BATTLE ROYALE IN GRIFFITH'S YARD

RIP COLLINS IS FIRST TO 20 VICTORIES, THOUGH HARDLY INVINCIBLE

August 17, 1924

By C. Jedediah Butterworth
Base Ball Freescriber

WASHINGTON—I have no stomach today for Coolidge queries from my cohorts, nor venomous stares from a certain star center-fielder, so with absolute pleasure I take in the most exciting game of the season from a cozy upper deck seat behind third base.

Senator fans around me are exuberant but polite, as they should be with their team 11 games ahead, yet after losing yesterday's tight spectacle, the second place Detroiters are eager for vengeance. Fortunate for them, Ripper Collins is on the hill and gunning for win number 20, so the odds are well in their favor.

Washington "counters" with one Joe Martina, a sad sack of a hurler who has yet to locate one victory, almost as if manager Harris is waving a white flag in Collins' face before the teams have even taken the turf. And Martina doesn't alter anyone's viewpoint. A single to Burke leading off the Tiger 3rd, Rigney walk, Manush double and Heilman's 10th homer put the visitors up 4-0 and bring on the local grumbles. After Blue and Jones single to open the 4th, Burke bails Martina out with a double play ball, but a Bassler walk and third Blue single in the 5th forces Harris to relieve Faulty Joe from his duties and possibly his rotation spot.

Collins takes the four-run lead to the last of the 6th with Judge and Goslin 1st inning singles the only blemish on his face. It is here that the base ball dieties conspire to amaze us once again, for without warning, like a late summer squall, the drama spins completely out of control. Wid Mathews bats for relief man Zahniser and grounds out meekly. Then Leibold singles. Then Harris triples. Then Judge doubles. Then Goslin, Rice, and Tate all single. Bluege pops out but Peckinpaugh and Mathews (batting again) single. The Senators have roared ahead 6-4 and Collins only escapes because Peckinpaugh is eliminated at the plate on a bullet throw from Cobb with two outs.

Pitching has been Detroit's bane all season, but today the proud swatters will not be undone. With Russell now twirling for the home nine, Rigney and Manush crack singles with one out the next inning. Bassler walks with two gone and Bassler laces a deep triple to score all three runs and put us back up 7-6!

It is now Joe Judge's turn to overrule the fates, as he propels Rip's first 7th inning pitch on a line over the right field advertisements for a 7-7 tie! Collins visibly tires after two singles with two out, but Cobb is terrified of his bullpen work of late, and leaves his ace on the job to get that 20th ducat.

For an inning or two it doesn't seem possible. Rigney singles to lead the Tiger 9th, but is erased at the dish trying to score on Manush's following double. Blue goes 5-5 with another single in the 10th, but Jones bounces into a twin-killing.

No, with light waning and Senator fans complaining, it is up to Cobb to walk with one retired in the 11th, pilfer the second base bag, and score on a two-out smoking single from the once-again uncanny Manush.

With the Griffith cranks on their feet, certain the top of the Nats lineup can score once more off the tired Ripper, Collins walks Leibold to start the home 11th. But after Harris bunts him up, Judge and Goslin sky out in harmless fashion, and the biggest Tiger win of the year is in the books.

I erred recently in calling this a two-game visit. The third and last showdown here will take place tomorrow, with Whitehill facing off against the often air-tight Curly Ogden.

DET 004 000 300 01 - 8 14 0
WAS 000 006 100 00 - 7 14 0

Only other American League game today:

WHITE SOX 4-11-1, at YANKEES 3-10-0
The worst Yankee team in recent memory resumes their torpid slide into the abyss. Despite a two-run Ruth homer off Sarge Connally in the 5th that knots the game, Herb Pennock turns in another useless outing, giving the Sox two triples and a single in the 7th, and New York leaves the bases loaded the last two innings, the latter time after filling the squares with nobody out and having Mike Cvengros retire Meusel, Schang and Dugan with nary a whimper.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Sunday, August 17
Washington Senators	74	44	.627	—
Detroit Tigers	65	55	.542	10
Chicago White Sox	60	57	.513	13.5
New York Yankees	57	59	.491	16
St. Louis Browns	57	60	.487	16.5
Boston Red Sox	54	62	.466	19
Cleveland Indians	52	66	.441	22
Philadelphia Athletics	51	67	.432	23