Arthur Neukom Nehf was born July 31, 1892 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Some seasons, Nehf pitched as a starter only, and some as a relief pitcher and a starter, but he was always solid in both roles, earning a reputation around the majors as an always-consistent pitcher.
Welcome to the Baseball History Podcast: Featuring This Week in Baseball History, baseball dictionary and a tour of baseball cities. I’m your game announcer Bob Wright.
This is game 42 of the 2009 baseball season
In the first inning let’s take a look at This Week in Baseball History for the 2 week of October.
October 8
1922 Behind Art Nehf’s complete game five-hitter, the Giants repeat as World Champions sweeping the Yankees in five games, including one tie. The comeback 5-3 victory is fueled by George Kelly’s Run Batted In single during the three-run eighth inning at the Polo Grounds.
Arthur Neukom Nehf was born July 31, 1892 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Some seasons, Nehf pitched as a starter only, and some as a relief pitcher and a starter, but he was always solid in both roles, earning a reputation around the majors as an always-consistent pitcher.
Nehf was just 5’9″ and 176 lbs when he made his Major League debut in 1915. He joined the Boston Braves late in the season after leading the Central League with 218 strikeouts and a 1.38 Earned Run Average.
In the 1916 season he had a modest 7-5 won/loss record but also finished with a 2.01 earned run average.
In 1917, Nehf had what is generally thought of as his best season with the Braves, when he went 17-8 with a 2.16 Earned Run Average, pitching very consistently, and completing 17 of his 23 starts, with five shutouts, while also finishing seven games on the year. He also had his career-high in strike outs that year with 101, the only time he had more than 100 strike outs.
In 1918 he had another good Earned Run Average season posting a mark of 2.69 in 31 appearances. He season he also pitched a 21-inning game against the Pirates, only to lose 2-0.
He had compiled a 52-41 record for the light-hitting Braves when, on August 15, 1919, he was traded to the Giants for four players and cash. He went 9-2 the rest of the way, but the Giants still couldn’t catch the Reds and finished second.
Nehf won a career-high 21 games in 1920, his first full year with the Giants. He participated in 12 double plays that season, equaling the National League record for a pitcher.
From 1921 through 1924 he helped the Giants to four consecutive pennants.
Following a 20-10 season in 1921, he lost his first two World Series starts. The Giants scored a mere one run – unearned – in those two games but Nehf defeated the Yankees 1-0 in the final game.
In the 1922 World Series rematch, Nehf again won the decisive contest. He was the last man to win back to back 7th games in the World Series, accomplishing the fete in 1921 and 1922.
He pitched another 1-0 shutout against the Yankees in Game Three of the 1923 Series.
In the 1924 Series opener, he beat the Senators’ Walter Johnson in 12 innings,
In 1924, he beat Walter Johnson in 12 innings in the World Series opener, but Nehf lost Game Six 2-1. Washington took the title the following day.
Sold to the Reds in 1926, he pitched infrequently, and he was released in August 1927.
He managed to put up one more very good year in 1928 pitching for the Cubs. He went 13-7 with a still very low, 2.65 Earned Run Average. That year, he was also involved in a very strange and controversial play against his former team, the Giants who were in a tight pennant race against the St. Louis Cardinals.
New York’s Shanty Hogan hit a ball back to Nehf who threw to third base to get the runner, but the runner Andy Reese was off with the crack of the bat and was already at home plate, knocking over catcher Gabby Hartnett. Hartnett grabbed the runner to keep from falling, and as Hartnett held him, Reese was tagged out by the Cubs third baseman. The Giants bench erupted, but umpire Bill Klem ruled Reese out. The subsequent protest was turned down despite clear pictures showing Reese being held back. The Giants went on to lose the pennant to the Cards by two games.
In 1929 Nehf participated in the World Series with the Cubs in his final season but didn’t pitch well as the Cubs lost the series to the Philadelphia Athletics; he failed to retire a batter.
Nehf had a .210 career batting average with 8 home runs and 76 Runs Batted In. Of his 8 home runs, 2 came in one game in 1924. It was his only multiple home run season.
He had a 184-120 career won/loss record and a 3.20 Earned Run Average. He also had 182 complete games and 28 shutouts in 319 starts; he had another 2 shutouts in the postseason.
His career postseason record was 4-4 with an Earned Run Average of 2.16 in twelve games, and nine starts. Six of his starts were complete games.
Art Nehf died on December 18, 1960 inn Phoenix, Arizona.
In this inning we’ll open up the Baseball Dictionary
Under the letter: D
Doctor
1. To gain an edge, by secretly tampering with the bat, ball, or home field. Most doctoring is both difficult to detect and illegal. Real or imagined doctoring has led to some of the most heated and prolonged debates in baseball.
2. A temporary nickname for someone caught or suspected of the act of doctoring.
The term was applied to baseball high jinks long after establishing itself elsewhere as a term for secret product adulteration.
And now for the ninth inning…
Continuing our trip around baseball cities…
This segment comes to you compliments of listener Darryl Diamond.
Wahconah Park
In western Massachusetts sits Wachconah Park, home to sun delays, plastic owls and one of the oldest grandstands in baseball.
Some of my fondest memories playing youth ball occurred there. While catching during numerous tournaments I’ve chased wild pitches to every inch of the backstop and down each baseline!
But what makes the park so special besides the sun delays (the field actually points due west which helped before lights and night ball were so common) is the wooden grandstands. It is one of the last remaining parks with such a set up. There was always something special about sitting under the overhang on a warm summer night watching the “kids” from the NY Penn league work on their skills while trying to duck the plastic owls swaying from the rafters in an attempt to scare off the woodpeckers and other “varmints”
Wahconah Park is located in and owned by the city of Pittsfield, Massachusetts and was built in 1919 and expanded over the years to hold roughly 4,500 fans. Teams that have called it home have ranged from the Double-A Pittsfield Red Sox, Mets, Cubs down to the independent Black Bears and as of late amateur/colligate teams formed by former major league GM Dan Duqette.
The stadium has seen quite a few guys come through who continued on to make a name for themselves in the Majors including: Al Rosen, Jose Tartabull (Danny’s father), Sparky Lyle, Carlton Fisk, and Bill Madlock. During my time coming to the park to play and watch I also was lucky enough to see Jamie Moyer, Greg Maddox, Rafael Palmero, and Mark Grace.
Unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to get back there since the mid 90′s so the latest news on the stadium comes from Wikipedia “In the fall of 2008 Dan Duqette partnered with the Nokona glove company and the U.S. Army USA team to create the Pittsfield American Defenders. Also, Wahconah Park was renamed to Nokona Stadium at Wahconah Park. Nokona is the only glove maker to produce in the United States. With the newly received money Wahconah Stadium is getting a much needed makeover. A brand new infield was constructed this fall. The stadium is getting all new bathrooms, stadium offices and press box.”
The upgrades and changes are much needed in the aging park but I only hope they don’t do too much to change the overall character of the field as it is everything baseball should be, young prospects working to get to the show, a great baseball community and above all a field where you can sense the history in every seat and all the way to the backstop.
Thank you Darryl, and as promised “You get the credit.”
If you would like to a part of Baseball History Podcast, submit your written contribution for the tour segment. I will only be doing the tour when one is sent in by a listener. You can do the segment on any stadium or team; past or present; Minor League, Major League, Negro League or any league outside of the US. Write about 1 page in a conversational tone, send it to me, I will record it, and you will get the credit.
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Well, that’s it for today’s game of Baseball History Podcast. I’ll see you later at the ballpark.
