Mackmen tie in the eighth, win in the eleventh – unbeaten streak stands at eleven games
PHILADELPHIA, May 14, 1910 – The Mack Express keeps rolling along. The Athletics were, for the most part, held in check by the wet offerings of White Sox ace Big Ed Walsh this afternoon. The Mackmen finally broke through late in the contest, winning their tenth consecutive decision – this one in breathtaking fashion.
Nearly 20,000 rabid rooters, starved for springlike weather, turned out on a glorious Saturday afternoon to see if their heroes could repel the young invaders from the Windy City. Chicago manager Hugh Duffy, in his first season at the helm of the White Sox, has an extremely young club. Four of the Sox in today’s starting lineup were rookies. None of them had appeared in a major league game before this season – second baseman Rollie Zeider, right fielder Shano Collins, first baseman Chick Gandil, and shortstop Russell Blackburne.
Starting pitcher Ed Walsh was not a rookie and anytime he faced the Athletics, the star spitballer gave them fits. Mr. Mack countered with a grizzled veteran of his own, port-sider Eddie Plank. Gettysburg Eddie was whacked around during his time on the slab, but the South Siders were helpless when Mack called for relief. Both hurlers were let down by their defense, and one was handed a bad break from Mother Nature.
The visitors drew first blood. Walsh led off the top of the third with a hard grounder to third baseman Frank Baker. He booted the ball and Walsh was safe at first. Zeider squared around for a sacrifice, drawing Baker in close. As Plank delivered the pitch, Zeider pulled the bat back and chopped at the ball – lobbing it over Baker’s head where shortstop Jack Barry corralled it. Both runners were safe. Collins, then, did sacrifice and the White Sox had a pair in scoring position with one man down.
Gandil, looking to give the Sox an early lead, swung at Plank’s offering and lifted a mile-high pop up into foul ground beyond third base. Baker drifted to his right and secured the ball for the second out. The ancient Patsy Dougherty took his turn and smashed a grounder that deflected off first baseman Harry Davis for an infield single – easily scoring Walsh. Zeider rounded third and kept chugging for home. Davis recovered and fired a perfect strike to catcher Ira Thomas who dropped the tag on Zeider just as he was about to slide over the pan. The Sox had to settle for the lone run.
The Athletics tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. A run that was gift wrapped by not only the White Sox, but Old Sol himself. Rube Oldring lofted a can of corn to right field leading off the inning. Collins camped under the ball, but lost sight of it in the late afternoon sun. The ball landed but a few feet from where he stood, and Rube, hustling from the box, made it an easy double. Eddie Collins then hit a hundred-hopper to Blackburne for what seemed like a sure out. In his haste to nab Oldring heading for third, he momentarily took his eyes off the ball and the misplay put runners at the corners.
Walsh was now in a pickle. What should have been two outs and the bases empty, suddenly turned into a world of trouble. The veteran hurler, however, was just the man to manage the mess. Baker lined a sharp single to left, scoring Oldring to tie the game. Davis moved both runners along with a well-placed sacrifice bunt. Danny Murphy took his turn with two runners in scoring position. Duffy ordered his infielders to play in. Murphy hit a tapper to third baseman Billy Purtell. Collins, with his blazing speed, was galloping home on contact. Purtell fielded the ball cleanly, straightened up, and fired a beam to catcher Fred Payne who tagged Collins. Barry grounded to Zeider for the final out.
Both teams traded body blows for the next few innings with neither side denting the dish. The South Siders took command with a pair of tallies in the seventh stanza. Blackburne was first man up. Sensing that Baker was playing too far back at third, he dropped a perfectly placed bunt down the third base line for an infield single. The light-hitting Payne then showed sacrifice on Plank’s first offering. It was a decoy. Plank laid the next one over the plate and Payne walloped the pill to left – over Topsy Hartsel’s head and all the way to the scoreboard. Blackburne scored all the way from first as Payne rolled in with a double.
Walsh moved Payne to third with a sacrifice bunt. The White Sox then worked the suicide squeeze to perfection. As Plank went into his motion, Payne broke for the plate. Zeider dropped a perfect bunt toward a charging Davis. With no play at the plate, Davis turned to throw Zeider out at first. The problem, however, was that Collins forgot to cover and Zeider made it safely. Then, the Sox ran themselves out of the inning. Zeider was caught stealing second just before Collins’s infield single. Collins tried to steal second base, as well. He met the same fate – thrown out by Thomas.
