For the second time in a week, Russell Ford handcuffs the Mackmen, 7-3
NEW YORK, April 28, 1910 – It is not very often that another manager out-thinks, out-manages, out-maneuvers, or, quite simply, outfoxes Connie Mack. Today was one of those days. The man who pulled the fast one over on Mr. Mack was Yankees manager George Stallings.
Just before first pitch, home plate umpire Bill Dinneen called Mack and Stallings to home plate to present their lineup cards. Mack made his way to the dish. Stallings did not – hindering the proceedings. He played around with his lineup card, asking Dinneen to give him a few more moments. Dinneen relented while Mack objected. Mack (correctly) pointed out that the home team must furnish their battery first. So, Stallings sent “Deliberate Joe” Doyle to the box to warm up with catcher Ed Sweeney. The same Joe Doyle whom the Athletics walloped in their home opener last week.
The gamesmanship continued. Mack then announced that Chief Bender would toe the slab for his side. Bender was warming in the bullpen. Meanwhile, Doyle had already misfired, planting a few in the screen. As Topsy Hartsel walked to the plate to commence the afternoon’s proceedings, Stallings called time. He pulled Doyle and tabbed Russell Ford to start the game. Not to be outdone, a dismayed Mack walked back out to Dinneen, while Ford warmed up, and let the big arbiter know that he will go with Jack Coombs instead.
While the Athletics couldn’t touch Ford at Shibe Park last week, they got to work early this afternoon. With one out, Rube Oldring doubled to left-center field. Ford tried to pick Oldring off second but made a wild throw, allowing Rube to take third. Eddie Collins brought Oldring home on a ground out to shortstop John Knight to give the Athletics a 1-0 lead.
The Yankees went to work on “Colby Jack” and got that run back…and more. Charlie Hemphill led off with a walk and went to third on Harry Wolter’s first of four hits on the day. Hal Chase followed with a sharp single to center – scoring Hemphill. Birdie Cree grounded out to first baseman Harry Davis, allowing Wolter and Chase to advance a station. Frank LaPorte lofted a high fly ball to right fielder Danny Murphy. Murphy lost the ball in the late-afternoon sun and Wolter scampered home with the second run. Knight struck out and Jimmy Austin flied out to end the inning.
The belligerents each registered a scoreless second frame. The White Elephants went back to work in the third. With two men down, Hartsel drew a walk and promptly scurried across the pan on Oldring’s long triple to left-center field – tying the score, 2-2. Ford retired the speedy Collins to avert further damage. Mack now looked to Coombs to hold the line.
Coombs would have avoided trouble in the frame if not for some loose defense. Cree led off by smashing a ground ball to Baker who made a stellar stop and throw to Davis to nab the speedy Cree. LaPorte followed with a sharp single to left field. Knight flied out to short center for the second out. With the light-hitting, bottom third of the order coming to bat, Coombs could see his way out. Austin lofted a high fly ball to left field for what should have been the final out of the inning. Hartsel flat out dropped the ball as LaPorte raced home and the hustling Austin reaching second base. Sweeney followed with a lazy fly to left of his own. Same spot, same result! Hartsel dropped the ball. Austin hurried home and just like that, the Yanks were up, 4-2. Ford popped to Baker to mercifully end the inning.
Once again, the Athletics resorted to some two-out magic in their half of the fourth. After Baker and Davis had been retired, Ford lost the plate and walked Murphy. Jack Barry followed with a long double to left-center field and the Athletics were suddenly down just one run. Ford retired Ira Thomas to ward off further damage. With the Athletics now trailing 4-3, and Coombs shaky through the first three innings, Mack was hoping to nurse him through a few more frames before summoning a relief hurler. He was an inning late.
The Yankees, for all intents and purposes, salted the game away in the bottom of the fourth. Hemphill reached on a bunt single leading off the frame. Wolter followed with a bingle of his own and the two men quickly executed a double steal. With two men in scoring position and the dangerous Chase coming to bat, the “Colby Carbine” was in a heap of trouble. Coombs got Chase looking at a called third strike for a small bit of relief.
That relief was short-lived, however. Professor Cree came to the dish and smacked a long triple to the right field fence – scoring Hemphill and Wolter to open up a three run cushion. LaPorte rolled a grounder to Barry who in his haste, or perhaps rusty from his injury-induced layoff, launched a throw so far over Davis’s head that the ball ended up in the grandstand. Cree scored and the Yankees were up, 7-3. Coombs retired Knight and Austin to end the frame and his day’s work.
After yesterday’s deluge, the large hometown crowd on the hilltop was treated to a fine game on a sunny, albeit breezy and cool day. Ford settled into a groove and held the Athletics scoreless the rest of the way – allowing just two hits and a walk over the final five innings. Mack brought in Jimmy Dygert to relieve Coombs. “Sunny Jim” as he is known to his teammates, was making his season debut. The young spitball artist held the Yankees off the board over their final four trip to the plate – scattering three hits and a walk.
The box is as follows:
NOTES:
- Pitcher Jimmy Dygert, catcher Jack Lapp, outfielder Heinie Heitmuller, and infielder Morrie Rath all made their season debuts for the Athletics today.
- Shortstop Jack Barry made his return to the starting lineup for the first time since injuring his ankle during the home opener on April 20.
- Yankees right fielder Harry Wolter finished the game with four hits in five at-bats. It was Wolter’s first four-hit game since August 24, 1907 when he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
- The series is scheduled to resume this afternoon at American League Park. Mack is planning on sending Chief Bender to the box.
- With the win, the Yankees (5-3) moved past the Athletics (5-4) into second place in the American League. Both teams trail the Detroit Tigers (7-3).
American League
Yesterday’s scores (April 28, 1910):
- New York 7, Philadelphia 3
- Detroit 7, St. Louis 1
- Washington 2, Boston 1 (12 innings)
- Chicago at Cleveland (rain)
National League
Yesterday’s scores (April 28, 1910):
- New York 5, Philadelphia 2 (13 innings)
- Pittsburgh 5, Cincinnati 2
- Chicago 2, St. Louis 1
- Brooklyn 10, Boston 3
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