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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM June 1, 1912 ... The Red Sox won three straight from Cleveland in Boston recently, but received a most convincing 9 to 2 beating at League Park. The Naps hit the three Boston pitchers, sent out by manager Stahl, very hard. The top end of the Cleveland batting order treated the Speed Boys in anything but a gentle manner. Several of them knocked out two hits apiece, while Joe Jackson launched out two doubles and a single. If not for the wonderful fielding of Tris Speaker, Jackson probably would've added a home run to his afternoon collection. Speaker went after Joe's hit in the first inning speeding back to the proximity of the flagpole, made an easy catch of what looked like a sure home run when it left the bat. The game was a hard-hitting one throughout, especially by the Cleveland team, making six doubles and a singles, while the Red Sox divided evenly their output of six hits, with three going for two bases apiece. The Red Sox could have easily been held to five hits by Cleveland starter George Kaler, if he had remembered to cover first and didn't hesitate, when the ball was hit to the right side of the infield. The big noise of the afternoon was the explosion of pitcher Charley Hall. Prior to today he had not lost a game, and not only did he lose today's contest, but he also suffer the embarrassment of being taken out of the game. The Naps chased him from the mound in the third inning, getting seven hits off him at that time. Hall started the game with terrific speed and perfect control, but the Cleveland hitters were able to land on his fastball. They also had sufficient speed to beat out a few bunts when they counted. Ivy Olson, Neil Ball, and Joe Birmingham all got on base via the bunt route. Ray Collins succeeded Hall and lasted less than two innings. He was succeeded by Larry Pape, who did a good job until the eighth, when doubles by Kaler and Joe Jackson, two base on balls, and a sacrifice netted Cleveland three runs. The fielding was excellent in spite of the errors that were chalked up. The sun field in left stymied all the men who played in it today. Duffy Lewis lost a drive hit by Jack Graney and then changed positions with Harry Hooper. Hooper was somewhat luckier in left field, although the sun bothered him considerably. It worked against Cleveland also, as Jack Graney lost Hugh Bradley's drive that went for two bases. Cleveland started the game, in their half of the first inning, by scoring two runs. Graney singled and Olson beat out a bunt. Hall started his own downfall by throwing the bunted ball far over Hugh Bradley's head at first. With a runner on third, Jackson sent a fly to deep center that Speaker caught after a long run, and Olson tagged up from third to score. Boston got one of the runs back in the second after two were out. Larry Gardner singled to start, but Bradley hit into a doubleplay started by Roger Peckinpaugh. Heinie Wagner and Les Nunamaker then doubled in quick succession and the Sox first run was in, making it 2 to 1. Cleveland countered that run in their half of the second inning. Buddy Ryan singled and after Peckinpaugh struck out, Ball beat out a bunt on a ball hit back to Hall. Kaler forced Ryan at second but Graney sent a fly out to Duffy Lewis that he lost in the sun, allowing him to get to second and Ball to score. Another run was scored in the third inning and two more in the fifth. The Red Sox got another run back in the top of the eighth when Graney misjudged Bradley's liner in the sun and it got by him for two bases. After Wagner grounded out, secondbaseman Neil Ball threw Nunamaker's grounder over Birmingham's head at first base, allowing Bradley to score. The rally fell short however when Pape struck out and Hooper flied out to Jackson. The Naps then proceeded to prove that they do get enough runs in one inning to win a game. After Speaker made a fine catch of Ball's long drive, pitcher Kaler got on first with one of the few hits season made all year, a double to right-field. Pape proceeded to walk both Graney and Olson to fill the bases, and Jackson knocked out his third hit, a double that scored two runs. Olson scored a minute later on Birmingham's long sacrifice fly out to Speaker, and the inning ended with Cleveland leading 9 to 2. The Red Sox one out in order quietly in the ninth-inning and the victory belonged to Cleveland. Over 5000 people were in the stands when the teams took the field. Umpire Billy Evans, a local boy, appeared for the first time this season to work in his hometown, receiving a round of applause when a pair of diamond studded cufflinks were presented to him by his friends in a ceremony. Red Sox utility infielder, Marty Krug, also from Cleveland, was presented a fine diamond ring by some of his former amateur teammates from the local leagues. Nap Lajoie is expected to play after a long rest due to an injury and manager Jake Stahl announced that he would return to first base. |
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