6.11.2009

DANFORTH DECLAWS DETROIT

AGING BROWNIE NUMBS BENGALS WITH FAIRIE DUST, 5-2

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

May 29, 1924

Surely this cannot go on, this wasteland of bat ash, this evaporating sea of a once-liquid offense. For when a veteran pitcher as consistently poor as David C. Danforth renders every Tiger in the lineup impotent, including His Royal Cobbness, it is high time a voodoo doctor was summoned.

Mr Danforth came into this series finale with St. Louis sporting a 1-7 mark, having allowed 89 hits in 56 innings. The Tigers went out and managed but four, all singles. Meanwhile, the usually reliable Ed Wells was positively Danforthian, serving triples to Gerber, Williams and McManus, and was abducted from the hill before the sun had set on the 5th inning.

For their part, Detroit mustered two runs after a lone Browns tally in the 1st with three walks and two singles, but the cupboard went dry thereafter. Singles from Manush and Rigney in the 3rd and 9th were the only nicks in Danforth's masterpiece, as the portsider retired 15 straight at one juncture. Cobb's pitiful 0-for-4 showing gave him no room to scold others in the club house later, where he locked himself in his office away from the teeming press horde.

The Tigers will train down to Cleveland tomorrow to play two holiday games against a team going through a phase more horrific than their own, so perhaps things will turn. The Indians are a mere 4-10 in their League Park games and Speaker is laid up throughout the weekend.

STL 102 020 000 - 5 10 0
DET 200 000 000 - 2 4 0

Other American League contests today:

at SENATORS 7-12-2, YANKEES 3-8-0
The irrepressible Goslin gives Washington a 2-1 lead with a long homer in the 3rd, and it proves to be his ninth game-winning blow of the season, tops in either league. With Zachary twirling a gem, the Nats make Hoyt run for cover with five straight hits and a walk before an out is made in the 5th, as the Yanks drop two of three in D.C. New York now returns to the Bronx for two Decoration Day tilts with the hot Athletics, while the Nats head up to Fenway Park to do the same with Boston.

RED SOX 6-14-1, at ATHLETICS 5-12-0
In a very tight battle, the Bostons hose down the Elephants behind Ehmke, beating Baumgartner and his 6-2 record in the process. Hauser and Simmons homer for Philadelphia to no avail.

WHITE SOX 6-8-3, at INDIANS 4-10-0 (10 innings)
If Chicago can't lose this one, they may not lose another. They make three large gaffes afield, Red Faber is off his game, the Indians put runners aboard at every juncture in the final six innings yet cannot plate one of them. Coveleski pitches well for the homestanders, but is lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 9th, and it is a fatal choice. Bud Messenger plunks Mostil with one out in the 10th, Falk homers and Hooper and Sheely walk before Mr. Messenger is telegrammed as far away as possible. The Tribe fills the sacks with two outs in their frame-half, only to have Fewster weakly pop up. Chicago will spend their holiday in Sportsman's Park, a place they've had even more success.










AMERICAN LEAGUE through Thursday, May 29
Chicago White Sox 2715.643
Washington Senators 2816.636
New York Yankees 2419.5583.5
Detroit Tigers 2122.4886.5
St. Louis Browns 1923.4528
Philadelphia Athletics 1924.4428.5
Boston Red Sox 1824.4299
Cleveland Indians 1528.34912.5

4 comments:

  1. How have the White Sox been able to hang on for so long? I keep expecting them to start to drop and they keep winning.

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  2. Well, you got me. I was shocked to go to Retrosheet recently and see that the actual '24 Chisox finished in last place. Collins, Mostil, Falk, Hooper and Sheely are probably the toughest 1-5 lineup spots in the league, and their pitching isn't half bad. It's still only the end of May, though. Are you rooting for anyone?

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  3. Actually MattR, for what it's worth, on the real 5/29/24:

    -The Yankees were tied for first with BOSTON.
    -The White Sox were just four games under .500
    -The PIRATES were also four games under .500
    -The CUBS were a half game behind the Giants
    -The BRAVES were 16-16

    So very little is going to form. But isn't it more fun when we don't know what's going to happen?

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  4. I did a c&d APBA replay with the 1924 season in the late 80s. I didn't finish the NL, but the Senators won the AL by 2-3 games. I remember the White Sox really didn't do much (I think they finished sixth), mostly because of a really weak bottom of the order. The Tigers and Browns had great offenses, but their lack of pitching sunk them. I'm not really rooting for anyone (but I'd like to see someone besides the Yanks win).

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