Minneapolis Millers - Compiled by Stew Thornley
1931 - American Association, 80-88, 6th place- Standings, statistics, and notes follow game-by-game results
Manager: Mike Kelley
Date Opponent Outcome Record Notes
Tu 4/14 at Louisville Colonels W 10-4 1-0 10-hitter by Rube Benton, who was injured in a car accident during the off-season and had surgery on his left (pitching) hand.  Bernie Neis homers.
W 4/15 at Louisville L 5-6 (10) 1-1 LP-Paul McCullough.
Th 4/16 at Louisville L 0-3 1-2 LP-Dutch Henry.
F 4/17 at Louisville L 0-6 1-3 LP-Dick Morgan.
Sa 4/18 at Indianapolis Indians W 6-1 2-3 WP-Bud Tinning.
Su 4/19 at Indianapolis L 9-12 2-4 LP-Dick Morgan.  Millers blow 9-3 lead held in the 8th.
M 4/20 at Indianapolis, rain Millers release Elmer Smith.
Tu 4/21 at Columbus Red Birds, rain
W 4/22 at Columbus, rain
Th 4/23 at Columbus L 8-9 2-5 LP-Benton.  Millers blow a 7-1 lead held in the 8th.
F 4/24-1 at Columbus L 10-13 2-6 LP-Bud Tinning.
F 4/24-2 at Columbus W 10-5 (5) 3-6 WP-Paul McCullough.  Neis homers.  Game called to allow Millers to catch their train.
Sa 4/25 at Toledo Mud Hens, rain
Su 4/26-1 at Toledo W 6-5 (15) 4-6 WP-Henry.  Game twice halted by a snowstorm.
Su 4/26-2 at Toledo, snow, hail, and rain
M 4/27 at Toledo, cold
W 4/29 Louisville L 3-6 4-7 LP-Henry.  7,000 fans at Nicollet Park for opener.
Th 4/30 Louisville L 4-5 4-8 LP-Benton.
F 5/1 Louisville L 5-9 4-9 LP-Vernon "Slicker" Parks.
Sa 5/2 Louisville W 7-5 5-9 WP-Phil Hensiek.  Neis and Leo Norris homer.
Su 5/3 Indianapolis L 11-17 5-10 LP-McCullough.  Long George Kelly and McCullough homer.
M 5/4 Indianapolis W 9-8 6-10 WP-Morgan.  Millers score 2 runs in the last of the 9th.  Charley High homers.  Norris gets 4 hits.
Tu 5/5 Indianapolis, rain
W 5/6 Indianapolis, cold
Th 5/7 Toledo, cold Millers sign free agent Bob Meusel and buy Charley Dressen from the Cincinnati Reds.
F 5/8 Toledo W 12-2 7-10 WP-Hensiek.  Norris homers.  Bubbles Hargrave hits 2 home runs.
Sa 5/9 Toledo, rain
Su 5/10-1 Toledo L 2-3 7-11 LP-Henry.
Su 5/10-2 Toledo L 0-4 7-12 LP-Morgan.  Millers held to 5 hits by Rosy Ryan.  Dressen debuts.
M 5/11 Columbus, rain
Tu 5/12 Columbus W 16-2 8-12 5-hitter by Benton.  Norris homers twice and High once.
W 5/13 Columbus W 9-8 (10) 9-12 WP-Henry.  Millers win on Hargrave's homer in 10th.  Ernie Smith, Spencer Harris, and High also homer.
Th 5/14 Columbus L 11-21 9-13 LP-Tinning.  Kelly hits 2 homers and drives in 5 runs.  Meusel debuts with 4 hits and 2 RBIs.
F 5/15 at St. Paul Saints W 10-4 10-13 WP-Henry.  Millers score 8 runs in the 2nd inning.
Sa 5/16 St. Paul W 9-3 11-13 WP-Benton.  High and Kelly homer.
Su 5/17 at St. Paul L 2-6 11-14 LP-Hensich.  Harris homers.
M 5/18 St. Paul W 5-3 (10) 12-14 WP-McCullough.  Norris hits 3-run homer in last of the 10th.  Hargrave also homers.
