 4th (one RBI) and in the 5th (one RBI). Vic did drive in 6 while scoring 3 runs on his own. He's having a very good season so far, batting .357. The final score of the game was 21-9.
 
Monday 7/10/1954: 's Ennis wins Player of the Week award
Del Ennis wins his 2nd Player of the Week award. AL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. He hit .636 with 6 RBI and slugged .955 in 22 at bats. Bill Howerton from St. Louis (N) wins his 5th Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the NL. He hit .476 with 4 RBI and slugged 1.143 in 21 at bats.
 
Tuesday 7/4/1954: Cincinnati has no chance in a 2-hitter by Ernie Johnson
CINCINNATI - Milwaukee's right-hander Ernie Johnson is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game. Cincinnati found out the hard way, getting just 2 hits. Johnson 1st shutout this season was a masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has now hurled 6th shutouts in his career. Nellie Fox spoiled the bid for a no-hitter when he singled with no outs in the 7th inning. Johnson (10-7) struck out 9 and walked 1, throwing 66 of 107 pitches for strikes. 'I didn't feel that I had good stuff while warming up. But it got better the more I threw the ball. I guess I was lucky.' The hitting star for Milwaukee was catcher Del Crandall, he stroked 1 hit in 3 AB. Milwaukee scored 1 run on 3 hits.
 
Monday 7/3/1954: Raschi and Thompson win Player of the Week award
The AL's best player of the week was New York (A)'s Vic Raschi, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Raschi was overpowering all week long, going 2-0 with an ERA of 2.65. Along the way he struck out 12 in 17 innings. He hurled a shutout as well. Hank Thompson wins his 3rd Player of the Week award. NL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. Hank was on fire, hitting .545 with 4 HR and 12 RBI. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 8 games. He has hit 11 taters while batting .273 this season. His 69 hits and 46 walks add up to a .384 on-base percentage.
 
Saturday 7/1/1954: Pitcher of the Month award winners announced
The best month of June in the AL certainly had Chicago (A)'s right-hander Ewell Blackwell, earning him the Pitcher of the Month award. His ERA of just 2.81 helped him to a 6-1 record in June. He worked 57.2 innings, striking out 34 hitters while walking 15. Ewell pitched a shutout as well. Ewell has a record of 13-1 this season, with an ERA of 3.68. In 151.2 Innings he was able to strike out 103 batters. Ewell has pitched 2 shutouts and 5 complete games. He's 6th in the AL in ERA and 2nd in wins! The best month of June in the NL certainly had Philadelphia (N)'s right-hander Robin Roberts, earning him the Pitcher of the Month award. His record of 6-0 in 7 was among the leagues best this month. In 61 innings of work he allowed just 57 hits while striking out 28, compiling an ERA of just 2.66. Robin pitched a shutout as well. His ERA of 3.13 helped him to a 15-2 record this year. He struck out 81 and walked 34 in 172.1 innings. He has 10 complete games and 2 shutouts. He's 1st in the NL in ERA and 1st in wins!
 
Saturday 7/1/1954: Mantle (NYY) and Mays (PIT) win monthly award
Mickey Mantle of New York (A) wins his 2nd Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the AL. Mickey pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .349 with 8 and 32 RBI while slugging .698. His season features a batting average of .308 (80 hits in 260 AB), 11 doubles, 3 triples and 19 homeruns. Mantle collected 64 RBI and 57 runs as well. He's 5th in the AL in RBIs and 4th in homeruns! The NL's best player of the month was Pittsburgh's Willie Mays, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. In 98 at bats he hit .378 with 7 HR and 25 RBI. Mays has hit 23 bombs this year while batting .342. He adds 12 doubles, along with 71 runs scored. He's 5th in the NL in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI!
 
Monday 6/26/1954: Newhouser and Stephens win Player of the Week award
The AL Player of the Week award goes to Hal Newhouser, one of Detroit's best starting pitchers. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 0.51 while going 2-0. He hurled a shutout as well. Opposing players hit .251 against Hal this season. While posting an ERA of 2.91 he went 10-5 in 19 starts, fanning 110 and walking 50 hitters. He has 10 complete games and 2 shutouts. He's 2nd in the AL in ERA and 6th in wins! Milwaukee's shortstop Vern Stephens had some reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him the NL Player of the Week. Vern went 15 for 27 (.556), while hitting 1 HR and collecting 8 RBI.
 
