The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-24


was afraid that the crowd might
resent my going in to pitch at such
nerve-wracking and critical mo-
ment-especially after I had disaD-
pointed them twice. But as /
warmed up, along the sidelines, their
actions was assurance that ] still
had their confidence. That did me
lot of good. When the ninth
inning deadlock started it was hard
to keep my mind on the bullpen.
I'd throw a few and then stand and
watch the battle on the diamond.
Our first batter was put out,
but Memo LeibOld, the little old
veteran. came through with a two
base hit. With that blow I peeled
off my sweater. Muddy Ruel was
now af bat. Poor Muddy. like
come through, but without sue
cess.
This time he fooled the Giants,
just when we needed it most, and
got hit, sending Leibold to third.
Muddy's timely blow redeemed him
and left me the only one on the
club who failed completely. When
that happened got down to serious
business. whipped a few as fast
as could throw them. I began to
feel as strong as an OK and as eager
as a rookie.
When Tate batted for Marberry
l knew I was in the game-if the
boys could only push those two
runners across the plate and tie il
up. Right there with three men on
base Bucky Harris crashed the sin
gle that scored the necessary pair
OF runs and my name went into the
box score.
1t didn't look so good when
Frtsch tripled off me In the ninth.
One man was out so 1 purposely
passed Young to get Kelly. I be-
Heved I knew how to handle him.
And yet to show how a pitcher
makes mistakes / threw a certain
ball to Frisch which according to
Babe Ruth was his weak spot ana
look what Frisch did to it. Three.
base hit.
When I went to bat IN the tenth
inning don't mind saying / was
swinging from my shoetops. In other
words I was trying fora l1omerun
or anything that would break that
game into 100 pieces. After the
game friend asked "Would you
have sooner won on a random home
run or on fine pitching?" / replied,
IT wanted to win on anything just
50 We won" But, although / gave
the ball a solid smash it Lacked
honerun steam and Irish Meusei
captured it close to the leftfield
baeachers.
Frisch came up again in the
eleventh inning and disregarding
his three-base~ hit, ] worked on
him, according to his supposed
weakness. Showing that the
strJIckOut on the same kind Of a
ball he had previously hit for
three bases.
Kelly, next up, did the same.
About Kelly's strikeouts, here's
something interesting. Any number
Of people have said to me "Well.
you got even with Kelly for his
homerun." / have been asked re-
peatedly if I passed Young twice
in the final game. for the purpose
OF squaring accounts with George
Kelly. No sensible pitcher would
be so childish. l never worry over
games that are passed. Kelly de-
served his homerun and / give
him full credit. Certainly l passed
Young, a dangerous Iefthanded hit
ter, for the purpose of pitching
to Kelly, a righthand batter. But
not for revenge!
As I came to the bench, before
the last inning, / glanced up at
my mother. Her worried, solemn
look was gone at last and for the
first time in any OF my three
games, she was smiling! 1t seemed
to be an omen ana ] smiled back.
As faced the Giants in the
twelfth inning. | felt fresh and
comfortable. The other innings had
warmed me up. Muesel's single
did not disturb me. l managed TO
get Wilson for my fifth strikeout
and felt my pitching was confus-
ing the Giants. The sky was dark
ening and that helped my fast
ball.
Hank Gowdy, the life of the
Giants throughout the series, played
in hard luck when he dropped
RueI's pop foul in the twelfth In
going after the ball he tripped on
his mask, something ! have seldom
seen happen. and Muddy got another
chance. This was the cracking sig
nal, for Muddy followed with a
sound two base hit and then.
jackson fumbled q ball I hit 10
him at short McNceley, the young
Californian. who had tough breaks
in the early games, broke up the