Game 7: The Third Time
| 17
|
by user LouGehrig
Harold Friend
The third time that a World Series had a Game 7 was 1921 but a there was a curve ball involved and it wasn't thrown by a pitcher. Beginning with the 1919 World Series, the World Series would be a best of nine format. The only other time there had been a best five out of nine was in 1903, which was the first World Series ever played.
The 1921 World Series was the first subway series, pitting the New York Giants against the their Polo Grounds tenants, the New York Yankees. The teams split the first six games so that when the Giants won Game 7, it gave them a 4-3 lead in games, which was still one win short of the championship. The Giants won Game 8, negating the need for a showdown, winner take all final game 9.
It wasn't until 1924 that a Game 7 again decided the World Champion. The Giants were involved, having just won their fourth consecutive pennant, a feat no National League team has ever equaled and an accomplishment that is rarely mentioned. The Washington Nationals, the team usually referred to as the "Senators" despite the fact that they were officially the "Nationals" from 1905-1956, edged the Yankees for the American League pennant by two games, thus preventing a fourth consecutive World Series between the New York teams.
The 1924 Giants had a .300 team batting average, scoring 857 runs. They were led by first baseman George Kelly, who batted .324 with 21 home runs and 136 RBIs, outfielder Ross Youngs, who hit .356 with 10 home runs and 74 RBIs, and outfielder Irish Meusel, who hit .310 with 6 home runs and 102 RBIs. Frankie Frisch, the old Fordham Flash, played an almost flawless second base, batting .328 and leading the team with 22 stolen bases.
The Giants' pitching staff was almost as formidable despite not having a twenty game winner. Virgil Barnes and Jack Bentley each won 16 games while Hugh McQuillan and Art Nehf were 14 game winners. The team ERA was 3.62. They were out to avenge last year's defeat by the Yankees.
Washington was also a pretty good offensive team but the Nationals didn't compare to the Giants. The Nats hit .294 but scored 102 fewer runs than their rivals. Their best hitter was outfielder Goose Goslin, who hit .344 with 12 home runs and 144 RBIs. Sam Rice, who finished his career with 2987 hits, 13 short of 3000, batted .334 with 1 home run and 76 RBIs.
But while the Nationals were overmatched offensively, they had a pretty good pitcher named Walter Johnson, who would be making his first World Series appearance. By this time, the thirty six year old Johnson had won 377 games, 23 of which had come in 1924. George Mogridge was a 16 game winner and Tom Zachary, who would yield Babe Ruth's last home run for the 1927 season, won 15. The team ERA was 3.34.
There was a symmetry to the World Series. The first game and the last game each went twelve innings and Johnson received a decision in each game. Interesting numbers were also involved.
In 1908, the Fred Merkle's blunder of failing to touch second base ultimately cost the Giants the pennant. Four years later, in 1912, centerfielder Fred Snodgrass' failure to catch an easy fly ball ultimately cost the Giants the World Series. Many wondered what be in store for the Giants in 1924, but Walter Johnson's first World Series appearance was the really big story.
Johnson was considered the greatest pitcher in baseball history, a ranking he has not relinquished to this day, despite protestations by those who favor Christy Mathewson, Lefty Grove, Sandy Koufax, Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, or Grover Cleveland Alexander. The "Big Train" had won more than 30 games in both 1912 and 1913 and was called "The Big Train" because his fast ball was faster than a speeding locomotive (let's keep Superman out of this), Now he had the opportunity to show everyone, even at the age of thirty six, his true greatness.
Johnson and Giants' starter Art Nehf each pitched a complete Game 1, with the Giants winning the twelve inning contest 4-3, but despite the score, Walter Johnson pitched more like the Yankees' 2006 Randy Johnson than like Walter Johnson, allowing 14 hits and 6 walks. But it was just the first game. Walter Johnson would get at least one more chance.
Washington won two of the next three games to even the Series, creating a pivotal Game 5 in which Johnson would oppose Jack Bentley. Once again, Walter Johnson pitched more like an old Randy Johnson, allowing 13 hits and 6 runs, 3 earned, as the Giants won, 6-2 to again lead the Series.
The press expressed sympathy and pity for the Big Train and as often occurs with the media, drew conclusions that proved to be both premature and false. Oh, how false they were.
The front page story in the New York Times described Johnson as "the most tragic figure that ever stalked through a world's series." It also stated that "When Johnson's own world's series finally came along he couldn't win a single game." Of course, the press failed to recognize that it was a best of seven, not a best of five series.
To support Johnson's tragic state, baseball writers recalled that Christy Mathewson had lost the great game of his life in 1912 through others' errors. Art Nehf, an outstanding Giants' pitcher in his own right, had lost Game 6 the year before, yielding 5 runs in 7 1/3 innings as the Yankees finally won a World Championship. But both Mathewson and Nehf had won before, something that could not be said of Johnson.
The New York Times declared that fate had allotted Johnson only one World's Series and then made it a failure. Okay, it was the New York Times. Back to the games.
