Today in 1913 - The Brewers Take Game One

Today in 1913, the Brewers opened their post-season minor league championship series with the Denver Grizzlies. It wasn't the "Junior World Series" that we'd come to know, but served essentially the same function, pitting the American Association champs against the Western League winners.

The first game had been scheduled for Saturday, October 10th, but snow in Denver had delayed the start one day.

If the Brewers were rusty from the train journey or the extra delay, they didn't show it. Irving "Cy" Young took the mound for the Brews, and thoroughly stymied the Denver batters. He was countered by Denver's Rufus Gilbert, who countered pitch for pitch. At the end of the fifth, with heavy clouds moving in, the Grizzlies had a 1-0 lead.

Denver would have appreciated some snow out of those clouds, because the Brewer bats came through in the sixth. Joe Burg hit a long fly ball with the bases loaded and two out, which was dropped by Grover Gilmore in left field. Lena Blackburne, Tom Jones, and Larry Gilbert came in to score. The Brews never looked back, adding another run in the eighth inning and four more in the top of the ninth for an 8-1 final score.

The Brewers weren't perfect; Pep Clark was suffering from a sore hand, hurt in the exhibition game with Pittsburg, so pitcher Cy Slapnicka took over Clark's regular duties at third. Slap had two balls hit to him, and he booted one.

A great start for Milwaukee in their quest for the minor league crown.