|
“DIARY OF A WINNER”
|
FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM June 15, 1912 ... Ed Walsh was the big attraction in Chicago and the brass band played “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” as he warmed up to once again take on the Red Sox, attempting to pitch his second game with one days rest. Twenty thousand people smiled, cheered and laughed and altogether were pretty well satisfied as Walsh was on his way to the center of the baseball diamond and the megaphone boy was announcing that he was the man selected to lead the White Sox to victory over the Red Sox. Manager Jimmy Callahan and his players grinned as they looked at the Boston ballplayers. Walsh had gone against Boston in four of the five games played by these two clubs this season, and has fared very well. But he could not work it today. In the first inning Harry Hooper opened with a single, then Steve Yerkes singled to left. Tris Speaker knocked out the third consecutive hit and Hooper scored as Yerkes went to third and scored on a wild throw by Ping Bodie. Speaker made it to third on the wild throw and then scored on a long sacrifice fly from Duffy Lewis. That gave the Red Sox a quick 3 to 0 lead off Walsh. In the second inning with one out, Bill Carrigan singled and Hooper got on by beating out a sacrifice bunt. Carrigan was thrown out at second base however on a hit-and-run, as Yerkes failed to go after the pitch. Walsh worked for two innings then became disgusted with his performance, allowing Joe Benz to take over and finish the game. Buck O'Brien was selected as the Red Sox pitcher and he pitched a masterful game. In only one inning was he scored upon, with the locals making all their runs in the sixth inning to the great delight of the crowd, whose enthusiasm was right there with the home team. The White Sox got their three runs in the sixth on a single by Morrie Rath, a hit to right by Harry Lord when Hooper slipped and fell down, allowing Rath to score and Lord to make third with a triple. Collins bunted and Cady elected to throw out Callahan at second. Then Callahan singled to right to score Lord and was thrown out at second by Cady. Ping Bodie hit a grounder down to Heinie Wagner, who had plenty of time to make the play, but threw it over Jake Stahl's head at first, allowing Collins to come across and tie the score. Then in the next inning, Wagner reached on Buck Weaver's fumble. O'Brien singled to right sending Wagner to third and he came in on Hooper's single to put the Red Sox in the lead for good 4 to 3. Altogether the White Sox got eight men to first, seven reached second and three made it to third, with three runs crossing the plate. The Red Sox reached base 13 times and scored four of their men. While at bat in the fourth inning, Carrigan was hit on the side of the head and although he tried to continue the game, he had to come out. Hick Cady finished the game behind the plate and showed remarkable form, making a great running file catch and nailing Rollie Zieder with a perfect throw to Wagner for the last out of the game. The Red Sox three run lead looked large until the fifth inning, as up to that time, two singles were all that the White Sox batters could muster. Then with one down in the sixth, Weaver singled and Benz walked. The crowd came alive and cheers were sent around the park while the band struck out the tune "The Turkey Trot". Cady, Wagner and O'Brien held a short conference on the mound and after they broke apart, O'Brien turned around and threw a shot down to Wagner as he came to second on the run to block off Weaver. Then the next man flied out to the catcher and the inning was over. The Sox got the winning run the seventh inning when Wagner reached first on a fumble by Weaver, going over to third on O'Brien's single to right and scoring on Hooper's base hit. The Sox could have scored again in the ninth as Wagner led off with a double and Cady singled. But then O'Brien struck out, Hooper hit one by first and Wagner was nipped trying for home just before Yerkes flew out. The White Sox fought to the end, as with one down in the ninth, Weaver knocked out a single. Rollie Zieder was sent in to run for him and O'Brien figured that he would try to steal second. He kept the ball up in the strike zone for Cady. On the third ball that Buck pitched , Zieder took off and a great throw by Cady to Wagner had him by three feet to end the game. Just before the game manager Jake Stahl was presented with a case of silverware. There was a band concert and during the second inning, a crowd of uniformed advertising men from Detroit marched around the outfield with a band that had accompanied them on the trip. The sideshows were enough to rattle most players, but the Red Sox were very focused and probably never heard the music or the rooting of the home fans. It was O'Brien's third straight victory, which gives more confidence to the Red Sox pitching staff. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
 |
 |