Tu 5/19 Kansas City Blues W 7-6 13-14 WP-Henry.  Norris triples in the 9th and scores the winning run on a wild pitch.
W 5/20 Kansas City, rain Tinning released to Des Moines.
Th 5/21 Kansas City W 4-3 14-14 WP-Henry.  Wes Griffin homers.
F 5/22 Kansas City W 10-4 15-14 WP-Benton.  Smith, Harris, and Griffin homer.
Sa 5/23 Kansas City L 6-8 15-15 LP-Hensich.  Harris hits 2 homers.
Su 5/24 Milwaukee Brewers L 1-6 15-16 LP-Morgan.  Griffin homers.
M 5/25 Milwaukee L 5-8 15-17 LP-Henry.  Meusel homers.
Tu 5/26 Milwaukee L 3-6 15-18 LP-Benton.  Meusel and Hargrave homer.
W 5/27 Milwaukee W 16-8 16-18 WP-Dumont.  Norris and High homer.
Th 5/28 Milwaukee L 2-5 16-19 LP-Morgan.  Hargrave homers.
F 5/29 St. Paul W 7-6 17-19 WP-Hensich.  High homers.  Millers score 5 in the last of the 9th.
Sa 5/30 a.m. at St. Paul L 4-12 17-20 LP-McCullough.  Kelly hits 2 homers.
Sa 5/30 p.m. St. Paul L 1-2 17-21 LP-Hensich.
Su 5/31 St. Paul W 8-6 18-21 WP-Benton.  High homers and has 7 RBIs.
M 6/1 at Milwaukee L 4-11 18-22 LP-Morgan.  Hargrave homers.
Tu 6/2 at Milwaukee, rain
W 6/3 at Milwaukee W 9-3 19-22 WP-Henry.  Kelly homers.  Millers sign Joe Mowry, University of Iowa star.
Th 6/4-1 at Milwaukee W 7-3 20-22 WP-Hensiek.  High homers and has 5 RBIs.
Th 6/4-2 at Milwaukee L 3-4 20-23 LP-McCullough.
F 6/5 at Kansas City W 4-2 21-23 Benton wins 7th game.  Millers sign Long Tom Sheehan, who had pitched for Mike Kelley with the Saints in the early 1920s.
Sa 6/6 at Kansas City L 1-5 21-24 LP-Morgan.
Su 6/7-1 at Kansas City W 9-3 22-24 WP-Hensiek.  Kelly homers.
Su 6/7-2 at Kansas City W 8-1 23-24 WP-Henry.
W 6/10 at Indianapolis L 0-3 23-25 LP-Benton.  Sheehan debuts with the Millers.  John Brillheart returned to the Millers from the Boston Red Sox.
Th 6/11 at Indianapolis W 8-7 24-25 WP-Hy Vandenberg.  High homers.
F 6/12 afternoon at Indianapolis L 2-11 24-26 LP-Hensiek.
F 6/12 night at Indianapolis W 6-5 25-26 WP-Brillheart.  Millers score 5 runs in the 9th.
Sa 6/13 at Indianapolis, rain
Su 6/14-1 at Louisville L 2-6 25-27 LP-Benton.
Su 6/14-2 at Louisville W 9-4 26-27 WP-Sheehan.  Neis homers.  Millers get 20 hits.
M 6/15 at Louisville W 3-0 27-27 WP-Henry.  Morgan and Hugh McMullen released.
Tu 6/16 at Louisville W 10-6 28-27 WP-Brillheart.
Th 6/18 at Columbus W 8-5 (11) 29-27 WP-Sheehan.
F 6/19 at Columbus L 9-12 29-28 LP-Benton.
Sa 6/20 at Columbus W 13-0 30-28 WP-Henry.  Millers score 9 runs in the top of the 1st.  Kelly, Neis, High, and Sicking homer.  Millers are in third place, 2 games out of first.
Su 6/21-1 at Columbus W 14-3 31-28 WP-Brillheart.
