|
“DIARY OF A WINNER”
|
FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM September 4, 1912 ... The Washington Nationals, their players in their acrobats, proved to be a big attraction at Fenway Park before 18,000 good old New England baseball fans. The game was the first in a series of four between the two leaders of the American League race and the Red Sox landed the opener by a 6 to 2 score. Both teams played an impressive fielding game and the Speed Boys carried the game home with their bats. Four pitchers were used by the visitors and two pinch hitters reported on to the firing line, but the Red Sox did not yield ground and Washington never was in a position to win the game after Boston once took the lead. In the way of Washington was a man by the name of Ray Collins. His pitching was his good as could be, forcing every man to hit and refusing to pass even one, although he was in the hole several times. Chick Gandil was the only player for Washington who hit Collins, knocking out a triple and a single for two of the six hits that were made. Washington's two runs came in the fourth and sixth innings, the first as a result of a slip up by Heinie Wagner and the second being earned on to base hits and an out. Some clever plays were made in the field by Steve Yerkes, Heinie Wagner and Larry Gardner and three fine catchers were made in foul ground by Duffy Lewis. The home team played a smooth ballgame without many ruffles. Young Joe Engel was sent after the Red Sox and he had pitched a fine game here on their last trip, but today it was different. The Red Sox got to him in the second inning by scoring four runs. Gardner started off the inning with a double and Clyde Engel was thrown out at first. Wagner lined a base hit to right to score Wagner and then stole second. After Bill Carrigan flied to centerfield, Collins walked and Hooper worked a pass to fill the bases. Steve Yerkes next singled to right, sending two more runs in and Tris Speaker singled to score Hooper. The four runs gave the Nats an uphill task that they could not have relished going against Collins, who was pitching great right from the start. In the fourth inning the Sox scored one on a pass to Collins, a sacrifice by Hooper and Yerkes' screening double against the left-field bank. The sixth and last run scored by the Red Sox was made on a pass to Yerkes, a wild throw by Eddie Ainsmith on Speaker's fly ball that allowed Yerkes to make third, and another fine double against the left-field banking, this time by Duffy Lewis. Just four of the Washington players made it to second base, three made it to third and only two crossed the plate. Gandil was thrown out at home by Gardner when he tried to come in after Carrigan's throw got away from Larry. Manager Clarke Griffith was in citizens clothes, coaching his boys from the dugout while parading over the cement floor, smoking a big black cigar. Before the game, Nick Altrock and Germany Schaefer gave a unique exhibition behind third base to the delight of the crowd. Altrock engaged in an imaginary boxing bout with an imaginary opponent and Schaefer acted as a referee. Nick went down and out in one round from a solar plexus blow delivered by the shadow he was boxing against. Referee Schaefer carried the victor across the field and threw him into the dugout to the delight of their audience. |
.jpg) |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
 |
 |
