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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE LAST ONE FOR 86 YEARS June 25, 1918 ... The Red Sox played long ball at the Polo Grounds this afternoon, driving one pitcher out of the game, and defeating the Yankees 7 to 3. Babe Ruth was supposed to start the game today as a pitcher. He was compelled to play center field, because Amos Strunk twisted his ankle yesterday. He didn't waste any time at the plate however, and walloped the first pitch that he saw from Allen Russell, into the stands for a home run. It was the ninth homer that Ruth has hit this season, and his third at the Polo grounds. Of course, the 8000 fans who went to the Polo Grounds this afternoon, hoping to see the Yankees take the American League lead away from the Red Sox, were not overjoyed by the bombardment. The Babe hit his homer after two were out. George Whiteman had smashed a single past Frank Baker just before Ruth came to bat. Yankees pitcher Alan Russell threw the ball near the plate, but it never reached the catchers mitt. There was a sharp crack as Ruth's bat collided with the ball and it sailed into the stands. Whiteman and Ruth jogged around the bases to the cheers of those in the Red Sox dugout. Although Ruth's homer in the first inning was made with a man on base. Manager Miller Huggins reasoned that Ruth could hit a home run on in any pitcher, and kept Russell on the mound until the fourth inning, when a cluster of assorted hits compelled him to send Happy Finneran into the game in relief. In the third inning, with Ruth at the plate, Russell passed him to fill the bases. Then Stuffy McInnis hit grounder that resulted in a force out. In the fourth inning, the Red Sox smashed the ball after two were out. Fred Thomas got on with a pass, Sam Jones singled past the pitcher, then Harry Hooper drove out a screening line drive to deep right, that was good for three bases, enabling Thomas and Jones to score. Dave Shean followed and laced a triple to deep left that scored Harry Hooper. Miller Huggins finally came out of the Yankees dugout and summoned Finneran to take Russell's place on the mound. Off Finneran, Whiteman singled to center, scoring Shean. The Babe came up to the plate again, trying for another homer, but hit a ground ball and was out at first to end the inning. Fred Thomas, not to be outdone, in the eighth inning, hammered a home run into the right field stands. This ended the Red Sox scoring for the afternoon. The Yankees got a run in the fourth inning on Roger Peckinpaugh's infield hit, Frank Baker single, and Sam Jones' wild pitch on the third strike to Ping Bodie. They got two more in the sixth inning on Peckinpaugh's single Del Pratt's triple, and Wally Pipp's double. President Heinemann of the New Orleans Pelicans in the Southern Association, announced the sale of Red Bluhm, Jack Stansbury, and Walter Barbare to the Red Sox. All the players are infielders and will report to Boston when the Southern Association season ends next Friday. |
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