The Washington herald., 1918-06-17
Altrock Has ''Old Home Day"
In Contest with White Sox
Uncle Nick Tries to Out
sprint Riseberg and Two
Runs Score; Lose 80.

Chicago, June I6.-It was "old
home day" at Comisley Park and
10000 fans turned out to give Nick
Altrock, former White Sox pitching
ace, q hearty welcome back to the
slab. Some of them didn't know
whether to be glad or sorry that
Chicago beat Washington 3 to o.
Edward Cicotte turned the trick
Of whitewashing the Nationals, and
the fans were trying to split their
roofing hfty-fifty between the two
slabmen most of the way.
Altrock pitched seven innings in
spite OF the heat, which took sew
eral pounds OF his veteran bones.
He might have stuck out the nine
rounds and would have given the
White Sox a harder argument IL he
had not staged a reverse English
reproduction of the Heine Zim-
Collins foot race, in the fifth in
ming opening the door for the first
two runs scored.
Nick was having SO much fun
with the Rowlands ct bat that he
forgot that he no longer was a
speed merchant on foot, and hooked
up with Risberg in a sprinting
match from near the plate back to
the third base. And the Swede not
only won. but scored on Altrock's 8
delayed throw to nobody.
7 Up to that chapter three hits had
been made of Altrock and two of
Cicotte.
Only one man on either side had
reached second base, and 1t savored
Of a real slab duel With one out
in the last half of the fifth, Ris-
berg singled and raced to third on
Schalk's hit-and-run single. Cicotte
hit a bounder to Altrock. who stabbed
IL with one hand and headed of
Risberg at the plate. The Swede
turned back to give the other rum
ners a chance to move up. Nick
chased his man almost on top of
third trying to tag him. when re
tossed the ball past Foster. letting
Risberg count. Schalk made third
and scored Oil Murphy's fly to short
left.
Before Altrock could get all his
wasted wind back two passes and
a single scored the third run in the
sixth round. Altrock finished the sew
enth, getting three SoX in a row.
then gave way TO a pinch hitter
in the eighth and let Shaw finish
the sIabbing.
BY his performances here and the
other day against Detroit, Altrock
demonstrated that. in the matter If
pitching goods, mechanical "stuff''
mixed in with knowing how to pitch
and having control and courage are
essential
Altrock will be AZ years old on
September Is next. U had to delve
into an old scrap book covered with
dust to ascertain that. That a man
Of his age could hold any team to
six hits in seven innings means that
he never has forgotten the essen
tials of slab work and needed neith-
er sizzling speed or fast breaking
curves to get by.
With that living example of the
value of control and courage work
ing for him, Manager Griffith insist
ed on butting into the nice harmon
ious reunion with his senseless old
kick about Cicotte's shine ball. He
finally persuaded Umpire OLough-
lin to take a ball away from the Sox
pitcher in the fifth inning to be
used as evidence" This so anger
ed Manager Rowland that he ex-
pressed his opinion of it to O'Lough-
lin so forcibIy that he had to be
ordered off the field, before the game
could progress.
Washington e. 900 900 600 S /
Chicago 900 OIL O0x-3 s 0
Altrock. Shaw and Ainsmith; Ci-
cote and Schalk. Umpires, OLough-
lin and Moriarity.