Ancient box scores?

[Stephen Mack]

Anyone have any idea where (or if) I could find box scores from the last
three regular season games of 1938 between the Indians and Tigers?

Failing that, all I really want to know is what Hank Greenberg's lines
were.

My assumption was always that he was walked more than a few times in
those games, but a page from the "20th Century Baseball Chronicle" seems
to have a different take on it: "Hank Greenberg came into Cleveland on
the last weekend of 1938 needing two home runs to tie Babe Ruth's season
record of 60. He didn't stand a chance. The first game was played in
League Park, which was 375 feet down the line in left field. The next
day, Greenberg was no match for Bob Feller, who fanned 18 Tigers."

What the clipping doesn't mention is that the last day was a
double-header, and that the Tigers won both games (scoring four runs in
the first and ten in the second). The clipping makes it sound like
Greenberg and the Tigers were completely overpowered, but I wonder if
that's just anti-Greenberg (or pro-Ruth) propaganda.

[David M. Nieporent]

Post by Stephen Mack
Anyone have any idea where (or if) I could find box scores from the last
three regular season games of 1938 between the Indians and Tigers?
Failing that, all I really want to know is what Hank Greenberg's lines
were.

Stephen, the source for this sort of information is Retrosheet.
(www.retrosheet.org). If they don't have it, it doesn't exist. In this
case, they don't have it online; their box scores only go back, right now,
to 1957.

You therefore have two options:

1) Email Dave Smith, the founder of Retrosheet (***@retrosheet.org), and
he very likely may be able to help you. (They don't post box scores until
the whole season is proofed very thoroughly, so they have many box scores
that aren't up yet, but that they're happy to provide.) Dave Smith is very
friendly and helpful.

2) Check the newspaper archives for that year. Any SABR member can assist
you; we have access, as SABR members, to ProQuest's database of some major
newspaper archives. I'm busy now, but I could look it up later, perhaps
this weekend, if you drop me an email to remind me.

[smack]

Post by David M. Nieporent

Post by Stephen Mack
Anyone have any idea where (or if) I could find box scores from the last
three regular season games of 1938 between the Indians and Tigers?
Failing that, all I really want to know is what Hank Greenberg's lines
were.

Stephen, the source for this sort of information is Retrosheet.
(www.retrosheet.org). If they don't have it, it doesn't exist. In this
case, they don't have it online; their box scores only go back, right now,
to 1957.
he very likely may be able to help you. (They don't post box scores until
the whole season is proofed very thoroughly, so they have many box scores
that aren't up yet, but that they're happy to provide.) Dave Smith is very
friendly and helpful.
2) Check the newspaper archives for that year. Any SABR member can assist
you; we have access, as SABR members, to ProQuest's database of some major
newspaper archives. I'm busy now, but I could look it up later, perhaps
this weekend, if you drop me an email to remind me.

Sorry, David, I didn't get a chance to thank you for your help. I
actually got the information, albeit secondhand (or thirdhand, I guess),
from a friend who works for the director of The Life and Times of Hank
Greenberg.