Led by Donovan’s arm and Cobb’s lumber, the Tigers sneak by the Athletics, 4-3
PHILADELPHIA, May 23, 1910 – Coming off a fourteen game unbeaten streak, our Athletics had a chance to show those blasted Detroit Tigers who’s boss. An opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the three-time, defending American League champions. Instead, they broke even.
Led by a pair of long-time adversaries, the Detroiters salvaged the final game of the four-game set, procuring a split, and preventing the Mackmen from their third consecutive victory. The smallish gathering witnessed a potpourri of baseball – stellar defensive plays, sketchy plays in the field, reckless base running, and heavy-hitting by the game’s greatest ballplayer.
As in the previous three games of the series, the Athletics’ starting pitcher – hampered by an extended layoff – was hit early and often. The rust on Charley Bender was evident from the very first inning. The Chief usually has no trouble whatsoever in finding the strike zone. This afternoon, he had trouble with John Kerin’s zone. When Bender did lay one in, the Tigers hit the ball, and hit it hard.
Detroit’s spunky lead off hitter, Davy Jones, started the festivities by lining a single into center field. Donie Bush followed by meekly hitting into a fielder’s choice, forcing Jones at second. Then came Cobb and his heavy lumber. Tyrus was looking to crack one so that he could silence the jeering crowd. And, crack one he did. Cobb squared up Bender’s offering and walloped the pill to left-center field.
The ball split the gap between center fielder Rube Oldring and left fielder Heinie Heitmuller and scooted all the way to the wall. Bush galloped around from first base for the game’s initial tally as The Georgia Peach raced over to third with his fourth triple of the campaign. Bender struck out Sam Crawford on three pitches for out number two. The Chief could now see his way out of the inning.
Bender then decided that he was in a charitable mood. As Detroit’s second sacker Jim Delahanty dug in, Cobb began dancing down the line in an obvious attempt to rattle the usually unflappable Bender. Third baseman Frank Baker shuffled over to the bag and Bender uncorked a wild heave that eluded Baker and allowed Cobb to score. Bender’s unwise decision cost him a run and put his club in a 2-0 hole. Delahanty ended the frame by tapping a come-backer to the box.
The Athletics came away empty-handed in the bottom half of the opening frame off Detroit starter, Philadelphian, and old nemesis Wild Bill Donovan. The Tigers quickly went back to work in the second inning. Bender started things off by walking George Moriarty who then quickly moved up to second on a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt by Tom Jones. Backstop Oscar Stanage grounded out to second baseman Eddie Collins for the second out, Moriarty advancing to third.
This is where things became testy between Bender and umpire John Kerin. With two men down and the pitcher up, Charley was looking to escape the inning unscathed. Bender got the first pitch over for a called strike. Donovan, in just his second at-bat of the season, looked uninterested in swinging the bat. Bender laid the next one in there. “Ball,” bellowed Kerin. Bender and catcher Jack Lapp immediately showed their displeasure. From the stretch position, Bender delivered another strike to Donovan, who stood in the box like a Roman statue. “Ball two,” Kerin announced.
Bender and Lapp lost their marbles. The inning should have been over and every soul in the ballpark knew it except for the only one who counted. Bender started to vigorously show his displeasure. Kerin took off his mask and barked right back as Lapp was forced to play mediator. Eventually, cooler heads would prevail. In all the excitement, Bender must have forgotten that he had a runner on third.
The Chief went from the stretch to the full windup. Detroit manager Hughie Jennings noticed this and leaned into Moriarty’s ear with instructions. As soon as Bender rocked into his windup, Moriarty was off like a shot. Lapp secured Bender’s pitch and dove for the pan. Moriarty slid just under Jack’s tag to give the Jungaleers a 3-0 cushion. Donovan struck out on the very next pitch for the third out. Bender had more to say to Kerin as he walked back to the dugout.
The Chief settled in, holding Detroit scoreless over the next five innings. Donovan was cruising until hitting a minor bump in the bottom of the fifth – courtesy of a liberal amount of saliva. Jack Barry commenced the inning with a single to left. With Lapp at the dish, Black Jack decided to purloin second base. Donovan’s spitball came in high. Stanage corralled it and sprang up to fire a beam to Bush at the keystone corner.
Wild Bill went a little overboard with the wet stuff. As Stanage released the sphere, it slipped out of his hand like a wet bar of Lifebouy soap. And, what a throw it was! Instead of heading for second, the ball shot over first baseman Tom Jones’s head and into shallow right field. Barry continued to third as Jones chased it down. After Oscar’s folly, Lapp finally worked a walk to put runners at the corners with nobody out. The Athletics were in business.
