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BOBO NEWSOM |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ....
Bobo Newsom counsels Ted and
then beats his teammates in 11 innings
September 6, 1946 ... A lecture on professional behavior toward baseball fans, was delivered by Bobo Newsom to Ted Williams before
tonight's game in Washington. He walked into the Red Sox dressing room, before he made his appearance on the mound and sought out the occasionally cantankerous Williams. After a conversation in which he told him that the fans may cheer him when he does well and boo him when he makes a mistake, they still come out to see him and
not teammates like Bobby Doerr, Rudy York and Johnny Pesky. He reminded Williams that he was the equivalent of Babe Ruth in his heyday. He further told Williams, that he didn't think Ted was happy on the ball field. He suggested that Ted just try reversing himself, and see what might happen. Williams shrugged and said, as
Newsom left the locker room, that he was sure to go out on the field and just hear more booing.
After Newsom delivered his discourse to Ted Williams, he stepped out on the mound and stopped the latest Red Sox winning streak at eight games. He outpitched three Red Sox hurlers for a 3 to 2, 11 inning victory before a capacity crowd. A two base hit by Stan Spence, which was badly
misplayed by George Metkovich, who was inserted for defensive purposes for Williams, enabled the winning Washington run to score.
Newsom was spectacular and effective as he halted the Red Sox and allowed 10 hits. Outside of the fifth and sixth innings, the hits well spaced. The setback kept the Red Sox lead over the second-place Yankees at 16 1/2 games. Mickey Harris pitched almost as well as Newsom, but he broke down
in the ninth-inning. It was then that manager Joe Cronin inserted two relief pitchers, Bob Klinger and Earl Johnson.
Harris and Newsom swapped shutouts for four innings. Newsom was the first to crack. A triple by Glenn Russell, and a tricky bounder which Roy Partee, pushed by Sherry Robertson for a single, scored a run for the Red Sox in the fifth inning.
Washington got two in their half of the fifth and the Red Sox came back in the six to square the game. With two gone, Williams hit a 3-2 pitch for a single. Rudy York got an infield base hit when the Kid made a great slide into second breaking up a force out. Doerr followed and doubled down
the right-field line to score Williams.
It remained that way until Spence sent Metkovich back on his pants in the 11th inning. It was a game where both teams had many opportunities to score, but failed to cash in when it counted. |