Tuesday 6/20/1954: Jack Harshman pitches his 2nd shutout of the season
PHILADELPHIA (N) - With his best stuff going, Philadelphia (N)'s Jack Harshman overmatched the opposing hitters all day long. Brooklyn had no chance, collecting just one hit against the lefty. 'They took some ugly cuts at my breaking stuff, so I kept throwing it. Fortunately they were not able to adjust in time.' Harshman (8-6) struck out 5 and walked 4, throwing 71 of 134 pitches for strikes. The hitting star for Philadelphia (N) was shortstop Granny Hamner, he went 1 for 4, doubling once. Philadelphia (N) scored 1 run on 4 hits.
 
Monday 6/19/1954: Player of the Week honors go to Lollar and Edwards
The AL Player of the Week award goes to Sherm Lollar, Baltimore's starting catcher. Sherm was on fire, hitting .524 with 5 HR and 15 RBI. Sherm managed to drive in at least one run in every game he played this week. He now has homered in 4 consecutive games as well! Hank Edwards wins his 1st Player of the Week award. NL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. In 19 at bats he hit .474 with 1 HR and 6 RBI. His season features a batting average of .311 (42 hits in 135 AB), 7 doubles, 3 triples and 5 bombs. Edwards collected 20 RBI and 27 runs as well.
 
Thursday 6/15/1954: New York (A)'s Stan Musial laces 2000th career hit
NEW YORK (A) - New York (A)'s first baseman Stan Musial joined some elite company today, collecting his 2000th career hit! His best year so far was 1942 where he hit .342 with 22 homeruns and 97 RBI. 'This day is special, I'll probably remember it my whole life. Thank god I'm blessed with the talent to play this game.' His hit in the 6th inning was a single off Ken Johnson.
 
Wednesday 6/14/1954: Dale Mitchell ropes four hits, completes cycle
CHICAGO (A) - Dale Mitchell led Chicago (A) to a 7-3 win over Detroit by squeezing four hits out of his bat. That's not the best part, though. He hit for the cycle as well! His 1st hit, off Saul Rogovin in the 1st inning, was a solo homerun and cleared the fence in right field. A pitch from Saul Rogovin in the 2nd inning left his bat for a triple. In the 3rd inning he belted a double off Saul Rogovin. A single in the 7th off Hal White accounted for his 4th hit. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Dale scored 2 runs, and he collected one RBI as well! He's having a very good season so far, batting .404. He becomes the 10th player in league history collect at least a single, double, triple and a homerun in a single game. Bill Howerton was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it 4/11/1954.
 
Monday 6/12/1954: Ennis and Mays win Player of the Week award
The AL's best player of the week was He hit .571 with 6 RBI and slugged 1.048 in 21 at bats. Del has gone 86 for 225 (.382) this season, hitting 14 homeruns and driving in 46 runs. He has scored 53 runs on his own. He's 1st in the AL in batting, 6th in homeruns and 8th in RBI! It's the 2nd time that the NL Player of the Week award goes to Pittsburgh's centerfielder Willie Mays. Mays helped his team with an average of .393 and 9 RBI in 28 at bats. Willie is hitting .340 this year, with 71 hits in 209 at bats. He has driven in 56 runs, slugging .703. He's 7th in the NL in batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI!
 
Monday 6/5/1954: Mantle and Gardella win Player of the Week award
New York (A)'s centerfielder Mickey Mantle had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the AL Player of the Week. Mantle helped his team with an average of .591 and 12 RBI in 22 at bats. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 9 games. Mantle has walked 43 times this year and posts a .437 OBP. While batting .308, 57 for 185, he has driven in 39 runs. He's 7th in the AL in RBIs and 6th in homeruns! Danny Gardella from St. Louis (N) wins his 3rd Player of the Week award for putting up the best numbers this week in the NL. Danny was on fire, hitting .435 with 4 HR and 18 RBI. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 9 games. He now has homered in 3 consecutive games as well!
 
Friday 6/2/1954: Brooklyn's Aaron severely injured, out for season
BROOKLYN - Brooklyn's centerfielder Hank Aaron will miss the rest of the season. He injured himself running the bases in the game between Brooklyn and Chicago (N). The injury didn't seem to be serious the moment it happened. But suddenly Aaron collapsed in pain and had to be carried off the field. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Ruptured Medial Collateral Ligament. Surgery will be performed next week. Aaron has hit 11 homeruns this year while batting .289. He adds 8 doubles, along with 42 runs scored.
 
