RUDY YORK SLIDES INTO SECOND BASE

THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
Ted Williams highlights
the opener in Washington

April 16, 1946 ... Ted Williams hit a home run to a target that only the late Lou Gehrig is reputed to average before. Sore handed Hal Wagner batted 1.00. Rudy York ran the bases like a member of the Cardinals and Washington's lefties lashed Tex Hughson for11 hits, good for 18 bases. But Tex didn't walk a man and the Senators could only scored three times through brilliant and effortless Red Sox defense. It was a 6 to 3 victory in the presence of Pres. Harry Truman and 30,000 top coated onlookers at Griffith Stadium.

Yet in spite of all those aforementioned achievements, this was the kind of closely fought, expertly played ballgame expected from the wealth of returning servicemen, until one was out in the first of the seventh inning.

With the Sox leading 3 to 2 and Hughson apparently staggering, Johnny Pesky emerged from the shadow of his larger teammates to loft a two run double over Jeff Heath in left field. Pesky's belt was aided no little by the slow backpedaling of Heath.

Ted Williams didn't keep the President and the others waiting long for his latest production. Ted's sore throat convalescence had been completed when he smashed four out of six batting practice serves miles over the seldom scaled right-field wall. His first grin in five days showed the Kid was ready.

His first time help against his near nemesis of 1941, knuckler Roger Wolff, Ted grounded out to first baseman Mickey Vernon. With two out and nobody aboard in the third, the Kid wound up on a three and two pitch. The stratospheric sock landed at least a dozen rows up in the extreme centerfield end of the open bleachers that extend from beyond the left-field foul line up to the flagpole in center field. In modern comparison is gained from the fact that of the seven homers hit in Griffith Stadium all last season, Rudy York and Eddie Lake both right-handers, were the only athlete's to find that spacious bleacher area. They are three pokes (York got two) entered the home run haven at much closer points to the plate.

The Williams wallop put the Sox ahead 2-0. Rudy York had scored a run almost single-handedly, with his speed in the second inning, after one was out. Rudy got the first Boston hit of the year by slapping a drive-through Sherry Robertson and when Heath momentarily fumbled, Rudy sped to second. An instant later he was on third after a passed ball got only six feet by Al Evans. He then scampered across on George Metkovich's medium fly to Heath.

Johnny Pesky's game buster in the seventh inning had him score the final Red Sox run himself after two were out, when Bobby Doerr singled through the box.

Harry Truman was the first president in history to get to his box by walking through the stands. All his predecessors were driven onto the field. Adm. Nimitz, Clark Griffith and the rival managers led the Army band in the parade to the flagpole. Umpire Bill Summers gave Pres. Truman the ball from Wolff's first pitch, which Dom DiMaggio took for a strike.