The Nationals, behind Tom Zachary's clutch pitching and twenty seven year old playing manager Bucky Harris' two run single won the sixth game 2-1, to set up an amazing seventh and deciding game, a game that would pit Washington's Curley Ogden, a twenty three year old right hander acquired during the season from Philadelphia against the Giants' Virgil Barnes. The lead paragraph in the Times magnificently describes all there is to describe about the seventh game of a World Series.
"It was a game that tried men's souls and tortured their nerves."
Nationals' manager Bucky Harris, despite his youth, knew the stakes. He fully intended to relieve his starting pitcher after one batter. No, Harris wasn't concerned about how Ogden would feel about himself or if it would affect his confidence. Harris was concerned about winning the World Series and so was Ogden.
The Giants' leadoff batter was right handed hitting Freddie Lindstrom. Ogden struck him out on three pitches and started walking off the mound, but from his position at second base, Harris called the young right hander back to face switch hitting Frankie Frisch since he had struck out Lindstrom, but Ogden, full of confidence, walked Frisch on four pitches.
Harris, Ogden, and catcher Muddy Ruel conferred near home plate. George Mogridge, the Nationals' Game 5 starter two days before, relieved Ogden and retired the next two batters.
Barnes and Mogridge exchanged zeros until the Nationals fourth. Manager Bucky Harris made himself look smart by hitting a home run over the left field fence to give himself and his team a 1-0, which held up until the Giants batted in the top of the sixth inning.
Mogridge walked Ross Youngs leading off the inning. George "High Pockets" Kelly followed with a single through the shortstop hole, moving Youngs to third with the potential tying run. Irish Meusel was sent up to hit for young Bill Terry. Harris made his move.
Walter Johnson began throwing in the bullpen but Firpo Marberry, a relief specialist who had led the American League in saves with 15, replaced Mogridge. Meusel hit Marberry's first delivery to deep right field that was caught but which scored Youngs from third to tie the game.
The batter was now young Hack Wilson, the same Hack Wilson who would set the all time single season RBI record of 191 and a single season National League home record of 56, the former still standing but the latter eclipsed in 1998 by a first baseman who was discovered to have a bottle of the prohormone or testosterone precursor, 3,6,17-Androstenetrione (4-etioallocholen-3,6, 17-trione). Wilson singled over second into center, sending Kelly to third.
Young shortstop Travis Jackson was the hitter. He hit a ground ball to first base but Joe Judge fumbled the ball, allowing Kelly to score the lead run and putting Giants on first and second with only one out. Marberry hitched his belt and got the slow footed Hank Gowdy to hit a double play ball to short.
Ossie Bluege never touched it. The ball scooted under his glove for another critical error, scoring Wilson and allowing Jackson to reach third. The Giants led by two runs and were primed to score more but Giants' manager John McGraw allowed starting pitcher Barnes to hit, a move that was according to the "book," especially since Barnes had pitched so effectively.
Marberry retired Barnes on a short fly ball to left. It wasn't deep enough for Jackson to attempt to score the Giants' fourth run, a run they would need but never get. Freddie Lindstrom, in a crucial at bat, struck out to end the inning.
The score remained 3-1 Giants until the Nationals hit in the eighth inning. McGraw got Nehf and McQuillan up in the bullpen. It started innocently enough with Barnes retiring Ossie Bluege on a foul to the catcher. Nemo Liebold was sent up to pinch hit for third baseman Tommy Taylor. Liebold doubled down the third base line. In today's game, it would be stated that the tying run was at the plate but in 1924, few hitters hit home runs and teams put hits, walks, and sometimes errors together in an inning to score runs.
Muddy Ruel, who had been hitless in the Series, singled off first baseman George "Highpockets" Kelly's glove, moving Liebold to third and putting the tying run on first. Kelly had moved from center field to first when pinch hitter Irish Meusel batted for first baseman Bill Terry and remained in the game in center field.
Rookie Bennie Tate pinch hit for Marberry. On a full count pitch, Tate walked to load the bases with one out and the Nationals trailing by two runs. It was tense but would become more intense.
Frankie Frisch walked over to talk to Barnes. It worked. Mule Shirley was sent in to run for Tate, who represented the potential go ahead run. Lead off hitter and center fielder Earl McNeely was the batter.
Barnes first pitch missed for ball one. He then went to the full wind up, delivered, and got McNeely to lift a short fly ball to left field. The runners held. Two outs, down by two runs, and the bases loaded.
The batter was the manager whose home run was the only run Washington had scored. Catcher Hank Gowdy went to dugout to talk to McGraw. Barnes remained in the game to face Harris.
Barnes peered in to get the signal from his catcher, nodded assent and went into the windup. Harris liked what he saw, swung, and hit a line drive over third baseman Lindstrom into left field. Liebold scored the Nationals second run and Ruel scored the tying run.
When Charlie Dressen managed the Brooklyn Dodgers, he often said, "Hold them boys, I'll think of something." Harris thought of something and then did it himself. What a manager.
