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BOB FELLER |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
Bob Feller pounds the Sox into submission
September 12, 1946 ... The celebration was again delayed by Bob Feller, who pitched the Cleveland Indians to an easy 4 to 1 triumph at
League Park. The distasteful delay had little effect on the Red Sox management, as Ed Doherty and Phil Troy continue to dig themselves out from under the mountains of letters and telegraphed money orders for World Series tickets at Fenway Park. Mailing staffs have been working feverishly since Tuesday when the first 300,000
applications piled in.
With the Detroit Tigers beating the New York Yankees, the Sox are still two victories shy of clinching the pennant. The Sox have a 14 game lead with 12 left to play. Five of these are at Fenway Park. The 12 cases of champagne which they had been carting around for a week, might not be popped
until they return home.
As Bob Feller handed the Red Sox their sixth consecutive defeat, he became the first American League pitcher to score four victories over them. His triumphs today was his 24th of the year, tying him with Dave Ferriss and Hal Newhouser.
Using only an occasional fastball, Feller's curves and sliders baffled the Sox with runners on base. He coasted along beautifully, but lost his 11th shutout of the season in the seventh inning when Bobby Doerr and Rudy York singled in succession. Doerr scored the lone Boston run on Don
Gutteridge's long fly to right-center. Feller fanned seven batters, the hitless Dom DiMaggio being a three time victim. His strikeouts today raised his total to 308, five behind Walter Johnson's best season total in 1910. The major league mark is 342, compiled by Rube Waddell. With five more
starting assignments, Feller will have to average a bit more than seven per game to erase the record.
Jim Bagby was Joe Cronin's sacrificial lamb. He pitched three-hit ball during his six innings and the Indians made all their runs off him. He didn't have a chance against Feller. His ex-teammates scored two runs in the second on some freakish play and two more in the ensuing inning on Les
Fleming's eighth home run of the season. |
