|
 |
|
CHUCK STOBBS |
THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 4
FALLING SHORT AT THE END AGAIN
...
Chuck Stobbs wins his first game
June 19, 1949 ... Nineteen-year-old
Chuck Stobbs won his first major-league game, as the Red Sox swept a
four-game series with the White Sox, 9 to 2. Home runs by Dom
DiMaggio and Ted Williams made the going easy for the rookie. One
of the first bonus babies to enter the major leagues under the present rule,
Stobbs joined the Red Sox from their Lynn farm team in September, 1947. He was
making his sixth start in almost two years.
As in every game they have played here, the White Sox were first to score.
They got a run in the first inning on a double by Dave Philley and a single by
Charlie Kress. They went up 2 to 0 in the second inning on a walk to Bobby Rhawn
and a double by Randy Gumpert, the White Sox pitcher. Gumpert provided the chief
annoyance for the Red Sox by knocking out three of Chicago's seven hits.
The Red Sox took the lead in the bottom of the second inning by scoring four
runs. Al Zarilla beat out an infield hit and scored when Billy Hitchcock doubled
inside the left-field line. Following a walk to Matt Batts, Stobbs laid down a
perfect sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third. DiMaggio lined a
drive that cleared the left-field wall by a foot, putting the Red Sox ahead 4 to
2.
Gumpert settled down and retired the next 13 batters in a row until the
seventh inning. Zarilla blooped a double to right and Hitchcock bunted him over
to third. The White Sox intentionally passed Batts hoping to set up a doubleplay
on Stobbs. But Chuck crossed them up with a line drive single to right, to score
Zarilla. After DiMaggio popped out, Johnny Pesky singled to score Batts. Then
Ted Williams lofted his 16th home run into the right-field bleachers, over the
Red Sox bullpen, to put the topping on a five-run inning. |
