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BILL VEECK & BOB FELLER |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
Bob Feller spins a one hitter at the Sox
July 31, 1946 ... Bobby Doerr robbed Bob Feller of his third no-hitter with a clean single to left field, but still Rapid Robert won his 20th game with a 4 to 1 handcuffing of the Red Sox at League Park. It was an old story for the Red Sox to rob him of a no-hitter. In the first game he ever won at Fenway
Park, it was a bloop hit into right field, again by Bobby Doerr, that kept the fireballer from perfection in 1939.
The first two of the nine walks issued by Feller, in working with only two days rest, combined with a delayed double steal produced the Sox run in the first inning. If Dom DiMaggio hadn't committed one of his rare misjudgments of the fly ball, allowing Feller himself to get a triple,
knocking in two runs and scoring the third in the second inning, the game might still be going on.
Although the Sox had plenty of men in scoring position because of Feller's wildness, the reason they were left on base is because Bob matched his base on balls total with nine strikeouts. Feller now has 239 strikeouts and needs to average about eight game from now on, to eclipse Rube
Waddell's season record of 347.
Wally Moses opened to walk the game and moved around to third on infield outs by Johnny Pesky and Ted Williams. Feller then walked Rudy York. Moses and York then worked a delayed steal, as Rudy got himself trapped between first and second on purpose. Lou Boudreau didn't feel he had a play on
Moses at the plate and tossed the ball to Beals Becker, who tagged out Rudy. That robbed Feller of his ninth shutout of the season.
This is the fourth season that Feller has one 20 or more games. He has gone the distance in 24 of his 26 starts. His one-hit performance was the seventh of his career, and with his pair of no-hitters matched the major league record for the most no-hit and one hit games pitched, held by
Cleveland Hall of Famer Addie Joss.
For the first time in years at League Park, the overflow box seats along the left-field foul line were opened, and Bill Veeck personally unlocked the gates and greeted the fans. The fans in Cleveland love the guy. |
