Washington DC Baseball

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The weather may not have matched the mood at Griffith Stadium for the third game on October 5. The teams had traveled by train from New York, and there were still no off days scheduled during the fall classics of this era. It rained hard before the game, drenching a relatively sparce crowd of under 26,000 which included President Franklin D. Roosevelt and a large congressional retinue -- the largest, it was said, ever to see a baseball game. President Roosevelt threw out the first ball, and the custom then in vogue was for the players to scramble to catch it. On this occasion, a wild melee ensued, and it was lucky on one was injured. For the record, it was Heinie Manush who finally emerged from the scrum with the ball.

A short while earlier, Joe Cronin had a few choice words for his troops. As manager, but also as their shortstop, he told them that he hoped every man in the room was as ashamed as he was about what had happened in New York. He told them that they were a better team than the New York Giants, and now was the time to show that.

Cronin's words didn't hurt. As the Giants had done in the first game, the Senators struck for two runs right off the bat in this one. After Earl Whitehill mowed New York down in order, lead-off man Buddy Myer, who up to this point was a dismal 1-for-7 with three errors on only ten fielding chances in the first two games, singled off Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons. Goose Goslin, up next, unloaded on one of Fred's fat ones, propelling it off the top of the fence in right field. Mel Ott gamely retrieved it, keeping Myer from scoring.

After Heinie Manush popped up, Cronin hit a bouncer back to the mound. Myer had moved quickly, however, and Fitzsimmons had no choice but to go for the easy out at first, making the score 1-0 Washington. Fred Schulte kept the rally going, tagging a double to right to bring in Goslin with the second run of the inning. The rally ended moments later when Schulte got caught in a rundown after Kuhel had hit a ground ball toward Travis Jackson, the former shortstop who was just recently starting to play some at the hot corner.

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Like Myer had done in the Washington half of the first inning, Ossie Bluege gained a measure of redemption in opening the second. Ossie needed it. He was 0-for-6 with four strikeouts in the Series to date, but this time he banged a double down the third-base line. The veteran Luke Sewell hit expertly behind the runner, and Bluege was quickly moved up to third with one away.

What happened next was thrilling, although it would end up being unimportant. Pitcher Earl Whitehill drove a bouncing ball toward the mound and Fred Fitzsimmons made a split-second decision to try and nab Bluege off third. He didn't, and there were now runners on the corners. The beleaguered Buddy Myer promptly doubled down the first-base line, bringing in a third run and putting Whitehill on third. The next batter, Goslin, drove a fly to left on which Whitehill was given the go-ahead to try and score, but Jo-Jo Moore's relay to Gus Mancuso got Whitehill at the plate and the inning was over. But it was 3-0 Washington.

The flashy Whitehill would allow but six hits on this day and only one for extra bases -- a harmless fourth-inning two-out double which resulted in Travis Jackson being stranded on second. With the score unchanged in the bottom of the seventh, Buddy Myer singled to right, his third hit of the day, off reliever Hi Bell, who'd been brought in after six innings to relieve Fitzsimmons. The hit brought in Luke Sewell, who had beaten out a grounder to short, stolen second, and made it to third when Whitehill grounded to second.

Whitehill, winner of 22 games, the Senators' best lefthander and ace of the staff, completed the shutout, the only one there would be in this Series. He kept hitless the trio of Moore, Terry, and Ott, who between them had made eight hits in the first two games. That Whitehill had had to wait until the third game for his chance, particularly in light of the fact that it was Carl Hubbell's turn again, was an issue that was at this point certainly gaining importance in the psyche of many a fan of the Washington Senators. By Heinie Manush, Whitehill was presented with the hard-earned "game ball" President Roosevelt had thrown out. But would he get another start? The likelihood that Whitehill would pitch again seemed reduced all the more by Cronin's choice of Monte Weaver as his fourth-game starter. If the Senators kept winning and Lefty Stewart and General Crowder did not miss their turns, Whitehill would have to wait until a seventh game.

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Weaver and Carl Hubbell were responsible for making game four the jewel of this World Series. With one out in the fourth and Weaver having allowed but a walk and a weak single in the first inning, Bill Terry catapulted a rocket far into the Griffith Stadium centerfield bleachers. It was still 1-0 when the Senators, who had but two singles and a walk off Hubbell after five frames, threatened in the sixth. Buddy Myer, batting first in the inning, had beaten out a base hit into the hole behind second base, and had made it to second courtesy of a Goose Goslin sacrifice.

