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Personnel History
6/20/27:
Hal Carlson's Perfect Game
1928: Lefty Grove awarded CY YOUNG
4/30/29: Deal Harry Heilmann to Pisces for Sam West
and future considerations
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1927
Heavily reliant on the strength of the four-man rotation of Haines, Grove, Petty and Carlson, the Collusion ground out a Eastern Division title as division rival Brooklyn faltered under a regime upheaval. Heilmann and Leach carried the load offensively and Harvey Hendrick drove opposing catchers to drink with 71 steals. After upsetting the heavily favored Washington Expos in the first round of the playoffs, Cuyahoga Falls fell in 7 games to the Wild Card Red Sox in the first EBL Championship.
1928
Different year, same old Collusion. After
dealing Firpo Marberry and the team's two first round selections for
stud prospect Carl Hubbell, the Collusion figured they'd given up
too much of '28 for the future. But as the rest of the East faltered
down the stretch, Cuyahoga Falls rose to the top, riding Cy Young
winner Lefty Grove's 20 wins and Harry Heilmann's steady bat into
the playoffs. A disappointing first round exit to the hated Expos
leaves the Colluders bitter and militant heading into the off-season.
1929
Collusion pitching continued to dominate;
however, the normally lackluster hitting turned anemic. Despite a
pre-season trade for OF Curt Walker, the offense sputtered and stalled.
Once management conceded the season and dispatched Harry Heilmann
to the Pisces and Walker to the Dodgers, Lefty and the Meal Ticket
found themselves pitching in front of an offense led by silly slap-hitters
Moe Berg, Buddy Myer and Sam West. Though Grove, Hubbell and Petty
finished in the Top 5 for Cy Young voting, the Collusion still fell
belly up. As the season concluded, everyone in Cuyahoga Falls heard
the distant cries of suffering and the onset of another year of darkness.
1930
The Collusion fumble through 1930 like a bastard child in a jungle full of blind orangutans. Hubbell disappoints, rookie phenom Lefty Gomez might as well have thrown with his right hand and Lefty Grove wins 20 and sets a new strikeout record but does so without the dominance of years past. A late season surge through usage-depleted competition win the Collusion the #2 pick which they will surely waste on more failed pitching prospects. To hold auditions in downtown Cuyuhoga Falls for 3B. Dozens show up. Idea spawns reality-radio phenomenon "So You Think You Can Be a Big Leaguer?"
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