The New York herald., 1921-09-17
Ruth's Fifty-sixth Homer
Comes in Victory for Browns
by 10 to 3.
BY DANIEL.


home run from the accomplishments of
the Yankees against the Browns at the
Polo Grounds yesterday and you have
nothing but a bleak, drab, profitless
afternoon for the home contenders.
Along with defeat for the desperate
New Yorks by 10 to came a stunning
triumph for Cleveland In Washington
combination of circumstances which
sent the Yankees topping from their
proud position at the masthead of the
American League standing. For Miller
Huggins and his men has come the
great crisis of the season, and the time
for demonstration OF true qualities of
leadership.
That the Yankees this morning trail
instead of make pace may be laid to
the malign wizardry in the right arm
of Urban Shocker. deadly power trans
lated by the bats of Bill Jacobson and
George Sisler, and n most lamentable
weakness in the pitching efforts of Bob
Shawkey and Tom Rogers. Sisler had
the distinction of hitting n home run
with the bases full. Shocker was the
tantalizing. cocky spitballer who took
keen delight in hurling the Yankees
back so often last season. He had
speed. control, a great curve, gameness
and head. He never was In danger.
The victory was his twenty-fifth of the
season - and only Carl Mays had
twenty-five victories in the majors
True. the great Ruth crashed one of
Shockers spitters against the frieze on
the right field stand for a home run in
the fourth inning, with nobody on. But
Shocker more than made up for that
blow. In all his three other trips to
the plate the home run king was vic
tim by the strikeout route. Thrice did
the great Babe fan the air--thrice was
he turned back with a knowing, suave
smile by him who once was a Yankee.
The homer was the seventh which Ruth
has hit off Shocker this season-and
Shocker has been pitching to the Babe
all year.
MeuseI Fans Twice.
Miller. Peckinpaugh and Schang got
doubles; Meusel, McNally and Hawks
collected singles - seven hits in an off
Shocker. But only in the sixth, In
which three drives were put together
Tor a couple of runs, did the Yankees
get any real results. And even in that
session Shocker was preeminent, for he
finished the inning with strikeouts
against both Ruth and Meusel.
The clouting Bob, who had got three
home runs in two days. was stopped
rudely. Twice he kept Ruth company in
the tanning brigade and his singles In
the second went for hit only because
1t carromed off the pitchers glove. A
dreary day. indeed, for the Yanks!
While the locals were having their
troubles with Shocker. the Browns, no
longer the inept. colorless combination
OF the day before. were holding high
carnival at the expense of Shawkey and
Rogers. In between that pair of victims
was Jack Quinn, who pitched the seventh
and eighth innings and got away
with only one hit ond no score. 1t was
Rogers who had the honor. with reverse
English. of being slammed for that four
run homer by the blushing Sisler. who
in the ninth crashed the ball into the
right field stand after Austin had
singled. McManus had sacrificed. Shock
er had walked and Ellerbe had rammed
a hit through McNally. The wallop
made Sisters home run total ten. How
ever, the game had been lost. The drive
only made poignant result more so.
Gerber Is Knocked out.
sixth was marked by a mshap which
recalled the crash of Kid Elberfeld and
Dave Fultz up on the old Hilltop
grounds. Hawks, batting for Shawkey.
singled to McManus and scored on
Miller's double to centre. Peck raised
a high fly behind short and Gerber and
McManus raced for it.
They raced until they came together,
head on. McManus was shaken up, but
Gerber went down. stunned. Miller
came home and after long recess Ger
ber continued. But later he went out in
favor of the still peppery Jimmy Austin.
who opened with great stop and throw
on Peck and soon got hit.
Shawkey showed from the start that
he was still off form. He pitched no
better than he did against the White
Sox the other day. when he had to quit
under fire. His back was stiff and his
delivery cramped. 1t was in the fourth
the Bob got himself into real mess,
and then and there the game went from
the Yankees.