The Greatest Game Ever Played

A fictional story based on real experiences. An excerpt from my novella about managing a semi-pro baseball team, the Massachusetts Aces, to the 1959 Atlantic Baseball Association (ABA) pennant.

INTRODUCTION

I must say I have a sense of pride to have been a part of it.  In 1992, 33 years after it happened it was voted as the greatest semi-pro baseball game ever played by the Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it all began.

 

The fact that I was not a good athlete only made it sweeter.  That is the reason I started this team in the first place.  Not being good enough to even play for my high school team, I thought, "There must be a lot of guys like me, guys who love the game but just can't make an organized team.  Why not get a bunch of them together for a pick-up team and play just for fun?"

 

Growing up in New England in the '50s, it was easy to be a sports fan.  We had the Red Sox, of course, but they weren't very good.  The Sox hadn't won the World Series since 1918.  The Celtics were dominating the NBA, winning eight championships in a row.  The big ticket in town, though, was the Bruins.  Hockey is very big in the Northeast.

 

One thing I found out quickly, my organizational skills were much better than my athletic prowess.  I soon found several players interested.  Some were kids from my high school who wanted to play all summer after the scholastic season was over.  We had a few college players who were home for the summer who were also interested.  There were even some players who had signed pro contracts with a Major League team, but who were cut and couldn't even make a Class D level farm club.  Class D was the lowest classification of minor leagues at that time, before the reorganization in 1963 to only Class A, AA, or AAA.  A couple of older guys who had played some pro ball and semi-pro and just didn't want to give up their dream signed on.  We soon had enough for a team, which I decided to call the "Tramplers."

 

The next lesson I learned was that I had done such a good job of recruiting quality players, it became evident I was not going to be able to play.  That was the original reason for organizing the team in the first place.  I was running the club, responsible for scheduling the practices and ultimately, we hoped, some games.  Some of the players had summer jobs and we had to work around that.  We had to find a place to play and I could be the team statistician.  It was agreed also I would be the manager.  I got that job by default because no one else wanted to do it, they just wanted to play the game.

 

I didn't particularly like managing.  My people skills were so poor, I didn't feel like that was my forte.  However, the Tramplers turned out to be so good, all I had to do was to literally stay out of their way and they found a way to win, as long as I didn't interfere and mess things up.  I was the "manager," even though I was the youngest member of the team.

 

We soon contacted other teams around New England that were looking for a venue.  Maine had a team out of Portland called the "Meteors."  They had been playing in some industrial league and had gone undefeated the year before, so we knew they were pretty good.  The New England states are so compactly situated, it is like one big neighborhood.  Soon, I was making contacts in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire.  We were all ready to go to begin the 1952 season.

 

I called the league the Atlantic Baseball Association, ABA for short.  We played almost every day for two months, a 60-game schedule.  We even had a mid-season All-Star Game and post-season playoffs.  I was pleased my Massachusetts team won the first pennant with a 45-15 record, two games ahead of Maine.  New Hampshire, though, beat us in the playoffs to win the "consolation prize."  Our star player was Johnny Cooper, a pitcher-third baseman who posted a 13-1 record on the mound, plus hit .429 with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs.  We had two more great pitchers in Ray Morgan (10-4) and Bob Zeve (11-3), and a 6'11" catcher, who was also a great basketball star, Walley Jones, who hit .383 with 19 homers.

 

Soon military commitments, as well as career and family obligations began to take their toll.  The ABA folded midway through the 1955 season, after 3-1/2 years.  We had to basically start over, trying to salvage the league.  We decided to shorten the season from 60 games, playing every day, to just 20 games, playing only once or twice a week.  We turned semi-pro and started charging admission for our games.  If the players were getting paid, they could probably do just as well as getting a part-time summer job.  Instead of pumping gas, they could earn a supplemental income doing something they really loved.

 

Following our championship season in 1952, the Tramplers fell on hard times, finishing fifth the last 3 years in a row.  We picked up some new players along the way, though, pitcher Bill (Lucky) Johnson, a high school phenom with a blazing fast ball and a diminutive catcher, 5'6" Hank Sims, who replaced the 6'll" Jones.  The latter was turning most of his attention to basketball, though he remained on our team in a utility role and was an excellent pinch-hitter off the bench.  I felt my talents were more suited to the administrative duties of running the club and the league.  I approached Steve Martin, my left fielder, about the possibilities of taking over the managerial reins of the team.  We also changed the name of our team to "Aces" and came out in 1956 ready to start a new history.

