Well, it's August -- the trade deadline has passed, we are well into
that time of the season known as "the pennant race," even closing in on
that related time called "the stretch drive."
But it's August ...
... and did you realize that if you enter that character string
("august") into the search engine at the greatness of
BaseballReference.com, you'll get no less than 83 returns? I was personally shocked at that total, expecting half that or fewer.
Oh, to be sure, that total includes no less than 30 guys with the first
or middle name "Augustus" and seven more with the first or middle name
"Augustine" not to mention Don August, and Dave and Jerry Augustine.
But even if you remove them from the mix, you have 40-some candidates
for what should prove to be a pretty competitive stretch drive club.
Note: eliminating "Augustus" and "Augustine" from consideration is
especially painful to the starting rotation as we dismiss the candidacy
of no less than three Hall of Fame hurlers in James Augustus "Catfish"
Hunter, Charles Augustus "Kid" Nichols and Edward Augustine Walsh.
Among those also eliminated, just by the whisker of an extra vowel,
were catcher Andrew Auguste Etchebarren and shortstop Nelson Augusto
Norman, while three additional All-Stars have been named or nicknamed
Gus, but not named "August" -- Bell, Triandos and Zernial. And Gustavo
Chacin, of course, is right out.
So, given all those limitations ...
You may recall, we met "The August Presence"
in our old born-this-month series a couple of years ago, so for this
team's name, we'll cheese it up a little and meet ...
AUGUST OF WIND
** indicates Hall of Famer
* indicates All-Star
Player/MGR Bibb August Falk (1-0, 1933 CLE)
LINEUP
C August "Gus" Mancuso* (.265, 1928, '30-45)
1B August "Gus" Suhr* (.279, 114 triples, 1930-40)
2B Joseph August "Fats" Berger (also SS; .191, 1913-14 CHW)
SS Charlie August Engle (.251, 1925-26, '30)
3B Arthur August Reinholz (1-for-3, 1928 CLE)
OF August "Augie" Galan* (.287, 100 homers, 1934-49; also played IF)
OF August Samuel "Augie" Bergamo (.304, 1944-45 STL)
OF August "Gus" Felix (.274, 1923-27 BSN, BRK)
DH Bibb August Falk (.314, 1820-31)
BENCH
C/OF William August "Bill" Schwartz (.236, 1883-84)
1B Frederick August "Fritz" Mollwitz (.241, 1913-19)
SS/2B Harry August Lunte (.196, 1919-20 CLE)
SS Charles August "Swede" Risberg (.243, 1917-20; banned Black Sox)
OF Marvin August "Twitch" Rickert (.247, 1942, '46-50)
OF August Joseph "Gus" Williams (.263, 1911-15)
ROTATION
RHSP George August "Hooks" Dauss (222-182, 1912-26)
LHSP John August Antonelli* (126-110, 1948-61)
RHSP August "Gus" Weyhing (264-232, 1887-1901; 216 wins, 1887-94)
LHSP August "Gus" Krock (25-14, 1888; 32-26 career)
RHSP August "Gus" Shallix (17-14, 1884-85 CIN)
BULLPEN
CL-RH Michael August Timlin (69-68, 139 saves through 2006)
LH-SET August "Happy" Foreman (0-0, 3.18, six games, 1824 CHW, '26 BOS)
RH-SET August "Augie" Walsh (4-10, 2 saves, 1927-28 PHI)
LH-LONG August "Gus" McGinnis (3-8, 1893 Chicago Colts, PHI)
RH-LONG Karl August Drews (44-53, 7 saves, 1946-54)
CUTS
C August "Gus" Fisher (.254, 1911 CLE, '12 NYY)
C August "Gus" Brittain (1-for-6, 1937 CIN)
1B Leo August Dressen (.205, 1914 STL, '18 DET)
2B/3B William August "Dutch" Ussat (3-for-17, 1925, '27 CLE)
SS August "Gus" Creely (0-for-15, 1890 St. Louis Browns)
3B August Julius "Gus" Hetling (1-for-7, 1906 DET)
OF Edward August Kippert (0-for-2, 1914 CIN)
?SP August "Gus" Yost (lost only start with 1893 Chicago Colts)
RHRP John August "Mike" Michaelson (10.13 in two games, 1921 CHW)
RHRP Charles August Girard (1-2, 1910 PHI)
LHRP Frederick August Blank (lost only start, 1894 CIN)
LHRP Herbert August Hippauf (0-1, three games, 1966 ATL)
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