It was now up to Bender to bring Barry home. The Chief dug in to face Wild Bill. The long-time adversaries had faced each numerous times going back to 1903. Bender won this battle, slashing a single to right – bringing home Barry and putting the Athletics on the board. Heitmuller fouled out to first baseman Tom Jones. Oldring then soaked a line drive toward the left field corner. The crowd erupted – a fair ball ties the game. “Foul ball,” bellowed Kerin. A collective groan went up. The ball missed the chalk by inches.
The Rube and Donovan battled it out, but Oldring eventually fanned for the second out. What followed was one of the more curious displays of base running so far this season. Two men down, runners at the corners and Collins at-bat. Bender decides to put himself into scoring position. It proved to be a foolish attempt. Lapp remained anchored at third and Bender was on his own. Stanage’s peg was perfect – Delahanty put down the tag and the inning was over.
Detroit was back on the board in the eighth. Davy Jones opened with a single to left and advanced to second on Bush’s sacrifice. Cobb came up and floated a Texas Leaguer into shallow center field. Jones read the ball perfectly off the bat and raced all the way home. Crawford grounded into a fielder’s choice, forcing Cobb at second. The frame ended when Wahoo Sam was thrown out by Lapp trying to pilfer second base. The Mackmen were now trailing by three with six outs to go.
The battle rendered down to the bottom of the ninth inning. The Athletics made a furious rally, but once again, they were done in by an uncalled for base running error. In the blink of an eye, the Elephants put two into scoring position – bringing the tying run to the plate. Danny Murphy slapped a single into center field on the very first pitch of the inning. On Donovan’s very next offering, Barry stung the ball over Moriarty’s head and down the left field line – Murphy stopping at third. Only a great stop by left fielder Davy Jones temporarily kept the Athletics off the board.
Two pitches. Two swings. Two runners in scoring position. The partisan gathering, quiet just moments earlier, was now in a frenzy. Jennings played the infield back, conceding a run. Lapp chopped hundred-hopper to shortstop Bush who took the sure out at first – Murphy scoring on the play and Barry moving up to third. Mr. Mack decided to keep Bender in the game, and the Chief rewarded him handsomely.
Donovan grooved one and Charley took a solid hack, squarely meeting the pill and splitting Cobb and Crawford in right-center field. Barry walked home as Bender cantered in with a ringing double. In a snap of the fingers, the Macks drew within a run and had a runner at second with one man down. The modest gathering was now making quite the commotion.
Mack was now faced with another decision. Heitmuller, due up, was struggling – just one hit in eleven at-bats. Topsy Hartsel was still hobbled and unable to pinch hit. Mack tabbed reserve first baseman Ben Houser to grab his bat. The left-hand hitting Houser was faced with quite the task. Making just his fifth plate appearance in a big league uniform, his job was to bring home the tying run with the game on the line.
It was no contest. Donovan, the wily veteran, made quick work of the over-zealous Houser. Wild Bill made three pitches, and Houser swung and missed at all three. As Donovan was delivering the final pitch to Big Ben, Bender inexplicably took off for third. Stanage caught the third strike and fired a beam to Moriarty. Bender over slid the bag and had no chance at getting back. Moriarty reached over to tag him out. Game over.
Just as he had in the fifth stanza, the brainy Bender ended two rallies with his larcenous intent. The gaffes may have cost his team a victory. Or, maybe not. It was just one of those games that will happen during the course of a long season. The ninth inning rally came to a crashing halt – ending as quickly as it had began. Three out of four victories against the defending league champions was so close. Instead, breaking even will suffice.
The box is as follows:
NOTES:
- Tigers right fielder made the defensive play of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Athletics catcher Jack Lapp walloped a fly ball to deep right field. Crawford, in a full sprint, beautifully caught the ball before crashing into the wooden fence – somehow avoiding serious injury.
- It may be safe to say that this was Athletics pitcher Chief Bender’s worst overall game of his illustrious career. Two lapses on defense cost his team a pair of runs, and twice being caught stealing, ended a pair of rallies.
- Both starting pitchers had a beef with home plate umpire John Kerin’s strike zone during certain parts of the game.
- Detroit’s top four of their batting order (Davy Jones, Donie Bush, Ty Cobb, and Sam Crawford) as are good as any in baseball these days.
- At 20-6, the Athletics now hold a two game lead over the New York Yankees.
- With the Tigers having departed for Washington, the Athletics now welcome the lowly St. Louis Browns (5-21) to Shibe Park. The first game of the four-game series goes off a 4 o’clock this afternoon.
American League
Yesterday’s scores (May 23, 1910):
- Detroit 4, Philadelphia 3
- Washington 7, St. Louis 2
- Chicago 4, Boston 3 (15 innings)
- Cleveland at New York (rain)
National League
Yesterday’s scores (May 23, 1910):
- Philadelphia at Chicago (rain)
- St. Louis 5, Brooklyn 0
- New York 7, Pittsburgh 1
- Cincinnati 6, Boston 5
whiteelephantbaseball.com 