St. Louis Browns RHP Elden Auker was born on September 21, 1920 in Norcatur, Kansas. He would put together an 11-year professional baseball career that would have him appear in two World Series and over 350 games. Auker graduated from Norcatur High School and attended Kansas State University (1929-32).
While pitching for the Wildcats, Auk
St. Louis Browns RHP Elden Auker was born on September 21, 1920 in Norcatur, Kansas. He would put together an 11-year professional baseball career that would have him appear in two World Series and over 350 games. Auker graduated from Norcatur High School and attended Kansas State University (1929-32).
While pitching for the Wildcats, Auker was scouted by teams across baseball. He would be signed by the Detroit Tigers after the 1932 college season, and assigned to the Mobile Plowboys of the Mississippi Valley League. He rose through the Tigers organization quickly, pitching for the Ducatur Commodores (1932), and the Beaumont Explorers (1933). Auker had a 16-10 record at Beaumont, and earned a late season call up to Detroit in 1933. Elden Auker would pitch six seasons with the Tigers (1933-38), and later the Boston Red Sox (1939).
The Browns would acquire Auker from the Red Sox on February 8, 1940. He would become one of the cornerstones of the Browns rotation over the next three seasons. Auker would start 100 of the 107 games he pitched for the Browns. He led the team games and innings pitched each season, and his 44 wins is the most by a Brownie pitcher in that era. Auker would record 200 strikeouts and 361 earned runs. His best season came in 1940, when he had 16 wins in 38 games, and his 20 complete games and 263.2 innings pitched were career highs. His durability also led his to leading the league with 132 earned runs in 1941, and 223 hits allowed in 1942.
Elden Auker would step away from baseball after the 1942 season. He focused his attention on his engineering firm which was processing abrasives which were used in the war effort.
Elden Auker was one of the first successful "submarine"-style pitcher in the game. An injury while playing football in college led to his sidearm delivery. He is known as the last living pitcher to have struck out Babe Ruth at the time of his passing.
Elden Auker had a 10-year major league career, and left is mark on the history books of three organizations. The Browns were his last organization and St. Louis appreciated his production on the mound. He settled down in Vero Beach Florida, and would become a spokesperson for the era of baseball he played.
HEADLINES
"BROWNS' PITCHING, HITTING, AND FIELDING ALL EXCEL IN COMPLETE WIN OVER WASHINGTON"
FEATURED GAME
1944 - The Browns clobbered Washington pitching with 15 hits, including four doubles leading to a 9-4 thumping of the Nationals. RHP Nels Potter would pick up his 17th win of the season, as he pitches a complete game allowing nine hits
HEADLINES
"BROWNS' PITCHING, HITTING, AND FIELDING ALL EXCEL IN COMPLETE WIN OVER WASHINGTON"
FEATURED GAME
1944 - The Browns clobbered Washington pitching with 15 hits, including four doubles leading to a 9-4 thumping of the Nationals. RHP Nels Potter would pick up his 17th win of the season, as he pitches a complete game allowing nine hits, while striking out three batters. Every St. Louis slugger would tally at least one hit, while six batters would recording a multiple hit game. The team was led by CF Mike Kreevich who would go 3-for-4 including a double, a run scored and two RBIs. LF Chet Laabs, 1B George McQuinn, 2B Don Gutteridge, SS Vern Stephens, and 3B Mark Christman would all record two hits and combine for 13 total bases including four runs, six RBIs, and three doubles. This game still places them second in the American League, 1.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers.
BROWNS RECORD ON THIS DAY
Overall Record on SEPTEMBER 21
19 Wins, 29 Losses (.395)
1902-09: 5-4
1910-19: 2-6
1920-29: 2-6
1930-39: 2-8
1940-49: 3-4
1950-53: 0-1
DOUBLE HEADERS
Sweeps: 0
Splits: 4
Swept: 3
TRANSACTIONS
1943 - The Browns signed free agent PH Hank Schmulbach. The St. Louis native would only see action as a pinch runner on this day in Philadelphia. After catcher Frankie Hayes doubles, Schmulbach would pinch run for him and later score. Without an plate appearance, hit, walk, strikeout, or fielding play, Hank Schmulbach is in the MLB statistics book
DEBUTS
1904 - PH Harry Vahrenhorst would pinch hit for LHP Cy Morgan in the bottom ninth inning. This would be his only plate appearance in his MLB career, and he would unfortunately miss all three strikes, in the Browns 9-1 loss to the Cleveland Napoleons. 1928 - Catcher Ike Danning would start in his first MLB game, getting a hit in his three at bats. He would do copy this performance nine days later, on September 30. These would be his only MLB games.
1946 - RHP Ray Shore would pitch the ninth inning of the Browns 11-10 loss to the Chicago White Sox. He would give up three hits and two runs.
BROWNS BIRTHDAYS ON SEPTEMBER 21
1886 - LF/PH Art Bader (1904)
1910 - RHP Elden Auker (1940-42)
The 1948 St. Louis Browns finished with a 59-94-2 record (.386 winning percentage), which earned them a sixth place finish. That season there were five American League teams with winning records, while the three remaining teams had winning percentages below .390. The Washington Nationals (.366) and the Chicago White Sox (.336) both fell b
The 1948 St. Louis Browns finished with a 59-94-2 record (.386 winning percentage), which earned them a sixth place finish. That season there were five American League teams with winning records, while the three remaining teams had winning percentages below .390. The Washington Nationals (.366) and the Chicago White Sox (.336) both fell below St. Louis. It is not a surprise that the Browns had double-digit win totals agaisnt both of these teams (13 wins over Chicago, and 10 wins over Washington). As the season broke down, this team would start the season off with a 4-4 record in April, and that would be the only month they would reach a winning record. They would end up four games below .500 at home, but 13 games below .500 on the road. This young team would experience seven walk off losses, but three of them happen between June 6-12. Each experience should have made them better for the following season. Things could only get batter.
SEASON BREAKDOWN