2.25.2010

THRILLING ATMOSPHERE, ICKY GAME

By Vincenzo Spanelli
Baseball Fan Scribe-at-Large

October 6, 1924

PITTSBURGH—After two real close sizzler-games in Washington, everyone hauled west on the train yesterday and made their way out to a city this scribe-at-large feels like he's been to twenty times already this season.

But it never looked anything like this. Pirate flags hung everywhere, along with a couple of straw-filled dummies of guys in suits I figured were supposed to be senators hanging from lamp posts by their necks. Anyway, it's the first World Series here in Steelville since 1909 when Wagner was playing, so the whole town's pretty sauced about it.

Ogden was going for the Nats, and he was 19-6 for the year and was probably going to be tough. Morrison for the Pirates was "only" 14-5 but had three shutouts and was even tougher than the other guy at times.

Leibold managed to work a walk in the 1st but a nifty double play started by Grimm wiped that thing right out. A Carey double and Moore single later, the Bucs were up 1-0 and the Forbes crowd was giving me a headache already.

I guess Ogden didn't get a good night's sleep because he had just about no petrol in his tank. A walk and singles from Traynor and Maranville and Grimm got three more runs across in the 2nd and the Pittsburghians were singing and dancing little jigs in the aisles. I kind of wished I was down there singing and jigging instead of trapped up in a stuffy writer box, but oh well, that's what being a paid professional is about.

After that early excitement came five innings of absolute nothing—except for the three more double plays the Pirates turned on the stinky Senators, every one of them started by the Rabbit. Ogden was kept in because he calmed down awful good, but when the 8th rolled around he lost his mind again. Moore walked and Cuyler singled. Smith got one in with a long fly, Traynor walked, Wright singled and Harris finally brought on Russell to put Curly out of his misery.

I was left to drown in mine, though. Pitching was the name of this snoozer, and you know me, I'm used to 11-10 games at the Baker Bowl day every day, so when Morrison gloved a grounder by Peckinpaugh for the final out after Washington scratched out a measly run, I jumped out of that press row like my drawers were burning.

At least Walter Johnson goes again tomorrow for Game Four. Me and my mentor who you're probably used to reading here Cal Butterworth saw him a few times on the train to Pittsburgh, and he was as polite as a ball player can be. You'd never know he could change the shape of your face with just one of his buggywhip heaters.

WAS 000 000 001 - 1 5 0
PGH 110 000 02x - 6 7 0

W-Morrison L-Ogden GWRBI-Moore

EDITOR'S NOTE: Game Four from Pittsburgh's Forbes Field will be Tweet-casted right here TONIGHT at 10 p.m. Eastern time, 7 Pacific, with the other games continuing at that same time through the week, and full accounts appearing on this site the following morning.

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