American Association Playoffs Project Wrap Up

 The game accounts are complete.

From 1933 to 1962 the American Association playoffs generated 475 contests, including two representing do-overs from protested games.

Each of these games is now accounted for and described in detail.

Descriptions of the final 85 games, which took place from 1958 to 1962, were wrapped up the other night.

The project began a few years ago as content for the print publication, The American Association Almanac. Due to the length of each description the undertaking was published only once per year. The Almanac is published twice each year, leaving a topic on a completely different subject to be explored in order to balance out the offerings.

The present undertaking will be published in a few weeks after undergoing editing, layout, production and mailing preparation for subscribers. 

Here is an example of a typical description. This game represents the final playoff contest played in American Association history before the league was resurrected several years later as a different incarnation.

Back issues are available. Please contact me at rex457@gmail.com with questions.

Game 6: Louisville at Denver - Thursday, September 20, 1962       
    Denver starter: Wyman Carey (6-5; LHP)
    Louisville starter: Chi-Chi Olivo (13-11; RHP)
    As the host Colonels maintained a one-game advantage, 3-2, in the final round of the playoffs, Game 6 started in the same manner as did Game 5 with the scoreboard showing all goose eggs until the Louisville half of inning number five. The star of the show was “crafty” Chi-Chi Olivo, who at 34 was the oldest player on the combined Louisville roster reeling off his team-best sixth shutout of the season. In Carrico’s words, “The veteran Chi-Chi was at his best against the Bears. He made only 108 pitches (120 is considered a good count) and 73 were strikes. He was particularly effective with a screw ball that had the Bears’ right-hand hitters lofting flies to left field. The Bears couldn’t push a man to second until the ninth inning.” Louisville landed its only run in the fifth. Facing Wyman Carey (lhp), Pepper Thomas blooped a double landing between Chico Salmon in left field and Jess Queen in center. Phil Roof then chopped to keystone sacker George Smith but the ball eluded him and went into right field as Thomas held at second. Olivo forced Thomas at third, but Lou Klimchock came through with a double that banged with a resounding rattle against the scoreboard in right-center, good for two bags, as Roof came home. Despite Olivo’s prowess that night, Denver made him nervous in the ninth. With only a one-run lead there was very little room for error. Salmon led off with a double off the wall which narrowly missed leaving the yard, then moved up on Coot Veal’s grounder to second. Olivo had to bear down against Don Wert, the league batting champion, at the plate; five pitches to the diminutive third baseman was all it took for the kayo. Denver’s chances rested on the always-dangerous Gates Brown who had a postseason to be remembered. Two change-ups had the big Bears outfielder off balance, but he worked the count to 0-2. Olivo delivered a breaking ball and Brown swung and missed, as the strikeout ended the frame and the game, no doubt yielding to a collective sigh of relief as the game-ending strikeout put the fourth-place Colonels back on top as the league champs for the second year in a row. Facing just 31 batters, Olivo walked none during his stellar complete game outing. It was the second year in a row he stopped the Bears in the clinching game. The Colonels outhit the Bears, 6-4. Denver committed no errors and Louisville made just four assists; Louisville left fielder Howie Bedell made all ten outfield putouts. WP-Chi-Chi Olivo; LP-Wyman Carey. Fairgrounds Stadium attendance: 1,405. Louisville 1, Denver 0

Please note: player fielding positions are included in the original content; they are withheld here due to being already mentioned in previous games from this series. Also please note, the losing pitcher, Wyman Carey is still alive at age 85; the winning pitcher, Chi-Chi Olivo, died at the age of 48 in 1977.