Tommy Hughes, Phillies rookie righthander, get hugs from his fellow rookie batterymate, Mickey Livingston, at Shibe Park, Philadelphia on June 3rd, 1941, after Hughes twirled a 1-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs, in this beautiful Associated Press photo.

“Young Tom Hughes, rookie righthander from Baltimore (the Phillies AA affiliate), came within one hit of entering the Hall of Fame at Shibe Park yesterday as he pitched the Phils to a 7-0 triumph over the Chicago Cubs”, trumpeted the Philadelphia Inquirer on June 4th, 1941. Hughes, a Wilkes-Barre, PA native, in his 8th career start, was perfect through 7, but allowed a leadoff walk in the 8th, and, visibly frustrated, hung an outside curve ball to Lou Novikoff, who lunged at it and looped it to short right for what would be the only hit surrendered by Hughes on the afternoon. After walking another, he shut it down the rest of the way for was now already his second career shutout. “His fast ball was skidding and sliding and his hook broke off in jughandle fashion” (Inquirer).

The pitching gem would improve his record to 3-4 and his ERA to 3.77; he’d pitch 3 more complete games but he’d be less effective for the rest of the year, finishing at 9-14 and 4.34. But he’d have a better season in 1942, including a heroic performance, “the most spectacular of his career” (Inquirer), on June 28th, going the distance in a 15-inning marathon against the Cardinals at Shibe Park for a 2-1 victory, which saw him pass out in the dugout in the 10th inning and the team physician having to revive him in order to continue. Hughes would notch 12 wins with a 3.06 ERA in 253 innings pitched in 1942, although finishing with 18 losses for the last place (42-109) Phillies. But, the War came calling, and he enlisted in the Army in December 1942, putting his career on hold until 1946.

Back in 1946, he started slowly, losing his first 6 decisions and had a 6.78 ERA in August, although he had a stellar September for the somewhat improved 5th-place Phillies (11-3 in their final homestand), going 5-1 with 2 shutouts and a paltry 1.00 ERA in his last 6 starts of the season. But in 1947, he would again have a rocky start, 1-7 at the end of June, but would finish with a respectable 3.48 ERA. He was shipped off to Cincinnati for 1948, never getting on track, and was 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA when he was sent down to the minors, never to return. He was a coach in the minors in the 1950’s, but would eventually return to Wilkes-Barre, passing away in 1990 at 71 years old.

Mickey Livingston, the Newberry, SC native who caught the other end of the “rookie” 1-hitter in 1938, was primarily a backup catcher but did have a few moments of glory. After being traded to the Cubs in 1943, and taking a year off to serve in the Army in 1944, was the primary catcher for the 1945 NL Pennant winning club, hitting .254 for the North Siders, and clubbing .364 with 3 doubles and 4 RBI as the Cubs fell to the Detroit Tigers in 7 games. He’d move on to the NY Giants in 1947 and be a backup catcher for the Braves and Dodgers after that but was back to the minors by 1952, where he’d play until 1956, totaling 20 years in professional ball. He passed in 1983 at the age of 68.

But, back on one fine spring day in 1941, as the echoes of war from the other side of the world grew louder, two rookies combined to thrill the fans of Philadelphia with their heroics. As the Inquirer said about Tommy Hughes the following day; “Yesterday, he had everything”.

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