JOHNNY PESKY

THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
Pesky and York lead the Sox over the Browns

July 26, 1946 ... The Red Sox batters belted the Browns 8-5 and helped Dave Ferriss win his 16th game at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The Sox, who had scored only one unearned run in the four previous night games, and had dropped seven out of nine night games all told, took it out on Nels Potter and Cliff Fannin with 15 hits that were good for 20 bases. After contributing four doubleplays to support Dave in the first six innings, the Sox make Ferriss work overtime down the stretch as they handed the Browns three unearned runs on four errors, including three muffs of soft fly balls.

Although Johnny Pesky collected three singles and a double, Rudy York was the big run producer. He drove across half the Boston total with a pair of singles and a double in the clutch. Wally Moses celebrated his debut as a member of the Red Sox by spanking out a pair of well stroked doubles that started off two of the three scoring innings. Even slumping Don DiMaggio came to the party. He ended his string of 16 hitless trips with a pair of singles, the slump breaker being a freak bounder that hit Vern Stephens in the shoulder.

Ted Williams and Hal Wagner were the only members who did not figure in four hits. Ted, however, drew his 103rd walk on three passes. The last two or intentional and were quickly followed by York's singles, that were good for three of the four runs that Rudy produced.

Ferriss started things in the third with a lucky bounder that shot over Johnny Berardino's head for a single. Pesky doubled and Ted was walked to set the stage for York's sock past the indrawn Stevens to score Ferriss and Pesky, making it 2 to 0. With two out in the fourth Moses creased the right-field line with a double. Pesky scored him with a shot into right and took second on the throw to the plate, then scampered across when York singled through the box to make it 4 to 0.

The Browns got two runs back entering the eighth inning, where the Sox broke it wide open. Moses led off with a double which Al Zarilla just missed on a shoestring. Pesky beat out a bunt moving Wally to third and Ted bounced one to Vern Stephens who caught Moses at the plate. It was here that York lined a double over Jeff Heath's head in left, scoring Pesky and putting Ted on third. Fannin then replaced Potter and intentionally walked Bobby Doerr to fill the bases. Dom dropped one into center field for a run and Russell moved across two more runners with a shot to the same area. Sam Zoldak now came in to pitch and induced Hal Wagner to hit into a double play on which Stephens made a spectacular barehanded grab as the middle man.

Mickey Harris, who has a sore shoulder, visited Dr. Hyland today and was advised not to be used for a while. Broadway Charlie Wagner will take his spot for now. About 75 fans from the Mississippi delta were on hand to cheer their boy Dave Ferriss. In other 300 will leave Memphis by special train tomorrow and honor Dave at a special breakfast in the Hotel Melbourne on Sunday. About half a dozen greater Boston fans were in town as well as the entire Zuber, Klinger and Ryba families. Mike Higgins brother named "Ox" was in town with his young son to see his uncle.

After practically the entire Red Sox squad excluding manager Joe Cronin and the coaches, met for more than two hours today with players representative Mike Higgins. He disclosed that he would make the following recommendations at the meeting between the American League players representatives and President Will Harridge in Chicago on Monday.

1. Spring training expenses of the players are to be paid.

2. Players will be paid for exhibition games during the regular season.

3. A minimum salary should be instituted.

4. A pension plan should be instituted.

5. The player should get a share of the sale price when he is brought up on the minors to the majors.

6. A change in the 10 day release clause in contracts.

All these are similar to proposals announced by other clubs.