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TED WILLIAMS |
NIGHT BASEBALL
& JACKIE ROBINSON ...
Ted Williams' ninth inning walk-off
HR gives the Red Sox a split of
the doubleheader with the Tigers
May 19, 1947 ... With the count three balls and no strikes in the ninth-inning of the second game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park, manager Joe Cronin gave Ted Williams the "hit" sign. As a result, Williams smashed a
towering home run into the right-field stands with Wally Moses on base, to give the Red Sox a 5 to 4 walkoff victory over the Detroit Tigers. The win saved the Red Sox from dropping four games behind the first-place Tigers.
The Sox had lost the first game in 12 innings, by a score of 3 to 2 when Dave Ferriss passed Eddie Lake and gave up a double to George Kell. Al Benton gained his first victory of the year for the Tigers with a brilliant relief effort after Freddie Hutchinson was forced again after five
innings.
The Sox took a 2 to 0 lead against Hutchinson on a pass to Dom DiMaggio, a right-field hit by Williams, and a double by Rudy York. Ted was headed off at the plate on a throw from Hoot Evers to Eddie Mayo to Birdie Tebbetts. Sam Mele then scored York on a base hit. In the sixth inning and two
innings later, the Tigers tied the score when Ferriss hit George Kell with a pitch, Pellagrini bobbled a ground ball and Dick Wakefield laced a single to left. The game went into the 12th inning and the Tigers won the game on a pass and Kell's double.
The Sox seem destined to lose the second game also until the eighth-inning. They were trailing 3 to 2 when Eddie Pellagrini laced a triple to left and Roy Partee singled to tie the score. Detroit came right back with a run in the ninth on Eddie Mayo's long double and Doc Cramer's pinch hit
single. Then came Moses' hit and Ted's home run.
Against starter, Tex Hughson, the Tigers went out in front by two runs in the third inning. With two out Eddie Lake doubled, Kell and Cullenbine both singled to give the Tigers a 2 to 0 lead. In the fourth inning Tigers grabbed another run when Williams muffed the fly ball off the bat of Pat
Mullin with two outs. Mullin scored on a single by Bob Swift.
In the bottom of the fourth the Sox scored twice. An error by Lake followed a hit by Mele. Moses' single accounted for one run and after the bases were loaded, Hal White passed Williams to bring in a run, making the score 3 to 2 in favor of Detroit.
No one could beat the finish of the second game. For once Ted did not hear anyone "boo". It was tough going for Bobby Doerr, who is not gotten on base in 24 trips to the plate. |
