The Washington times., 1933-12-25
TRIPLE PLAY
AND HOMER
TOO MUCH
By GARRY SCHUMACHER

aDhich he Uill describe dramatic
thrilling incidents, moments and
battles in baseball that tUiA live as
long as the game itself. The 1rti-
cleS toill appear daily in The Wash
ington Times.
One thing about those who
have followed the dashing Dodg-
ers of Flatbush through the years
they've seen everything that can
happen on a baseball final.
They haven't missed trick. The
genial, lovable Uncle Robbie's
teams stressed the unusual, per.
formed the impossible. What they
failed to accomplish they had in
flicted upon them.
And so, in the search for base
balls oldest, most bizarre engage
ment, we have only to check the
record of the Flatbush Flock. We
are bound to find it there.
Yes, here it is. Baseballs mil
hon to one chance.
Only Occurred Once
A million to one, because it has
happened only once in the his
tory of baseball, and then in a
world series. The one game that
produced within nine innings base
balls supreme offensive gesture, a
home run with the bases filled.
and baseball's greatest individual
defensive feat, triple play unas-
assisted.
AS anyone who knows the Dodg-
ers will guess, they were the VIC
tins. The Cleveland Indians
achieved the twin miracle, and
with it swept over the PROSTATE
Flock to a world championship.
Entering the game, the teams
were all even. Each had won two
games. Fate left the Dodgers no
chance after that.
October 10, 1920, was the date,
and it was Sunday. The old
Cleveland ball park out on Sixty
third Street held the greatest
throng in its history. and one Of
the noisiest, wildly emotional
crowds that ever saw a ball game
anywhere.
Performance Inspired
A setting then for a great game
but this one went beyond that.
The Cleveland performance was
inspired. Nothing else explains it..
Right away things happened,
the breaks that doomed the
Dodgers, set the stage for the
catastrophe that was to overtake
them.
The game wasn't five minutes
old before the Indians had filled
the bases. Burleigh Grimes, Slim
mer then, but even as now grim
and unrelenting, was the Brook
lyn pitcher. He was giving it"
as he has done through all the
years, throwing himself up there
with every pitch. But the breaks
were against him.
Breaks Go Other Way
Jamieson's bounder, to open
that first inning, skipped past
Konetchy for hit. Billy Wambs-
ganss, who later in the game was
to win baseball Immortality fol-
lowed with a tap toward third
base. Jake Sheehan, a last
second minor league replacement
for the injured Jimmy Johnston,
set; himself for the ball. It looked
like a double play. But the ball
hoped high, beyond him, for
another hit. Nor did fortune turn
against the Indians. Speaker
bunted. Grimes pounced upon
the ball. seized it. and then fell
down. Speaker safe, a third hit,
the bases filled.
The hitter now was Elmer
Smith-a numbering, heavy-footed
outfielder, who only once through
all his career won fame's atten-
ton. This was the time.
Grimes fought him. Twice the
"Lord of Burleigh" poured his
"spitter through there. Smith
swung viciously, but hit nothing
The third pitch was wasted
Again it was to be the splitter,
the "pay-off." It was. Smith got
his bat under the ball. lifted it
high into the air. One look at
1t as it ascended into the sky and
the Cleveland runners were in
motion.
Bedlam Goes Loose
Against the right field wall
Tommy Griffith stood waiting.
hoping against hope. Suddenly
abruptly, his hopes were dashed.
The ball cleared the barrier, dis
appeared from sight. A home
run. Bedlam let loose in the
ball park.
But those Dodgers were game
They should have been crushed
overwhelmed. but they weren't.
They fought back, even after
Jim Bagby. the Cleveland pitcher
hit another home run good fol
three runs in the fourth. Ac
tually. they outhit the Indians
through the game-though in the
end they lost by 8 to l. In more
ways than one it was the strang
est game ever played.
Stopped by a double play ir
the second and another in the
fourth, they returned to the
charge in the fifth. Behind, 7 tt
0, they still weren't ready to sur
render.
Triple Play Nips Rally
Pete Kilduff lashed a single
TO center. Miller, the moon-facec