|
 |
|
DOM DiMAGGIO |
BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
Jack Kramer
stops the Browns as
Dom DiMaggio knocks in the winner
June 3, 1948 ... Good
pitching by Jack Kramer aided, by some good luck, added up to a close
for comfort, 3 to 2 Red Sox victory over the St. Louis Browns before
7916 fans at Fenway Park. Taking advantage of one of the rare breaks
in their favor this year, the Sox picked up two runs in the opening
inning aided by Bobby Doerr. The Sox went on to produce what proved
to be, the winning run in the sixth inning on doubles by Birdie
Tebbetts and Dom DiMaggio.
Meanwhile, Kramer ran into some serious trouble only once. He walked only one
batter, Whitey Platt, in the last inning. He now has thrown 49 innings and
issued only nine free passes. Fielding continued to be spectacular, as the
visiting Sam Dente again simulated at shortstop, showing a shotgun for an arm
and covering acres of territory.
The Red Sox break came in the opening inning. After DiMaggio was called out
on strikes, Billy Goodman stroked a curve 15 yards inside the left-field foul
line. Platt slipped on the grass while attempting to get the ball, and Goodman
was able to get two bases. Ted Williams received his customary walk on four
pitchers, and Vern Stephens also worked a free pass. Then Doerr, on the one and
one count, singled to center, to score Goodman and Williams, and give the Red
Sox a 2 to 0 lead.
That was all for the Sox until the sixth inning, when with one away, Tebbetts
doubled on Ned Garver's first pitch, off the left-field wall about three yards
inside the foul pole. DiMaggio then doubled on a 2-2 pitch, off the left
centerfield wall, allowing Tebbetts to walk home. That made the score 3 to 0.
It turned out that Kramer needed this cushion, because the Browns came up
with two runs of their own in the seventh. Paul Lehner doubled on Kramer's first
pitch to the left-field corner. Platt then slapped a curve into the left-field
net for his third home run. Kramer recovered and the next three batters did not
get the ball out of the infield.
There was one down in the ninth, when the Browns made a final threat. Platt
drew a pass and then Les Moss singled. Everyone headed home seconds later
however, as Doerr started a doubleplay on Dente's ground ball that preserved the
3 to 2 victory.
Birdie Tebbetts, picking up all the extra batting practice he could, in an
effort to pull the ball over the left-field wall, found his efforts bearing
fruit. He doubled in two at-bats. Ted Williams had 12 called balls out of the 15
pitches thrown to him. However, he found one good enough to double to left field
in the seventh, as the lead off hitter in the seventh.
Willard Nixon, a 19-year-old sophomore pitching sensation from Alabama
Polytech, signed a Red Sox contract yesterday. The contract was offered by Mace
Brown and its terms were not revealed. |
.jpg)
