HOPELESS WHEN FATE INTERVENES

TIGERS DROP 9-8 FENWAY FARCE IN WANING MOMENTS

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

May 20, 1924

BOSTON, MASS—For some odd reason it truly feels like the twentieth day of May, and yet a month and a half into the campaign, our Tigers can still not be trusted to sock away a win when it appears safe in their clutches.

With the undefeated Holloway down 3-0 after one inning, the Tigers roared back with a run in the 3rd, followed by a Heilman single and doubles by Woodall and Blue to knot the game. But the Red Sox had their peskiest stirrups on today, and plated three runs right back in the 5th on five hits and a walk. A Del Pratt three-sack hit in the 6th scored two of the runs back, and four straight hits off Jack Quinn in the 7th gave Detroit a 7-6 edge.

But having a lead in this game was akin to carrying a stack of dessert plates while on roller skates. After Wambsganss doubled to begin the Boston 7th, Quinn bunted him to third and Bert Cole came in to face the tough Denny Williams. Denny singled in the tieing run, and it suddenly seemed as if we'd never get back to our lodgings. Rigney began the 9th with a single, though, and after Cobb reached on a force play, he absconded with second base on a weak throw from Val Picinich. The manager danced on and off the base, driving Quinn to ample distraction, and Heilman provided focus with a line single into left for the 8-7 lead!

Reporters on either side of me were typing up their final game stories, but I sat there with arms folded, because I knew Boston had a monopoly on leprechaun influence in this outing. Many of their earlier hits were of the miniscule, bleeding variety, and sure enough, with Syl Johnson in relief, two outs, and no one on the base paths, Danny Clark dripped a ball between the mound and third base and huffed it out. Joe Harris walked and up stepped Ike Boone, Boston's most dangerous swatter.

And swat he did, a deep double which bounded past Manush up Duffy's Cliff, scoring Clark with the equalizer. All we needed was a tragic finish, which Lucious Blue gave us in seconds, kicking away a Bobby Veach grounder to score Harris with the winner.

Detroit can still rebound from this travesty if Lil Stoner can hold his own tomorrow against Curt Fullerton. After Thursday's finale, Yankee Stadium and the inexplicably docile Ruth awaits, but one needs not be a genius to know how abruptly that large bear can explode from his sleepy cave.

DET 001 202 201 - 8 16 2
BOS 300 030 102 - 9 17 1

Other American League contests today:

INDIANS 21-21-0, at YANKEES 9-15-4
A perfect scenario for the Yanks to escape their gloom, as Luther Roy takes the Indian hill sporting a 1-5 record with 52 hits and 45 runs allowed in 35 innings. So New York goes out, makes four errors and Sad Sam Jones allows 21 runs. Do I even need to report what Babe Ruth does? (1-for-5, zero runs knocked in)

at SENATORS 6-9-2, BROWNS 5-13-3
Still minus their big slugger Ken Williams, the Brownies fight the Nats to the wire, charging back from an early 5-0 hole before succumbing on a Bucky Harris single in the last of the 9th. Dixie Davis actually leaves with an injury after one pitched inning, but Vangilder does an impressive job in his stead, holding Washington batters without a hit for five of the innings.

at ATHLETICS 13-18-1, WHITE SOX 2-10-2
A rare easy win for the Shibers, as rookie Al Simmons triples twice and knocks in five, and Sam Gray enjoys his first victory of the season. Chicago drops one game back of the Senators but stays safely ahead of the Tigers and Yanks as they prepare to invade the Nation's Capitol this weekend.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Tuesday, May 20
Washington Senators	23	12	.657	—
Chicago White Sox	21	12	.636	1
Detroit Tigers	18	16	.529	4.5
New York Yankees	18	16	.529	4.5
St. Louis Browns	16	18	.471	6.5
Boston Red Sox	14	20	.412	8.5
Cleveland Indians	14	21	.400	9
Philadelphia Athletics	13	22	.371	10