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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM June 29, 1912 ... The Red Sox merrily galloped away with two more games from the Highland Yankees of New York, hammering bunches of runs across the plate for a 13 to 6 win in the opening game, and then doing some splendid hitting to win the second game by a score of 6 to 0 behind's superb pitching of Joe Wood. New York was never really in either game, although after Red Sox and secured a 9 to 0 lead in the opener, New York did some hard-hitting against Buck O'Brien, who had been pitching a little unsteady anyway. The second game belonged to Wood all the way. He not only shut the Highlanders out, but during the seven innings played before umpire Silk O'Loughlin wisely called the game, because of darkness, Wood allowed New York only one hit. In fact in this game, not a New York baserunner reached second base and of the six players who made it to first, two were thrown out by Hick Cady's good right arm, when they tried to steal second. Three of the other men were beaten to second base by well plated defense or force outs. Manager Harry Wolverton left pitcher Jack Quinn in for the whole game, while Boston hammered out 21 hits, only one of which was for an extra base. The Red Sox hit Quinn safely in every inning, bunching five together in the first and again in the ninth, grouping three hits once, and two hits twice. In the second game, Tommy Thompson the collegian from Georgia, tried for two innings but he was reach for two doubles and a triple, which was enough to put the game away. Ray Fisher finished the second game, but Boston put four hits together right off the bat, and with a five run margin, had easy gallop down to the finish. They picked up an extra run before the day's festivities were finally called off. The Red Sox played much better ball than they did on Friday, with their work in the field being faultless except for one wide throw that Larry Gardner made to Jake Stahl. The Highlanders mixed in seven errors with Boston's 21 hits in the first game, but in the second game the visitors did not make anything that even suggested a slip up in the field. There were 20,000 fans inside Fenway Park before the end of the first game and with the Red Sox getting 31 hits for 39 total bases on the day, there was quite enough action to hold the interest of the crowd. There was a murmur of disapproval halfway through the first game when New York began to get to O'Brien, but Larry Pape was rushed in to rescue Buck, and no visitor got beyond second base until the ninth-inning. With two out, a timely single added an inconsequential run to the Highlanders score. There was not much that was brilliant in the field, except a beautiful catch that Duffy Lewis made off Hal Chase in the first game, when the Highlanders were making a mild threat to make it interesting. While Boston's defense was solid, their hitting was even better. Pape was the only Red Sox batter who did not connect for a hit in the first game, while Hooper and Lewis were the only regulars who came up empty in the second game. Tris Speaker got four singles and a double in nine times at bat, Gardner made four singles and a triple in five times at bat, Stahl had a single in the first game and two doubles in the second, while Heinie Wagner turned in a days work of three singles and a double for the seven times at bat. The latest acquisition of the Red Sox, Neil Ball was made to feel welcome, and as a pinch-hitter he responded with a nice right-field hit. The Speed Boys clinched the series against New York for the year, having won thirteen straight games with only nine remaining to be played between the two clubs. The Red Sox have beaten New York eight times this year in New York, and have taken five games at Fenway Park. In the first game the Red Sox jumped out to a quick 4 to 0 lead in the first inning. Hooper began with a hit to right, the first one he has made since the team came home. Steve Yerkes then hit one over second and Speaker flied out to Birdie Cree, but Lewis singled to right to score Hooper. Larry Gardner laid down a sacrifice bunt but was safe when Jack Quinn's wild throw to first allowed him to get the second and Yerkes to be able to score. He scored on Stahl fly ball and then Wagner came across with another hit, scoring on Speaker's hit to right. In the second inning they added three more. Buck O'Brien got a hit and was safe at second when catcher Gabby Street played Hooper's sacrifice bunt. Yerkes hit one back to Quinn who forced O'Brien at third. Speaker slammed one down to Dutch Sterrett who blocked the ball, but Speaker was safe, to load the bases. Lewis grounded down to Jack Martin who threw him out, but Hooper scored on the play and then Speaker came over on Gardner's hit to left. Speaker got in when Street dropped Quinn's short relay throw, to make it 7 to 0. Two more runs in the third made it 9 to 0 on Wagner's single, O'Brien's hit to center which shot between Pat Maloney's hands and allowed him to get the third. Hooper then hit a sacrifice fly to score Buck with the ninth Boston run. O'Brien's running around the bases evidently had an effect on him, because in the fourth inning, New York did some hitting and scored three runs. They then added two more in the fifth inning to make it 9 to 5. The Sox went quietly until the eighth-inning, when they again got four more runs Yerkes hit one to left-field and bolted to third, when Hal Chase lost Russ Ford's return throw. Speaker singled and then and immediately swung around to third while Bill Stumpf was playing Gardner's ground ball. Then Stahl singled, Wagner doubled and Carrigan singled for two more runs, making four for the inning and 13 for the game. In the ninth New York scored one run on Dutch Sterrett's single and a hit by Stumpf after his catcher had stolen second base, making the final 13 to 6. After the score had been posted on the board and groundskeeper Jerome Kelly's helpers worked the field, the teams went out again for game number two. Joe Wood was on the hill for Boston and Tommy Thompson was the pitcher for New York. Both started off well, until the second inning when Gardner opened with a smash over Guy Zinn's head for three bases, coming home on Stahl's two base drive to left-center field. Heinie Wagner's sacrifice was handled by Stumpf and Hick Cady followed with a hit to center. The hit was called back as evidently Thompson had committed a balk, so Stahl came home and then Cady rattled the ball up against the left-field scoreboard for a double. He took third on a wild pitch but was left there as Wood was called out on strikes and Hooper grounded out. Now with the score 2 to 0 in the third inning, New York opened up against Ray Fisher who came into the game to pitch for New York. Steve Yerkes hit a double off the left-field wall and Speaker looped a little pop to Sterrett. Yerkes moved to third on a passed ball just before Lewis struck out swinging. Gardner then produced a hit to right on which Yerkes scored. Jeff Sweeney, the New York catcher, added another run on a passed ball and Gardner trotted home when Stahl laced out another double directly over the head of Martin. It was hit so far down the field, that struck the end of the advertising sign closest to the flagpole. Wagner's single brought home Stahl and Cady popped out to end the inning, but the Red Sox were out in front 5 to 0. The Red Sox added another run in the fifth when it was starting to get dark. After having played 14 innings without the suggestion of an error, the Red Sox made their first miscue when Larry Gardner threw the ball into the dirt after taking a bounder by Stumpf. Larry however got him at second on Jeff Sweeney's ground ball for the force, after which Fisher hit one sharply that Wagner who was able to turn into a quick doubleplay. After New York went out in the seventh inning, the game was called because of the dark and the Red Sox went home with a very satisfactory afternoon at the ballpark. |
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