Here's another one from the short-lived Michigan State League: The Saginaw White Sox. Again, you don't really expect to find 72-year old scorecards from any minor league teams. Had to have it when I saw it online.
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| 1941 Regular Season--White Sox vs. Flint Indians |
Much like nearby Flint, Saginaw had a long tradition of minor-professional baseball. Saginaw was home to sixteen baseball clubs from 1883-1951, several of which were of the one-and-done variety. The fifteenth edition of Saginaw Pro Baseball was born in 1940 with the revival of the Michigan State League (MSL).
Saginaw's entry in the MSL was originally called the Saginaw Athletics, a farm club of the Philadelphia (now Oakland) Athletics. The Athletics played their home games at Fairgrounds Park, at the corner of Webber and Dixie Highway.
The 1940 Athletics were owned by James Bearinger, who installed Tex Avery as manager. Avery didn't last long, replaced by Hank Camelli. Led by strong starting pitching, the A's finished 53-48, 10-1/2 games behind league-leading Flint. In the playoffs, the Athletics upended the Grand Rapids Colts to advance to the MSL Championship Series against the St. Joseph Autos, who upset Flint. However, constant rainfall caused the postponement, and eventual cancellation of, that series.
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| Pages 3-4, featuring Saginaw's lineup (ads are not cut off on scorecard, it simply didn't fit my scanner) |
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| Pages 5-6, featuring Flint's lineup (The ads aren't cut off, the scorecard didn't fit the scanner) |
In 1941, Saginaw switched parent clubs, as they now aligned themselves with the Chicago White Sox. Fittingly, Saginaw adopted the parent club's nickname. Camelli departed and was replaced by Bill Prince, who was fired midseason in favor of Whitey McMullen. Saginaw fans would not get a repeat performance of 1940's success, as the Sox fell to fifth place (out of six). Their dismal 51-62 record was a distant 21.5 games behind league-winning Flint. Flint was so strong in '41 that they made the postseason unnecessary--they won both halves of the regular season!
This scorecard is about six pages and about 9-1/2 inches long by 6-3/4 inches wide. It's in remarkable shape, given it's age. There's a crease on the front and back covers and the original owner kept score neatly. Numerous ads, including one for Farmer Peet's and Coca-Cola. Again, never expected to find anything from one of these teams.
This scorecard is about six pages and about 9-1/2 inches long by 6-3/4 inches wide. It's in remarkable shape, given it's age. There's a crease on the front and back covers and the original owner kept score neatly. Numerous ads, including one for Farmer Peet's and Coca-Cola. Again, never expected to find anything from one of these teams.
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| Back Cover, a sign of things to come... |
Aftermath: Despite the poor second season, fan support seemed to be strong enough to warrant the team's return in 1942. However, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, pulling the United States into World War II. Wartime travel restrictions and a lack of available ballplayers forced the Saginaw White Sox, and the rest of the Michigan State League, to go out of business, never to return. But like Flint, Saginaw would eventually return to baseball after hostilities ceased.
Sources:
Okkonen, Marc. Minor League Baseball Towns of Michigan: Adrian to Ypsilanti. Pages 163 and 167. Thunder Bay Press, 1997.
Rain Continues to Plague Series. Ludington Daily News, September 11, 1940. (from Google News Archive)
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