Up next was Heinie Manush, the American League's second-leading batsman in 1933. Manush knocked the ball on the ground between first and second, and first baseman Bill Terry thought he had a chance to make the play. Carl Hubbell saw that as well and scooted toward first to cover. It was a good thing for the Giants that he did, because it was second baseman Hughie Critz who made a sensational grab in the hole and relayed to Hubbell.

Charley Moran, a National League umpire, motioned that Manush was out, at which time Heinie began gesticulating to indicate to everyone in Griffith Stadium that he could not believe what he was seeing and hearing. Not only did manager Cronin leap out of the dugout, as managers are still wont to do many decades later, but the whole Senators bench was out there to argue the call as well. But players didn't win arguments with the umpires back in the thirties either. What happened next got Manush thrown out of the game. As he passed by Moran while retreating unhappily back to the dugout, he brushed or wiped his hand on the nape of the umpire's neck. Moran wheeled around suddenly and gave Manush the heave-ho.

Heinie didn't abide by the order, though. After Joe Cronin struck out, leaving Myer to die on third, Manush trotted back to his position in left field. Moran would have none of that, but when he began waving for Manush to get off the field, he got an uncomplimentary gesture back. The chief of the umpiring crew, George Moriarty, had to make the long walk to retrieve the outfielder. Following a lengthy discussion, Manush started the long walk back. All the while, the partisan home crowd was screaming for him to stay in.

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With Goose Goslin moved over to leftfield and the more defensively uncertain Dave Harris now guarding right, the Senators were not only weaker in the field, but without their best hitter as well. Monte Weaver allowed a one-out double to left center by Jo-Jo Moore, but then got an infield out and a pop-up to the mound to get out of the seventh inning. The Nats then tied the score. Joe Kuhel made it to first safely when Hubbell messed up on his bunt attempt with one out. Cronin opted to go for the sacrifice, which Bluege promptly delivered. Luke Sewell then took the mail all the way home, singling to knot the score at one, bringing immense relief to the assembled partisans.

The Senators nearly took the lead in the eighth following a Myer walk and a Texas League single off the bat of Cronin, but Fred Schulte, who would tie Mel Ott for most RBIs in this Series, couldn't do it this time. His pop-up to the infield ended the inning. The ninth was entirely uneventful from an offensive standpoint, except for New York shortstop Blondy Ryan's single just past Joe Kuhel's head to lead off the inning. In the tenth, Weaver, being kept in the game (a very unhappy move in retrospect), struck out. Buddy Myer continued his torrid hitting, with his second single and third appearance on the bases. He advanced to second on Goslin's groundout, and Dave Harris walked. Cronin then squandered another chance to put his boys ahead, hitting the ball to short for the force at second.

Would this be another 12-inning World Series game, as there were on not one, but two occasions, between these two teams back in '24? With two of the next three games slated for New York, one thing seemed sure -- the Nats could not get down 3-1 in games and realistically expect to come back. Travis Jackson surprised the Senators with a bunt to start the 11th. Jackson was quickly sacrificed to second and Blondy Ryan singled to left to break the tie and the hearts of the Washington faithful. Weaver than yielded a single over Cronin's head to Carl Hubbell, a .183 hitter during the regular season. Cronin had finally seen enough of Weaver and brought Jack Russell into the ballgame. Russell threw four pitches and got the side out, fanning Jo-Jo Moore on three pitches and enticing Hughie Critz to fly out to center on his first offering.

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Fred Schulte, who'd had four hits in the first three ballgames but none in this one, restored some hope with a single over shortstop for the Senators' seventh hit of the ballgame to start the bottom of the 11th. Joe Kuhel, up next, made it eight with a bunt that hugged the first-base line. Bill Terry let the ball roll, hoping it would go foul. Bluege sacrificed an out for the second time in the game, putting the tying run on third and the winning run on second with only one out. With the table set, Luke Sewell wasn't allowed to partake in the banquet. The Giants' brain trust dictated that Sewell be walked, loading the bases with pitcher Jack Russell, who wouldn't bat of course, up next.

The next player called into this high drama was Cliff Bolton, a young reserve catcher who nearly never caught, as the Senators still had Moe Berg to back Sewell behind the Plate. Bolton was with the club for one purpose only -- to come off the bench and drive in some runs. He hit .410 during the season but was given just 39 at-bats (he was 9-for-22 as a pinch hitter, for a .409 mark in that role). But Bolton was a lefthanded hitter, and one might have wondered about the wisdom of letting him face the great lefty, Carl Hubbell. The Senators, after all, had a capable gentleman on the bench who just happened to swing from the right side. He also happened to be the owner of a .323 career batting average over 19 big-league campaigns. We refer, of course, to Sam Rice.