 

Under Martin's guidance, the Aces quickly became the dominate team in the ABA.  We would w1n a championship every year he managed the club, 1956-63 and 1966.  He had to step down for two years (1964-65) when we briefly went back to a 60-game season as his career obligations required him to be on the road quite a bit, often for days at a time.  His 9-year career as Massachusetts' field boss produced a 124-45 won-lost record.

 

The 1959 season was special.  It was the first year we had a full season in our new ball yard, Highland Park.  We finally had our own place to play rather than using "borrowed" fields all over the city whenever they were available.  Our rivalry with the Maine Meteors had intensified.  Notably, the quality of play in the ABA had improved dramatically.  We found ourselves immersed in one of the greatest pennant races of all-time.  As we went into the next-to-last game of the season, the Aces and Meteors were tied for first place.  We travelled to Portland on that Monday night, August 17th for what we knew was going to be the game of the year.  We had no way of knowing the drama that would unfold in that classic matchup.

 

"THE" GAME

Going into the game that would decide first place in the ABA, both teams were confident.  Massachusetts had won four previous championships, the last three in a row.  The Aces were playing well, winning 8 of their last 9 games.  Manager Steve Martin had Bill Johnson ready to pitch this important contest.  Johnson was 3-1 in 1959 and had accumulated an 18-5 record in the four years he had been a member of the team.  The Meteors, playing before their hometown fans, had beaten the Aces in 2 of the 3 meetings so far this year, both of their victories coming at Cambridge, including a 14-4 blowout win in the season opener.  Maine had never won a championship, finishing a frustrating second four times, but the Meteors felt like this was their year.  Bob Andrews was manager James Coleman's choice to take the mound.  Like Johnson, Andrews was 3-1.  The righthander had a reputation of being Maine's most effective pitcher, yet never winning many games.

 

In the early innings, both teams played it conservatively, as though they were trying to feel each other out.  Massachusetts kept getting men on base, but hitting into double plays, botching bunt attempts, or leaving the bases loaded.  Meanwhile, Johnson breezed through the first four innings, allowing only one hit, but the score was still 0-0.

 

A one-out single by Steve Martin in the first went for naught as Steve Grant lined out to center field and Johnny Cooper struck out.  In the second, Bob Hall reached base on an error by Maine third baseman Bobby Davis and Dave Mann singled him to third with one out.  Fred Grey then hit into a second-to-short-to-first double play and the threat was over.  In the third, the Aces' pitcher, Johnson led off with a double to center, but when Michael Andrew tried to bunt him over to third base, Johnson was caught in a rundown and eventually tagged out.  Again, a potential rally was nipped in the bud.

 

In the meantime, Johnson had blown away the first six Maine hitters, but ran into a little problem in the bottom of the third.  Don Brown singled to left to start the inning and Fred White walked.  The Meteors had their first two men on base.  Andrews' attempted sacrifice went awry as Johnson pounced on the bunt and fired the ball to third baseman Cooper for the force-out of the lead runner.  Johnson then retired the next two batters without incident.

 

In the top of the fourth, Massachusetts had its best chance to score yet.  Cooper led off with a walk, but then Andrews got the next two outs.  A double to left by Mann sent Cooper to third and Grey was walked intentionally to load the bases and get to the pitcher's spot in the batting order.  Johnson was known as a pretty good hitting pitcher and he already had a double in his previous at-bat.  This time, though, Andrews got him on a fly ball to Bob McDonaldson in right field and, once again, an opportunity to score had been denied.

 

In the fifth, the Aces finally broke the ice.  Andrew led off with a double to right and this time a successful bunt by Martin moved him to third.  Grant's liner into left field was snared by Coleman for the second out, but Andrew was able to tag up and come home after the catch to give Massachusetts a 1-0 lead.  Cooper then singled to center and Hank Sims beat out an infield hit to short to put two more men on base, but Hall hit into a fielder's choice play on a grounder to first baseman Ed Dodd to end another rally.  Nevertheless, the game had reached the halfway point with the Aces ahead and they had outhit the Meteors, 7-1.

 

Maine made it interesting again in the bottom of the fifth as Mike Jackson got a leadoff single.  After two were out, pitcher Andrews sliced a double to right to put runners on second and third, but Johnson again worked out of it, retiring Ron Malone on a comebacker to the mound.

