Coombs holds South Siders to two hits, unbeaten streak reaches twelve games after 6-1 triumph
PHILADELPHIA, May 16, 1910 – Connie Mack’s charges are the creme de la creme of the American League these days. The primary reason is the stable of pitchers that Mr. Mack assembled down in Atlanta back in March. The White Sox would not utter a negative word if somebody tells them they would not have to face Jack Coombs the rest of the season.
Colby Jack had thrown three hitless, scoreless innings against the White Sox on Saturday afternoon. A mere two days later, Mack handed him the ball to start today’s game. Jack took it and never looked back. After all of the back-and-forth drama of Saturday’s thriller, this contest was, for all intents and purposes, in the bag after the third leg. The White Sox had little chance, and the big Monday crowd at Shibe Park, knew it.
For Hugh Duffy’s boys to make any hay, they had to take advantage of Jack’s occasional bouts of wildness. They had a chance in the very first inning. Lead off batter Rollie Zeider walked. After Shano Collins struck out, Zeider decided to get himself into scoring position and purloin second base. While Chick Gandil was swinging at air, Zeider decided to take third. Now, with two outs, it was up to veteran Patsy Dougherty to bring him home. The big Irishman worked the count full before a fourth pitch found its way out of the strike zone.
Four batters into the game, and Coombs recorded a pair of punch outs and a pair of free passes. With light-hitting center fielder Willis Cole now at the dish, the White Sox ran themselves into trouble. The fleet-footed Dougherty took off on a steal attempt while Zeider remained anchored at third. Athletics catcher Jack Lapp sprang from his crouch and fired a bullet to Eddie Collins. Dougherty, realizing that he was deader than a duck on the first day of shotgun season, hurriedly dug his spikes into the clay and retreated to safe harbor. As Collins gave chase, Zeider broke for home. Realizing he needed to quickly decide where he needed to go with the ball, Eddie made a perfect throw to first baseman Harry Davis for the third out – just before Zeider could score. Coombs dodged a bullet.
The Athletics reached White Sox starter Frank Smith for a run in their half of the second inning. Piano Mover is coming off a season in which he captured 25 victories to go along with a sparkling 1.80 earned run average. The red hot Elephants made Smith look rather pedestrian. After quickly dispatching Frank Baker and Davis, Smith lost the strike zone and issued back-to-back free passes to Danny Murphy and Jack Barry. With Lapp at the plate, Murphy took off for third. Lapp swung and dribbled a ground ball into right field – Murphy never broke stride and scored easily. Smith retired Coombs for the final out to keep the game deadlocked at one run apiece.
Connie’s lead off man Topsy Hartsel, commenced hostilities in the bottom of the third inning by hitting a soft liner over the second base bag. Sox second sacker Zeider ranged far to his right and speared the ball one-handed on the short hop. He could not gather himself in time to throw out Topsy who was hustling up the line. Appreciating Zeider’s effort, the huge crowd gave him a cordial ovation. Rube Oldring then looped a flare into short left field to put the Mackmen in business.
Connie Mack rarely deviated from his book – his plan of attack. With runners at first and second and his best hitter (Collins) coming to bat, he still called for the sacrifice bunt. Collins failed…miserably. He popped a bunt attempt to Smith, wasting his at-bat. Baker, however, picked his teammate up, promptly lacing a single to center field. Willis Cole charged the ball and attempted to nip Tospy at the dish. The attempt had little chance at success and allowed both Oldring and Baker to move up a base.
As Smith was working through his at-bat against Davis, White Sox backstop Fred Payne must have sensed that Baker was not paying close attention at second base. Payne covertly signaled shortstop Russell Blackburne, and after the next pitch fired a beam toward a covering Blackburne. The throw was pitiful. Lena made a valiant effort to haul it in, but the ball dribbled into short center, allowing Oldring to score from third.
Davis was still at the plate when Baker took off and stole third easily. Smith was on the ropes and Harry could deliver the knockout blow. The chance for more action across the plate did not materialize. Davis popped out to Zeider and Murphy grounded out to first baseman Chick Gandil to end the inning.
The Athletics carried the 3-0 lead into the top of the fifth inning when Barry decided to become charitable. The frame began in bizarre fashion. Cole led off, looking to register the South Siders’ first hit of the day. Coombs unleashed a fastball to Cole – a high, hard one. While bailing out of the way, the ball hit the handle of Cole’s bat and rolled in front of home plate. Lapp rushed out to secure the ball while Cole was still down on the ground. Before Cole had even gathered himself to his feet, Lapp fired to Davis for the putout.
Billy Purtell followed with a high chopper to Barry for what certainly seemed like the second out of the inning. Barry let the ball play him and got caught with an in-between hop. Black Jack booted the ball – allowing Purtell to reach safely. Blackburne tried to bunt for a base hit but was retired on what amounted to a sacrifice – sending Purtell to second. Payne followed with a ringing single to center that allowed Purtell to scamper home with Chicago’s first tally of the contest. Coombs then walked Smith before coaxing Zeider to pop out to Collins for the final out.
The Macks roughed Smith up again in the bottom of the fifth inning. Oldring lined a safety into center field and promptly pilfered the keystone sack. Collins smashed the sphere that second baseman Zeider speared one-handed on the short hop. Eddie was safe at first, but Rube could not advance to third, as he waited to see if the ball would be caught.
Baker rolled one up the first base line to advance both into scoring position. Davis quickly brought both Elephants home by slicing the pill to right field. Shano Collins charged the ball and came up throwing – trying to nab Eddie coming home. With no chance to get the speedy Collins, Payne stepped in front of the plate, intercepted the ball, and fired a shot to Blackburne who in turn tagged Davis as he was trying to get greedy. Now down 5-1, and showing little effectiveness, Smith’s day was finished. He was off to the showers after five innings of play.
Manager Duffy brought in another rookie. This time it was freshman hurler Frank Lange who was about to take his licks. With Lapp retired to lead off the sixth, Coombs legged out a soft roller down the third base line. The Colby Carbine then pulled the element of surprise by stealing second base and going to third on Payne’s errant throw.
Hartsel brought Jack home with a run-scoring single. Topsy then raced around to third base on Oldring’s safe hit. That’s when he got overly greedy. While Eddie Collins was at the pan, Hartsel tried to steal home. He was unsuccessful. Eddie then grounded out to Shano Collins who was now playing first in place of Gandil.
It was now 6-1 after six frames, but the scoring and hitting were done for the day. Coombs kept sailing along and Lange retired the final six batters he faced. The large gathering of rooters was in a festive mood as they headed for the massive exit gates. Sure, they played hooky from work and school on a beautiful spring Monday. But, more importantly, their White Elephants have not lost in twelve consecutive contests.
The box is as follows:
NOTES:
- The Athletics have now run out to a 16-4 start on the season. It is the best start to a campaign in franchise history.
- Athletics catcher Jack Lapp started his first game of the season behind the plate on Monday. According to Mr. Mack, there will be many more.
- Pitcher Jack Coombs’s stolen base in the sixth inning was the eleventh of his career.
- Game three of the four game set will be played at Shibe Park this afternoon. First pitch will be 4 o’clock.
American League
Yesterday’s scores (May 16, 1910):
- Philadelphia 6, Chicago 1
- Washington 3, Cleveland 1
- New York 5, St. Louis 3
- Boston 11, Detroit 4
National League
Yesterday’s scores (May 16, 1910):
- Pittsburgh 7, Philadelphia 4
- Cincinnati 3, Brooklyn 2
- St. Louis 4, New York 2
- Chicago 4, Boston 3
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