|
“DIARY OF A WINNER”
|
FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM October 8, 1912 ... Battling against a ninth inning rally such has never been seen in the World Series, Joe Wood demonstrated to the monster crowd at the Polo Grounds, that he is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game by winning the game 4 to 3 with a storybook finish that showed how great he really is. The feat if not standing on its own merit was compounded with 40,000 fans howling on every move, eager to see him beaten. Add John McGraw hurling biting remarks at him from the third base coach’s box and Christy Mathewson’s unceasing chatter from the first base coach’s box, his feat becomes all the more remarkable.
With
runners on second and third and only one out, Wood had made a couple of
tosses to second base to keep Beals Becker close. With two strikes, he
walked around the back of the mound, rubbed some dirt on his hands, and
smoked the ball by Art Fletcher, striking him out for the third time,
making it a total of ten who succumbed to his blazing speed. Next
was Doc Crandall and Wood worked him to a 3 and 2 count. Wood hauled
back and threw his best pitch of the game by Crandall who couldn’t catch
up to it and the game was over. Game one of the World Series
belonged to him, with 11 strikeouts.
The Giants took the lead in the third inning only to lose it in the seventh. An encouraging fact for Manager John McGraw, is that his men were able to hit Joe Wood, and hit him hard. Jeff Tesreau started out the game by walking Harry Hooper, who moved to second and a perfectly executed hit and run by Steve Yerkes. Hooper moved to third on a ground out by Speaker, but was stranded when Duffy Lewis flew out. In the third, Joe Wood walked to start the inning and moved along to third by a sacrifice and an infield out. Tesreau decide to walk Speaker to get at Lewis, who popped out. The Giants got on the board in the third inning. With Josh Devore on first, Larry Doyle smashed a double between Lewis and Larry Gardner. Red Murray then sent one through the box into center field allowing Devore and Doyle to score the Giants’ first two runs, but he got thrown out at second by Speaker trying to stretch the hit. In the sixth, after going five innings and not allowing a hit, Tris Speaker connected and sent a screaming liner to left between Fred Snodgrass and Josh Devore and scampered all the way to third base. Duffy Lewis then grounded to Larry Doyle allowing Speaker to score.
In the next inning Heinie Wagner knocked one of Tesreau to right, and Hick Cady followed it up with another hit to right. Wood then reached on a fielder’s choice. Harry Hooper followed and sent a double down the right field line sending in Wagner. Steve Yerkes came up and whacked one to left bringing in both Wood and Hooper to put the Red Sox two runs up sending the Royal Rooters and Mayor Fitzgerald, who was a guest of Mayor Gaynor, into a frenzy. In the eighth, Heinie Wagner smashed a double to right but Doc Crandall, who relieved Tesreau, tightened up and killed any further scoring. In the ninth Fred Merkle dropped one into center for a single giving the New York fans some hope. Buck Herzog sent another single to right, Merkle taking second bringing the stand to an uproar. Chief Meyers doubled, scoring Merkle and Herzog going to third. Only one run was needed to tie the score and the Polo Grounds was rocking. The New York fans were going crazy and throwing coins on the field. And thus the stage was set for Joe Wood’s overpowering strikeouts of Fletcher and Crandall. |
.jpg)
.jpg)
 CLICK TO VIEW SCORECARD |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