Su 6/21-2 at Columbus W 9-0, forfeit 32-28 Larry Goetz ejects Columbus manager Harry Leibold.  When Leibold returns to the field and resumes the argument, the game is forfeit to the Millers.
Su 6/21-3 at Columbus W 9-1 LP-Sheehan.  Columbus moves up a game from a future series to give the fans a doubleheader, as advertised.  However, on June 27 league president Thomas Hickey rules that the game would not count.
M 6/22 at Toledo W 6-4 33-29 WP-Hensiek.
Tu 6/23-1 at Toledo L 2-5 33-30 LP-Benton.
Tu 6/23-2 at Toledo L 7-8 (10) 33-31 LP-McCullough.  Mowry and Frank Emmer released to Nashville.
W 6/24 at Toledo W 8-2 34-31 Henry wins 5th straight game.
Th 6/25 at Toledo L 0-5 34-32 LP-Brillheart.  Millers shut out by Carl Mays.
Sa 6/27 Kansas City W 11-7 35-31 WP-Benton.  High homers.  Smith and Kelly get 4 hits.  Millers move into second place, getting a win and also having a loss eliminated by Hickey's ruling to throw out the final game played on June 21.
Su 6/28-1 Kansas City L 9-11 35-32 LP-Sheehan.  Harris hits 2 home runs and Hargrave 1 homer.
Su 6/28-2 Kansas City W 9-8 (6, 6:00 law) 36-32 WP-Henry.  Sicking homers.
M 6/29  Kansas City L 4-7 36-33 Young Ed Walsh loses in Millers debut.  Smith homers.
M 6/29 night House of David (ex.) L 12-24 Exhibition game played in the evening, under a temporary floodlighting system, before 6,000 fans.  Grover Cleveland Alexander's team, with Alexander pitching, beats a team of Millers and semi-pro players.  The game started at 8:30 and took nearly 3 hours.  Rookie Hy Vandenberg, from South High School, in Minneapolis, started for the Millers.  Kelley put in local semi-pro players to give his players, who had also played a 3:00 game against Kansas City, some relief in extremely hot weather.
Tu 6/30 Milwaukee L 3-11 36-34 LP-Hensiek.  Norris homers.  Art Shires gets 5 hits for Milwaukee.
W 7/1 Milwaukee, rain
Th 7/2 Milwaukee W 6-3 37-34 WP-Benton.  High and Hargrave homer.
F 7/3 at St. Paul L 3-5 37-35 LP-Henry (6-game winning streak broken).  Griffin homers.
Sa 7/4 a.m. St. Paul L 4-13 37-36 LP-Brillheart.  Meusel and Norris homer.
Sa 7/4 p.m. at St. Paul L 3-6 37-37 LP-Hensiek.
Su 7/5 at St. Paul L 9-11 37-38 LP-Sheehan.  Millers get 18 hits and Saints get 16.  Meusel homers.
Tu 7/7-1 Toledo W 5-3 38-38 WP-Benton.  Meusel homers.
Tu 7/7-2 Toledo L 0-1 39-38 2-hitter by Walsh, who drives in the only run with a double with 2 out in the last of the 9th.
W 7/8 Toledo L 7-11 39-39 LP-Henry.  Dressen and Harris homer.
Th 7/9 Toledo W 12-7 40-39 WP-Hensiek.  Meusel homers.  Harris drives in 4 runs.
F 7/10 Toledo L 9-10 40-40 LP-Brillheart.
Sa 7/11 Columbus W 6-5 41-40 Henry wins 12th game.
Su 7/12-1 Columbus L 1-11 41-41 LP-Benton.
Su 7/12-2 Columbus W 15-5 (8, 6:00 law) 42-41 WP-Walsh.  Meusel has 4 hits, including a grand slam, and drives in 7 runs.
M 7/13 Columbus W 4-3 43-41 George Dumont wins in comeback with Millers.  Harris homers.
Tu 7/14 Columbus W 14-12 44-41 WP-Vandenberg.
W 7/15-1 Indianapolis L 8-20 44-42 LP-Henry.  HR-Griffin.