Oh, for what might have been. Bolton did make solid contact, sending a shot toward second. Blondy Ryan, who'd driven in the tie-breaking run in the top of the inning, moved in and scooped up the ball, instantly flipping it to Critz, who completed a game-ending double play by relaying to first on time to nail the slow-footed Bolton. Cronin's failure to drive in runs despite opportunities in the fourth, sixth, and tenth innings, his decision to let Weaver bat for himself in the tenth and continue pitching, his reluctance to send in the illustrious Rice, or Manush's rash behavior to get himself thrown out of the game -- these were all points the second-guessers would be able to mull over forever. But it was really all academic now. The fact of the matter was that the best team in this World Series was but one loss away from elimination.

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(Yesterday's entry contained an error regarding the side of the plate from which Sam Rice batted. Rice was a lefthanded batter. Our thanks go to Val Kell (who else) for catching it. While it is embarrassing for me to have to admit I missed the error, it is presented as Deveaux wrote it. I am not going back to yesterday's post and correcting the error because to do so would make Deveaux's text nonsensical. Instead, I apologize for the annoyance, and offer only the timeworn excuse: "Deuce happens!")

Joe Cronin would observe many years later that he wished he'd never agreed to play and manage at the same time. Having had to deal with players, management, and the press, while maintaining a high caliber of play on the field was an exceedingly tall order. After this season, Cronin would nearly reconsider and ask to step down, but would decide not to. That would be something he would always regret.

For the fifth game of the World Series, the New York Giants would evidently be going with Hal Schumacher, winner of game two. Cronin, who'd used four starters, as opposed to Bill Terry's three, opted to break his own pattern and bypass Lefty Stewart, the starter of the first game, and to go instead with General Crowder, the righthander. This seemed, in the eyes of more than a few keen observers, to defy logic. Firstly, Cronin would be playing right into his opponent's power -- the Giants' two best hitters, Bill Terry and Mel Ott, were both lefthanded hitters. Secondly, Cronin had thought enough of Walter Stewart to start him in the all-important first game.

While it was true that Stewart had gotten shelled early in the first game, Crowder had hardly done any better in game two. Given that he been handed the ball less often than had Crowder during the regular season, Stewart had done just as well. Nonetheless, Cronin had more confidence in Crowder during the year, and regardless of the righty-lefty matchup, it would be the General who the Senators would follow into this last battle at Griffith Stadium.

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The very first batter of the game, Jo-Jo Moore, singled off Crowder and made it to third on a Bill Terry single. Crowder, though, got out of the inning by striking out the deadly Mel Ott and inducing Kiddo Davis to hit the ball on the ground for an infield force-out. When the General again gave up a lead-off single in the second inning, to Travis Jackson, the Giants, for the fourth time in five games, were the first to score. After Gus Mancuso walked and Blondy Ryan sacrificed for the first out by advancing the runners, pitcher Hal Schumacher, not a particularly good hitter even for a pitcher, singled to center to drive in both runners.

After a 1-2-3 Washington second, Bill Terry opened the Giants' third with, predictably, another single. But Alvin Crowder got nine straight outs and surrendered just a walk in the fourth. The Nats, however, were not generating any kind of offence in support of him. Until the fifth, the only one to get on base was Goose Goslin, who singled past short in the first inning and walked in the fourth.

With two out in the fifth, the Nationals did mount what looked like a serious threat, getting the first two batters on. Fred Schulte had opened with a single, beating a slow roller toward Travis Jackson at third. Schulte quickly found himself on second when Joe Kuhel singled cleanly to left.

With nobody out and the fans entranced now, Ossie Bluege followed the book and attempted to bunt the runners ahead. When Hal Schumacher got two strikes on him, the Nats decided to try again anyway. The bunt attempt went foul, and Bluege was out. After Luke Sewell lined to left, failing to advance any runner, Prince Hal let a pitch slip off his fingers and Schulte made it to third while Kuhel held first. With two out and baserunners on the corners, it was the pitcher's turn to bat, and Joe Cronin let General Crowder take his turn.

In the manager's defense, it was less common in this era to pinch hit for starting pitchers in the middle innings. Nevertheless, Lefty Stewart was on the bench, and so was Jack Russell, who'd already pitched very well in his two appearances, and obviously, the Senators were in desperate need of some runs. In fact, they'd scored but one run since the seventh inning of the third game. The options were Sam Rice, a .294 hitter during the regular season, or Cliff Bolton, a super hitter in a pinch in '33, as the batter in Crowder's stead. But Cronin stuck with his man Crowder, decidingly a poor-hitting pitcher. The Prince got the General to ground out to short.

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