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BOBBY DOERR, JOHNNY PESKY,
TEX HUGHSON,
DAVE FERRISS
& MGR JOE CRONIN |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ....
The Sox sweep the A's with their
speed on the basepaths
August 30, 1946 ... The brilliant pitching of Tex Hughson and Jim Bagby carried the Red Sox a couple of notches closer toward their first flag raising at Fenway Park in 28 years. They setback
the Philadelphia Athletics by scores of 6 to 0 and 6 to 2 before an almost 22,000 "Ladies Day" crowd.
Hurling his fifth shutout of the season and his 15th triumph, Hughson toyed with the A's. They tapped him for four singles all in four different innings. Bagby was almost as effective. He gave up five hits, and but for an accidental slip by Wally Moses on Elmer Valo's line drive into right
field, he would have pitched a shutout. The win was Bagby's sixth of the year.
With the Yankees idle, the Red Sox lead sword two 13 1/2 games, with only 24 remaining to be played. The doubleheader, the 13th of the 25 played this season, had some interesting features. Ted Williams had his first bunt of the year. The fans loved it when the Kid laid one down the
unprotected third-base line in the eighth inning to start the Sox in scoring their final run of the day.
Ted was also the victim of of as spectacular catch as has been witnessed at any ballpark this year, or any other year. The Kid ripped a fastball in the sixth inning of the first game, that had the grandstand written all over it. Right fielder Elmer Valo went into the stands to grab the ball
with a leaping glove handed catch. He bounced off the wall and hit the turf with the ball still in his possession. The A's staff ran out of to the field to see if he was injured, but he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and ran into the dugout amidst a thunderous ovation.
For four innings of the opener, it seemed as if the Red Sox were going to have one of their typical silent days at the plate for Hughson. They gave Tex a run in the first inning on singles by Culberson and DiMaggio, with an infield roller by Williams. It happened that that only run was what
Hughson needed to win his 15th game. However his teammates piled up five runs for him in the fifth inning. It started when A's pitcher, Luther Knerr, had a fit of kindness by walking Tex. Culberson then singled and DiMaggio doubled to score him. Williams was passed intentionally to load the
bases. Then Knerr walked Bobby Doerr to force in another run. Rudy York's fly ball delivered DiMaggio, Mike Higgins doubled into deep center field for two more runs, giving the Red Sox their six to nothing score.
It was Rudy York's 15th homer in the second inning that started off the scoring in the second game. It was a tremendous line drive that hit the top of the fence to the right of the loudspeakers and bounced into the nets. The A's only two runs were scored in the third inning to give them a
brief 2 to 1 advantage.
Philadelphia pitcher Phil Marchildon protected his one run lead until the sixth inning when the Red Sox put on a speed demonstration to recapture the lead. With one out Johnny pesky singled to left and Pete Suder booted Dom's roller and kicked it, as Pesky raced all the way to third base. On
a wild pitch, DiMaggio took second base creating another obvious move to intentionally pass Williams. Bobby Doerr followed by hitting a hard ground ball straight at Suder. Pete threw to Oscar Grimes for the force play at second and Umpire Bill Summers ruled Bobby safe at first on the
double-play attempt. Dominic came running home from second while the A's argued the decision.
The Red Sox upped their lead in the seventh inning on Glenn Russell's leadoff single, a sacrifice by Roy Partee, a Wally Moses double and another Suder error on Johnny Pesky's high hopper. The final run was sent in on Ted's bunt in the eighth-inning, that Marchildon threw over the first
baseman's head allowing Ted to make second base, and scoring on Russell's single to left.
Most of the fans yesterday quite annoyed when Williams was walked twice on purpose. Ted was also angry himself, because it denied him of a chance to increase his RBI total. Johnny Pesky's challenge for the batting title suffered, as he only made one hit after striking the ball very hard all
day.
A new third baseman became property of the Red Sox today. He is George Strickland, who was purchased outright from New Orleans. |