W 7/15-2 Indianapolis W 10-9 45-42 WP-Dumont.  Kelly homers.
Th 7/16 Indianapolis L 5-9 45-43 LP-Hensiek.  Kelly homers.  High released by Millers and signs with Indianapolis.  Art Ruble debuts for Millers.
F 7/17-1 Indianapolis L 8-9 45-44 LP-Brillheart.  Meusel homers.
F 7/17-2 Indianapolis L 2-16 45-45 LP-Walsh.  Kelly homers.
Sa 7/18 Indianapolis W 5-1 46-45 WP-Henry.  Ruble homers.
Su 7/19-1 Louisville W 5-3 47-45 WP-Benton.
Su 7/19-2 Louisville L 2-12 (8, 6:00 law) 47-46 LP-Walsh.
M 7/20 Louisville W 11-10 48-46 WP-Brillheart.  Neis, Griffin, and Harris homer.  Frank McGowan debuts for the Millers and wins game in the last of the 9th with a two-run, bases-loaded double. 
Tu 7/21 Louisville L 7-12 48-47 LP-Hensiek.
Th 7/23 at St. Paul L 6-8 48-48 LP-Brillheart.
F 7/24 St. Paul L 8-15 48-49 LP-Brillheart.  Dressen homers.
Sa 7/25 at St. Paul L 6-10 48-50 LP-Sheehan.  Sheehan and Sicking homer.
Su 7/26 St. Paul L 6-13 48-51 LP-Henry.  Neis and Norris.
M 7/27 at Kansas City W 17-10 49-51 WP-Bill Wilson.  Ruble gets 5 hits.
Tu 7/28 at Kansas City L 8-11 49-52 LP-Ben Tincup.  Sicking homers.
M 7/29 at Kansas City L 8-11 49-53 LP-Sheehan.
Th 7/30 at Kansas City W 5-1 50-53 Henry wins 14th game.
F 7/31 at Milwaukee L 1-14 50-54 LP-Benton.
Sa 8/1 at Milwaukee, rain
Su 8/2-1 at Milwaukee L 6-12 50-55 LP-Walsh.  Ruble homers.
Su 8/2-2 at Milwaukee W 10-5 51-55 WP-Sheehan.
Tu 8/4 at Columbus L 3-4 51-56 LP-Walsh.
W 8/5 at Columbus L 5-6 (11) 51-57 LP-Sheehan.
Th 8/6 at Columbus W 10-7 (16) 52-57 WP-Henry.
F 8/7 at Columbus L 1-2 52-58 LP-Wilson.  McGowan homers.
Sa 8/8 at Toledo W 14-9 53-58 WP-Frank Miller.
Su 8/9-1 at Toledo L 1-5 53-59 LP-Walsh.
Su 8/9-2 at Toledo L 9-11 53-60 LP-Hensiek.
M 8/10 at Toledo W 7-1 54-60 WP-Henry.  Kelly homers.
Tu 8/11-1 at Toledo L 4-9 54-61 LP-Wilson.  Ruble homers.
Tu 8/11-2 at Toledo W 7-3 55-61 WP-Brillheart.
W 8/12 at Indianapolis, rain
Th 8/13-1 at Indianapolis L 7-8 55-62 LP-Walsh.  Dressen homers.
Th 8/13-2 at Indianapolis W 15-1 56-62 WP-Hensiek.  McGowan homers.
F 8/14 afternoon at Indianapolis L 3-6 56-63 LP-Henry.
F 8/14 night at Indianapolis L 5-7 56-64 LP-Wilson.
Sa 8/15-1 at Indianapolis L 1-3 56-65 LP-Sheehan.
Sa 8/15-2 at Indianapolis L 2-6 56-66 LP-Brillheart.  Ruble homers.
Su 8/16-1 at Louisville L 4-5 56-67 LP-Hensiek.
Su 8/16-2 at Louisville L 1-3 56-68 LP-Walsh.  Millers lose 6 games in 3 days.
M 8/17 at Louisville, rain
Tu 8/18-1 at Louisville W 10-8 57-68 WP-Brillheart.  Ruble homers.