Thursday 6/1/1954: Gromek (CLE) and Roberts (PHI) win monthly pitcher award
Winner of this months AL Pitcher of the Month award is Cleveland's Steve Gromek. He had an ERA of just 3.10 in 61 innings of work in which he struck out 16 hitters. His record in May is 6-1. Steve got two complete game shutouts as well! Steve has a record of 9-3 this season, with an ERA of 3.23. In 111.1 Innings he was able to strike out 33 batters. He has 10 complete games and 2 shutouts. He's 5th in the AL in ERA and 2nd in wins! It's the 2nd time that the NL Pitcher of the Month award goes to Philadelphia (N)'s pitcher Robin Roberts. He struck out 29 hitters in his 7 starts, putting together a record of 6-0 while pitching 29 innings. His ERA in May was 3.49. His ERA of 3.40 helped him to a 9-2 record this year. He struck out 53 and walked 24 in 111.1 innings. Robin has pitched one shutout and 6 complete games. He's 1st in the NL in ERA and 1st in wins!
 
Thursday 6/1/1954: Brooklyn's Jones named Batter of the Month
It's the 2nd time that the AL Batter of the Month award goes to Cleveland's centerfielder Larry Doby. Larry went 36 for 100 (.360), while hitting 8 HR and collecting 31 RBI. Larry has gone 62 for 190 (.326) this season, hitting 14 taters and driving in 51 runs. He has scored 39 runs on his own. He's 2nd in the AL in RBIs and 2nd in homeruns! Willie Jones of Brooklyn wins his 1st Batter of the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the NL. Willie was on fire, hitting .456 with 8 homeruns and 21 RBI. Jones has hit 12 longballs this year while batting .376. He adds 11 doubles, along with 50 runs scored. He's 1st in the NL in batting!
 
Monday 5/29/1954: Pollet (BOS) and Thomas (NYN) win P.O.W. award
It's the 1st time that the AL Player of the Week award goes to Boston's pitcher Howie Pollet. Pollet was overpowering all week long, going 2-0 with an ERA of 0.50. Along the way he struck out 7 in 18 innings. He hurled a shutout as well. This season Pollet compiled an ERA of 2.42, going 5-4 in 11 starts. He fanned 44 while giving up 79 hits in 93 innings. Howie has pitched 2 shutouts and 6 complete games. The NL's best player of the week was New York (N)'s Frank Thomas, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Frank was on fire, hitting .433 with 0 HR and 10 RBI. Frank is hitting .318 this year, with 54 hits in 170 at bats. He has driven in 36 runs, slugging .529.
 
Wednesday 5/24/1954: Roy Sievers on fire, crushes three
BALTIMORE - Roy Sievers was in a groove, and the results spoke for themselves. He powered Baltimore to a 8-4 win over Detroit by homering three times. Number 1 in the 3rd inning, a shot estimated at 393 feet, cleared the wall in left-center. A pitch from Virgil Trucks in the 5th inning left his bat for a solo homerun, landing 428 feet from home plate in center field. His 3rd blast, a solo homerun off Saul Rogovin in the 7th inning, landed an estimated 432 feet from home plate. Overall he finished 3 for 4, scoring three times and collecting 5 RBI. Eddie Mathews was the last player to hit 3 homeruns in a game, doing it 9/15/1953.
 
Monday 5/22/1954: Kluszewski and Snider win Player of the Week award
Ted Kluszewski wins his 3rd Player of the Week award. AL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. In 23 at bats he hit .478 with 2 HR and 14 RBI. He got at least one hit each game this week and is on a 9 game hitting streak right now. His season features a batting average of .379 (55 hits in 145 AB), 6 doubles, no triples and 9 longballs. Kluszewski collected 43 RBI and 33 runs as well. He's 1st in the AL in batting, 6th in homeruns and 2nd in RBI! It's the 11th time that the NL Player of the Week award goes to Brooklyn's leftfielder Duke Snider. He hit .500 with 14 RBI and slugged 1.000 in 24 at bats.
 
