Silver Seasons and a New Frontier: The Story of the Rochester Red Wings, Second Edition

5 The Great Depression

5 The Great Depression Over the winter, we wiIJ all forgive and forget. Next year, there will be a cast ofnew faces and perhaps, children, Billy Southworth, the fightingest little guy to ever step into a pair of baseball slippers. will be the Moses to lead us out of the wilderness. -Elliot Cushing, DemocraT and Chro"ic!e SPOrtS editor, following 1936 season The immensely popular Southworth was gone, but it rook a few days for reality to set in. The Red Wings won their first three games under Toporeer, and he played a big role in the first two. The day after Southworth 's departure, Toporccr drove in the winning run with a sevemhinning single as the Wings beat Jersey City 3-2. The next day, the second baseman-manager went 4-for-4 in an 8-2 win over [he Skeeters. That made Rochester's record an even 46-46. The Toporcer-led Wings finished a respectable 88-78 but missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. One of the few bright spots was Puccinelli, whose .391 average and thirty-one-game hitting streak remain Red Wings records. "Pooch" also hit 28 homers and drove in 115 runs. He was honored on ItalianAmerican Night for his tremendous season and received an automobile from his admirers. Unhappy with the selection, he spent $175 of his own money for an upgraded car the next day, an action that left Red Wings fans simmering. The hardship of the Great Depression had begun to show its effect at the gate. In 1932 attendance fell to 153,739-nearly half the previous 51 52 SILVER SEASO S George "Specs" Toporcer was one of the key players in Rochester's dynasty from 1928 to 1931, and eventually succeeded Billy Southworth as manager in 1932. Courtesy of the Democrat and Chroniclerfimes-Union. year's total and the lowest figure since the new ballpark was christened in 1929. To make ends meet, the Wings' starting lineup stayed together after the season ended and began a barnstorming tour of local villages and towns. The first game was September 19 at Perry, with the Red Wings winning 9-6 before founeen hundred fans. Rochester was scheduled to open the 1933 season on April 12 at Albany, which had replaced Reading in the league, but it was delayed at Hawkins Stadium by two days of snow. The'wait was worth it, however; "Silent" Jim Winford tossed a five-hitter, and the Wings whipped the Senators 10-1. Toporcer's Wings remained in the thick of the pennant race all summer, and the parent Cardinals did what they could to help. On July 22, St. Louis optioned veteran outfielder Estel Crabtree to Rochester to replace the injured Buster Mills in center. It was expected to be a quick fix. Instead the option lasted seven seasons. GREAT DEPRESSION 53 Estel Crabtree provided Red Wings fans with arguably the greatest moment in club history, a miraculous three-run homer in the 1939 playoffs. Courtesy of the Democrat and ChroniclefTimes-Union. 54 SILVER SEASONS Crabtree was a fleer-footed player who batted left and threw right. Born in 1905 in Lucasville, Ohio, he weighed 170 pounds and was "6 feet from arches to hair part" according to the Democrat and Chronicle. Crabtree broke into baseball at Dubuque, Iowa, in 1926, hoping to become a triple threat as a pitcher, first baseman, and outfielder. He had developed into an excellent defensive player and a consistent hiner, never batting below .300 in the minor leagues, and had played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1931 and 1932. He seemed to be everything the Wings were waiting for, but it turned out chey had to wait a little longer. In his first game, Crabtree suffered a broken jaw when he was hit by a ball while trying to steal second base. It would be weeks before he played again. On July 10, 1933, the Red Wings beat the Newark Bears 6-1 at Red Wing Stadium. It would have gone down as just another game if not for one important sidelight: it was George Puccinelli's last day as a Red Wing. "Pooch," the hero of Rochester's Junior World Series win in '31, had left many fans steaming after he upgraded the car given him the previous summer. Those feelings did not improve when the outfielder engaged in a salary dispute...