The Washington times., 1931-08-26
BATSMEN HIT
To SPOIL
CHANCE
BY BABE RUTH

strike of victory and lose his
bali game. But what do you
think must be his feelings when
he comes within one strike on
two different occasions and still
fails to win. 1t is so unusual
. that it might be called one Of
the freaks of the game, yet I
saw it happen a few days ago,
Earl Whitehill of the Detroit
Tigers was the victim.
This is the way it happened.
Earl had pitched a great game
against the Yankees on the last
day of our final visit of the year
at Navin Field. He was leading
in the ninth, inning, 3 to 2, with
two out and the bases empty
when Lazzeri came up. Tony let
one strike slide by without swing:
ing at it and he fouled, off the
next pitch, leaving Whitehill only
one strike away from a we'll
deserved victory. I forgot to men
tion that one of our two runs
was the result of an error, while
the Tigers had earned all theirs:
Whitehin finally worked Lazzeri
down to a count of three balls
and two strikes, and then Tony
hit a double to right field. The
third strike never came.
Ruffing Socks Homer
This brought Charley &Ruffing
I'D and Whitehill worked the
count down to the same 3 and 2
on Ruffing, with Lazzeri still rest.
ing on second. Again Earl was
only one strike away from victory.
But Ruffing hit into the right
field bleachers for a home run
and put us ahead.
Whitehill remained in the
box until the end of the in.
ming but went out for a pinch
hitter in the Detroit half. The
Tigers tied up the game in the
ninth and Tom Bridges was the
winning pitcher when they fin
31Ay UG6IG us 11A VIC CACVO1AkAS
Naturally we were out there to
beat Whitehill and those hits by
Lazzeri and Ruffing in the ninth
inning were all right with us. In
fact we would have preferred
few more hits and runs if we
could have got them. But was
a. pitcher once and I know just
how Whitehill felt to be so close
to success and then have it
Snatched away from him.
We had game at the Yankee
Stadium two years ago in which
we were even closer to victory
than Whitehill was, and still we
lost the decision. I forget now
who was pitching for us that day
but I remember we were playing
the Cleveland Indians and we
were leading by two runs with
two out in the ninth, and run.
ners on second and third. The
batter raised pop fly just over
third base and both runners cut
loose for the plate, as they al.
ways do with two out. 1t was an
easy catch for Lazzeri. who was
playing third, or for Larry.
Both Reach For Ball
But each was so anxious to
make the catch that neither paid
much attention to the other. and
they both reached for it at the
same time.
The ball got away, the In
dianS tied the score and they
won out in extra inning.
guess that is about as close as
q pitcher or a team can be to
winning and still not win.
This getting close and then
failing reminds me of the time
that I almost pitched a no-hit
game. You will notice that I said
almost. Like every other pitcher
! always hoped that some day I
would be able to go nine innings
without allo vil5 hit, and once
] almost made the grade. The
hit which beat me out of 1t was
q scratch but that counts just
as much H. home run.
I was With the Red Sox then
and we were playing a game in
Detroit. DOME Bush, now man.
ager of the White Sox, was play
ing shortstop for the. Tigers at
the time In one Of the late
innings, can't recall whether it
was the eight or the ninth,
DOME slapped a ball back toward
the box. I thought had 1t
easily and went after II with
one hand. The ball hoped away
for a hit and wnen the game
was all over I had to be content
with a one-hit sare.
Herb lennock once carried a
no-hit game up to the ninth in
ming, got the first two men quickly
and then Harry Hooper tagged
him for a scratch hit. It was
the opening game of the 1915
season b ween the Red Sox and
tn AS Herb as pitching for
Phila" "elphia hen and Ernie
Shore pitched the game for the
Sox. Pennock got the next bat
ter after Hocrer singled, and
he won the ball game. 20. but
that finish was sorry diSap-
pointment when he missed his
no-hit game after coming too
close to it.
'I have never been nearly as
close to a no-hit game since"
n L -