Monday 5/15/1954: Philadelphia (N)'s Pierce wins Player of the Week award
Baltimore's leftfielder Don Lenhardt had some reason to celebrate, as the league named him the AL Player of the Week. Don was on fire, hitting .500 with 4 HR and 6 RBI. Don is hitting .354 this year, with 40 hits in 113 at bats. He has driven in 22 runs, slugging .796. He's 8th in the AL in batting! The NL Player of the Week award goes to Billy Pierce, one of Philadelphia (N)'s best starting pitchers. He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 0.00 while going 2-0. He pitched two shutouts! In 9 starts this year Billy struck out 41 batters in 71 innings of work. His ERA is 3.17, his record 6-2. Billy has pitched 2 shutouts and 3 complete games. He's 1st in the NL in ERA and 1st in wins!
 
Wednesday 5/10/1954: Vic Lombardi blanks Chicago (N) with a 2-hitter
NEW YORK (N) - Vic Lombardi had his best stuff going, and Chicago (N) hitters were chanceless. New York (N)'s left-hander fired a 2-hitter, his 1st shutout of the season. Lombardi (2-5) struck out 4 and issued 3 BB, throwing 60 of 105 pitches for strikes. 'I really like to play baseball, and I love the way I was able to play it today.' The hitting star for New York (N) was rightfielder Al Smith, he got 1 hit in 4 AB, blasting a homerun, and driving in 3 runs. New York (N) improved its record to 17-17, scoring 6 runs on 7 hits.
 
Monday 5/8/1954: Mizell and Jones win Player of the Week award
The Player of the Week award in the AL goes to Washington's Vinegar bend Mizell this time, as the pitcher displayed the best pitching perfomance in his league. Vinegar bend went 2-0 with an ERA of 1.02, while fanning 3 in 17.2 innings of work. He hurled a shutout as well. The NL's best player of the week was Brooklyn's Willie Jones, who wins the award for the 2nd time in his career. He hit .481 with 4 RBI and slugged .815 in 27 at bats.
 
Monday 5/1/1954: Baltimore's Haddix earns Pitcher of the Month award
The best month of April in the AL certainly had Baltimore's left-hander Harvey Haddix, earning him the Pitcher of the Month award. He had an ERA of just 1.91 in 42.1 innings of work in which he struck out 28 hitters. His record in April is 5-0. St. Louis (N)'s Hoyt Wilhelm had a terrific April, and it earned him the NL Pitcher of the month award. He went 3-0 in April and finished the month with an ERA of 3.43. He struck out 25 in 39.1 innings.
 
Monday 5/1/1954: Ennis ( ) and Wertz (PHI) win monthly award
The Batter of the Month award in the AL goes to Del went 37 for 92 (.402), while hitting 4 HR and collecting 23 RBI. The NL's best player of the month was Philadelphia (N)'s Vic Wertz, who wins the award for the 1st time in his career. Vic pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .402 with 7 and 20 RBI while slugging .782.
 
Monday 5/1/1954: Player of the Week honors go to Zernial and Mathews
It's the 4th time that the AL Player of the Week award goes to Chicago (A)'s leftfielder Gus Zernial. In 22 at bats he hit .409 with 3 HR and 12 RBI. Zernial has walked 13 times this year and posts a .405 OBP. While batting .304, 21 for 69, he has driven in 26 runs. He's 2nd in the AL in RBIs and 8th in homeruns! Eddie Mathews wins his 2nd Player of the Week award. NL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. In 25 at bats he hit .480 with 4 HR and 7 RBI.
 
Monday 4/24/1954: Pittsburgh's Mays wins Player of the Week award
The Player of the Week award in the AL goes to Cleveland's Mickey Vernon this time, as the first baseman displayed the best offensive perfomance in his league. He had an on base percentage of .600 and hit .632, while driving in 4 runs. Willie Mays wins his 1st Player of the Week award. NL pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire this guy all week long. He had an on base percentage of .621 and hit .560, while driving in 12 runs. He hit in every game this week and extended his hitting streak to 8 games.
 
Friday 4/21/1954: Vern Stephens stars with 2000th career hit
MILWAUKEE - Vern Stephens got a standing ovation from 40123 fans in Milwaukee, who witnessed his 2000th career hit. In 13 years of big league action so far, Vern has compiled a batting average of .297, along with 278 homeruns and 1282 RBI. 'I still remember my first hit. But the one today is something special. I'll definitely keep that ball!' He hit a double in the 7th off Tom Gorman for number 2000.
 
Tuesday 4/18/1954: Dick Weik out for 8 weeks
WASHINGTON - Washington's ace Dick Weik suffered a severe injury on Tuesday and will be out for at least 8 weeks. In the 2nd of the game against Detroit he experienced pain in his throwing arm and had to leave the game. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not surprise many: Ruptured Tricep Tendon. Surgery will be performed next week. This season Weik compiled an ERA of 7.71, going 0-1 in 4 starts. He fanned 10 while giving up 24 hits in 16.1 innings.
 
