The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-03-13
CHESBRO WILD PITCHES
REMNANT TO RED SOX
By FREDERICK G.. LIEB.

IN New 1OTk TOWN. Lney DelleVc
that the purchase of Babe Ruth, the
famous slugger, will enable the Yam
kee fans to realize their dream Of
years-an American League flag
winner for New York. Many stars
have played with the Inflated team
which broke into the metropolis in
1903 with the strongest team the
young league could put together, but
all the diamond celebrities that have
paraded in Yankee vestment in sew
enteen years - Keller, Chesbro,
Fultz, Elberfeld, Chase, Ford,
Vaughn, Cree, Peckinpaugh, Cald-
we'll and Baker-never have been
able to lift the Yankees into the
championship class.
However, the man who came clos
est to bringing a championship to the
Yankees is the ono player who is best
remembered by the Yankee fans as
the man who frittered away a pen
nant on . wild pitch. What par
adox! 1t was Chesbro's pitching
which put the Yankees into the 1904
pcnnant struggle and kept them
there.
Happy Jack won Il games that sea-
son and lost IL for a percentage of
TIA He liz the only American League
pitcher who ever turned in IL games
a season. Not once during the season
was he batted out of the box. Yet
New York always will remember
Happy Jack for his twelfth defeat of
1904 rather than for his Al victories.
The reason is very plain. Tho game
which Chesbro lost on October 10,
1904, the last day OF the American
League season, was the most crucial
game in the history OF the New York
American League club. The Yanks
and Red Sox were closing the season
in New York with a double header.
point lead. II the Red Sox got an
even split on the double-header, the
pennant would be safe. Clark Grif-
fith's New Workers needed both games
OF the twin bill to win the Tag.
A wild Heave Docs II.
The Yankees lost the frst game by
a score Of to ?. Chesbro wild-pitch-
ing Lou Criger home with the win
ming run in the ninth inning. De-
spite the fact that this game ended
the pennant race, the second game
was fought as stubbornly as the first,
the Yankees winning 1t In the tenth
inning by a score OF 1 to O. As a re-
suit OF the even break in the double
header, Boston and New York finish
ed the 1904 season ranked as follows:
} Won. Lost. Percent.
New York .. o. SO 900
Had New York won both games the
final standing would have been:
Won. Lost. Percent
New York -...... % 5S .6l6
Boston ..... "a 80 .61o
1t is interesting in looking back at
this game to recall that a wild throw
to the plate by Jimmy Williams, the
Yankee second baseman, enabled the
Red Sox to tie the all-important game
in the seventh inning, as the fielding
blunder let in two runs. Yet this
play is almost forgotten, while Ches-
bros wild pitch Ia as famous among
disasters as Is Merkle's lsmentable
failure to touch second base in 1908.
And only recently the question was
raised at tanning bee, attended by
Willie Keller and several other old
timers, whether this play should have
argued strenuously that IL was a
passed ball by Jack Kleinow.
Willie says he remembers the de-
livery distinctly. Kleinow was set
for a low ball, but this splitter came
shoulder high. Jack stuck up his
glove. but the ball broke through Il.
But Billy claims there was nothing
wild about tho pitch.
New York Scores Twice.
Everything started with two out.
Kleinow singled to right and Ches-
bro bounded n liner of Dineen's shin
which went as n hit. Dougherty
crashed a single into right, scoring
kleinow. Dlneen then lost control
and filled the bases by walking
Keller. Another pass to Elberfeld
forced in Chesbro, but Williams fell
down on a chance to clean up. Jimmy
tapped feebly to Dlneen. But New
York had two runs
Boston tied in the seventh Ia