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ON THIS
DATE (October 16, 1912) ...
Words are not enough to describe the outburst of insane enthusiasm that went thundering around Fenway Park when Steve Yerkes crossed the plate with the winning run in the 10th
inning. Men hugged each other. Women became hysterical and boys threw their caps in the air. The cheering lasted a full five minutes. The great New York machine had been disposed of. The great Christy Mathewson had pitched a remarkable game and was heartbroken with tears rolling down his
cheeks. “Red Sox Win” flashed over the wires to remote corners of America. The Red Sox were outplayed, outpitched and outfielded, but fate was on their side. The Sox made four errors that meant nothing as Hugh Bedient continually tightened up and cut down the next batter to end each
threat. For seven innings Bedient held the Giants to just one run. Both managers had pitchers continually warming up, just in case.
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OLAF HENRIKSEN |
It was
the seventh inning when a brilliant Hugh Bedient was lifted for pinch
hitter Olaf Henriksen. Down one run, with men at first and second
and two down, Matty put Henriksen in the hole, two strikes.
Henriksen saw one to his liking and hit a low liner over the third base
bag, six inches from the foul line, bringing in Jake Stahl with the tying
run. It was a hit that sent the chill down the spines of the Giants.
They had let the Red Sox back in the game.
Joe
Wood came back in to try to redeem himself in the next inning, and took
the game into the tenth. Red Murray doubled. When Fred Merkle brought him
in with a base hit, the Sox fans settled back in their seats with a
feeling of dread. The bottom of the inning came in like a slow fog
bank. Clyde Engel, batting for Wood, came up to a quiet Fenway Park.
He hit a long lazy routine fly ball toward left center that Fred Snodgrass
ran down and then it happened. Snodgrass dropped the ball only to
then see it rolling away from him. Engel scampered down to second hearing
the music of thousands of yelling fans. It was now up to Harry
Hooper. The house was rocking. Matty had to, and now did pitch his
most skillful ball. Hooper tried to lay down a bunt, but the ball
rolled foul. He then cut loose and sent another ball to center which
Snodgrass reeled in with ease, chasing Engel back to second. Matty
passed Steve Yerkes, electing not to throw him a strike and make him chase
something, but Yerkes stayed patient and took first. Up strode the
hero of a thousand battles this year. The man from Texas, Tris Speaker.
The first ball was popped foul between Fred Merkle and Chief Meyers. It
was the third out. In came Merkle. Out ran Meyers and Merkle, seeing him
coming toward him, hesitated. The fans were screaming and Matty was trying
to yell Meyers off. The Chief didn’t hear him. The ball which should
have been the final out, landed between them, sending the crowd into
further hysterics.
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FRED SNODGRASS |
The
clearly disturbed Mathewson returned to the mound. Matty curved one toward
Speaker’s knees and watched it shot out to right field. Engle saw
it, turned third, and easily scored the tying run ahead of Red Murray’s
throw. Yerkes slipped to third on the throw and Speaker moved down to
second. The Giants moved in as Duffy Lewis took his stance. A
long fly would be good enough. Matty kept the ball low and Lewis
didn’t fish … ball four … bases loaded. Larry Gardner, seeing his
plan, took two pitches and then swung and missed. Matty knew he
couldn’t afford to walk in the winning run and threw one inside, well
above the knees. Gardner took a good toehold and did what he had to.
He took the ball up and toward right field. The second it was hit
the crowd started to wind up. It was the fly ball, the boys needed,
to have the winning run score from third. Josh Devore, who was
playing in, caught the ball and fired, but Steve Yerkes dashed for home
and scored triumphantly.
It was
over. The Red Sox who hiked the trails in Hot Springs through the rains of
the spring, and then sliced through the American League with little
resistance, only to finally meet a worthy foe, who they battled for the
whole World Series till the last out, were World Champions. |
