Washington DC Baseball

[GeoPoto]

Next came perhaps the most breathtaking moment in the history of the Washington Senators; it was perhaps the most breathtaking moment in all of baseball's illustrious story. In his deliberate, dignified gait, striding from the bench was Walter Johnson. Here was the opportunity for the 18-year veteran, participating in his very first World Series, to make amends for his two losses thus far. What a game to win!

The man many felt was the only pitcher who might have rivaled Johnson as the best of the early part of the century, Christy Mathewson, said at this precise moment in the press box that it was a shame to send Walter Johnson back into the fray -- "Poor old Walter," Mathewson called him. Mathewson would later state, incidentally, that this 1924 World Series was the best he had ever seen, and he had played in four himself.

Manager Harris got the distinct impression from Walter's five warmup pitches that the big guy had his stuff. Johnson got the Giants' lead-off man, Fred Lindstrom, who'd gone 4-for-5 against him two days earlier, to pop harmlessly to third baseman Ralph Miller to start the top of the ninth. Miller had just been inserted into the game, succeeding Taylor, who had (been) replaced (by) Leibold -- who had started the big comeback -- in the bottom of the eighth.

Frank Frisch woke everyone in spacious Griffith Stadium from their reverie with a monstrous triple over Earl McNeely's head in deepest center field, a blow of well over 400 feet. Ross Youngs was then walked intentionally, a textbook move in order to set up a double play. Walter Johnson then demonstrated to everyone that he still had that special something. Future Hall of Famer George Kelly went down on three straight swinging strikes. Heywood Broun would write in New York World the following day that whenever he wanted to reassure himself that the soul of man cannot die, he would remember how Walter Johnson had struck out George Kelly with one out and a man on third.

Irish Meusel, batting in Bill Terry's spot, then sent a ground ball toward 28-year-old Ralph Miller, who, unbeknownst to anyone, was, as indicated earlier, playing in his very last major-league game. Miller came up with the ball cleanly, but made a throw to first which forced Joe Judge to stretch his 5'8" frame to its limits. The Big Train was out of the inning.

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