New-York tribune., 1919-08-16
10000 Pack the Polo
Grounds, While 10000
More Fail to Gain
Admittance to Contests
By w. O. Mcclellan

wilt before the sustained fury of
the Cincinnati Reds at the Polo
Grounds yesterday, losing both
games Of the double-header and
four Of the series of six games, on
which the pennant race may hinge.
Twenty thousand were held back
from the entrances and five were
badly hurt in the first stampede
when the gates were flung open.
The collapse and apparent demise
Of the Giants was staged in a set
ting more turbulent than any that
has yet been staged for a world
series.
The Reds now lead the National
League procession by six and one
half games.
In the first game Hod Eller, pitching
for the Reds. won his own game ith a
home run to the left field bleachers
with two on for final score of to g.,
the Giants Topping dsmally after one
nervous rally. In the second game
Rube Benton, for the Giants, had one
bad inning, while Ray Fisher, backed
by the kind of support that comes from
supreme confidence, blanked the Giants
for final score of to 0.
By 1880 o'clock the time set for the
first game, there were something like
$4,000 persons trying to crush into the
Brush Stadium, which was built to seat
$4,000, and the reserves had to be called
out. Impatient fans tried to storm the
gates, both on the lower and upper
levels, and the elevated trains were
bringing thousands of others every few
minutes.
Clothing was torn and people were
trampled in the rush. 1t was during
one of these stampedes that five per-
sons were pushed by the press behind
over the railing of the speedway en-
trance upon the heads of persons in
the lower tier.
Every Seat Taken Early
Every seat in the bleachers was oc-
cupied by the time the first game had
started, and men and boys had climbed
to perches on the signboards behind.
The press around the entrance on the
outside was so thick that the police
had to clear the way with their clubs
injured Iron doors were crushed down
and iron bolts were snapped by the
plunges of tTfe crowds. UnQuestlonably
it was the largest gathering that ever
tried to battle its way to a baseball
game.
On this series depended the outcome
of the National League race. The loss
of these two games yesterday, giving
the Cincinnati Reds four games out OF
the most "croocial" of all "crooclal"
series, evidently means the loss of the
pennant to New York. For the Reds,
after being beaten apparently to a
standstill on the day before, came back
yesterday with their heads up and beat
all the heart out of the Giants.
This looked like the climax of the
season and the anti-climax for the
Giants. The Reds go from here with
their morale mistaken, while the
Giants are due to face the Chicago
Cubs, who have been going steadily up
ward. Unless the Giants can stop the
Cubs and get some help from Wilbert
Robnson's Dodgers, against whom the
Reds next battle, the pennant posi-
bilities will be quite definitely settled
within a week or so.
The defeat of Jess Barnes, after his
ten straight victories, was the begin
ming Of the end for the Giants-and
Hod Eller did it. With pitchers
contempt for the batting abilities of
pltchegs, Barnes sent one straight over
to Eller, and the ball was sent into the
left field bleachers. After that the
Giants battled with all they had, but
the veterans of the team were worn
and sore armed. Larry Doyle failed as
a pinch hitter, and so did Lew Nc
Carty. Chase, with an injured wrist,
was not working with his usual dash
and fire.
The crowd was gleeful and pro- Giant
when it started, but became depressed
as The GIANTS cracked and foundered
tnrough the second game. Some Of
s snose VINO led the rushes at the gates
"ere the frst to filter out of the park,
Benton Fails in Second
me second game witnessed the COL
lapse OF Rube Benton, one of tho n;toh
ers on whom McGraw was denopd;na,
ntos'. One bad inning, and the Ruhe
vas Vas through; That the Reds We're 'oo on
sneir toes, clear eyed and battling for
thsty be+y ioophole, is shown by the fact
heds had just four hits. Raw F'E F;shar .ne
perhaps one of the weakest Of f'"I, 49,
moran pitching forces, held tbe C;ou.e sne
70 SIX scattered hits, but he had s,'r
port behind him that would hava ba1p ba15
up any pitcher. ''aVe nelo
"o collapse OF the Rube in the sec.
ono game gave the Reds three rms !,
one inning: The odd run was acb;ovaJ a.,
through the dash and initiativo ~ ~
UTeasey. Neale, who got hasa ~, ~,
oalis, stole second, third and homo ~, -,
aap,u succession. Imagine the Giants
80 padly demoraiized that one nlavas
''Ii9 pay such tricks on them.
'onh McGraw, usually as hall;oos
more so in defeat than in ,;o. W
asmpled back and forth to the coacI';y,' o,y'
tine IN listless fashion. Then Th''1,e III &
hhnally disappeared into the dnmem+ nem ne
brood. The fans that had hoon "Sout ,s.s 10
e;is,a eIs at 1ne IN, start became detected and
snectac,,iay s, ney wound up by cheering the
SGpeI,aeular Gn,,, felding of the Invaders
saan y George Burns of the Giant.
seemed to play as though he consid >
eiSG tne Giants still in the race.
Tlsher' the discarded Yankee, ni+chod !
neady game, but it was Hod ELL
t;n Wno is responsible for the turn Of +ba
ftoe IN favor of the Cincinnati Reds .t'
- inc Hlants are trailing when 80
current pennant race closes newt mon4S
the Elants can blame it on Eller If 1.f
Iney nave part of a worlds ser;as -
cincinnati this year the Chamber nf llf
Eommerce 20, of that city can credit Hod
Eiler with having brought tho v;s;tnra
70 the Kedlands. This pitcher nrohabi,.
mas spiked the chances of Now w.
seeing worlds series this wear.
1t was Hod Elfer who held the r.,a
IN the lee Of Coogan's Bluff for pba tba
feds In the first game. 1t was Hod.S
unexpected home run srnash "a ~ ~ =,