A BOSTON MARATHON

Solid stick work by Collins and Davis, and Plank’s gutsy pitching helps Mackmen slide past Red Sox in extras, 5-3

BOSTON, April 23, 1910 – For the second day in a row, the Boston Red Sox had chance after chance to pull away from Mr. Mack’s Athletics. For the second day in a row, they squandered those opportunities. In a back-and-forth affair at the Huntington Avenue Grounds, 13,693 hardy souls braved bitterly cold conditions to witness their Speed Boys fall to the Athletics, 5-3 in 11 grueling innings.

A damp and bone-chilling easterly wind whipped vigorously throughout the nearly two and a half hour marathon. The conditions made for playing a game of baseball less than ideal. Brilliant defense, absent-minded base running, uneven pitching, and negligent coaching were the order of the day. In spite of that, it was a thrilling affair and Mack’s boys were the victors.

Eddie Cicotte, Boston’s robust knuckle baller, started the contest by striking out lead off man Topsy Hartsel with one of his patented floaters. Rube Oldring then slammed a grounder that was ticketed for the left field corner. Red Sox third baseman Harry Lord ranged to his right and speared the ball one-handed. With Rube’s speed, Lord knew he had to hurry. Without setting his feet, he fired across the diamond where his throw pulled first baseman Jake Stahl off the bag and into the running lane. In one motion, Stahl snared the throw and swiped Oldring – saving Lord an error. Eddie Collins struck out to end the top half of the first.

Disaster struck the Red Sox in their half of the third inning thanks to inexperience on the coaching lines. Bill Carrigan reached on an error by shortstop Stuffy McInnis. Cicotte flied out to left field and Amby McConnell drew a walk. With one out and runners at first and second, the hot-hitting Lord had an opportunity to give the Hubmen the lead. Lord looped the ball just over first baseman Harry Davis’s head and into short right field. As Carrigan chugged for third, the ever instinctive Collins sprinted for the ball.

Boston’s 22-year old right fielder, Harry Hooper, who wasn’t in the starting lineup, was manning the third base coach’s box. The play was behind Carrigan, who could not see the ball or the developing play. Waiting for instruction from Hooper, none came. Either not paying attention, or simply suffering from a mental lapse, Hooper just stood there. Carrigan decided to round for home. Collins scooped the ball, turned and fired a strike to catcher Paddy Livingston. Carrigan was more than half way home when he realized that the husky backstop had possession of the ball.

Carrigan dug his spikes into the mud and retreated to his previous station. Livingston discarded his birdcage and commenced pursuit. Paddy won the race – tagging Carrigan, and in the process, keeping McConnell and Lord from taking an extra base. Young star Tris Speaker ended the threat by grounding out to third baseman Frank Baker.

Given a reprieve, the Mackmen took advantage in their half of the fourth inning. Hartsel, struggling to get base hits, drew his customary walk leading off an inning. Trying to put pressure on Cicotte and the Red Sox defense, Mack called for a steal. Red Sox manager Patsy Donovan, sensing the strategy, called for a pitch out. Carrigan fired a seed to McConnell, and Hartsel was out by a country mile. Cicotte, however, was not out of the woods.

Oldring quickly followed with single to center – Philadelphia’s first safety of the contest. Connie stayed aggressive; this time calling for a hit and run with his best hitter at the plate. Collins did his job by lining a sharp base hit by McConnell – sending Oldring to third. Baker followed with a lazy fly ball to deep center field. Speaker dropped the ball. Oldring, who would have scored anyway, trotted home with the first run of the game. Collins, now stuck in no-man’s land, was thrown out trying to reach second base. Cicotte retired Davis to avoid further damage.

The lead was short-lived as Eddie Plank gave the run right back. After striking out Stahl, Heinie Wagner reached on a bunt single. Collins followed with a sensational defensive play. Harry Niles hit a sharp grounder that was destined for right field. Heading to his left, Collins cut the ball off, and, while off-balance, scooped the ball with his glove to Davis for the out. Wagner advancing to second on the play. Duffy Lewis singled to center field – scoring Wagner to tie the game. The inning ended when Livingston did what he does best – throwing out a potential base-stealer.

The game remained 1-1 until the top of the sixth. Hartsel walked…again. Oldring was retired on a slow roller to short; allowing Topsy to reach second. Collins lined a single to center – scoring Hartsel and taking second on Speaker’s throw home. Collins utilized his legs to take third when one of Cicotte’s knucklers rolled away just far enough from Carrigan. Baker walked and Davis sliced a single to right – scoring Collins, sending Baker to third, and giving the Mackmen a 3-1 lead. Danny Murphy followed with a sharp liner to right that Niles corralled with a fine running catch. Davis, thinking the ball would drop in, was half way to second and was doubled up.

