Aided by three double plays, Gettysburg Eddie pitches Mackmen to a 5-2 triumph over the Tigers
PHILADELPHIA, May 20, 1910 – The Detroit Tigers were feeling a bit frisky this morning after handing the Athletics an epic beat down yesterday afternoon. So, manager Connie Mack sent his most seasoned hurler out to stem the tide. Veteran southpaw Eddie Plank teetered from time-to-time, but stood firm in the pinches, leading the Athletics to a 5-2 victory at Shibe Park this afternoon.
A day after their run of fourteen consecutive battles without a loss had been unceremoniously halted, Mack’s boys showed their true mettle. Although, after a few frames today, it seemed like a repeat of yesterday was in the works. The Tigers had Gettysburg Eddie on the ropes early and often – threatening to blow the game open in the initial innings.
The Tigers had chances, and plenty of them, to score. The ten hits that Eddie surrendered were widely scattered. He was also helped out by his defense when it counted the most – the Macks turning three double plays in critical situations. Detroit starter Ed Summers pitched very well, but unlike Plank, he was hurt by his defense.
Hughie Jennings’s boys looked to make some hay in the very first stanza. Lead off man Davy Jones sliced a grounder to third baseman Frank Baker who went to his knees to gather the sphere. Baker straightened up and fired a low throw across the diamond that first baseman Harry Davis could not secure. The hustling Jones, and the ball, arrived at the same time. Jones was credited with an infield single.
Detroit’s pocket-sized shortstop, Donie Bush followed. With Davis holding the speedy Jones close to the bag, Jennings called for the hit-and-run. Bush hit a screaming liner right into Davis’s mitt. Jasper took one step to his left and doubled up the stunned Jones. Instead of second and third with nobody out for the great Ty Cobb, The Georgia Peach would now toil with the sacks empty and two men down.
As Jones trotted back to Detroit’s first base dugout, he turned and said something to Plank. The veteran hurler immediately fired back. The terse exchange got the attention of both clubs, but nothing further came of it. Cobb, then, smashed the ball off shortstop Jack Barry’s knee for a single into shallow center field. The slender Georgian was thinking two bases out of the box. Center fielder Rube Oldring sensed Cobb’s intentions and raced in to field the ball. As Rube picked up the ball, Cobb, a third of the way to second, slammed on his brakes and retreated to first much to the delight of the hometown crowd.
Plank, however, still had to navigate through Sam Crawford to escape the frame unscathed. Wahoo Sam whistled an one that was ticketed for right-center field. Second baseman Eddie Collins took two steps to his right and dove for the bullet. Collins snared the liner one-handed, turned, and threw a perfect strike from the seat of his pants to retire the lumbering Crawford. The rooters, which numbered approximately 9,000, showed their appreciation by giving Collins a standing ovation.
The Tiges dented the plate in the second inning, but Plank was saved from further damage by another stellar defensive gem. Barry muffed an easy ground ball by Jim Delahanty to commence trouble for Plank. George Moriarty dribbled one halfway back to the box. Eddie pounced on the ball, looked at second, but instead, fired to Davis for the sure out at first. Plank had an easy double play, but inexplicably did not make the attempt.
The bizarre inning continued when first sacker Tom Jones got jammed and poked a weak spinner up the third base line. Baker charged. The ball, resembling a spinning top, glanced off Baker as he overran the ball and spun into foul territory. Delahanty never broke stride and tallied all the way from second on the cheap bingle. The Tigers instantly threatened for more runs.
Hefty backstop Oscar Stanage pulled off the hit-and-run to perfection. Tom Jones took off as Plank delivered the pitch. With the right-hand hitting Stanage at the dish, Collins vacated his position to cover the bag. Stanage deftly placed the ball where Collins had been stationed seconds prior. Jones raced over to third and the Tigers were in business with runners at the corners and one out. Plank did have one thing going for him in this particular situation – Ed Summers.
The weak-hitting pitcher was still looking for his initial safety of the campaign. After taking a few pitches, Kickapoo Ed tapped a grounder to Collins. Eddie quickly tossed to Barry flashing across the bag, who in turn fired a beam to Davis to complete the inning ending double play. The Athletics’ defense giveth, and the Athletics’ defense taketh away in this frame. The Tigers would have to settle for the solitary run.
Summers faced little resistance in the bottom of the second and the Tigers went right back to work in the third. Davy Jones beat out an infield single to Collins. While at first base, Jones and Plank continued their dialogue. Judging from their body language, they weren’t making supper plans for later that evening. Meanwhile, Bush dropped a perfect bunt toward Baker, moving Davy along to second base. Cobb sliced a hard-hit chopper into the hole on the left side of the infield. Barry snared the pill, but with Cobb’s blazing speed, had zero chance of nabbing him at first.
Once again, Plank was on the firing line – first and third with one man down. Crawford then lofted a Texas Leaguer into shallow right field. Collins froze, then sprinted back for the ball. Right fielder Danny Murphy bolted in from his position. Trouble was brewing. The long time teammates failed to communicate. Both men stopped short and looked at each other. The ball landed safely and Davy Jones scampered home with Detroit’s second tally.
