HARRY HOOPER

"CURSED" - BABE RUTH IS SOLD ...
Harry Hooper's 11th inning home run
gives the Sox a walk-off win

March 25, 1920 ... With the score tied a two apiece and a 2 and 2 count on him, Harry Hooper led off the 11th inning by blooping a home run down the right field line, which left the St. Louis Browns on the losing end of a 3 to 2 Red Sox victory. A strong wind was blowing in, and Hooper's fly ball was just barely able to clear the fence past the right field foul pole.

It was an appropriate climax to a very exciting ball game. Jimmy Austin led off the 11th inning for the Browns with a ground ball that took a crazy hop at the last second just as Sox pitcher, Sam Jones, was about to field it. Frank Thompson tried to move him over to second with a bunt, but popped it up to Stuffy McInnis at first. Austin seeing this, had to hold, but Stuffy decided to let the ball drop at his feet and grabbed the short hop, firing down to Everett Scott to force Austin. Scotty quickly returned the ball to first and Thompson was victimized into a doubleplay.

Until this point, the Browns could only muster four hits off Jones and the Sox banged out only six off Allan Sothron. But the Sox were able to bunch a couple of them that tied up the game in the sixth inning.

Austin started the game with a wind-blown double to right that Hooper couldn't reach before it landed on the foul line. After Thompson struck out, Jim Tobin brought home Austin with a single to left. He moved to second on George Sisler's grounds out and scored the Browns' second run of the inning on Ken Williams' line drive to right.

The Sox got one of the runs back in their half of the first on four line drive hits. With one out Mike McNally scorched a line drive to right for a base hit. He went to third on another single to center from Mike Menosky, who took second on the throw to third. Tim Hendryx brought home McNally with another base hit, but Menosky tried to follow him in and was nailed at the plate by Ken Williams' pin-point throw. Hendryx took second on the play and then, he too, was picked off at the plate by Williams, when Stuffy McInnis lined another single to center.

In the sixth inning the Sox tied the game. Kid Foster started with a single and was sacrificed over to second by Scott. Roxy Walters' line double to right center brought Foster home, making it a 2-2 game, until Hooper's walk-off in the 11th.