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TEX HUGHSON |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
Tex Hughson is sharp, but the Sox and Yanks split
May 26, 1946 ... The Yankees aren't dead yet. They had every reason fold up after Tex Hughson personally conducted the Red Sox to
a 1-0 victory in the first game of the long-awaited doubleheader at Fenway Park. Instead, the Yankees bounced back in Game #2 behind a couple of guys named Joe Page and Joe DiMaggio, who led the Yanks through the rain and wind to a game shortened 4 to 1 victory. It was a game that was called after seven innings because of
darkness.
Tex Hughson not only tossed three-hit ball, but was forced in with the lone run that the Red Sox scored, as he broke a personal three-game losing streak by handing the Bronx Bombers their second shutout of the season. Bob Feller's no-hitter spun against them, being the other one. Hughson's
terrific game represented the 13th straight Red Sox success at Fenway Park, and gave them a 5 to 2 seasons edge over their arch rivals, widening the gap between them seven games.
Except for Johnny Pesky, who defied the east wind and scampered all over the field to make some thrilling catches, Hughson was the whole show in the first game. The situation seemed dangerously close as Bill Bevens matched Tex inning for inning through six. Finally in the seventh Hughson
took matters into his own hands. With one away, he blasted a single through the box and was moved to second by George Metkovich, who hit a dribbler that squibbed past Stuffy Stirnweiss. Here Johnny Pesky pulled a sharp grounder to Joe Gordon's left who raced over and grabbed it barehanded,
but the difficult throw drew Phil Rizzuto off the bag on the attempted force play at second, to load the bases. Ted Williams came to the plate but didn't have a chance to come through in the dramatic set up. Bevens served him up four straight balls and Ted took first base as Hughson walked
home.
In the Yankees ninth with the Sox holding onto a slim 1-0 lead, King Kong Keller lashed a triple to right-center. Joe D. slapped a grounder to third baseman Glenn Russell and Keller should have been easy out between third and home. Instead Keller got caught in a rundown and was tagged out
getting back to a base at third. While all this was going on DiMaggio scampered to second base. Nick Etten then drew a walk and the count went to three in two on Joe Gordon. Joe fouled one off and then Hughson blew one by him for strike three to end the game.
Manager Bill Dickey, who got two futile singles off Hughson in the opening game, not only benched himself but made a general overhaul of his batting order for the crucial second game. After two innings the skies opened up and a rain delay ensued. Play had hardly resumed, when Joe DiMaggio
belted a homer and then a double that sealed Mickey Harris' first defeat in eight outings. Meanwhile the businesslike left-handed Joe Page proceeded to turn back the Sox. Bobby Doerr's fourth home run of the year was the only scoring for Boston in the second game.
Ticket scalpers were caught selling 60 cent bleacher tickets for $5 and $10 by Boston police. Twenty extra policeman were assigned to the vicinity around Fenway Park and they nabbed 13 men who had printed up tickets with no date on them. |