 

Massachusetts had another chance to add to its margin in the sixth as Mann led off with his second straight double and third straight hit overall.  Again, playing it conservatively, Grey attempted to bunt, fouling off a third strike for the out, and Johnson and Andrew both hit fly balls to center field to leave the runner stranded.  The Aces were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position at that point.

 

When Johnson retired the first two batters to start the bottom of the sixth, it was beginning to look more and more like he was taking control of the game.  Then it happened.  Like lightning in a bottle, the Meteors struck.  With four hits in a row after two were out, Maine had suddenly seized a 2-1 lead.  McDonaldson started the rally with a single to left-center.  Coleman singled to center and McDonaldson raced to third.  Jackson's single up the middle tied the game and sent Coleman to third.  Brown doubled off the right field stands for the go-ahead run and put two more runners in scoring position.  Finally, Johnson ended the barrage, striking out Andrews for the third out.

 

Now with the lead, Andrews seemed to get stronger.  He retired the side in order for the first time in the game in the seventh inning and when Hall got a one-out single in the eighth, he quickly got Mann to hit into a short-to-second-to-first double play.  The Aces' shortstop had been 3-for-3 previously.

 

Johnson finished strong, too, retiring 7 of the last 8 hitters he faced, 2 on strikeouts, through the eighth inning, but Maine still led, 2-1 entering the ninth.  In just one more inning, the Meteors' fans would start celebrating their heroes' first championship.

 

When Grey routinely grounded out to shortstop to begin the ninth, Massachusetts was down to its last two outs, but the Aces were not about to quit.  Basketball star and 6'11" backup catcher Walley Jones pinch-hit for Johnson and singled to left-center, keeping the Aces hopes alive.  Andrew hit a fly ball toward the left field wall.  Coleman raced back and tried to time his leap to make the catch, but the ball barely eluded his glove and bounced off the wall.  By the time the Maine leftfielder had recovered the ball, Andrew was on second and Jones on third, representing the tying and winning runs with only one out.  It was one last opportunity for Massachusetts to pull this one out.

 

As Martin came to the plate, the tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.  There was anxiety on both sides.  All along the Massachusetts bench, everyone was thinking, "Please!  Please!  Just hit a fly ball deep enough to score the tying run.  We'll worry about winning it later.  Just get even."  This was true even though Maine would still have the bottom of the ninth.  It's always been the prevailing philosophy in baseball, you play to tie at home, but you play to win on the road.  Of course, if Martin was to get a hit and score BOTH runs, that would be great.  But, up to now, the Aces had done such a poor job with men on base, the first priority was not to lose.

 

Andrews got two strikes on Martin, then the Massachusetts manager and leftfielder made contact.  Immediately, from the arc of the ball in flight and the fact that Maine centerfielder White was fading back to make the catch, you could see it was going to be a sacrifice fly.  Jones tagged up on the third base bag and made ready for the dash to home plate as soon as the ball hit the glove.  Then, suddenly, something strange happened.

 

Inexplicably, the ball seemed to change direction in flight.  All eyes had been on the centerfielder and on the baserunners, especially at third base.  Suddenly, the ball had dropped to the ground, untouched.  Bewildered, not sure what to do at first, both runners took off.  Martin stopped at first, evidently believing the ball had dropped in for a hit and that White had misjudged it.  Jones and Andrew crossed the plate.  Massachusetts had taken a 3-2 lead -- or had they?  Suddenly, base umpire Harvey Roberts was running into the outfield, waving his arms and pointing to something in the sky.  He called time out and had a conference with the other base umpire Tom Morgan and home plate crew chief Bill Boyd.  The discussion seemed to go on forever while the fans and both benches waited anxiously, wondering what in the world happened and what the call was going to be.

 

As it turned out, the ball had struck a low hanging light wire across the field, a one in a million chance, and changed the course of flight, causing it to drop to the turf without being fielded.  There seemed to be no ground rule to cover such a mishap.  The umps had to make a spontaneous decision, and they declared the ball was dead and the pitch would have to go over.

 

The runners had to return to their base, Jones to third and Andrew to second.  Martin had to return to the plate and resume his at-bat.  On the next pitch from Andrews, Martin swung and missed, striking out.  A groan went up from the Aces' bench.  Now there were two out.  No longer would a sacrifice fly do the job.  As Grant walked to the plate, everybody knew he had to get a hit.  The Maine bench and their fans knew the Meteors were only one out away from the championship.  Grant took his place in the batter's box.

