2.07.2010

A DAY FOR THRILLING AGONY


WITH THE MAGICAL DIGIT AT TWO, A PAIR OF DISPATCHES SUPPLIED

By C. Jedediah Butterworth
Base Ball Freescriber

September 17, 1924

Felling a bit more up to snuff, I decide to take in the second game against the Athletics at Navin Field, while sending my loyal pilot south to Cleveland to report on the Senator doings. I arrange for Smith to sit with the press wags at League Park, and as long he has forgotten his flask I believe his homespun observations will match anyone's.

NAVIN FIELD, INNINGS 1-3
Rip Collins hurls for us, eager to erase the recent memory of his failure vs. Washington, but things do not go as planned from the outset. A lead walk to Bishop and singles by Dykes, Miller and Simmons puts us behind 2-0. Our record against this last-place club stands at a very average 9-11, and the locals are instantly prepared for another day-long struggle, but the Tigers match the score right away as Heilman doubles in Rigney and a two-base gaffe by Dykes plates Heilman. Dykes makes up for that with a scoring double of his own in the 3rd, so it is 3-2 Athletics as we go to the 4th...

LEAGUE PARK, INNINGS 1-3
They make an incredible meat sandwich here. I could stand to see a few more tarts in the stands, but oh well. Zahniser and Shaute are the pitchers, so says the writer-guy next to me, and after three Senator singles in the 1st and a mess of bad fielding by the Indians in the 2nd, it's 3-0 Washington. But look at this! Four Cleveland singles and a plain stupid throwing error by Harris in the same inning and it's 3-3 after three. Damn!

NAVIN FIELD, INNINGS 4-6
A stroke of incredible fortune occurs in the top of the 4th when A's pitcher Baumgartner twists an ankle while popping out and has to be replaced by Rollie Naylor. Rollie gets through the 4th without incident, but allows a single and three straight walks in the 5th to tie us at 3-3. When Del Pratt clubs a home run to lead our 5th, we take the lead, and look to the score board for news from down the road...

LEAGUE PARK, INNINGS 4-6
Some idiot in a suit told me I couldn't drink my scotch up here, so I'll have to do a better job of hiding it. And Shaute better do a better pitching job if he knows what's good for him. The Senators put four hits together in the 4th and take the lead on another big Goslin smack. Hey! Here's the Indians tieing up the game again, this time with the help of a big Ossie Bluege error! I'll sure as hell drink to that! And there goes lousy Zahniser for Mayberry in the 6th as the Indians get a single, two doubles and three walks and go up 8-5, Yowsa yowsa!!

NAVIN FIELD, INNINGS 7-9
Collins is his old unhittable self again, having retired his last 14 hitters as we go to the 9th. Who would think that Bill Lamar would then arc a ball deep down the right field line, where it drops over the fence and a leaping Harry Heilman, and we are tied again and must play extra frames! Curses! At least the Senators have fallen behind, right Smith? Smith??...

LEAGUE PARK, INNINGS 7-9
Nobody up here knows how to dance, I tell ya. Nobody! What do they think they're doin' watchin this game that was over a half hour ago and now is just a big Indian scalpin' party with bloody Senators and Congress people lyin all over the field. Someone says there's 29 people left on the bases in this one but it sure looks like around 58 to me for some reason...GET your hands off me college boy or I'll—

WAS 120 200 001 - 6 15 3
CLE 030 203 15x - 14 16 3

NAVIN FIELD, INNING 10
Collins issues a lead single to Galloway in the 10th, but Cobb doesn't even think of relieving him. Meeker bunts the runner over but Ripper coaxes flies from Bishop and Dykes and we repair to the last of the 10th, knowing Cleveland has matters in hand down south and officials there undoubtedly have my cohort in a comfortable paddy wagon. Rigney lines a single with one out, with Cobb up a wild pitch bounces past catcher Hale. The crowd is on their feet, hooting their throats open. Tyrus watches a few pitches go by, then sizzles a ball into right for the game-winner! Nine games behind certainly looks better than ten, and tomorrow it can be eight!

PHA 210 000 001 0 - 4 7 1
DET 200 011 000 1 - 5 12 0

Other American League games:

at WHITE SOX 4-7-2, RED SOX 3-7-1
Able to beat their pale counterparts all year, Boston suddenly cannot, as bargain-rate homers by Collins and Mostil do in Jack Quinn.

at BROWNS 3-16-0, YANKEES 2-10-1 (14 innings)
I realize I have been critically severe most of the season when it comes to Babe Ruth, but I swear to my readers I am not inventing these things. Today, with the entire regular Yankee infield except Pipp out with injuries, with Combs going out in the 8th with another injury, in a park with the wind blowing out to a short porch, a park where the Babe can check his swing and put the ball in the seats, the Bambino strikes out his first five times up against Dixie Davis, grounds out his sixth time against Pruett, until Hoyt gets around to giving up three singles in the 14th and losing the game. Not that the game has any meaning whatsoever; it is just worth noting.










AMERICAN LEAGUE through Wednesday, September 17
Washington Senators 8756.608
Detroit Tigers 7966.5459
Chicago White Sox 7668.52811.5
New York Yankees 7271.50315
Boston Red Sox 6876.47619.5
St. Louis Browns 6877.46520
Cleveland Indians 6580.44422.5
Philadelphia Athletics 6182.42725.5

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