Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-21

assed by the New Workers.. they
maintained their splendid spirit
The last series of four games was
II Boston with the Red Sox. The first
game went against the Nationals, re-
duGing th6iS lead to one game. as the
Yanks on the same day triumphed
over the Macks in Philadelphia. Re-
suits were reversed the next day, and
I on Monday September 90, after a day
of rest and with but one more day OF
the season remaining, the Nationals
clinched the flag with a 4-to-2 VIC
| tory over the Red Sox.
The ensuing series with the New
York Giants, National League pen
! nant team, undou btedly was the most
dramatic ever played for the world
championship. With two stout
| hearted teams opposing, 1t went the
| limit of seven games. and each battle
| was of thrilling character. The Ma
| tionals were defeated in the magnifi-
| cent thinning 4-to-3 opening en-
| gagement in Clark Grifiths stadium
! Saturday, October 4, but the teams
| alternated In winning until the
seventh and decisive fray. in which
| the Harrismen triumphed.
Walter Johnson, dean of major
! league pitchers, was twice defeated,
| greatly disappointing his millions of
| admirers. who had waited long for
! him to get into one of base balls
/ classics. He bowed to the Giants In
! the opening encounter, and was
beaten by them again in New York,
TO 2, in the fifth game. But Jez
Zachary had lGched the Nationals to
4-to-3 success in the second game
here, and after the Giants drubbed
the Nationals, to 4. in the first game
in New York the fighting Harrismen
turned on the enemy and won, Z to 4,
mainly because OF Goose Goslin's ter
rifle batting.
Johnson Wins Final.
That put 1t up to the Nationals to
win two games on their home field
if they would be world champions
Roger Peckinpaugh, who had been
out of two games in. New York be-
cause of a leg injury, returned to the
lineup, and his superb fielding,
Zachary's fine pitching and a timely
hit by Harris gave the Nationals a
2-to-1 success to even the series.
But Peck again was hurt, and the
Nationals had to enter the decisive
conflict with a patchy infield. Yet
the seventh game was the most specA
tacular of the series. and afforded
Walter Johnson his last opportunity
to be credited with a victory in the
set of battles. An early National lead
was overcome when the Giants tailed
three times in an inning marked by
| poor National fielding. Manager Har-
ris. however, knocked in a pair of
runs in the eighth to deadlock the
fray.
Then Walter johnson was called to
tho mound to face the Giants in the
ninth. And his work excelled that of
any Of the three National hurlers who
had preceded him. Although in several
| ticklish situations in the four in
nings he hurled. the veteran checked
the Giants until at last, in the twelfth
inning, Earl McNeely, late-season
purchase from the Pacific Coast
League, bounced hit over third base
that scored Muddy Ruei from second
with the run giving the Nationals the
game, to 3, and the championship.
Success Not FIuky.
The success OF the Nationals in the
American League campaign and the
world series was not huky. They
| played consistently good base ball all
| the way. Several members Of the
team batted above the 900 mark for
| the season. and in Goose Goslin the
| club had the best man in the league
| at driving in runs. Johnson was the
American Leagues premier pitcher,
both in effectiveness and In winning
percentage. He was credited with %
wins and Z losses, and set a season
mark when he pitched Is consecutive
! victories.
| The team unquestionably was the
finest that ever represented the Ma
tional Capital in professional base
ball, and It's success unquestiona bly,
made 1924 THE year in District
| sports history