Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Blog Kiosk: 12/18/2019 - Dodgers Links & News - Some Odds and Ends


Check out this fantastic 1934 International News press photo featuring the famed "Babe" Didrikson with A's slugger Jimmie Foxx following a Spring Training event (Memory Lane auction). As you'll see in the descriptor below, she had faced off against the Dodgers.
Fort Myers, Fla... This little Florida community witnessed what might be an epic of baseball on the afternoon of March 19, 1934, when the miracle woman athlete of the Lone Star State, "Babe" Didrikson, marched to the pitcher's mound for the Philadelphia Athletics, and treated the opposing batsmen of the Brooklyn Dodgers to an exhibition of hurling, a la feminine. It looked as if it was going to be a very unpleasant exhibition for the lady, when the first two men who faced her got on the paths, but her debut became an auspicious event when one of the playboys from New York's borough of homes slammed the ball into a triple play, to retire his side. Then Miss Didrikson retired from the game too, and the Dodgers went on to win from the Quaker City aggregation by a 4-2 score. Here we see "Babe" Didrikson and the Athletics' star first sacker, Jimmy Foxx, holding a post mortem on the "Babe's" baseball debut. 
At the time, Didrikson has signed-on to play for the House of David travelling barnstorming ballclub and was in the midst of a big promotion tour. As for which Dodgers' she faced, I ran into a great post at the The J.G. Preston Experience that provides some detail. First up was outfielder Danny Taylor, who walked, then Johnny Frederick, who got hit with a pitch. The triple play was hit by infielder Joe Stripp.
Miss Didrikson, who pitches with a graceful, easy delivery that would do credit to any hurler, undoubtedly profited a bit from the chivalry of Danny Taylor and Johnny Frederick, but the triple play was an honest one. 
Danny and Johnny both swung lustily at a pair of strikes each, missing the ball by wide margins, but Babe walked Danny and nicked Frederick with a pitched ball. Then, with first and second occupied, Joe Stripp lined a hard one to Dib Williams and the triple killing was completed, Williams to Warstler to Foxx.
Below are more links to check out:

* Please follow on twitter @ernestreyes *
* Dodgers Blue Heaven home page *

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