MICKEY HARRIS

THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
The Red Sox win behind Mickey Harris

April 18, 1946 ... The conversion of Ted Williams in to post war baseball's version of Babe Ruth was completed here this afternoon, .while the Red Sox were whipping the Senators, 3 to 1, on Mickey Harris' six hit pitching, to sweep the three-game series.

Every time, Ted came to bat the Griffith Stadium spectators encouraged the slugger to hit one out. The Kid didn't fail his public. He exploded a towering triple to drive across the first Sox run in his first attempt, and then reached first for the eighth consecutive time, by singling in the second inning.

Even after Ted had gone out in his next two appearances, the frenzied gathering pleaded with Johnny Pesky to give Williams another chance with two out in the ninth inning. Pesky crossed them up by doubling for his third hit of the afternoon, and Ted was quickly given an intentional walk.

Not since the days of Babe Ruth, has there existed anywhere the fan furor or that has been in evidence the last three days over Ted Williams. Not only have the Washington fans gone over the deep end for him, but every sports column writer in the four daily papers has devoted exclusively to writing about his unprecedented hitting ability. Washington baseball masterminds, including Clark Griffith, already have hinted that to stop Ted the next time, it might be a good idea to shift each of the infielders to a position on the right side to try and induce Ted to bunt to the vacated third-base area.

Mickey Harris, making his first American League appearance since the fall of 1941, was terrific as he gave the Sox pitching corps another needed lift. His performance was even more impressive than Earl Johnson's because Ossie Bluege broke up his lopsided left-handed lineup by inserting firstbaseman Jim Sanford in the cleanup spot, and Gil Torres as leadoff and thirdbaseman. Harris didn't want a man until two were out in the fifth and then only three thereafter.

The Senators got their only run in the sixth on a single by Junior Andres by Sanford, a walk to Cecil Travis, and Jerry Priddy's pop into right after two were out. Harris struck out seven and he almost had to be that good to win, because Ray Scarborough pitched just as well for Washington.

After the game, the Sox took the train back to Boston tonight.

Jackie Robinson, baseball's first black ball player, hitting a dazzling .800 for the Brooklyn Dodgers' Montreal Royals farm club, smashed a three run homer and added three singles in a 14-1 win over Jersey City.