By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise
June 23, 1924
ST. LOUIS—The start of Detroit's seven-game journey to Missouri and Ohio began with a thunderous launch today at Sportsman's Park, only to find the players washed up on a parched 9th inning beach.
Beginning with a Lu Blue single off Dixie Davis with one retired in the 1st, Messers. Cobb, Heilman, Manush, Bassler and Pratt all reached safely with a walk, two singles and two doubles, and the score was 4-0 Detroit at the blink of an eye. Lordly Earl Whitehill was on our slab, winner of four straight, and a further widening of the lead seemed imminent. But the Earl was off his game, dishing out seven singles in the first two innings, good for two Brownie runs. Yet the harder nut to crack was Davis, for the Tigers could mount nothing more against him after that first frame. Heilman did open the 3rd with a triple, but was gunned down by Baby Doll Jacobson to end the inning when trying to score on a Bassler fly. Then it was Ken Williams' turn to make hay. The St. Louis slugger (pictured), out of the lineup for their series with Chicago, returned to blister a Whitehill offering completely over the right field pavilion in a 4-run 5th, and the Browns were suddenly ahead 6-4.
Then commenced some of the most pathetic stick-work I've seen from all my years covering the Detroit team. Pinch-hitter Burke and Rigney reached to open the 7th but Blue fanned and Cobb evaporated matters with a double play. Heilman singled to open the 8th but Manush did exactly the same. And after a Bob Jones single to open the 9th and walks to Haney and Rigney from sketchy relief man Bill Bayne, Blue scored one of the runners with a deep fly, but Cobb popped weakly to the catcher, Heilman whiffed, and the go-ahead runs were left hanging from their base path trees.
The game was a travesty, pure and simple, and for once this reporter was as angry afterward as skipper Cobb. Holloway will attempt to set things right tomorrow against lackluster surprise starter Elam Vangilder.
DET 400 000 001 - 5 11 0
STL 110 040 00x - 6 15 1
Other American League games today:
SENATORS 6-13-0, at YANKEES 3-10-0
Tom Zachary is tougher than a bearcat, Sad Sam Jones is merely sad, and the Nats take care of business in the Bronx rather handily. Rice gets the game-winning blow instead of Goslin for a change in Washington's four-run 1st. Pipp, Schang and Scott combine for seven of the ten Yankee hits, but as is their team's custom, virtually all of them come at the wrong time.
at RED SOX 4-5-0, ATHLETICS 0-7-1
Alex Ferguson hurls the complete shutout against Rommel, helping himself with a run-scoring single in Boston's three-run 5th inning. The A's fill the sacks with none out in the 2nd but fail to score and outhit their foes for the game, which reveals how little that can mean.
at WHITE SOX 3-7-1, INDIANS 2-6-2
Just when you think Chicago is starting to falter, the fates come to their aid. As evidenced by Ken Williams' recent 4-game injury for the duration of the series with the Browns, White Sox opponents have suffered an unusual rash of untimely hurts. Today, in the middle of a tight pitching duel between Joe Shaute and Sloppy Thurston, three of the best Indian swatters—Stephenson, Speaker and Myatt, all are knocked out of the game with maladies. Stephenson will miss the whole series while Speaker returns for the finale, and it's enough to curtail the Tribe offense just enough to lose here by one run.
| AMERICAN LEAGUE through Monday, June 23 | ||||
| Washington Senators | 45 | 24 | .652 | — |
| Chicago White Sox | 40 | 27 | .597 | 4 |
| Detroit Tigers | 37 | 31 | .544 | 7.5 |
| New York Yankees | 33 | 33 | .500 | 10.5 |
| St. Louis Browns | 30 | 37 | .448 | 14 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 30 | 38 | .441 | 14.5 |
| Cleveland Indians | 28 | 40 | .412 | 16.5 |
| Boston Red Sox | 26 | 39 | .400 | 17 |
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