Witness To Diamond History
As Pieper missed just 16 home games during his time with the Cubs, none after 1924, he witnessed virtually all of the great moments in Wrigley Field baseball history. His most treasured moment? “That would be in the spring of 1917 … when our big left hander, Jim (Hippo) Vaughn, and Fred Toney, a right hander for Cincinnati pitched a double no-hitter for nine innings," Pieper recalled. “Somewhere at home I still have a picture of that great afternoon – a photograph of Vaughn, Toney and me.”
“Don’t let anybody tell you the Babe didn’t point to the bleachers before he slammed that homer off Charlie Root,” said Pieper, referring to the 'The Called Shot of 1932. “I know. I had the best seat in the house ... I remember it as if it were yesterday. Guy Bush, one of our best pitchers was on the edge of the Cub dugout screaming ‘You big so and so, he’s got two strikes on you. He’ll get you next time.’ Ruth stepped out of the batter’s box. He definitely pointed toward center field where he planted Root’s next pitch.”
Pieper was on the job when Gabby Hartnett‘s Homer in the Gloamin' helped propel the Cubs to the 1938 National League pennant. "I have always attempted to handle my job as announcer with dignity,” recalled Pieper. “But when I saw Gabby's hit soaring on its way over the left field fence, I picked up the bag of baseballs I keep for umpires and ran to third base to meet him. Then I jogged beside him until he reached home plate. You might say I brought Gabby home. I kept shouting, 'Be sure and touch the plate.' Gabby just smiled. I never saw a man so happy. I was 52 years old then. That was no way for me to behave."
Pieper names Rogers Hornsby as the greatest all-around player he'd seen. “He did everything well: hit, run, field. Hornsby wasn’t a flashy player, just a great who had his head jammed with baseball knowledge. He knew every hitter in the league. He played position on ‘em, and very frequently he was within six inches of where the ball was hit." Pieper regarded the Cubs infield with Billy Jurges, Billy Herman and Phil Cavarretta as more proficient than the legendary Tinker, Evers and Chance. "I pick them because the rabbit ball has made the job of the infielders much, much tougher than it was in 1906."
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