McGraw had had enough. Actually, he had had too much. He brought in Art Nehf to face Sam Rice with runners on first and second. Rice was an excellent hitter but all he could manage was a long foul down the left field line before grounding out to first. After six games and eight innings, the teams were still even and the drama had not yet begun. Guess who was coming in to pitch for Washington.
As Walter Johnson walked in from the Nationals' bullpen, the crowd went berserk. They gave Johnson possibly the greatest ovation of his career---at least up until then. He would face the top of the Giants' batting order.
Freddie Lindstrom stepped into the batter's box but all he could manage was a harmless pop up to third for the first out. Next was the switch hitting future Hall of Famer, Frankie Frisch, the Old Fordham Flash. Johnson, who had been hit hard in his two starts, was hit hard again. Frisch hit a blast to deep center field that was over McNeely's head. When the dust had cleared, Frisch was on third with the potential lead run.
Harris ordered Johnson to walk Ross Youngs intentionally to set up the double play that would end the inning. But this was Walter Johnson, probably the greatest pitcher who ever played. He wouldn't need a double play. He struck out George "High Pockets" Kelly on three pitches for the second out, leaving it up to Irish Meusel.
Youngs stole second to put runners on second and third but on a 2-1 count, Meusel hit a hard grounder to third. Ralph Miller, whose contract had been purchased from Reading in the International League that summer and who had appeared on only nine games the entire season, picked up the ball but his throw to first was in the dirt. First baseman Joe Judge stretched as far as he could and made a great pickup to save everything. It remained 3-3.
Now it was Washington's turn. With one out, Judge singled to center. Nehf attempted three pick offs with Ossie Bluege at the plate. Bluege then hit a ground ball to first.
Kelly picked up the ball and fired to second for the attempted force out but shortstop Travis Jackson, covering second, dropped the throw with Judge racing to third. The Nationals had runners at the corners with only one out. The championship producing run was at third base.
McGraw brought in McQuillan to face. Inexplicably, McQullan was smiling. Maybe he knew something because the first batter would be Ralph Miller, he of the .248 lifetime batting average. After missing with his first pitch, McQuillan got Miller to hit a hard grounder directly at Travis Jackson. The shortstop flipped the ball to Frisch to force Bluege and then fired to first to complete the double play. Game 7 would go into extra innings. What fun.
Neither team scored in the tenth. Neither team scored in the eleventh. The twelfth inning was a different story.
Irish Meusel led off with a single off Johnson. Remember, Johnson was in his fourth inning of work on ONE day's rest. So much for pitch count.
Johnson, as Mel Allen used to say, reached back for a little extra. He struck out Hack Wilson and got Travis Jackson to hit into a force out. Hank Gowdy hit an easy fly to center for the third out, the last out Johnson would need.
Ralph Miller was the first batter Jack Bentley would face. Bentley, who was the Game 5 winning pitcher, had entered the game in the eleventh inning. He easily got rid of Miller on a soft grounder to second that Frisch charged and fired to first for the out. Then the intrigue began.
Muddy Ruel hit a high foul pop up that Giants' catcher Hank Gowdy dropped for an error. Why did Gowdy drop the ball? He dropped the ball because his foot got caught in his mask, which he had not thrown far enough away. A catcher's bad throw would be costly.
Given a second chance, Ruel ripped a double down the third base line, bringing up Walter Johnson, who of course was allowed to bat. Johnson managed a grounder to short, but Jackson, who was not having a good day, bobbled the ball as Johnson reached first. Ruel held at second.
Earl McNeely was the batter. Washington owner Clark Griffith had sent the popular Wid Mathews and two other players along with $50,000 to Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League for McNeely. The move was so unpopular with the fans that Griffith tried to cancel the trade, but Sacramento refused and was supported by Commissioner Judge Landis. McNeely remained with the Nationals and would now face Bentley with runners on first and second and one out.
McNeely fouled off Bentley’s first delivery. Bentley took a deep breath on the mound, reared back and fired. McNeely swung and hit a bouncing ball to third. Lindstrom was in perfect position to field the grounder for a possible inning ending double play or at least for one of the two needed outs. It would not happen.
The ground ball, like many ground balls have done in the past and will do in the future, took a bad hop. At least, it was a bad hop for the Giants. It couldn't have been a better hop for the Nationals.
The ball went over Freddie Lindstrom's head and into left field. Ruel raced home from second with the winning run. The World Series was over. The Nationals were World Champions. Johnson had won his first World Series game. He was not a tragic figure. He was a World Champion.
References:
www.baseball-reference.com
http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Twins>
http://www.houseofmuscle.net/3tebo.html
http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/D/Dressen_Chuck.stm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23120-2004Oct10.html
“Giants Again Hit Johnson With Ease; Beat Senators, 6-2; Have the Title in Their Grasp on Eve of Sixth Game in Capital Today. Get 13 Hits off Veteran.” The New York Times. 9 October 1924, p. 1.
“Capital Wild With Joy; Coolidge Joins in Celebrating Washington’s First Baseball Title. Johnson to the Rescue. Called in Ninth, He Holds New York at Bay While Teammates Hit Winning Blows.” The New York Times. 11 October 1924, p. 1.