Cobb, meanwhile, correctly went halfway. When the ball fell in, Collins picked it up and threw out Cobb trying to reach second base. Delahanty came up for his second at-bat in as many innings. He rolled one out to Collins who promptly shoveled to Barry – forcing Crawford to end the threat. The Mackmen were down 2-0, but the deficit seemed much greater. It was time for the Athletics to wake from their slumber.
Boy, did they ever wake up! Summers helped the Elephants on their way by committing a pitcher’s cardinal sin, he walked the opposing pitcher leading off an inning. With Plank on the first sack, the ancient Topsy Hartsel lammed one down the left field line for a two-base smack, Plank stopping at third. The Athletics were finally in business. Oldring then hit a Baltimore Chop to third baseman Moriarty who leaped as high as his frame would take him. He knocked the ball down, preventing Plank from scoring, but loading the sacks.
Collins put the Athletics on the board when he sliced a grounder to Bush in the hole at deep short. With his momentum taking him toward third base, Bush fired to Moriarty – retiring Hartsel heading for third – Plank scoring on the play. Baker followed by rolling a weak one to Tom Jones at first base who took the ball to the bag. The ground out advanced Oldring and Collins up a base.
This time it was Detroit’s turn to hand the Athletics a big, fat gift – two runs, to be exact. Davis hit a routine ground ball to second sacker Delahanty for what was to be the final out of the inning. However, in his haste, Del took his eyes off the ball and it went squarely through his legs and into right field – scoring both runners and handing the Athletics a 3-2 lead. Davis moved up to second on a passed ball and Murphy reached on an infield single. With two on and two out, Black Jack Barry tapped to Summers who threw to first, ending the rally.
Despite allowing his share of base runners throughout the rest of the game, Plank buckled down and kept the Detroiters off the board over the final six frames. The Athletics added another run in the bottom of the fourth. Catcher Jack Lapp blasted a pitch to center field leading off the inning. Stationed in shallow center for the slender, light-hitting Lapp, Cobb watched the globule sail over his head and into the vast, emerald pasture. Lapp motored around to third base for a triple.
It would have been a perfect time for Plank’s initial safety of the season. Summers, however, had no trouble toying with Eddie, fanning him on three pitches. No worries. Hartsel followed up by lacing a sharp single to left-center, scoring Lapp for a two-run lead. Left fielder Davy Jones was a bit too casual in retrieving Hartsel’s bingle.
In his carelessness, the ball scooted between Jones’s legs, allowing Topsy to race over to third on the two-base error. Sensing a dramatic turn of the tide, Jennings ordered his infield to play in with Oldring up next. Rube hit a high chopper to Moriarty at third who cut down Hartsel trying to tally. Collins finished up the frame by lofting a can of corn to Davy Jones in the left pasture.
The home nine added another run for good measure in the bottom of the seventh – quite possibly, the most exciting run of the young season. With two down, Oldring dug in to face Summers for the fourth time. Rube walloped a vicious, low line drive to straightaway center. Cobb bolted in like a flash and made a headlong dive – bidding to end the frame in spectacular fashion.
The ball short-hopped Tyrus and quickly scooted toward the flagpole – some 500-plus feet away. As Cobb lay sprawled on the tall fescue, Oldring kicked it into high gear and raced around the bags. The crowd was in full throat. Left fielder Jones gave chase and finally corralled the ball. He fired it into Bush, the relay man, who in turn sent it in to Stanage who was waiting for the relay. Oldring scored easily to give the Athletics a 5-2 lead, which would stand as the margin of victory.
The Tigers kicked up a minor fuss in the ninth inning after Stanage led off with a single, but Plank squelched the dust up in fine fashion, retiring Bush on a soft fly to right field – ending the afternoon’s hostilities. Even though the contest did not have a promising beginning, the rooters who braved the chilly conditions had reason to pack their smiles as they made their way home.
The box is as follows:
NOTES:
- Athletics pitcher Eddie Plank and Tigers left fielder Davy Jones had a few tense, verbal exchanges throughout the course of the game, but cooler heads prevailed.
- After missing Rube Oldring’s low liner for an inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning, Tigers center fielder Ty Cobb almost had a carbon copy in the eighth. With Harry Davis on second and one down, Jack Barry smashed a low liner toward Cobb. He raced in, made a shoestring catch, and doubled up Davis.
- Tigers manager Hughie Jennings warmed up Ed Summers and ace Bill Donovan prior to the game. Under an ominous sky, Jennings feared a long rain delay or postponement and didn’t want to risk losing Donovan’s services during the big series.
- Rube Oldring’s home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, was the fifth of his career.
- With the biggest rival in town, an overflow crowd of well over 20,000 is expected for Saturday’s affair. First pitch will be an hour earlier at 3 o’clock.
American League
Yesterday’s scores (May 20, 1910):
- Philadelphia 5, Detroit 2
- Boston 4, Chicago 2
- New York 3, Cleveland 2
- Washington 1, St. Louis 1 (6 innings, rain)
National League
Yesterday’s scores (May 20, 1910):
- Philadelphia 8, St. Louis 5 (12 innings)
- New York 7, Cincinnati 3
- Boston at Pittsburgh (rain)
- Brooklyn at Chicago (rain)
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