1945 – Billy Southworth leaves the St. Louis Cardinals to sign a three-year contract with the Boston Braves, who are making aggressive moves under Lou Perini and other new owners. Eddie Dyer will become the new Cardinals manager.
Mel Ott of the New York Giants rips the 500th home run of his career
On July 12, 1945, At Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs stop Tommy Holmes’s modern-day National League-record hitting streak at 37 games, beating the Boston Braves, 6 – 1, behind Hank Wyse, for their 11th victory in a row. The Braves take game two, 3 – 1, as Claude Passeau loses his first after nine straight wins. Holmes hit .433 during the streak and will…
The Braves sweep the Pirates, 13 – 5 and 14 – 8, as Butch Nieman hits a pinch grand slam in the opener. In the second game, Tommy Holmes hits in his 34th consecutive game to pass Rogers Hornsby’s modern National League record of 33 in 1922; Willie Keeler had 44 in the 19th Century.
On May 23, 1945, Mort Cooper is traded by the St Louis Cardinals to the Boston Braves. The three-time 20-game winner has twice jumped the club in a salary hassle. Threatening to run out again unless his contract is increased from $12‚000 to $15‚000‚ Cooper is swapped by owner Sam Breadon to the newly-affluent Braves for…
With World War II travel restrictions still in effect, the Brooklyn Dodgers open spring training at Bear Mountain, New York, with 15 players in camp. Seven teams – the St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox – are training in Indiana, the most of any state. The Boston Red Sox are at Tufts College while the Boston Braves are prepping at the Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut.
Bob Quinn gives up his post as general manager of the Boston Braves
Red Barrett of the Boston Braves throws only 58 pitches in shutting out the Cincinnati Red
Boston right-hander Jim Tobin holds the Phillies hitless in the shortened five-inning nightcap, blanking Philadelphia at Braves Field, 7-0. In April, ‘Abba Dabba’ threw a full-game no-hitter against Brooklyn.
A day after the Reds pitch a one-hitter, Reds reliever Clyde Shoun, making his first start of the season, throws a no-hitter to nip the Boston Braves, 1 – 0. Only 1,014 see the 32-year-old lefty top Jim Tobin, who had thrown a no-hitter of his own back in April. Reds reserve 3B Chuck Aleno accounts for the sole run with his only home run of the season.
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