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MIKE McNALLY |
BACK-TO-BACK WORLD
SERIES CHAMPS
McNally's dash beats the Yankees in the tenth
September 30, 1916 ...
In one of the most thrilling games ever played in Boston, the Champions defeated the Yankees, 1 to 0 in a 10 inning battle. More than 14,000 fans were keyed up from the first pitch until Mike McNally crossed the plate in the 10th with the winning and
only run of the game. The weather conditions were anything but favorable as a strong wind blew across the field, with reliable fielders like Duffy Lewis and Harry Hooper muffing balls, thus forcing Dutch Leonard to pitch with even more intensity.
Nick Cullop started for New York and pitched with perfect control, giving Leonard no chance to ease up for a second. It was a clear case of which pitcher would crack first, or which team would make the first miscue. Both teams ran as smooth as
glass, battling back and forth throughout the game. For 10 innings only two men got anywhere near home plate. In the third Joe Gedeon was thrown out at home on a hit to shortstop Everett Scott, and in the fifth Roger Peckinpaugh nailed Scott when Bill Carrigan sent him
in on a grounder.
In the tenth inning without either team
scoring a run thus far, Scott led off with a sharp single. Carrigan then laid a bunt down the first base line sending Scotty to second. Wally Pipp fielded the bunt but nobody was covering first. The speedy Mike McNally was then
sent in to run for Scott at second, and Pinch Thomas was called on to bat for
Leonard. Thomas drove the ball down the third base line toward Frank Baker who, in his haste, fumbled the ball, allowing the bases to get loaded. Up came Harry Hooper who
lofted a ball that got held up
for a short out in short right. Then to everyone's surprise McNally tagged
and broke for home after the catch. The throw sailed to the right and the Sox had stolen the game.
McNally crossed the plate with the winning and only run of the game.
While all this was going on, the White Sox were winning two games in Cleveland, and now the Sox just need one more win, or a White Sox loss to win the pennant. President Lannin will go to New York next week where a coin will be flipped to see where the
World Series will be started. |