The Mackmen fought back in the eighth. Mack sent utility infielder Morrie Rath to pinch hit for Thomas. Rath promptly grounded to third for the first out. Sensing Plank was tiring and looking to generate any kind of offense, Mack sent backup catcher Jack Lapp to pinch hit. Lapp delivered a quality at-bat which resulted in a hard-earned base on balls. Hartsel worked a full count and slammed a one-hopper right back to the box. Walsh knocked the ball down but could not recover in time to record an out. Then came some controversy.
Oldring bunted down the first base line to move both runners into scoring position. Walsh bolted from the mound, picked up the rolling ball, and tagged Oldring as he was racing to first. After tagging Rube, he turned his attention toward third base to check on Lapp. As he spun around, Walsh dropped the ball. First base umpire Tommy Connolly immediately yelled, “Safe!” Walsh argued, but Connolly’s call stood. The bases were now loaded for Eddie Collins with one man down. The large crowd was now in full throat, urging Eddie to cop a hit.
Collins ripped the ball into right field – bringing home Lapp and Hartsel with the tying run. As Shano Collins threw the ball back toward the infield, the sphere escaped from second baseman Zeider and rolled away. Oldring saw an opening and bolted for home. Blackburne retrieved the ball and threw to Payne who was waiting for Rube. Baker struck out and Walsh escaped without further damage.
The White Sox were undoubtedly unhappy to see Plank lifted from the game. Despite scoring only three runs off Eddie’s soft offerings, the Sox hit him freely, soaking twelve safeties in eight innings. Mack summoned Jack Coombs to make his first relief appearance of the young season. Colby Jack did not plan on nibbling around the plate. He came after the White Sox – fastball after fastball. They were utterly stifled. Coombs carved up the lineup with surgical precision – three hitless innings. All the Elephants needed was one solitary run.
After retiring Collins to commence the eleventh frame, Walsh momentarily lost command of the strike zone. The result was an ill-timed free pass to Baker. Davis followed by slicing a vicious liner at Gandil who was holding Baker close at first. It should have been an inning ending double play – catch the ball, step on first. Gandil, however, could not secure the hard hit ball and it rolled toward the coach’s box. He recovered in time to put Davis out at first. But, his failure at securing the smash would soon prove fatal.
Walsh needed to work on the tough Murphy in the fast-fading light. Ever the professional hitter, Murphy worked the at-bat. He finally received a pitch to his liking and stroked a solid liner over the keystone sack an into center field. The crowd erupted! Baker was off at the crack of the lumber – motoring to the pan as fast as his thick legs would allow. Center fielder Willis Cole charged the ball and fired home. Baker slid home easily before the ball ever arrived. Frank was greeted by his jubilant teammates as the unbeaten streak reached eleven games. The final score, 4-3.
The box is as follows:
NOTES:
- A fan in a box seat nearly started a riot when he grabbed a foul ball and refused to surrender it to an usher. Cooler heads prevailed and the ball eventually found its way back onto the field.
- White Sox rookie shortstop Russell “Lena” Blackburne is a native of Palmyra, New Jersey – just across the Delaware River. A delegation from his hometown presented him with a floral horseshoe, a bouquet of flowers, and a watch prior to the game. When he came to the plate for his first at-bat, a trio of Palmyra’s business leaders approached and presented him with another watch.
- Athletics second baseman Eddie Collins was tagged out by White Sox catcher Fred Payne as he attempted a straight steal of home in the sixth inning.
- The crowd of nearly 20,000 was the largest to witness a game at Shibe Park since the home opener.
- After the Sunday off day, the series with the White Sox will resume Monday afternoon at 4 o’clock.
American League
Yesterday’s scores (May 14, 1910):
- Philadelphia 4, Chicago 3 (11 innings)
- Washington 1, Cleveland 0
- New York 14, St. Louis 0
- Detroit 5, Boston 3
National League
Yesterday’s scores (May 14, 1910):
- Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 2
- Cincinnati 3, Brooklyn 0
- Boston 4, Chicago 1
- St. Louis 9, New York 3
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