Monday 4/17/1954: Ennis ( ) and Howerton (SLN) win P.O.W. award
It's the 2nd time that the AL Player of the Week award goes to Del was on fire, hitting .542 with 2 HR and 7 RBI. While compiling an on base percentage of .469, Del hit .390 and slugged .683. He has collected 11 runs batted in this year. He's 9th in the AL in batting, 4th in homeruns and 2nd in RBI! The NL Player of the Week award goes to Bill Howerton, St. Louis (N)'s starting leftfielder. Bill went 12 for 26 (.462), while hitting 3 HR and collecting 10 RBI. Howerton has hit 4 taters this year while batting .417. He adds 2 doubles, along with 12 runs scored. He's 6th in the NL in batting, 2nd in homeruns and 3rd in RBI!
 
Thursday 4/13/1954: Ewell Blackwell (CHA) will miss 5 weeks
CHICAGO (A) - When it rains, it pours. Chicago (A)'s ace Ewell Blackwell will not pitch for at least 5 weeks, handing the team a huge setback. He suffered a serious injury in a game against Baltimore where he left the field in the 7th inning. Pulled Rotator Cuff Muscle was the diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a nearby hospital. The message shocked teammates and team officials.
 
Tuesday 4/11/1954: St. Louis (N)'s Bill Howerton hits for the cycle
CINCINNATI - St. Louis (N)'s rightfielder Bill Howerton accomplished a difficult feat in a game against Cincinnati, hitting for the cycle to improve his career batting average to .284! His 1st hit, a solo homerun off Don Larsen in the 3rd inning, cleared the fence in left-center. A single in the 5th off Don Larsen accounted for his 2nd hit. His 3rd hit was a double off Don Larsen in the 6th inning. His 4th hit, a two-run homerun off Stubby Overmire in the 8th inning, landed an estimated 352 feet from home plate. A single in the 9th off Art Schallock accounted for his 5th hit. His 6th hit was a two-run triple off Joe Black in the 9th inning. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Bill did drive in 6 while scoring 5 runs on his own. He's having a very good season so far, batting .483. He becomes the 9th player in league history collect at least a single, double, triple and a homerun in a single game. Larry Doby was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it 7/28/1953.
 
Monday 4/10/1954: Player of the Week honors go to Mele and Glaviano
It's the 1st time that the AL Player of the Week award goes to Washington's rightfielder Sam Mele. He had an on base percentage of .412 and hit .412, while driving in 9 runs. It's the 1st time that the NL Player of the Week award goes to St. Louis (N)'s third baseman Tommy Glaviano. Tommy pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .393 with 4 HR and 7 RBI while slugging .929.
 
Sunday 4/9/1954: Johnny Antonelli quiets St. Louis (N) bats with shutout
MILWAUKEE - St. Louis (N)'s hitters were dominated by Milwaukee's Johnny Antonelli. He gave up just 2 hits in recording his 1st shutout of the season. 'Giving my team a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I was able to do it today.' Antonelli (1-0) struck out 2 and walked 1, throwing 57 of 99 pitches for strikes. Vern Stephens provided Milwaukee with the offense Antonelli needed as he collected 2 hits in 4 trips to the plate, blasting a homerun, with 2 RBI. Milwaukee improved its record to 2-4, scoring 5 runs on 9 hits.
 
Saturday 4/8/1954: Baltimore's Friend severely injured
BALTIMORE - Baltimore is without its ace Bob Friend for at least 5 weeks. He injured himself while throwing a pitch to Hoot Evers in a game against Detroit. His face showed signs of pain immediately after the ball left his hand. After being examined by several specialists the diagnosis is clear: Strained Elbow Ligament.
 
Friday 4/7/1954: Robin Roberts shuts out New York (N) on 2 hits
NEW YORK (N) - All you need to win is a dominating pitching performance. And Philadelphia (N)'s Robin Roberts did so today, in a 2-hit shutout against New York (N). Roberts (1-0) struck out 4 and walked none, throwing 57 of 84 pitches for strikes. 'I really like to play baseball, and I love the way I was able to play it today.' Dale Long helped Roberts at the plate, he finished with 2 hits in 4 AB, and collecting 2 RBI. The final score of the game was 6-0.
 

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