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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM May 24, 1912 ... In a brilliant all around game, where both teams made only one error and a game that was highlighted by brilliant fielding of both the Athletics and the Red Sox, the Speed Boys took the first game of the series by a 4 to 3 score. It was a royal battle from the time that Connie Mack tossed his hat into the ring until the Red Sox were given the decision. The champion Athletics played in grand form with the fielding of Eddie Collins and Jack Barry winning continual applause from the fans, as wall as the all around play of the boy from Gloucester, Stuffy McInnis. The crowd was impartial and gave the Athletics a fine reception and great encouragement throughout the game. The Red Sox also found that the crowd was with them, cheering like mad over their clever work, and shaking the grandstand when Tris Speaker spanked out a timely drive that sent in, what proved to be, the winning run. The sharp play by both teams and their strict attention to the details on the field made it a day of thrills for the fans at Fenway Park. It was the fifth straight victory for the Red Sox against three of the strongest teams in the league and the win gave the Royal Rooters an understanding that the Red Sox could not be used as steppingstones. Both teams tried out youngsters on the mound, with the Red Sox going with Hugh Bedient and Philly going with Lefty Russell and then Byron Houck, a right-hander. Bedient held Philly to six hits, including a double and a triple by Frank Baker, and a nice home run by Rube Oldring, the ball going over the left-field wall in roughly the same spot that Hugh Bradley sent it a month ago. The Oldring home run broke a 2-2 tie score, giving the A's a 3 to 2 lead. Russell started the game for the Athletics and Barry got the first batter, Harry Hooper, on a fast ground ball. Steve Yerkes smashed the ball against the embankment, in left, for two bases and scored on Speaker's single to right. At that point Connie Mack, took Russell out of the game and brought in Houck. He passed two men and an out gave Boston their second run right away, but held them scoreless until the seventh inning. In that inning on a pass and three singles, the Sox scored the runs necessary for the win. Heinie Wagner led off with a single and Carrigan was thrown out at first, but Bedient hit the first pitch to right for a single to score Wagner with the tying run. Hooper next worked a pass and the crowd started cheering when Speaker came out of the dugout. The Texan looked the first one over, but the next one was to his liking and he sent to center for single, sending Bedient home with the go-ahead run. With two down in the eighth-inning, Frank Baker slammed the ball to deep center for three bases, but then Eddie Murphy lofted an easy fly ball out to Hooper. After the Red Sox retired in the eighth, it came to the ninth-inning, with the Red Sox in the lead by one run. Stuffy McInnis started by lifting an easy easy fly ball to Duffy Lewis. Barry was thrown out by Gardner and Jack Coombs was sent in to bat for Ira Thomas. Bedient went up two strikes and then wasted two balls. He then sent off fast one over the plate that tipped Coombs' bat on the swing, going into Carrigan's mitt for a game ending strikeout. The most remarkable play was made by Bedient in the eighth-inning. Eddie Collins pulled the ball down the right-field line, and as he ran to first, Bedient went over and grabbed the ball on the dead run, close to line and while tumbling forward, tossed the ball over his shoulder to Hugh Bradley at first. |
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