Tu 8/18-2 at Louisville W 17-4 58-68 WP-Henry.  Millers get 21 hits.  McGowan homers.  Smith steals 4 bases.
F 8/21 Indianapolis L 8-10 58-69 LP-Brillheart.  Neis, Sicking, and Harris homer.
Sa 8/22 Indianapolis W 7-3 59-69 Henry wins 18th.  Ruble and Smith homer.
Su 8/23-1 Indianapolis W 8-7 60-69 WP-Miller.  Ruble homers.
Su 8/23-2 Indianapolis W 15-5 61-69 WP-Brillheart.  Ruble gets 4 hits, including 2 home runs, and drives in 8 runs.  Sicking extends hitting streak to 22 games.
M 8/24 Louisville L 1-5 61-70 LP-Sheehan.  Sicking's hitting streak stopped.
Tu 8/25 Louisville L 2-4 61-71 LP-Hensiek.  Muskogee's Ab Wright, Western Association batting-average leader, and Gordon Nell, home run leader, to report to the Millers.
W 8/26 Louisville L 5-6 (10) 61-72 LP-Wilson.  Hargrave homers.
Th 8/27 Louisville W 12-3 62-72 WP-Henry.  Griffin homers twice and Norris and McGowan once.
F 8/28 Columbus, rain
Sa 8/29-1 Columbus W 9-5 63-72 WP-Brillheart.  Norris and Smith homer.  Wright debuts.
Sa 8/29-2 Columbus L 6-8 63-73 LP-Walsh.  Kelly homers.
Su 8/30-1 Columbus L 7-12 63-74 LP-Benton.  Smith homers.
Su 8/30-2 Columbus L 2-3 63-75 LP-Hensiek.  Kelly and Norris homer.
M 8/31 Toledo, rain
Tu 9/1 Toledo W 6-5 64-75 Henry wins 20th game.  Kelly homers.
W 9/2-1 Toledo W 1-0 65-75 WP-Miller.  McGowan homers.
W 9/2-2 Toledo W 4-3 66-75 WP-Walsh.
Th 9/3 Toledo L 1-9 (5, rain) 66-76 LP-Brillheart.
Sa 9/5 St. Paul L 6-11 66-77 LP-Hensiek.
Su 9/6 at St. Paul W 8-3 67-77 WP-Henry.
M 9/7 a.m. at St. Paul L 4-6 68-78 LP-Brillheart.  McGowan and Hargrave homer.
M 9/7 p.m. St. Paul W 11-8 69-78 WP-Miller.  McGowan homers.
Tu 9/8 Kansas City W 12-6 69-78 WP-Benton.  Smith and McGowan homer.
W 9/9 Kansas City W 8-3 70-78 WP-Walsh.  Ruble homers.
Th 9/10 Kansas City L 11-12 (10) 70-79 LP-Brillheart.  Kelly and Harris homer.
F 9/11 Kansas City L 11-12 70-80 LP-Benton.  McGowan homers twice and Hargrave once.  Cubs purchase Henry for 1932.
Sa 9/12 Milwaukee W 14-9 (6, rain) 71-80 WP-Miller.  Harris and Griffin homer.
Su 9/13-1 Milwaukee W 10-9 72-80 WP-Benton.  Norris, Wright, Neis, and Ruble homer.
Su 9/13-2 Milwaukee W 9-8 (5, 6:00 law) 73-80 WP-Henry.  Neis and Ruble homer.
M 9/14 Milwaukee W 10-6 74-80 WP-Wilson.  Ruble and Kelly homer.
Tu 9/15 Milwaukee L 2-3 74-81 LP-Benton.
Th 9/17 at St. Paul L 0-10 74-82 LP-Henry.  Huck Betts shuts out the Millers on 4 hits for his 21st win.
F 9/18 St. Paul W 8-4 75-82 WP-Walsh.  Walsh homers.
Sa 9/19 at St. Paul, rain
Su 9/20-1 St. Paul W 6-5 76-82 WP-Benton.  Harris and Kelly homer.