 

On Andrews' first pitch, Grant swung with every ounce of strength and adrenaline in his body.  He made solid contact.  The ball took off.  We all watched in amazement as it soared, higher and higher, clearing the left field wall and disappearing into the night.  The unbelievable had happened.  Steve Grant had hit a 3-run homer and the Aces were ahead, 4-2.  After Cooper fouled out to the first baseman, relief hurler Dave Howard took the mound in the bottom of the ninth to try and preserve the victory.  The stunned Meteors went down 1-2-3 with 3 fly balls.  Massachusetts had won.

 

Even though we now had a one-game lead in the pennant race, we still had another game to play.  Rhode Island was awaiting their chance and, if they could beat us, it wasn't over yet.  A loss to the Bums and a Maine win over Vermont would throw the race into a 3-way tie, which would have necessitated a playoff to decide the 1959 ABA pennant.  One team would draw a bye while the other two played.  Then, the winner of that game would play the bye team for the title.  Series wins, run differential, or maybe even a coin flip would be the determining factors as to who would be the team to draw that all-important bye.  Even though we wanted to savor this victory, we knew we had to get down to business and prepare for next week's game.

 

A lot of people soundly criticized Maine manager James Coleman for not lifting his starting pitcher, Andrews, when he got into trouble in the ninth.  A fresh arm out of the bullpen might have made the difference.  Andrews had successfully pitched out of several jams throughout the game, but he may have been tired and certainly would not have had the same velocity he had displayed earlier.  The Meteors' designated relief pitcher, though, Joe King, was not all that dependable in these situations.  If Maine had an Achilles heel, it was relief pitching.  Of course, in those days, it was not unusual to use starting pitchers in relief and, only playing one game per week, everybody should have been ready.  Wayne Morris had pitched an 11-inning complete game victory over the Aces in the two rivals' most recent meeting.  However, Coleman never had anyone warming up in the bullpen.

 

Even though we couldn't officially celebrate until we had beaten Rhode Island, a 12-4 victory, everybody knew we had actually won the pennant the previous week on Grant's homer.  It was a moment all those who were there would never forget.

 

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I had recently tried to reconstruct the history of the Atlantic Baseball Association, my brain-child from 1952-66, from tons of old scorebooks and stat sheets, compiling them into a little "encyclopedia", Massachusetts and the ABA.  A lot of the early years were missing and had been destroyed, however.  That period, 1952-55, was revived only through the memory of those who participated.  Since 1956, when our league became "Semi-Pro," the records are complete and accurate.  The problem with the "encyclopedia" concept was that it was just a conglomeration of numbers and statistics, very boring except for research purposes.  Being a numbers buff, I love it, but it didn't make for much interesting reading.

 

Before I am overcome with Alzheimer's, dementia, and all of those other wonderful little surprises of old age, I wanted to preserve this history in narrative form -- to tell a story.  There is still a lot of statistical information included, it is written from a manager's point of view, but I hoped to convey the drama and excitement of this little era when I got to live my dream, even if I never played a game.

 

ABA CHAMPIONS

1952-Massachusetts (45-15)/New Hampshire (playoffs)

1953-Connecticut (36-24)

1954-Connecticut (39-21)

1955-Rhode Island (18-12)

1956-Massachusetts (14-6)/Rhode Island (playoffs)/

Rhode Island (Semi-Pro World Series)

1957-Massachusetts (15-5)

1958-Massachusetts (16-4)/Massachusetts (playoffs)/

Massachusetts (Semi-Pro World Series)

1959-Massachusetts (16-4)

1960-None declared; season cancelled

1961-Massachusetts (15-6) (Semi-Pro Tournament champions)

1962-Massachusetts (9-1)/Washington, DC (Semi-Pro World Series)/

Maine (Semi-Pro Tournament champions)

1963-Massachusetts (7-4) (Semi-Pro Tournament champions)

1964-Rhode Island (37-23-6)/Rhode Island (playoffs)/Rhode Island

(Semi-Pro World Series)/Rhode Island (National Semi-Pro Tournament

champions)

1965-Connecticut (30-22-8)/Rhode Island (playoffs)/

Rhode Island (Semi-Pro World Series)

1966-Massachusetts (13-7)

 

But wait!  There was still one more big thrill to be experienced before we rang down the curtain on this classic baseball season -- a thrill long remembered, renewed again.