COOMBS COUGHS ONE UP

Scoring three in the ninth, Washington cops the rubber game, 4-3

WASHINGTON, April 16, 1910 – Jack Coombs was coming off a solid, if unspectacular season. Connie Mack expects him to elevate his game to the next level this season. For eight strong innings yesterday afternoon, “Colby Jack” was a world-beater. Unfortunately for the Athletics, a ninth inning had to be played.

Approximately 6,000 Washingtonians sat quietly in a light rain on a chilly, windswept day and watched Coombs quietly go about his business – mowing down their lineup with an assortment of fastballs and twelve-to-six curve balls. Senators righty Dixie Walker was no slouch himself – scattering nine hits and striking out two batters. As the game wore on, the winds picked up, making the job of patrolling the outfield utterly precarious.

The Athletics had a chance to break through first on the scoreboard. Danny Murphy led off the top of the second inning with a triple. Jack Barry struck out, bringing up light-hitting Ira Thomas. Thomas grounded to second baseman Germany Schaefer who nailed Murphy at the plate. After retiring Coombs, Walker was out of trouble.

Washington wasted no time in their half. Doc Gessler led off with a triple of his own and promptly scored when Bob Unglaub floated a Texas Leaguer over the head of second baseman Eddie Collins. Coombs buckled down by retiring George McBride, Gabby Street, and Walker in succession – ending the threat. There was little action until Athletics first baseman Harry Davis doubled with one out in the fourth inning. Walker escaped without any damage – Davis stranded on second.

Connie’s troops tallied their first run in the sixth inning. Collins reached on a two-base error by shortstop McBride and went to third on a passed ball by Street. Frank Baker followed with a ringing liner to right field. Gessler speared the sphere and quickly fired it home where it nestled in Street’s mitt – on the money. Collins, sensing he would have been deader than a duck during shotgun season, held his ground. Davis picked Baker up, however, by lofting a deep sacrifice fly to center field – tying the score at one.

The Athletics tacked on another run in the seventh. Barry opened with a single and advanced to second on Thomas’s grounder to the box – Walker making a stellar play to record the out at first. Coombs popped one into foul territory where Unglaub made the catch running away from the infield – allowing Barry to advance to third with two down. Walker had Hartsel buried with a two-strike count, then left a fat one over the dish. Topsy lined a double to the left pasture, giving the visitors their first lead of the skirmish.

The Philadelphians seemed to have salted the game away in the ninth frame. With one out, Barry tripled to deep left field and scored on the very next pitch – a single by Thomas. Coombs followed with a bingle of his own and the Macks looked like they would strike for more runs. Hartsel lofted a fly to center, but with the blustery conditions as they were, it was anything but routine. Clyde Milan looked like a one-armed paper hanger awaiting the ball’s descent before finally securing it for the second out. Rube Oldring hit a bounding ball to third baseman Kid Elberfeld who tagged Thomas passing through.

Having built a 3-1 lead and Coombs seemingly cruising to victory, the locals had little to cheer. They began to clap and cheer half-heartedly as the bottom half of the ninth commenced. That was to try and stay warm more than anything else. Having given up hope, others headed for the exits, and home to a warm supper. When Jack Lelivelt opened with an infield single, the exodus halted. Lelivelt smashed a liner at the hot corner. The ball staggered Baker who knocked it down but could not recover in time to record the out.

The commotion at the rickety enclosure on Florida Avenue grew louder. Elberfeld followed with a single to left and the tying runs were on base. The remaining rooters became louder. With the left-hand hitting Gessler coming to bat, Mack shifted the infield and drew them in – expecting a bunt. Washington skipper McAleer put on the hit-and-run. Gessler grounded the ball through the right side, splitting Collins and Davis, scoring Lelivelt but, inexplicably, Elberfeld stopped at second. With runners at first and second, McAleer ordered Unglaub to sacrifice.

He was unsuccessful on the first two pitches before finally striking out. McBride worked Coombs to a full count. On the next pitch, he lined the ball over Baker’s head and down the left field line, scoring Elberfeld to tie the contest. With Gessler carrying the winning run at third and one out, Coombs and Thomas called a conference. Mack’s decision was to walk the light-hitting Street to load the bases and try for the inning-ending double play.

With Street given the free pass, McAleer lifted him for the fleet-footed Wid Conroy and instructed utility man Red Killefer to grab a bat and hit in the pinch for Walker. The bases now loaded and one out, what was left of the paid crowd of 6,067 was now in a frenzy. Killefer took the first two pitches for strikes before finally working the count full. With Coombs and Killefer engaged in a fierce struggle and the next pitch possibly deciding the game, the crowd became eerily quiet.

Thomas put down the sign and the “Colby Carbine” rocked into his windup. A curve ball! Missed the plate by a foot. “Ball four,” bellowed umpire Billy Evans. Gessler trotted home with the winning tally. As Killefer made his was up the first base line, the crowd jumped the walls and rushed the field to congratulate McAleer and his men.

For Mr. Mack, the Athletics, and especially Jack Coombs, a loss doesn’t get much more devastating. The train ride to Philadelphia will be long and most assuredly quiet.

The box is as follows:

NOTES:

• This is the third consecutive season the Athletics have started with a 1-2 record.
• This is the first time in franchise history that the Athletics have not committed an error through the first three games of a season.
• Connie Mack has only used three pitchers through the first three games. The last time that happened was 1908 (Nick Carter, Rube Vickers, Biff Schlitzer).
• Athletics third baseman Frank Baker ran into an on-field photographer in the third inning – nearly smashing a $350 camera. The photographer’s head hit Baker’s knee. No injuries or damage.
• The Mackmen boarded a train for Philadelphia at Union Station after the game. They will rest on Sunday before kicking off the home season at Shibe Park on Monday afternoon. The game against the New Yorkers will be called at 3 o’clock.