Su 9/20-2 St. Paul W 16-6 (8, 6:00 law) 77-82 WP-Wilson.  Harris and Ruble homer.
M 9/21 at Milwaukee L 8-16 77-83 LP-Miller.  Norris homers.
Tu 9/22-1 at Milwaukee W 10-9 78-83 WP-Walsh.  Norris homers.
Tu 9/22-2 at Milwaukee L 1-7 (8, darkness) 78-84 LP-Brillheart.
W 9/23 at Milwaukee, rain
Th 9/24-1 at Milwaukee W 11-9 79-84 WP-Henry.
Th 9/24-2 at Milwaukee L 2-5 79-85 LP-Benton.
F 9/25 at Kansas City L 4-11 79-86 LP-Miller.
Sa 9/26 at Kansas City L 5-6 79-87 LP-Brillheart.
Su 9/27-1 at Kansas City L 3-4 79-88 LP-Brillheart.
Su 9/27-2 at Kansas City W 8-7 80-88 WP-Miller.
W L Manager
St. Paul 104 63 Albert "Lefty" Leifield
Kansas City 90 77 Dutch Zwilling
Indianapolis 86 80 Red Corriden-Emmett McCann
Columbus 84 82 Harry Leibold
Milwaukee 83 85 Marty Berghammer-Frank O'Rourke
Minneapolis 80 88 Mike Kelley
Louisville 74 94 Allan Sothoron
Toledo 68 100 Casey Stengel
Statistics
Player Games Batting Average Home Runs Runs Batted In Position
Frank McGowan 65 .371 11 70 lf
Ab Wright 27 .357 1 lf
Spencer Harris 163 .347 15 108 cf-1b
Wes Griffin 96 .331 9 58 c-lf
Art Ruble* 93 .327 17 79 rf
Eddie Sicking 142 .323 5 59 2b
Ernie Smith 153 .321 7 80 ss
Harry Riconda 20 .321 0 3b
Long George Kelly 155 .320 20 112 1b
Bernie Neis 129 .314 9 74 of
Gene Moore* 58 .308 4 31 lf
Eugene “Bubbles” Hargrave 117 .305 12 63 c
Charley High* 84 .293 14 58 rf
Leo Norris 112 .292 17 89 3b-2b
Bob Meusel 59 .283 8 59 lf
Stan Keyes 9 .263 1 5 of
Charley Dressen 101 .257 4 34 3b
Frank Emmer 22 .241 0 ss
Gordon Nell 9 .231 1 3 of
Hugh McMullen 12 .219 1 c
Elmer Smith 4 .214 0 1 rf
Bob Schleicher 9 .150 0 4 3b
Joe Mowry 3 .000 0 of
Gharrity 2 .000 0 c
Chester “Chick” Tolson 1 .000 0 1b
Pitcher G IP W L ERA
Frank “Dutch” Henry 50 292 23 10 4.41
Rube Benton 36 209 13 13 4.61
Dick Morgan 13 67 1 7 5.64
Tom Sheehan* 39 116 4 9 5.98
Phil Hensiek 47 209 8 13 6.11
Frank Miller* 21 66 5 3 6.54
John “Lefty” Brillheart 41 156 8 15 6.63
Bill Wilson 22 84 4 4 6.86
Ed Walsh* 46 184 8 15 7.05
Paul McCullough 22 42 2 4 9.21
George Dumont 16 40 3 0
Hy Vandenberg 16 36 2 0
Lyle “Bud” Tinning 5 19 1 2
Ben Tincup* 14 28 1 4
Wilbur Wehde 3 8 0 0
Vernon “Slicker” Parks 7 24 0 1
Other players: Dan Oberholzer, 3b.
*Ruble’s statistics include games played with Toledo in 1931, Moore, Walsh, and Tincup’s statistics include games with Louisville, High’s statistics include games with Indianapolis, Sheehan’s statistics include games with Kansas City, and Miller’s statistics include games with Milwaukee.
Dutch Henry led the American Association with 23 wins.  Spencer Harris led the American Association with 156 runs.