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THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
October 1, 1946 ... Struck on the elbow by a curve ball that didn't curve, Ted Williams was painfully bruised in the first exhibition All-Star game at
Fenway Park. Rushed to the office of a Bay State Rd physician for x-rays, Williams was elated when they came back negative, showing nothing more than a bruise. Dr. Ralph McCarthy, the Red Sox team physician, ordered Williams not to play in the remaining games, hoping Ted would be ready for
the World Series.
Ted was hit in the fifth inning on Mickey Haefner's first pitch. When he came to the clubhouse, trainer Winn Green applied ice to the aching elbow, and it reduced the swelling considerably, but as Ted made his way to the shower , it started to swell up again. After the x-rays, Ted was
brought back to the clubhouse, where he continued soaking his elbow in the whirlpool for 20 minutes.
With Tex Hughson pitching exceptionally well for five innings, and Joe Dobson and Bill Zuber continuing effectively for the rest of the game, the Red Sox took the first game of their series from the American League All-Stars by a score of 2 to 0. Cold weather kept the crowd down to a
disappointing total of 1996 customers, but also prevented sluggers on both squads from hitting with power.
The Red Sox looked at some young good left-handed pitching from Haefner and Stubby Overmire. They scored both of their runs against Haefner, although only one Red Sox batter hit safely in the second inning when the runs were scored.
Tex Hughson gave up four hits, as he breezed through five innings without permitting a runner to advance beyond second base, even though one of the safeties was a double by Stan Spence, with one out in the fourth. Joe Dobson allowed one hit, while Zuber, after walking the first hitter to
face him, set down the next six in order.
Ted Williams opened the second inning with a walk. Bobby Doerr followed with a double down the left-field line and Williams sprinted to third like a race horse. Mike Higgins rolled one down to Cecil Travis and third, who stepped on the bag forcing Doerr, and allowing Williams to score. When
Travis threw into the dirt trying to double up Higgins at first, York raced all the way home to score the second run. |
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