WALLY MAYER

THE LAST ONE FOR 86 YEARS
Mayer's clutch hit in the 12th beats the Indians

July 9, 1918 ...  It was Wally Mayer, a mere understudy, but who carries all of the select stuff at every star needs, who provided the big climax that sent more than 4000 fans home to dinner happy from Fenway Park. His walk-off liner to left, with two down in the 12th inning, carried Frank Truesdale over home with the big marker that supplied Joe Bush, with a 1 to 0 decision over Jim Bagby.

It was a great game, a thrilling encounter all the way, between two clever box men, each hurler, allowing eight hits, and showing a bunch of stuff in the pinches. Until Mayer planted the fine hit of his, it appeared as if the battle might go on indefinitely.

Mayer has been camping out in the bullpen all season, his job being to get relief pitchers ready, when manager Ed Barrow should go to his reserves. He did that job well, and although the summons was unexpected, he was ready when he was sent in to replace Sam Agnew in the 11th inning. It was his first chance of the season with the bat and the second game he has played here at all.  He has been used much as a pinch-hitter. The last time was when the Indians were in town this spring.

If Babe Ruth had his way about it, the exercises would have ended sooner, but his failure to contribute another one of those over the barrier extra base hits, was snuffed out in the 11th inning, because the wind blowing in, held one of his long high fly balls inside the enclosure and Joe wood camped under it up against the fence. Babe played first base today and grabbed everything, even once, taking a quick throw from Joe Bush and blocking Jack Grainy from getting back to the bag.  He got one hit, a fine smash to center, and was passed, twice.

Everett Scott played sensationally for the Sox, frequently coming to the rescue, and it was his fine two-base liner that the wind carried away from Tris Speaker, after one had been retired in the 12th, that paved the way for the victory.

Grainy and Doc Johnston did some nice hitting for Cleveland, assembling five of the eight hits that the visitors secured off Bush. Cleveland had men on base in all but three of the 12 innings, and frequently their prospects for pushing runs over the plate looked good.

In the fifth, Joe Evans tripled with one out, but never got beyond third base. But in the 10th when Doc Johnston opened with a single and went to second when Amos Strunk let the ball roll through him, it seems a sure thing that the visitors would score. Johnston, however, was trapped off second on a fine throw from Sam Agnew.  Scotty, who blocked him off the bag, tagged him out.

In the following inning, Cleveland shoved a run over. Grainy hit a single to right and moved to second when Sam Chapman sacrificed himself. Speaker cracked one toward left and Scotty just got his fingertips on the ball. Grainy started to score from second and had rounded third when Scott recovered the ball and pegged it to Mayer at home. In the meantime, Grainy changed his mind and retreated toward third, but Mayer pegged the ball to Jack Stansbury ahead of him and he was out. Speaker reached second, while this was going on and later stole third, only to see a third strike called on Joe Wood, stranding him.

Only one of the Sox got beyond second base up until the last inning. Scott doubled over Speaker's head with one out. Frank Truesdale was batting for Stansbury and reached on a fielder's choice, when Scotty was run down by Joe Evans between third and second, but not before Truesdale got to second base. Mayer's hit then promptly closed the ballgame. The Sox 1, the Indians 0.

There are rumors that Carl Mays has enlisted in the Naval Reserve, but if that is so, he is keeping a secret from Pres. Harry Frazee. Lieutenant Dick Hoblitzell sent a letter to the Sox players today wanting to be remembered by all his boys.  The Sox and Indians series is now knotted at six games each of the year.

Last week the Red Sox bought outfielder Hugh High from the New York Yankees.  High had been released and was playing in the Shipbuilder's League at Sparrows Point.  High failed to appear in Philadelphia and no more was heard from him.  Today he told Red Sox officials that his wife didn't want to go to Boston.