Mackmen are baffled by the offerings of Joe Lake and the lowly Browns, 6-1
PHILADELPHIA, May 24, 1910 – Having bade the powerful Detroit Tigers adieu yesterday afternoon, the mighty Athletics welcomed the lowly St. Louis Browns into their playpen this afternoon. The Mound City tailenders have won only five of their twenty-eight games.
With the four-game series practically a foregone conclusion (in favor of the home nine), an intimate crowd of approximately 3,500 showed up on a beautiful spring day to witness the affair. For four, crisply played frames, they got their money’s worth. The Browns then decided that they never completed pregame batting practice – en route to a 6-1 triumph.
The air was dry, but both starting pitchers provided their share of the wet stuff. Athletics hurler Cy Morgan and Browns ball tosser Joe Lake would face off – both pitchers feature the spitball as their out pitch. The sturdy Lake – toiling in anonymity in St. Louis – was coming off a solid outing in Washington a mere four days earlier. Morgan had pitched sterling ball in his previous five starts.
Based on team records, the denizens of press row picked the Athletics to romp in four straight. Thankfully, the games are still decided on the field. Morgan has been a stellar performer for Mr. Mack all season. Cy has gone the distance in each of his first five starts – allowing two or fewer runs in all of them. This afternoon’s game looked like another Morgan gem would unfold.
Morgan and Lake pitched splendid ball over the first four innings. The Browns copped just two weak singles through the first four innings, and the Athletics were just as helpless against Lake’s assortment of curveballs and spitballs. Then came the top of the fifth inning and the sad sack Browns morphed into pennant contenders – if only for one inning – and Morgan was at their mercy.
Browns right fielder Al Schweitzer started the fray by lamming a sharp single to left field. St. Louis manager Jack O’Connor, perhaps sensing that runs would be at a premium, ordered the struggling Bill Abstein to bunt Schweitzer over to second. Big Bill failed miserably – popping the bunt attempt to Morgan for the first out. Diminutive catcher Jim Stephens followed with a single to left of his own, and the Browns began to simmer.
Lake then showed Morgan that he was no slouch with the lumber – hammering the ball to right field for a safety. Right fielder Danny Murphy foolishly attempted to nab Schweitzer at the plate. The throw sailed over the cutoff man and landed in catcher Jack Lapp’s mitt on the fly. The only problem was that Cheese had long since galloped over the pan – Murphy’s misguided heave allowed Stephens and Lake to move up a base.
Former batting champion George Stone then laced the pill to center, plating both Stephens and Lake to give O’Connor’s troops a 3-0 advantage. O’Connor danced a jig in the third base coach’s box as a result. Shortstop Roy Hartzell swung and missed at three wet ones for out number two. The speedy Stone pilfered second base while Hartzell was swinging at the third strike. With the score still manageable, Morgan could see his way out of this mess.
The ancient Bobby Wallace was all that stood in the way of Morgan tying up this frame’s loose ends. Wallace, however, would not comply. He swatted a single to center field that brought home Stone for the fourth run. Art Griggs poked a single to the left pasture and Wallace moved up to second. Former Athletic Danny Hoffman was up next with a chance to hurt his old club. Connie’s former problem child lined the sphere to right field, bringing home Wallace for a 5-0 cushion – Griggs going to third base.
Schweitzer, who started this mess, was back for a return engagement. It was quite evident to all in attendance that Morgan now had little on the horsehide, save some tobacco juice. The fans were restless. Many were thinking about their return trip home to a warm supper. The Browns then graciously handed Morgan a merciful end.
The lightning quick Hoffman took off for second. As Lapp released the throw, Griggs broke for home on the double steal. Second baseman Eddie Collins stepped in front of the bag to accept the heave and returned a perfect strike to Lapp – nabbing Griggs in a close play at the plate. It was over. It was finally over! Nine batsmen, seven singles, and five runs later, Morgan was finally released. His day was truly over.
The Athletics went down in their half of the fifth, but not without some verbal fireworks. For the second time in as many days, the Mackmen took umbrage with home plate umpire John Kerin’s strike zone. First baseman Harry Davis was first to toil in the batter’s box. Already flummoxed by Lake’s assortment of benders and humidor balls, Captain Davis worked the count full. His team needed base runners. Lake snapped off a curve that sailed a few inches off the outside corner. “Strike three,” bellowed Kerin. Davis lost his marbles and Kerin banished him to the clubhouse.
After Lake had retired the Athletics in the fifth, Mack sent in Ben Houser to finish up at first base in place of Davis. The Elephants escaped a shutout by placing a solitary runner over the dish in their half of the seventh. The inning began innocently. Houser hit a come-backer to Lake who recorded the putout at first. Frank Baker hit a grounder between first and second. Abstein ranged far to his right to snare the ball but made a high toss to a covering Lake who couldn’t come down with the ball in time.
Murphy followed with a single up the middle to put runners on first and second. With Jack Barry at the dish, one of Lake’s spitters eluded Stephens and rolled toward the backstop, allowing both runners to move up a base. Barry then lofted a sacrifice fly to Hoffman in center field as Baker trotted home with the Elephants’ first, and as it turned out, only run of the game.
Young lefty Tommy Atkins replaced Morgan in the sixth inning and pitched three innings of scoreless ball. Topsy Hartsel pinch hit for Atkins in the eighth inning. He too, looked at a two-strike curveball that Kerin called for the strike out. Like Davis before him, Hartsel turned and beefed with Kerin. Also, like Davis, Hartsel was given the thumb – after which, Topsy got his money’s worth.
Mack inserted Eddie Plank into the game to pitch the ninth inning. Plank was mainly in the game to get some work in. The Browns touched him for the final run of the contest when Hartzell drove in Stephens with a two-out single. The Elephants went down meekly in the ninth inning to complete the 6-1 setback. Tomorrow is another day.
The box is as follows:
NOTES:
- Despite the setback of back-to-back losses, the Athletics (20-7) still hold the best record in the American League. The lead over the Yankees has been trimmed to 1.5 games.
- The Athletics will be thrilled when they don’t have to see umpire John Kerin and his strike zone for awhile. Kerin has ejected three Elephants over the last two games.
- The Browns collected twelve hits – all singles.
- The gate of 3,500 was expected as the usual “after Detroit series slump.”
- In an attempt to take some pressure off his struggling third baseman, manager Connie Mack flip-flopped Frank Baker and Harry Davis in the lineup.
- The second game of the four-game series will resume this afternoon. First pitch is slated for 4 o’clock.
American League
Yesterday’s scores (May 24, 1910):
- St. Louis 6, Philadelphia 1
- Boston 4, Cleveland 3
- Washington 3, Detroit 2 (6 innings, rain)
- Chicago 5, New York 5 (12 innings, darkness)
National League
Yesterday’s scores (May 24, 1910):
- Chicago 6, Philadelphia 3
- Brooklyn 6, St. Louis 0
- Boston 3, Cincinnati 0
- New York at Pittsburgh (rain)
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