Plank seemed to be on his way to an easy victory. However, trouble found him in the bottom of the seventh inning. With a multi-run, late-inning lead, “Gettysburg Eddie” committed the pitcher’s cardinal sin – he walked the lead off batter. Niles drawing the free pass. Lewis popped out to Collins to bring up the struggling Carrigan to the plate. Plank grooved one, and “Rough,” as he is known in The Hub, met the sphere with the sweet spot of his club. The high-arcing blast nestled into the left field bleachers, fair by about ten feet – scoring Niles ahead of him and tying the battle. The 13,000 plus rooters whooped themselves into a frenzy as Carrigan rounded the bases.

Connie’s port side twirler still needed two secure two outs to, at best, keep the game dead-locked. Mercifully, the light-hitting Cicotte followed, and promptly grounded out. McConnell singled and chose to attempt a pilfer of the second sack. He did not choose wisely. As he had three innings earlier, Livingston snuffed out another rally by nailing a potential base thief.

The Red Sox threatened Plank again in the eighth. Lord led off with a single and stole second. With a runner in scoring position and nobody out, the rooters at the rickety enclosure on Huntington Avenue began to strenuously cheer for the hometown nine. Plank buckled down and coaxed a pop up to first from Speaker and a strikeout of Stahl. Wagner, then, threatened to put the Speed Boys ahead. He flared a Plank offering over first base and down the right field line. The crowd grew louder. Davis turned and sprinted to a spot. On the dead run, with his back to the infield, Harry reached out and secured the ball while half way down the line. The crowed groaned. The Athletics exhaled. The was inning was over.

Speaker, the young Texan, reminded all why he is a superior fly chaser. Davis led off the ninth by blasting a Cicotte offering toward the flagpole in right-center field. Speaker, playing Davis to pull, rushed to the flagpole and reached with his gloved hand – pulling in the ball and saving his pitcher at least three bases. Murphy singled but never made it past second base. The Red Sox had a lead off runner in the bottom half of the ninth when Carrigan reached on a McInnis error. He was quickly erased on a Baker to Collins to Davis double play. Free baseball in Beantown!

Boston had a golden opportunity to cop a victory in the bottom of the tenth. Donovan decided to leave Cicotte in the game and Knuckles rewarded him by banging a lead off double down the left field line. With McConnell up next, Donovan called for a sacrifice. He missed on the first pitch, then decided to swing away. It was a fateful decision. He lofted a lazy fly ball to left – Cicotte unable to advance. Red Sox captain Lord then drove a ball into right-center where Murphy chased it down for the second out. Had Cicotte been on third, the game would have been over. Speaker ended the threat by grounding out to short.

Collins opened the eleventh with a hard single to right. Baker, attempting a sacrifice, executed the perfect bunt down the third base line. Lord charged and fired to first, but Baker beat the throw. The Elephants were in business. Davis promptly scorched a base hit past Stahl and into right field – scoring Collins. With Collins’s speed, right fielder Niles had zero chance nabbing Eddie at the plate. He made the throw anyway – allowing Baker to take third base. Murphy walked and the bases were loaded.

Young McInnis hit a slow roller to Wagner at short who momentarily bobbled the ball before throwing to first for the out. The bobble allowed Baker to score. The bases remained loaded with one out and the Athletics were on the verge of more damage. Livingston then popped out to Wagner and Plank followed with a ground out to short.

Plank, now staked to a 5-3 lead, was sent back out for the eleventh inning. The Red Sox needed just one base runner for a chance, and the middle of the order was coming to bat. They went down without so much as a whimper. Eddie retired Stahl, Wagner, and Niles in order to finally secure a hard fought victory.

The box is as follows:

NOTES:

• With a record of 4-3, the Athletics are over .500 for the first time all season.
• Red Sox shortstop Heinie Wagner had six putouts before recording his first assist.
• With two more walks today, Topsy Hartsel has increased his on-base percentage to .387, despite sporting a meager .174 batting average.
• Catcher Paddy Livingston made a great play on lead off man Jake Stahl in the bottom of the eleventh inning. Stahl popped a foul that was ticketed for the box seats. Livingston went back and reached into the hostile crowd – securing the ball.
• Red Sox catcher Bill Carrigan’s game-tying home run in the seventh inning was already his second of the season and third of his career.
• After a day off, the teams will resume hostilities on Monday. Chief Bender is expected to take the ball for the Athletics. The Red Sox are planning on sending Joe Wood to the box.

American League

Yesterday’s scores (April 23, 1910):

• Philadelphia 5, Boston 3 (11 innings)
• Detroit 5, Cleveland 0
• New York 0, Washington 0 (game called, darkness)
• Chicago at St. Louis (rain)

National League

Yesterday’s scores (April 23, 1910):

• Philadelphia 4, Boston 0
• New York 5, Brooklyn 4
• Pittsburgh 7, St. Louis 4
• Cincinnati at Chicago (rain)